Snake Guards (leggins)

[Gem99ultra]

Living here in mid-Georgia, everyone around tells me there are a LOT of snakes. Personally I've only seen 4 in the 5 years I've been here. One Garter snake, two King snakes, and this week - a water moccasin. The moccasin was munching out on a large frog until I sent him on his way to Snake Heaven with a .22 shot.

But - I have a lot of wooded area around that I plan on cleaning up this spring, and two large ponds that would probably welcome moccasins and rattle snakes. Seeing the moccasin recently makes me wonder if I shouldn't be wearing snake guards, or snake leggings as they are sometimes called.

I have some Kevlar lined jeans... Do you think those would stop a snake bite? Or should I opt for some bonified leggings? And if so, any suggestions on brand or type?

Any suggestions, other than farming out the work, would be appreciated.

 

[TractorGuy]

You can never be too safe. You won't need protection until you get bit.

That said I have a pair of snake chaps I rarely think to put on.

Are the Kevlar jeans rated snake proof? If so that and good boots should do it from the waist down.

The closest I've come to being bit was carrying a box to a burn pile that had a pigmy rattler in it. Didn't see him till I threw the box on the fire.

 

[Marbleman]

I have a pair of snake boots that I wear any time I go into the brush and rock areas up here on the mountain. We have rattlesnakes and copperheads. We see several of each every year. I don't go out of the mowed yard without the snake boots on. Snake boots are guaranteed to protect you from snake bite. Available at all outdoor stores like Academy and Cabela's.

 

[Wagtail]

A somewhat less expensive route would be to purchase a pair of horse riding 'half chaps' or gaiters. They go from your boots up to you knee. Mine are leather and velcro around my calves.

There are, of course, expensive ones that turn your riding boots into a formal (English) high-top riding boot; Ariat would be a familiar make in the US. However there's no need to go that expensive.

half chaps or gaiters - Google Search

 

[Ford 1720 TX]

We have seen over the years, rat snakes, blotched water snakes, eastern hog nosed snake, coral snake and garter snakes.
There are certainly rattlers within a few miles but we haven't seen one here.
I'm in and out of the house a lot and it would be too cumbersome to remove boots each time.
So I just go with some hard soled work shoes.
Reminds me though when we were living on a 1500 acre ranch in Cedar Creek, TX. My wife was carrying a fold up table from the front porch to the garage. She felt something whack her tennis shoe.
It was a rattlesnake coiled up next to the sidewalk. It's rattle had broken off so no sound. My wife isn't someone who's just going to take something like that so she ran and got a shovel. Held the table between her and the snake and pinned it to the ground with the shovel. I got home a half hour later and she still had it pinned. It was badly damaged but alive. I killed it with a ball peen hammer. We still have the skin up in the guest room.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I spent 30 years on the farm in central Va and never thought of snakes. I have seen large numbers of water moccasins not far from there and once picked up a grease gun that had a small one under it. Had one hit my boot while working on the baler in the hay field one evening. Killed a few down bu the river but had better things to do than worry about every step. Get your boots if you like but my guess is don't show the locals, they will likely get a good laugh from them. Ed

 

[Wagtail]

I spent 30 years on the farm in central Va and never thought of snakes. I have seen large numbers of water moccasins not far from there and once picked up a grease gun that had a small one under it. Had one hit my boot while working on the baler in the hay field one evening. Killed a few down by the river but had better things to do than worry about every step. Get your boots if you like but my guess is don't show the locals, they will likely get a good laugh from them. Ed

Yeah, there're a few venomous snakes in Australia (and Tassie)... I've never given them a second thought. Heck, they're all 'protected' anyway so (unless they've been accidentally run over, shot [accidentally, of course] or had their head very accidentally chopped off with a shovel) you need to have them relocated back to the bush.

Accidents do happen, though... pity, that.

 

[Gem99ultra]

You can never be too safe. You won't need protection until you get bit.

That said I have a pair of snake chaps I rarely think to put on.

Are the Kevlar jeans rated snake proof? If so that and good boots should do it from the waist down.

The closest I've come to being bit was carrying a box to a burn pile that had a pigmy rattler in it. Didn't see him till I threw the box on the fire.

I really don't know if the Kevlar jeans are snake proof or not... They're called 'Draggin Jeans', specifically made for motorcycle riding accident protection. I'm hoping there are some more knowledgeable woodsmen on here that can advise me on that. Too bad I gave most all of my leather riding gear away some time ago, including some leather chaps, when I switched to soft goods protective gear.

 

[Wagtail]

I really don't know if the Kevlar jeans are snake proof or not... They're called 'Draggin Jeans', specifically made for motorcycle riding accident protection. I'm hoping there are some more knowledgeable woodsmen on here that can advise me on that. Too bad I gave most all of my leather riding gear away some time ago, including some leather chaps, when I switched to soft goods protective gear.

I've got a pair of them and I just went and checked them... no good. The kevlar is around your backside, a strip down the outside seams and front patches for your upper thighs to just below the knee. All else is denim material.

Mind you, my pair are a good 8 years old and the Draggin Jeans people may have improved the kevlar protection since then...

Honestly, a pair of rough, leather riding gaiters would cost you around US$40. Any 'tack' shop will have them. They'll also prevent any other critter from crawling up your pant legs; like ticks or, perhaps those chigger things I've heard about via TBN.

 

[Alien]

A few years ago I had bare feet but decided to move my tractor for the night. When I hopped off I landed straight on a snake. Fortunately my foot was just behind his head so try as he might to bite me he just couldn't manage it and I had the sense not to move. Wifey came with the shovel to help me. I think most bites are around ankles and hands so just watch what you are picking up (wear leather gloves) and wear good boots and thick socks.