Forestry Equipment

Calipers - used to measure tree diameters.

 Chain - a steel measuring tape 66 feet long.  80 chains equal one mile.  Called a chain because the originals, like the one pictured, had steel links.

Clinometer - a devise used to measure slope and tree heights

Compass - a device with a magnetic needle that points north.  It knows the way home, even when you think it doesn’t.  ALWAYS believe the compass.

Increment Borer - a hollow drill that removes a small cylinder of wood from a tree, allowing you to determine the age of the tree and how fast it’s growing without killing the tree.

GIS – Geographic Information System.  It makes maps.  An organized collection of computer hardware, software, data, personnel, knowledge and procedures designed to capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, report, and display forms of geographically referenced information like town lines, roads, water, forest types, soils info, and special management areas and descriptive information.

GPS  - global positioning system.  A hand-held receiver that obtains signals from satellites and computes your position on the face of the earth.  Better than a compass, since if you remembered to get the position of your truck with it before you left, it can tell you how to get back to it the shortest way.  Worse than a compass, since it depends on batteries (which go dead) and signals (that aren’t always there) to work.  Take both if you’ve got them, but never leave the compass at home.

Management Plan  - the document that translates the landowner’s goals and objectives into action.

Paint Gun - looks like a Windex spray bottle on steroids. It has a short barrel and nozzle, a body and trigger assembly that screws onto the top of a quart can of paint.  It is designed to “shoot” paint at trees to mark them for harvesting. Not too much imagination is needed to think of other “targets of opportunity”.

Planimeter - a device that traces the perimeter of a polygon and determines its’ area.

Prism  - a small wedge of glass calibrated to measure basal area, a measure of tree density.

Snowmobile - a tracked vehicle with skis in front that will allow you to travel over the snow.  Never travel farther from civilization than you are willing to walk back on your snowshoes (see below)

Snowshoes  - large webbed shoes attached to your boots that allow you to walk on snow without sinking as far (usually) as you would on foot.  ALWAYS carry a pair on your snowmobile (see above).

Staff Compass - a larger compass, fitted to a staff, and used in surveying town lines.

Stereoscope  - a device that allows you to view stereo photos in 3 -D.