New marshal on a limited budget

[steve_]

New marshal on a limited budget for a few months and advice needed from experienced marshals.
Should i invest in a set of a.w.s gpx overalls or the bmmc Hi Vis waterproof jacket and overtrouser ???

[bigorangeoveralls]

you can get waterproofes from the local builders merchants aws for overals as marsallles get disscount on them

[MagnetON]

If you're going to continue marshalling then your priorities should be:

Overalls
Boots
Rain gear.

Of these, only the overalls are "special". There are two suppliers I can think of. AWS, who can provide BMMC members with a subsidized set (with the tenths logo on for a small extra fee) send also H T Hughes.

http://www.marshalsguide.com/index.php/Overalls has more details and links to both suppliers.

Boots and rain gear can be picked up from any good workwear shop. Just don't get yellow rain gear (sounds obvious but I've seen it done!)

[Bodysnatcher]

Had a novice on post last weekend who got a set of Dickies proban overalls off ebay for less then £25. I'd argue with MagnetOn that a waterproof jacket should be the next priority, again ebay is your friend if the budget is tight.

[Apple]

With the weather we've been having I would get my self waterproofs
You could always get an orange waistcoat thing cheap
It would be a long unpleasant day if your wet

[Slipstick]

You don't actually have to be orange all over, you just have to be not flag-coloured. I did several meetings wearing my normal walking gear and I still wear the (grey/blackish coloured) waterproofs. But if you've already joined the BMMC then with the subsidies the net cost of AWS overalls is peanuts.

Steve

[chefpaddy]

Karimoor safety boots about 20 quid from sports direct website and very comfortable as well . Looking after your feet and staying dry and warm during long days on the bank is very important. And with the bmmc discounts the kit is very reasonably priced .

[Steve Fox]

Your first priority, no matter how tight the budget, is your safety. Flame resistant overalls are a must. First outlay though could be bmmc membership (IIRC discounted at the time of year) so that you can get heavily discounted probans. Weather proof gear is a no brainer: eBay is your mate here, my hi viz coat- 15 quid, boots should be in the 10 quid range.

[Terrible-Tones]

If you wish to regularly marshal at Silverstone (or are likely to do more than 10 days fairly soon at Silverstone) it may be wise to join the SMT. You can buy your overalls upfront and then get the money back (I believe) or you can do 10 days and then apply through SMT for FREE overalls. You are not limited to marshaling just at Silverstone if you are a member of SMT but you will need to do the 10 days to qualify for the free set - this can of course be spread over a number of months/years.

Both my sets of overalls were purchased this way. Of course, if you are not a member or do not want to be then the BMMC, as everyone else has said, is a very good source with the discount.

Always have waterproofs - orange, black or grey tend to be the norm - you can borrow or get a set quite cheaply (as already posted). I would recommend you invest in some decent steel toe capped boots whatever. Great for when the snow comes as well - I never fall on my "behind" with my trusty boots!!

If you are not a member of the BMMC but wish to join (or indeed SMT) then drop me a PM (or anyone else) and we can sort you out the details.

Good luck with your marshaling career - you'll find the bug just takes you over. Best thing I ever did!!

Nina

[Stephen Green]

The details of the BMMC are on our website www.marshals.co.uk

[sweetktg]

I've been a trainee marshal for 9months now in what has to have been one of the naffest runs of weather at weekends that I can remember. After my first couple of meetings I forked out for a set of AWS overalls as they're essential, plus a HVOrange waterproof bomber jacket from Red Oak Direct as it was cheap, but has proven to be very good. As already mentioned, it's also vital to get some steel toecaps (spend as much or as little as you want, as long as they're comfy & waterproof), welders gloves (cheap as chips), a 99p set of sunglasses (perfect to keep the dust/stones out of your eyes) & a sun cap that won't blow off (to keep the rain out of your eyes). I haven't bothered with any waterproof trousers & haven't actually needed any.

One thing I have learnt is that what you wear under is just as important, as the overalls give you no protection from the wind & cold. The secret is layers & preferably cotton as it's not as flammable.

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by sweetktg

a 99p set of sunglasses (perfect to keep the dust/stones out of your eyes)

I'd recommend proper safety glasses if you're working a circuit that has gravel traps. My preference was for tinted safety glasses for when it's sunny and a clear pair for when it's not.

Originally Posted by sweetktg

The secret is layers & preferably cotton as it's not as flammable.

Indeed! My personal preference is a good pair of thermals. I believe AWS still do proban thermals for added protection

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by sweetktg

it's also vital to get some steel toecaps

It's not. Never had any, never needed them. Personal choice on this one - if you're happier with the protection I won't criticise you, but their certainly not essential.

I haven't bothered with any waterproof trousers & haven't actually needed any.

On the other hand, I'd never go to a meeting without the waterproof leggings. The smell of wet probans isn't good, apart from the discomfort!

[TrueBlueFlyer]

I too am a new marshal on a limited budget, and though I'm not from your country here are my 2 cents on how I went about getting started.

What I have discovered is that for major events like Formula 1 you are issued overalls. This has been the case in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. Canada did not provide overalls, and based on the acceptance e-mail from US F1GP they too will issue matching coveralls. So that takes care of that.

In New Zealand I wore comfortable jeans and jacket with a hi-viz vest (provided) at most smaller events. For larger events again we were given overalls.

Now that I'm in the USA and just getting started marshalling here (working corners sounds sooo dirty) I have spend about $160+ so far on some white gear. Most of it is two piece. Painter's pants are relatively cheap at $15 apiece of which I got 4 pairs to handle most long weekends. 4 short sleeve t-shirts with a few long sleeve shirts I wear under them that are breathable enough to handle the hot summer weather we've been having. Recently I also got a few winter style long sleeve shirts and a nice white jacket with the Dickies discount offer I posted about (which is still out there, *55% OFF)

I even bought a pair of orange Dickies pants on ebay just in case I'll need something that isn't white in the near future. They were new and fairly cheap.

I strongly do encourage anyone getting wet weather gear. I bought two sets so far, one that I left in New Zealand and another that I've used in US and Canada so far. Very important as people above mentioned. A high viz hat or two (also left one in NZ and have another here) helps me spot myself on TV when I get a chance to watch the racing at home. More importantly it helps a great deal with rain, keeping water out of my face and shields from sun too.

Comfortable shoes goes without saying especially for long races/weekends. Though what type depends on what you actually do. I haven't had the need for steel-toe boots since I've mostly been flagging lately. For those time I worked intervention, it was on street circuits and good sneakers were more important than boots would have been.


So long story short, overalls can wait... wet weather gear is more practical for your own comfort.