BRRRRRR!!!!!!!

[rachstebbs]

Best way to stay warm and dry is to stay in bed with a cup of tea and a plate of biscuits. [:p] Am grumpy and cold today, can you tell?
stupid winter...grrr

[Sith]

quote:Originally posted by mercenary
[brI've also found it best to have 2 pairs of boots, which get used on alternate days. Going out with even slightly wet boots will guarantee a miserable day. It also allows the other pair to dry slowly. Critical if cracking of the leather is to be avoided. Radiator drying and oven drying a big no-no. Slapping on polish while wet and muddy doesn't seem right but does preserve the leather.

As for waterproofing: I've not figured this one out yet. Expensive gore-tex does not work. Not surprising when you read the small print where it says dirt will ruin it!

I know that this will re-ignite the supplied PPE thread, but I always wore wellingtons (steel toe + midsole) in bad weather or on wet sites. And Goretex does work (sort of), but you have to wash it following the manufacturers instructions and re-proof it with special liquid regularly. I use mine for activities far more active and muddy than digging and it's still going strong after five years.

As for being rained off, I always brought my team off site if the weather was bad enough to damage the archaeology (usually by walking on it), mainly because this also made it far too dangerous to work.

D. Vader
Senior Consultant

Vader Maull & Palpatine
Archaeological Consultants

The ability to dig a site is insignificant next to the power of the Force

[mercenary]

quote:I always wore wellingtons (steel toe + midsole) in bad weather or on wet sites.

I'm of two minds about wellies. Indispensible when working in ankle deep water, but not so good for general purpose use. The loose fit makes the wearer less sure footed, a real problem in wet & slippery conditions. (I also developed a pathological hatred of them as a child growing up on a pig farm! Too many sprained ankles.)

I actually agree about gore-tex working if you treat it and wash it properly. I don't have the time/inclination to do this each week during my recovery time so it doesn't work for me.

As for working in the rain. I feel it should be avoided mostly on health and safety grounds, if barrow runs etc become too slippery, and if staff morale needs a boost, but ruining the site is not inevitable! Boards can be put down and all activity done from them. It is slower and possibly not always cost effective, but it can be done.

I've done my share of waterlogged sites which were much worse than a rain soaked site, and a process of pump, clean, excavate, re-pump, record, re-pump, photo, repeat, saw us through.

quote:And that wonderful site thats been cleaned is knackered with muddy footprints and then you spend another week (if the rains cleared) cleaning the site again hence wasting more time, so is it justifiable.

Muddy footprints across sites are entirely the responsibility of the maker and not the supervisor. I've driven myself near mad trying to get excavators to follow designated lanes/barrow runs to minimize damage to archaeology on wet days. So far I've utterly failed. When did this stop being accepted site practice?

[Tim]

British army gortex boot liners and Buffalo Clothing from Silvermans.

Little Tim

[the invisible man]

Specialise in Minoan archaeology...............

We owe the dead nothing but the truth.

[troll]

Road-testing a pair of "100% waterproof" gloves that I spotted in a camping shop.A bit like the texture of diving gloves.Rain, snow and mud today-dry hands all day.So far so good.Also managed to turn out a quality drawing whilst wearin em.Drawback is ?24.99 outlay.If they survive, may be worth investing the twelve quid per hand.....will let you know...
product name "sealskins".They also do socks....

[drpeterwardle]

I have a pair of Extremity gloves - cost about a tenner in the early ninetees. They will last about 2 years on everyday use but you can use them with a camera or a survey instrument with them so the thumb wears outs quickly. I still have the second pair.

Peter

[I F Lostmetrowel]

Ah the key to warm feet at last. Not sure what the girlfriend will make of it when I ask her for a pair of tights though

Worst site I can remember for bad weather madness was when it was raining alot and the area of the site we had to work on was stripped months before we got to it and had reverted to nature. The site was clay and we had started clearing before the rain so= bare clay. Rain starts, build plank barrow run is the supervisors response and keep hoeing off the weeds=more bare clay=death trap, because barrows clog up quick in clay and planks our slippery. Only got it rained off when two of the team picked up the barrows as they where so clogged that you couldn't push them and carried it to the spoil heap and was told this was dangerous

Here there and everywhere, but still no trowel

[Sith]

quote:Originally posted by Tim

British army gortex boot liners and Buffalo Clothing from Silvermans.

Hurrah for the Buffalo jacket! best bit of kit I ever bought, however, Silverman's are the most expensive outdoor clothing supplier on the planet so thrifty archaeologists might be better looking elsewhere.

D. Vader
Senior Consultant

Vader Maull & Palpatine
Archaeological Consultants

The ability to dig a site is insignificant next to the power of the Force

[Tim]

Plus British army socks, British army DPM Gortex overtrousers (10 years old and still perfect), SAS arctic overtrousers. Yes Silvermans are expensive but they have a massive selection of equipment.

Little Tim