Caving Coveralls for Crawlspaces?

[Ibbob]

I am a Home Inspector, and one of the places I get to inspect is Crawl Spaces. Some are nice, warm and tall, but most are ugly, very tight, wet and likely contaminated with who knows what...

The Issue I want some help with is CLOTHING.

I USED to be able to get tyvek suits in tall sizes, but not any more. I am 6'1" and a thin 230#'s. If I get a suit that is tall enough, I end up with a lot of extra material around the middle and the seat that catches on things. So I tried a RedKap heavy cotton duck large/tall set of coveralls. They fit, but are restrictive, and seem anything BUT water resistant.

I looked into Rescue extrication gear suits, but they are Nomex and start at $450. I don't need Nomex and that seems excessive.

My Question to this group, is where can I get a good coverall suit that is water resistant, washable, available in long/tall and suitable for someone crawling around in dirt, mud, filth, sharps and pointy things, lots of snags, and VERY tight spaces (that's why I am posting here) Some suits I saw had reinforced knees and elbows, that would be nice as I currently have to strap on elbow and knee pads over my suit. Disposable suits would be nice, as crawl spaces can be contaminated with a variety of interesting things, and washing those in with my laundry doesn't appeal to my wife, but...disposables don't offer as much protection.... Protection wins...

http://www.krawlgear.com/ is a neat site for elbow pads, knee pads and their crawl kart....but they don't have good suits...

Ideas ???

[Chads93GT]

get a cave suit. Wash it at the car wash to get the crap off, then take it to a laundromat if your wife wont let you do it at home, which i wouldnt either. I always have to pull the drian plug after washing really dirty stuff as the silt settles at the bottom and will plug the drain line full, so i just flush it out if I wash some semi soiled cave gear. Cordura cave suit is what I would get. $150-200 bucks and it will last YOU a life time in crawlways

[snoboy]

Maybe these:

http://wvunderground.net/Accessories/cordura-plus

[NZcaver]

...where can I get a good coverall suit that is water resistant, washable, available in long/tall and suitable for someone crawling around in dirt, mud, filth, sharps and pointy things, lots of snags, and VERY tight spaces...

Welcome to the forum. I have a couple of different sets of caving coveralls that work well for me, and the same type would probably suit your needs.

My primary coveralls are the Meander Helix, and they have lasted me well over a decade. Available here. Best to call the seller and ask about how the sizing works, but I'm pretty sure they will find one that fits you.



If those don't work for you, I also recommend the coveralls made by Lost Creek Packs (a brand now owned by Seven Bends). Available here.



Hope this helps. Good luck!

[caverdan]

Check out BC Wonderwear. They make excellent cave suits for any size person and at a fair price. http://www.bcwunderwear.com/

[Ibbob]

Wonderware looks great, and I love the custom sizing (yea). My wife (an ex-seamstress) looked at those and said that -she- couldn't make them for that price, not to mention that there are lots of accessory pockets and stuff already thought out.

Home Inspectors big worry in crawls (beyond getting stuck) is hazardous materials and sharps. Glass, nails, broken wood, sharp metal and other construction debris are all expected. Pesticides, insecticides, used oil are routine and old really hazardous stuff like DDT & Chlordane are not unusual. Spiders, snakes, raccoons and more..., Combine that with Bio-hazards like molds, Airborne viruses like Hanta, and we all really dislike Crawls. Did I mention chewed on live electrical wires, and broken waste pipes? Oh yea...we need to get suited up, get in, get out, get changed back FAST as we have the REST of the house to do... all while most agents are tapping their foot and asking "Aren't you done yet??"

That only about 10% of the homes I inspect have crawl spaces is good, and bad. I don't do enough of them to become really good, or to justify the desired equipment. Some of us are also getting up in years (and Size).

So, thanks to all who responded with ideas. I will take anything that makes the crawls any easier.

Think kind thoughts when you see another house with foundation vents...sometimes our access holes aren't much bigger.

[graveleye]

I got some use out of my Meander suit retrieving a very stinky dead possum from under my porch. It was very tight and buggy under there, not to mention the stench was unbelievable.

Note the non-caving accessories. I had on my respirator and a dab of Aqua-Velva under my nose LOL.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6H8jV_3JiM&list=UUyOwChrJQ91GbgSEvE13p4w&feature=share&index=10

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6_B_ewxMyM&list=UUyOwChrJQ91GbgSEvE13p4w&feature=share&index=9

Gross, but I think most of us cavers have probably seen grosser things

[LukeM]

You mentioned your wife being an ex-seamstress. Can you have her tailor a pre-made suit for you? That's what I ended up doing with my Landjoff suit (see wvunderground link above). I figured with it being a Euro brand it would suit my slim body-type better than the american-made ones but it still needed a bunch taken off the mid-section. It really wasn't that hard with the help of my wife, and I'm an amateur with a basic sewing machine.

[DawgsgoCaving]

There's a lady right by Pigeon Mt. that will custom fit you for coveralls if you are anywhere near the area. They are not cheap, but well worth it.