Protective Gear Likes/Dislikes?

[Latestarter]

Hey all you experienced BKs... Just bought my first veil. There was basically no selection at the garden center I bought it from as they are just starting with BK supplies. They had a LOT of woodware and hardware supplies, but very limited protective gear. I know I could buy online, but with no experience I thought it would be better to actually "touch" purchase and have someone to talk with about the gear.

It's a pull over with cloth top and head band elastic that has it in tight contact with my forehead and the back of my head as well as all around. The veil itself has great visibility and drops down with cut outs to put arms through to hold it down. My only concern is the possibility of getting stung along the head band line where it's tight against my skin. What I had initially been hoping to find was a pith helmet style with veil over it.

Have any of you had one like this and been stung along the forehead line or elastic contact line/area? Should I return it (or keep as a backup for guests/visitors) and get the real pith style? Is the pith style better for head motion or does it lock your head into looking fwd like the one piece suit does (see next para)?

I also wanted to buy a jacket, but they only had one and it was a veil jacket pull-over combo. I tried it on and because the veil was attached to the jacket, couldn't really turn my head... had to turn my whole body to change view/look around. In addition, I needed the rep to assist me getting it back off!! The waist elastic was so tight and the garment itself, that there was no way I could have easily gotten out of it by myself. As it was, I lost my T-shirt in the process even with help. It felt like I was in a straight jacket!

In addition, there was only one small pocket on the very front lower center(rather than to the side) with the opening on top, which made it difficult to access. Do you find a need for pockets? I felt kinda "naked" without them as I always find a need to put "something" in pockets...

We have those Tyvek full suits at work that are step in with zippered fronts. I think I may just try out one of those and if need be, cut off the lower section below the start of the zipper. They have no pockets that I recollect...

What's your experience with jackets? Any recommendations? Thanks in advance!

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine is like this:

I like that it has pockets, velcro covers where the veil zips onto the jacket, so bees can't get through any zipper openings. Nice elastic at wrists and waist. I use painters pants for the bottoms. They work well and also have pockets.


Don't bother with the beekeeping gloves. I bought them, and used them once. I can't feel anything through them. Now I just use a pair of rubber dish gloves. They work well in that I'm not brave enough to go bare handed, but I can still feel what I'm doing.

 

[misfitmorgan]

i dont really know my likes and dislikes but i am ordering a full suit with a fencing mask that zips on. The brand is Natural Apiary so shall see how it does....im getting it in pink i think, they have a camo one i like but i so think people would make fun of me lmao.

Also getting a pair of the vented goat kid skin gloves, all the reviews are really good and if they are anything like my deerskin work gloves i wont have any problem at all.

i guess i will have to see how i like or dislike it all when it gets here but it wont be comming for atleast a month because i have to put our plant/orchard order in first.

 

[Maggiesdad]

I can't afford to get stung, so I go full Golden Bee most all of the time. I like my green nitrile gauntlets, the bees don't seem to recognize them as a stingable surface. And I can feel the bees under my fingers while grabbing bars and frames. Although I have pissed them off many times, theyve never left stingers in my gear.

 

[misfitmorgan]

DH and i both have pretty bad early onset arthritis from our auto-immune so we try to either use no gloves or very very soft supple gloves. So we have to be careful what kind we buy, like DH any insulated work glove he cant use. For me something like dish gloves are to hard to move my hands for any length of time. Same reasons i bought a really nice set of frame grips with wooden handles and a lock, no way could we hold the metal ones for more then a minute or two.