Using the correct tool is imperative to get the job done right and to avoid injury to yourself and your trail crew. Below you'll find information on where to buy tools for your next trail maintenance project, plus graphics and descriptions of various trail tools.

WHERE DO I BUY TRAIL TOOLS?
Trail Services
15 Westwood Road
Bangor ME 04401
(207) 947-2723
email: trailser@ctel.net

Forest Suppliers, Inc.
PO Box 8397
Jackson MS 39284-8397
(800) 647-5368

TOOL SAFETY
The following should be covered with crew members before the start of any trail work.

Proper use begins with a good grip. Wet or muddy gloves may cause a tool to slip from your hands, striking you or someone near you.

Watch out for people around you. When chopping or brushing, be aware of any people in the surrounding area. The combined length of your arm and tool could reach a person working near you. Also, be aware of trail users. Often a user may try to pass right into your backswing. If you see someone coming, stop work, notify your co-workers and wait for them to pass.

Make sure you have a clear area in which to swing. Watch out for overhead or side hazards. A hazard is anything that could interfere with the complete swing of your tool, and knock it from your hands or down onto any part of your body. Keep your tool in front of you at all time. You should never need to swing your tool over your head.

Be alert for hazardous footing. Make sure you have a firm, balanced and comfortable stance before starting your work. Clear limbs, sticks, loose rocks, or other debris from your footing area.

Choose the right tool for the job. The wrong tool can make you work in an awkward stance which will wear you out.

Make sure your tool is sharp. A dull tool that bounces off or glances off of what it was attempting to cut can be very dangerous. A sharp tool will cut faster and be less tiring.

Carry the tool properly. Always carry tools in your hands and down at your side on the down hill side of the trail. Use blade guards whenever possible. Never carry tools over your shoulder.

Special thanks to the South Carolina State Trails Program for use of the following text and graphics.

WHAT TOOLS DO I NEED FOR MY PROJECT?
Weed Whip (Swizzle Stick)
The weed whip is used to clear trail corridors of succulent vegetation (grass, light brush, briars, and tree seedlings). It is meant to be swung back and forth with both hands. There are two varieties: the L-shaped weed whip cuts grass and weeds but is unstable for use on larger growth, the triangular-frame weed whip cuts briars and woody stems up to a half-inch in diameter. Screws holding the serrated double-edged blade in place can work loose, so check them often.

Machete
Machetes are best used to clear the way when surveying new trails routes through dense vegetation. A vertical stroke of the machete is more effective than a low horizontal swing. The machete should not be used to hack branches from trailside trees.

Swedish Safety Brush Axe
Also known as a Sandvik, the Swedish Safety Brush Axe is a machete-like tool with a short, replaceable blade. Because of the shorter blade and longer (28 inch) handle, the tool may be safer than a machete. The thin, flat, replaceable steel blade cuts easily through springy hardwood stems.

Bush Hook
For removal of brush too heavy for a weed whip and too light for an axe, consider either the double- or single-edged bush hook. Swung like an axe, the bush hook's long handle and heavy head give it a powerful cut. Their curved blades also pose extra safety hazards. Always maintain a firm grip with both hands on the handle. Cut with a slicing rather than a hacking motion. Carry bush hooks with the head forward like a shovel.

Lopping Shears (Clippers)
Loppers are designed for clearing heavy vegetation from trails. With their long handles a sturdy pair has the mechanical advantage to cut cleanly through all sorts of brush and branches (most cut limbs of 1 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter). If you have a choice, select heavy-duty loppers with fiberglass or metal handles. Cutting heads are either the sliding-blade-and-hook type or the anvil type. Some have simple pivot actions, while others have compound or gear-driven actions for increased cutting power. Carry loppers with the jaws pointed down and away from you or strap them against the back of a pack.

CUTTING TOOLS
Ax
Axes can be used to chop deadfall from trails, shape stakes for turnpikes and waterbars, and cut notches for structures made of timber. Most trail crews use the single bit axe (one sharp side) versus the double bit ax (two sharp sides) feeling that one sharp blade is safer than two. Never use a single bit axe as a sledgehammer or as a splitting wedge. The axe is not designed for these purposes and poses a hazard when so misused. Although the axe is a traditional wood working tool, saws are usually recommended for volunteers because they are safer and generally more efficient.

Files
A 10- to 12-inch flat mill or flat single-cut bastard file is the simplest tool for shaping a bevel or giving a blade a fast edge. Because of the tooth design, files cut in only the forward direction. Dragging on the backstroke quickly dulls the file. If the file becomes clogged with filings, clean it with a wire brush or file card.

Bow Saw
A bow saw with a blade 16 to 21 inches in length is handy for cutting brush out of the trail and trimming small branches. The longer 36-inch bow saws are unwieldy for brushing projects. They are better suited for cutting medium size logs along the trail or cutting firewood back in camp. If a saw has no sheath, make one by splitting open a piece of old garden hose as long as the blade. Fit the hose around the saw blade and hold it in place with cord or duct tape. A sheathed bow saw can be carried by hand or strapped onto a backpack.

Pole Saw
A pole saw can be used to trim branches that would otherwise be out of arm's reach above a trail. On some models, the pole can be taken apart or telescoped into the handle and the blade removed for easy carrying. Some models also have built-in loppers that can be operated from the ground with a rope.

Crosscut Saw
Favored a century ago by loggers felling trees, the crosscut saw is still used to cut logs for timber projects and to clear large deadfall from trails and campsites, especially in wilderness areas and by volunteers who prefer not to use chainsaws. Crosscut saws must always be sheathed before they are carried. A sheath can be made from an old piece of fire hose split open to fit over the saw blade.

Drawknife
A drawknife is used to strip bark from small-diameter logs or poles for waterbars, turnpikes, and other timber work. Grasp it by both handles and pull the blade along the log.

TRAIL TREAD TOOLS
Pulaski
Developed to grub and chop duff during forest fires, the Pulaski combines an ax bit with an adz-shaped grub hoe. It is preferred by many trail crews for loosening dirt, cutting through roots, or grubbing brush. With the bit and adz keenly honed, a Pulaski is an excellent woodworking tool for shaping the notches and joints of turnpikes, bridges, and other timber projects. A sharpened Pulaski should be marked to iscourage anyone from mistakenly dulling it by using it for tread work.

McLeod
The McLeod is a forest fire tool common in America's western mountain ranges. It was originally intended for raking fire lines with the teeth and for cutting branches and sod with the sharpened edge. The McLeod is useful for removing slough and berm from a trail and smoothing tread. It can also be used to shape a trail's backslope. Because of its shape, the McLeod is an awkward tool to transport and store. Carry it with the tines pointing toward the ground, ideally with a sheath over the cutting edge.

Fire Rake
The fire rake is preferred to the McLeod in the eastern states. The triangular tines can be honed with a file. The fire rake is lighter than the McLeod and is better for cutting leaves, mulch, small bushes, and debris from trail corridors than it is for shaping tread or backslopes.

Shovel
Round-point shovels are used to move loosened dirt, dig holes and trenches, and remove weeds. Shovels shouldn't be used as a lever to pry rocks. There are two kinds good for trail work. The long-handle shovel, best for digging holes, is generally 48 inches in length. The D-handle shovel, best for moving soil or digging in confined spaces, is generally 27 inches in length. Shovels can also be used to smooth trail tread. By bracing the shovel handle against the inside of your knee as you scrape the tread, you may be able to accomplish the work by using the strength of your legs rather than the muscles of your arms and back.

Grub Hoe
Grub hoes of various weights are available and are good for building and repairing trail tread and for digging trenches to hold turnpike logs and waterbars. They usually come with a six-inch-wide blade and are maintained and used like a mattock. Grub hoes are not usually sharpened. The handle can be removed for ease in packing.

Pick
Picks are rarely necessary in trail work, it's function being adequately served by the pick mattock. If you have a pick, it can be used to break or pry small rocks, loosen heavy soil and gravel, or to dig a trench or hole. Picks should not be used as a lever to pry loose large rock.

Mattock
A mattock is a sturdy grubbing tool with an adz blade that can be used as a hoe for digging in hard ground. The other blade of a mattock may be a pick (pick mattock) for breaking or prying small rocks or a cutting edge (cutter mattock) for chopping roots. Mattocks may be purchased with head weights ranging from three to six pounds. For heavy work, use at least a five-pound head. Handles are generally 36 inches long, a good length for almost all trail work. The head should tighten on the handle as the mattock is swung, but sometimes it loosens and slides down the handle. To keep the head in place, put a small sheet-metal screw into the handle just below the head. The handle can be removed for ease in packing.

ROCK AND DIGGING TOOLS
Rock or Pry Bar (Crowbar)
For trail work a rock bar 4 feet in length and weighing 16 to 18 pounds with a beveled end is best. The secret of using a rock bar is leverage. Slip the beveled end under a rock, then apply basic physics to raise the rock and ease it toward its destination. As with all hand tools, rock bars require wise use. Keep toes and fingers clear of places where they could be pinched. Work as a team, making sure everyone understands each step of a rock move before it begins. A rock bar can also be used as a drop hammer to break rock or open a crack.

Digging-Tamping Bar
A digging-tamping bar is about the same length as a rock bar but much lighter. It has a small blade at one end for loosening compacted or rocky soil and a flattened end for tamping. They work great for digging post holes and tamping the soil around a post once it is set. Some moving of rock can also be done using this bar, although it is not quite as rugged as a rock bar.

Sledgehammer
A sledgehammer with an 6 to 8 pound head and a long handle is most useful for trail work. It can be used to crush rock into gravel for trail repair, and for driving stakes or rebar to secure waterbars and turnpikes. Because sledgehammers can cause stone chips to fly, anyone swinging the tool must wear eye protection, long pants, and boots.

Single Jack Hammer
A single jack (3 to 4 pound head with short handle) hammer can be used with a star drill to punch holes in rock. The single jack can also be used to drive bridge spikes.

Star Drill
Star drills are usually about a foot long and weight a pound. They are used with single jack hammers to punch holes in rock or open a seam/crack.

MISCELLANEOUS TOOLS
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow can be used to haul materials and tools to a work site as well as moving rock and dirt.

Carsonite Flexible Post Tools
(Post Driver, Pilot Driver, Post Puller)
The Carsonite Company makes a special driver to be used when driving their fiberglass trail posts into the ground. They also make a special pilot driver that helps when you have to drive a post into hard or rocky soil. The post puller is specifically designed for easy extraction of flexible posts. It eliminates the need of digging out the post.

Clinometer
Clinometers are used by trail designers during trail layout to read the percent of grade between two points. Hold the clinometer to your eye and with both eyes open, sight parallel with the ground (upslope or downslope) to a target (someone your own height), aiming at a point on the target that is equal to the height of your eye above the ground. Read directly from the percent scale.

Measuring Wheel
The measuring wheel is used to measure distance on the trail. It records the revolutions of a wheel and hence the distance traveled by a wheel on a trail or land surface. Measuring wheels can be used to measure distance for guidebook descriptions and also to pinpoint the location of work to be done along the trail.

POWER TOOLS
Though the bulk of trail work involves the use of hand tools, there are occasions where heavy cutting makes power tools more efficient. The small chainsaw and motorized brush cutter are sometimes used for trail maintenance. Manufacturers and agencies have good information and training on the safe use and care of these implements; therefore, they are not covered here.