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Wow this is a really comprehensive resource, thanks for sharing. Are there small-scale machinery that can make trail work less labor-intensive? I am particularl

Wow this is a really comprehensive resource, thanks for sharing. Are there small-scale machinery that can make trail work less labor-intensive? I am particularly thinking about how difficult it is to do thinks like manage invasive species. Even just an acre of land could be unmanageable for one person working with hand tools alongside their other life priorities.

vkou 6y ago
The problem with machinery and trail maintenance is that machinery is heavy, and unless it can wheel itself to your worksite under its own power, it's unlikely going to save you any labor.
- floren 6y ago
  It's also straight-up illegal to operate any sort of vehicle in US wilderness areas (horses are OK). I think they also ban gas motors and maybe even things like electric chainsaws.
  - bmj 6y ago
    From what I've read, there are some areas where the Forest Service/Park Service are allowed to use power tools for maintenance activities. This seems like the exception rather than rule, however. I have a friend who does trail maintenance in the Dolly Sodds and surrounding areas, and he has gotten quite adept at using a crosscut saw with his partner. I've seen it in action, and the efficiency of that tool, in the hands of skilled users, is quite impressive.
  - maxerickson 6y ago
    Most US public lands are not (in the legal sense) wilderness areas.
    - floren 6y ago
      True, but there are plenty of wilderness areas, and the Forest Service needs effective tools for maintaining them. This means crosscut saws and pack mules, sometimes.
      - maxerickson 6y ago
        USFS manages National Forests that aren't wilderness areas. They do timber sales and such where the logging will be done with machinery and trucked out. National Park Service manages lands that are legally classified as wilderness areas.
thehappypm 6y ago
The PDF mentions chainsaws, and concludes that they are less effective than manual saws. It does seem like you want your tools to be as light as possible so that getting to the work site doesn't become a behemoth task!
- thrower123 6y ago
  If you've ever hiked up and down mountains doing trail fixing work, carrying 10-15 pounds of saw, plus tools and files and a couple gallons of fuel and a jug of bar and chain oil, gets really old really fast. And if you've got a chainsaw, you really ought to be wearing kevlar chaps and boots, and a helmet with hearing and eye protection, and now you're lugging an entire pack-frame of stuff. Not really worth it unless you're doing some real felling.
  - kokanator 6y ago
    I can attest to this. The pants themselves will wear you out let alone the extra gear. Hand tools when sharpened and operated correctly can be extremely efficient. Crosscut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgAnAn_nd68 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgAnAn_nd68 General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_AafEAOdk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_AafEAOdk
h2odragon 6y ago
Chainsaws. Also a Bobcat with a hydraulic heavy duty bush hog, some of those shred wood up to a few inches thick... High maintenance, the forest fights back.

vkou 6y ago

The problem with machinery and trail maintenance is that machinery is heavy, and unless it can wheel itself to your worksite under its own power, it's unlikely going to save you any labor.

floren 6y ago
It's also straight-up illegal to operate any sort of vehicle in US wilderness areas (horses are OK). I think they also ban gas motors and maybe even things like electric chainsaws.
- bmj 6y ago
  From what I've read, there are some areas where the Forest Service/Park Service are allowed to use power tools for maintenance activities. This seems like the exception rather than rule, however. I have a friend who does trail maintenance in the Dolly Sodds and surrounding areas, and he has gotten quite adept at using a crosscut saw with his partner. I've seen it in action, and the efficiency of that tool, in the hands of skilled users, is quite impressive.
- maxerickson 6y ago
  Most US public lands are not (in the legal sense) wilderness areas.
  - floren 6y ago
    True, but there are plenty of wilderness areas, and the Forest Service needs effective tools for maintaining them. This means crosscut saws and pack mules, sometimes.
    - maxerickson 6y ago
      USFS manages National Forests that aren't wilderness areas. They do timber sales and such where the logging will be done with machinery and trucked out. National Park Service manages lands that are legally classified as wilderness areas.

thehappypm 6y ago

The PDF mentions chainsaws, and concludes that they are less effective than manual saws. It does seem like you want your tools to be as light as possible so that getting to the work site doesn't become a behemoth task!

thrower123 6y ago
If you've ever hiked up and down mountains doing trail fixing work, carrying 10-15 pounds of saw, plus tools and files and a couple gallons of fuel and a jug of bar and chain oil, gets really old really fast. And if you've got a chainsaw, you really ought to be wearing kevlar chaps and boots, and a helmet with hearing and eye protection, and now you're lugging an entire pack-frame of stuff. Not really worth it unless you're doing some real felling.
- kokanator 6y ago
  I can attest to this. The pants themselves will wear you out let alone the extra gear. Hand tools when sharpened and operated correctly can be extremely efficient. Crosscut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgAnAn_nd68 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgAnAn_nd68 General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_AafEAOdk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8_AafEAOdk

h2odragon 6y ago

Chainsaws. Also a Bobcat with a hydraulic heavy duty bush hog, some of those shred wood up to a few inches thick... High maintenance, the forest fights back.