Eric Russell Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 I know it's been wore oout on here, but I'm looking for some ideas on what you go in the crawlspace with and how. As in...flashlight, probe, camera i.e., and then how you tote it in there. I wear tyvek coveralls, and, without a belt, there's nowhere for tools on my person. I've tried dragging the bag with me, but the bag I was using was flimsy and I had to dig around in it to find what I needed. I wear gloves and a respirator, and I'm looking for more rigidity but still functional. Any ideas??? Come on...chime in on this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 I know it's been wore oout on here, but I'm looking for some ideas on what you go in the crawlspace with and how. As in...flashlight, probe, camera i.e., and then how you tote it in there. I wear tyvek coveralls, and, without a belt, there's nowhere for tools on my person. I've tried dragging the bag with me, but the bag I was using was flimsy and I had to dig around in it to find what I needed. I wear gloves and a respirator, and I'm looking for more rigidity but still functional. Any ideas??? Come on...chime in on this one! Covering my person. Key coveralls, painter's head sock, North full-face respirator, hockey elbowpads, diver's water shoes, nitrile gloves. Carry with me: Camera in left breast pocket. Flashlight in left hand. Rock pick in right hand. Mode of transportation: Krawlgear Krawler. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Mode of transportation:Krawlgear Krawler. So you bucked up and purchased one recently? Do you ever regret the purchase, or is it pretty sweet? What percentage of crawlspaces does it work well in? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 To the previous list add some lighting.... A couple 14v-18v battery types; "ambient" light is remarkably nice in nasty crawls. I use a Fenix TK11 flashlight; tiny, lanyard is foolproof, unbelievably bright, tight, focused beam and halo. I've left it on for hours and it doesn't run down, only dim slightly for hours thereafter. I use a 18" probe; a little extra reach is nice. If it's wasn't a complete hassle to hawl around, I'd carry a 42". Knee pads. Whatever camera you like least; whatever it is, it will get screwed up. I see an inordinate # of dirt crap floor crawlers; I can only dream about a Krawler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resqman Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Tyvek coveralls with integral footies and hood 1/2 face respirator Mechanics gloves with leather palms "Patella" brand gel filled knee pads (well worth the $75) LED headlight Hand held pistol grip flashlight Camera left breast pocket Cell phone Occasionally carry survey tape to flag defects 90% or more homes in area have crawl spaces. Usually about 3 feet clearance at high spots and 18 inch clearance under ducts and beams. Homes less than 15 years old have pipes supported near joists, older homes have pipes at or near grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 I think I've had this camera for close to 2 years now with no problems. It's outlasted any other work camera I've used. Crawlspace dust will ruin an ordinary camera pretty quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Maxwell Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 My first digital camera was a Fujifilm. I was so disappointed when it broke. My next/current one is a Samsung. It has lasted well but does not take as good a picture as the Fuji. I am going to try another Fuji. I like to keep it under $100 if I can but $159 not too bad. Thank goodness I don't get many crawlspaces and when I do most are fairly roomy. I have many that I don't even put the coveralls on, just the knee pads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillip Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 For carrying item into the crawlspace I use a simple hard plastic tote tray that about 6 inches deep. I side it around in front of me. I carry everything in it that I carry into the crawlspace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Mode of transportation:Krawlgear Krawler. So you bucked up and purchased one recently? Do you ever regret the purchase, or is it pretty sweet? What percentage of crawlspaces does it work well in? Thanks. I've had it for years. I don't regret the purchase, but I wish that it came with hard wheels instead of pnuematic tires. They go "flat" every so often and I have to recharge them. I probably use it in about 50% of crawlspaces: If the crawlspace is big enough for hands & knees, the Krawler is pointless. If the crawlspace is a forest of posts & pierpads, then it's too much trouble. It works best when the clearance is in the 12" -18" range. It rides right over 4" drain lines. It's great in bare dirt because it kicks up little dust. It's great in wet crawlspaces because I get less wet. It does *not* work well on pea gravel in plenum crawlspaces because it just sinks into the peas. I'm most thankful for it when I have to do those condos where the crawlspace extends across 5 or 10 units and the entry hatch is invariably on the opposite end of the building from the unit I'm inspecting. It's also a real help in those early 1900s storefront buildings where the crawlspace is 12" tall, 40' wide, 100' long, has no vapor barrier, and is filled with broken glass, asbestos, broken sewer pipes, etc. With the Krawler, I just sail through those where before it I was down there for half of the inspection. And I don't come out of there looking like I just wrestled with a heap of barbed wire. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 . . . I see an inordinate # of dirt crap floor crawlers; I can only dream about a Krawler. . . Why? Those are the crawlspaces where it's the most helpful. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidlord Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Coveralls, flashlight, mask, camera. Flashlight in one hand, camera in velcro pouch in other. Crawl, look, shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 Coveralls Mud boots Glove (left hand only) Screwdriver in left hand (for stabbing, lots of termite damage here) Streamlight C4 LED in right hand Camera in shirt pocket with lead hanging out of coveralls Right hand stays off the ground and clean Use left hand to help crawl Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Moore Posted March 7, 2010 Report Share Posted March 7, 2010 A small, cheap, plastic "six-pack" cooler works well, easy to open even with gloves, and keeps stuff clean. Click to Enlarge 7.42 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Jones Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 With me it really depends on the condition of the crawl space. At a minimum, kneepads, gloves, screwdriver, camera is in it's case on my belt, ultra stinger flashlight. The work pants I wear are from Duluth and have pockets for everything and they are very strong, highly recommended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandon Whitmore Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Thanks Jim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben H Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 A small, cheap, plastic "six-pack" cooler works well, easy to open even with gloves, and keeps stuff clean. Click to Enlarge 7.42 KB Thats darn good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 . . . I see an inordinate # of dirt crap floor crawlers; I can only dream about a Krawler. . . Why? Those are the crawlspaces where it's the most helpful. - Jim Katen, Oregon They're usually overturned earth and extremely "lumpy", or clearances where I'm scraping chest in dirt and back on joists. Do you think it would work in that application? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 They're usually overturned earth and extremely "lumpy", or clearances where I'm scraping chest in dirt and back on joists. Do you think it would work in that application? They do remarkably well on overturned dirt, either rolling over the clods or shearing them off. With my body, the thickness of my chest is about 10-1/2". With the Krawler under my hips, the distance from the earth to the top of my butt is also about 10-1/2", so it's a wash. If I can fit my chest through an opening, the butt -- riding on the krawler -- will follow. If it doesn't, I just scoot the krawler down to my thighs while going under the obstruction. Your chest and butt aren't as well-proportioned as mine so it ought to work for you as well. However, with cloddy, overturned earth, I often have to take strongly winding, serpentine paths where I bend my body laterally. The krawler is absolutely no use in those situations. While it can turn on a dime, you still need a wide radius because your whole body has to rotate like a helicopter rotor. If there's a narrow path, you have to go straight in and straight back out on the krawler while, without it, you can just curl into a ball to turn around. If you're thinking about one, you might do what my partner, Mark, did. He made one from parts he scrounged in his shop. (He's been experimenting with his design since before Krawlgear existed.) His latest version uses wheels from a golf bag, some aluminum angle, and some aluminum plate. This is his version #7 and it works really well. He said it contains about $40 worth of parts. It's a little lighter, a little smaller, but higher than the Krawler. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garet Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 I think I've had this camera for close to 2 years now with no problems. It's outlasted any other work camera I've used. Crawlspace dust will ruin an ordinary camera pretty quickly. I agree completely with the notion of a waterproof camera with no external moving parts. Crawl spaces (and inspections in general) are H3LL on cameras. I bought the extended warranty with my previous camera. Lucky me - it went in about 3-4 times for repair to the moving shutter that covered the lens. The only problem I've had with my current Pentax Optio is that I've used it so long that I've actually worn out the battery contacts. It's going on 5 years now. The Fuji is a strong contender to replace the Optio when it dies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 If Jim says it's good, then it must be good, so I'll add the Krawler to my list, but at over $300 I'll likely attempt to make one first from the pictures at their website. I tinker that way for recreation, in wood, metal and cardboard. I don't get why the krawler should be placed under the hips instead of at the upper back. What if someone made a simple garment that straps on like a knapsack. 2 krawlers sewed onto it but not connected to each other. Strap it on with velcro at your vehicle, walk over to the entry point, lie on your back and shove off. There's this piece of heavy equipment that has a joint in the middle. It can turn very tight radii. Something like that. Marc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurt Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 You think it would roll through something like this OK? Click to Enlarge 41.99 KB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 You think it would roll through something like this OK? Click to Enlarge 41.99 KB It might get caught in that rut. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Katen Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 If Jim says it's good, then it must be good, so I'll add the Krawler to my list, but at over $300 I'll likely attempt to make one first from the pictures at their website. I tinker that way for recreation, in wood, metal and cardboard. If I needed another, that's what I'd do. And I'd use solid wheels. I don't get why the krawler should be placed under the hips instead of at the upper back. If you put it under your back, your arms hang over the sides and interfere with the wheels. What if someone made a simple garment that straps on like a knapsack. 2 krawlers sewed onto it but not connected to each other. Strap it on with velcro at your vehicle, walk over to the entry point, lie on your back and shove off. There's this piece of heavy equipment that has a joint in the middle. It can turn very tight radii. Something like that. Marc Sounds cumbersome. If the point is to be able to move through tight spaces, it might be more of a hindrance than a help. - Jim Katen, Oregon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Raymond Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 I'm with Marc, that looks way too simple to build for the $300 price tag. I've got a really tight and nasty crawl to test prototypes in, if I can get it to work there it should go just about anywhere. Tom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben H Posted March 8, 2010 Report Share Posted March 8, 2010 Hey Jim, Is this the kind of tire you have in mind? Tires Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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