We're going to be honest about this one because it's the trade with the highest stakes. We sell a lot of the workwear a tower climber needs. We don't fit harnesses, we don't sell rope grabs, and we don't sell lanyards. That's not a workwear-store conversation — that's a competent-person conversation with a fall-protection vendor.
Here's what we DO sell to tower climbers and what we don't.
WE SELL: Boots. Pants. Shirts. Gloves. Hard hats (climbing-rated). Eye pro. Hearing pro. Layering for cold. Cooling for hot.
WE DON'T SELL: Harnesses (Petzl Avao, Tower Climbers, etc.) — these need to be fit by a competent person and inspected before each use. Rope grabs and shock-absorbing lanyards. Self-retracting lifelines. Climbing helmets that double as fall-protection (different rating than work hard hats). Get those from Tessco, GME Supply, or your union safety officer.
Boots: the one place we have strong opinions for tower work. You want an 8-inch lace-up with great ankle support, a hard sole that gives you reliable footing on small rungs and lattice, and a heat-resistant sole if you're near antennas with high RF. The Wesco Highliner is the gold standard — about $700, made-to-order, lifetime resole. The Whites Smoke Jumper is the alternative, similar price, similar build.
If you can't spend that, the Carolina CA9528 12-inch logger is a real tower boot for $300. The Thorogood 804-6444 8-inch with safety toe is the one we sell most to climbers who are early in career.
Steel toe vs composite for tower: composite. Weight matters when you're climbing 800 feet. Composite saves you a few ounces per boot, you don't trip mag-locks at the gate, and the toe protection is comparable.
Pants: tower climbers are split between Carhartt Rugged Flex (durability) and Truewerk T1/T2 (lightweight technical). Both are right answers. Avoid pure cotton in cold — it'll soak with sweat and freeze. Avoid synthetic in hot weather near RF — synthetics melt.
Shirts: long-sleeve, year-round. Sun at altitude is brutal. RF burns from antennas are real. Carhartt Force Sun Defender UPF 50 long-sleeve is the summer move. Smartwool merino base layer + Carhartt fleece in winter.
Gloves: a thin, dexterous glove with a leather palm and good grip. The Mechanix M-Pact is the standard. The Petzl Cordex is the climber-specific glove with reinforced palm for handling rope. We stock the Mechanix; the Petzl Cordex is a climbing-supply order.
Hard hat: this is where it gets specific. A regular construction hard hat is NOT rated for fall protection. You need a hat with chinstrap that meets ANSI Z89.1 Type II AND has a chinstrap to stay on during a fall. The Petzl Vertex Vent or the Kask Plasma are the right answers. We can order these but most climbers buy them through a fall-protection vendor.
Eye pro: ANSI Z87, retainer strap. Glasses without a strap will fly off at 200 feet.
Layering for cold: this is the trade where layering is most critical because you can't add layers at altitude. Smartwool base, a Carhartt Force fleece mid, a Patagonia Nano Puff or Carhartt Yukon Extremes light puffy as outer. Avoid cotton entirely — sweat in cotton at altitude is hypothermia.
Cooling for hot: hi-vis if you need it (most tower climbing doesn't because you're above traffic, but base/ground crew does), wet neck towel, electrolytes. Heat at altitude is just as dangerous as cold.
Pack: a small climbing pack with hydration, your tools (small adjustable wrench, 5/8 socket and ratchet for sector kits, snips, ties), and a personal first aid kit. The Petzl Cement is the go-to but most climbers carry a custom-modified pack.
What we don't sell: anything that will catch you if you fall. Buy that from a fall-protection vendor who'll inspect it. Inspect every piece every climb. Replace it on the schedule the manufacturer specifies. Tower climbing is the trade with the lowest tolerance for cheap gear.
Come in for boots, pants, shirts, gloves, layering. For the rest, talk to your safety officer.