Surveying Checklist for Spring & Beyond: Restocking Your Gear

With spring in full swing and the season’s first wave of jobs underway, do you have all your basic supplies? Spring is the perfect time to restock your truck with essentials like marking paint, mag nails, flagging tape, and more.

To make sure your truck is fully stocked for the upcoming season out in the field, check out our back-to-work spring checklist for restocking your gear. And don’t forget to check this month’s specials.

This work by Baseline Equipment Company is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Based on a work at surveying-spring-checklist.

1. Flagging and Caution Tape

These products promote safety awareness and are absolutely essential when working in areas with hazardous zones.

Roll flagging tape is designed for mapping and flagging reference points, used to help surveyors find survey points. A tree may have a certain color tape, for example, referenced in notes, which a surveyor then follows to reach survey points.

Pin flags can be used to mark utilities and hazards.

Caution and barricade tape can be used in numerous surveying applications as well as construction, mining, and utility work to raise the level of awareness of hazards on the job site and warn of pipes, holes, etc.

Products we recommend in this category:

• Tuff Elements Flagging Tape – Made of 100% vinyl, this flagging tape is more pliable than PVC and won't crack in cold or fade in summer heat. Tuff Elements flagging tape comes in numerous colors and patterns.
• Colored Pin Flags – These heavy-duty flags are made from durable, mildew-resistant plastic (4 mil vinyl) and permanently attached to sturdy 15.5-gage steel wire or non-conductive plastic posts.
• Caution and Barricade Tape – Available in 2- and 3-inch widths, caution and barricade tape comes in rolls from 135 feet all the way up to 1,000 feet.

2. Marking Paint and Chalk

When conducting a survey, you need to be able to mark everything from property lines to utilities. Marking paint comes in water-based, solvent-based, and chalk mediums and are useful for a variety of applications in the land surveying and utility industry.

Products we recommend in this category:

• Krylon Upside Down Marking Paint – This water-based paint features a high solids formulation for the boldest, brightest, and most visible marks in a wide range of colors.
• Aervoe Wet Coat Tree Marking Paint – Ideal for working in wet conditions, this tree marking paint mixes with the water in wet wood to penetrate deep into the lumber’s pores.
• Krylon Inverted Marking Chalk – Designed to last 30 days or more, this marking chalk features a dry time of less than 10 minutes and comes in a wide variety of colors.

3. Mag Nails

Mag nails are used for land surveying and construction layout when critical points are needed to be set in asphalt, wood, or other surfaces that a nail could be set into. They give off a strong magnetic field for detecting by magnetic locators, and are coated with environmentally friendly zinc and clear chromate, making them safe for the environment but still resistant to corrosion.

Products we recommend in this category:

• ChrisNik Mag Nails – Designed to out-perform any other survey nail in the industry, these mag nails come in lengths ranging from ¾ to 3 ½ inches and head sizes from ⅛ to ¼ inch.

4. Field Protection Supplies

When working in the surveying industry, you will encounter all kinds of conditions. From loud contracting equipment to poison ivy, you need to protect yourself in the field with essential supplies such as hearing protection, safety eyewear, and first aid and skin protection kits.

Products we recommend in this category:

• Moldex Sparkplugs Disposable Ear Plug – These ear plugs offer a soft and comfortable fit with a tapered shape that fits easily into the ear canal and seals snugly without pressure.
• Sawyer Insect Repellent – From Picaridin to Permethrin to 100% DEET, Sawyer Products offers the most technologically advanced, odorless and low-odor, long-lasting insect repellents.
• Tec Labs Tecnu Extreme Poison Ivy Scrub – Designed to treat poison ivy, poison oak, and sumac rashes by gently removing the urushiol oil to keep the rash from spreading.

5. Safety Vests and Apparel

Visibility is essential for safety when you are out in the field, especially during inclement weather. Safety vests and other visibility apparel is a requirement for all workers exposed to traffic or construction equipment and comes in a wide range of styles.

Products we recommend in this category:

• ML Kishigo Professional Surveyors Class 2 Vest – This vest features a solid polyester front with a mesh back and a zipper front closure reinforced with durable webbing.
• 3A Safety 3 Season Waterproof Thermal Jacket – Ideal for harsh weather conditions, this waterproof thermal jacket is treated with Dupont Teflon fabric protectors.
• SECO Class 2 Lightweight Safety Utility Vest – This safety vest is made from lightweight polyester fabric for comfort and strength and features pockets, reflective strips, and sturdy snaps.

In addition to making sure your truck is stocked with the essentials from this list, it is a good time to check and double-check your primary equipment. Everything from flashlights and radios to compasses and hand tools need to be maintained for optimal performance. It is better to find out now if something in your arsenal needs to be replaced than to find out on a job in the middle of nowhere.