This page has been set up to share photos & video relating to the "Planting Equipment" chapter of "Step By Step, A Tree Planter's Handbook." Visit www.replant.ca/books to see books about tree planting.
Here's a planter wearing a set of three-bagger planting bags. Three-baggers are common in northern BC and Alberta, and in parts of other provinces where trays aren't used. Four-baggers are also available, but are most commonly used in southern BC or on the BC coast. However, four-baggers are slowly becoming more common in northern BC and Alberta too, especially among stronger planters who want to carry large amounts of trees, or in areas where foresters have prescribed multiple species. For planters who don't want to carry heavy loads, or who are rarely planting more than two species simultaneously, three-baggers should be just fine.
Here's a planter wearing a set of four-baggers.
There are many different stores that selling planting gear and general forestry equipment. This photo was taken inside IRL (Industrial Reproductions Limited) in Prince George, BC. Other stores include Motion Industries (national), Universal Field Supplies (Ontario), and Ono Safety (BC lower mainland and Vancouver Island).
Here are some different types and sizes of planting shovels.
This type of shovel is referred to as a D-handle.
This type of shovel is referred to as a staff shovel.
This shovel handle is the "ergo d" handle. It's supposedly a bit better on your hand and wrist, and was designed to reduce instances of tendonitis. Although it's a great idea, I prefer to recommend that planters learn to plant ambidextrously, and this type of handle is not suitable for ambidextrous planting.
Make sure you have a bear whistle attached to your bags. The little plastic whistle built into the strap on BushPro bags is a great idea, but it is not adequate. Buy a "Fox 40" or some sort of similar whistle that can be heard well across the block. The whistle is used for emergencies, ie. a first aid situation, a collapsed planter, an aggressive bear, or other unexpected imminent hazards. To be honest, it should be called an emergency whistle rather than a bear whistle. Let's all start doing that. If you hear a whistle, stop work immediately and try to figure out what's going on. This could mean assisting a worker in distress, or having everyone meet at a designated spot on the block (such as the crew truck).
A new D-handle shovel is fairly long, and some planters prefer to shorten the shaft. This photo shows a foreman helping a first-year planter do some shovel modifications.
Another photo of shovel modifications.
Another photo of shovel modifications.
Modern BushPro shovels are very easy to modify, however, with older gear, you may have to use more tools than just a screwdriver and a cross-cut saw if you're trying to make modifications.
There are lots of different colors of flagging tape.
For planters, blue is generally the best color for planting. Although some other colors occasionally tend to be the "best" color to use on a particular block (depending on vegetation), blue is usually the preferred color for more than 95% of the blocks.
Here's a planter with a new set of planting bags. Once your bags are a few years old, you may want to consider investing in a new set. Will you be embarassed because you're wearing white bags and you'll look like a rookie? That's silly. Your bags will look old and dirty within a week, or you can paint them up or roll them in the mud if you don't like them looking bright white. What matters is your comfort, and a new set of bags (or at the very least, new padding) may be a great investment when your old bags are falling apart.
Here's an old set of planting bags. If the bags are in this kind of condition, the straps probably are too, and they're probably uncomfortable to wear. It's time to invest in better gear, that works better and is more comfortable on your body.
Some people (especially women) prefer to plant without using their shoulder straps.
Here's another photo of a planter working without shoulder straps.
Here's another photo of a planter working without shoulder straps.
If you do wear shoulder straps, adjust them so they're comfortable for your body. Far too many planters don't realize that this is an easy way to improve your comfort.
Some people like to cut one kicker off their shovel, to reduce the weight. This should not be a priority for a first-year planter. In fact, it's not a wise idea if you're going to learn to plant ambidextrously. If you want to lighten your shovel, two better ways are to trim the length of a long blade slightly, and to shorten the shaft. You may find that you need your kicker in harder or rocky ground. I would only recommend removing your kicker once you've completed at least one full season, so you know whether or not you'll use it frequently. Also, I'd only remove a kicker if you have a backup shovel that still has kickers for blocks where you need them.
Here's a box of plot cords. The 3.99m length is standard for planting in British Columbia and most parts of Alberta.
Many people like to replace the belt buckle on their bags with an old seat belt, if the plastic buckle keeps popping open accidentally. If that's the case, do a lot of digging around in an old junkyard. Many types of buckles are not appropriate for attaching to planting pages. Some of the best buckles often come from old junk vehicles from the 1990's and earlier, especially if you look at the buckles from the back seat.
Click here to see a page listing books related to reforestation in Canada. If you received a photocopied version of this book from your planting company, or you're a trainer at a Canadian planting company, click on this link for more information.
