What to wear fruit picking in Australia: gear list

What to wear fruit picking in Australia: the short answer

Cover up from the sun, protect your hands and wear sturdy shoes you don’t mind wrecking. That covers most picking jobs.

The details change with the crop and the farm, so before your first day, ask what you need to bring and what they hand out. Don’t buy everything at once. A cheap hat and a pair of gloves will get you through day one, and you’ll soon see what the rest of your crew wears.

• Wide-brim hat or a cap with a neck flap.
• Light long-sleeve shirt and long pants.
• SPF 50+ sunscreen, reapplied through the day.
• Work gloves that suit the crop.
• Closed boots, or gumboots if the paddock is wet.
• A big water bottle. Two is better.
• Old clothes you’re happy to throw out at the end of the season.

Sun protection for farm work: hat, long sleeves and SPF 50+

The Australian sun is harsh, even on cloudy days, and up north even in winter. You’re outside for hours, often bent over with the sun on your neck and the backs of your arms.

Long sleeves feel wrong in the heat. But in direct sun, loose, light-coloured cotton or a vented work shirt often feels cooler than bare skin. Plenty of pickers wear a cheap long-sleeve fishing shirt or a hi-vis work shirt.

Buy sunscreen in a big pump bottle, not a little tube. You’ll get through more than you expect.

Best gloves for fruit picking (by crop)

Gloves protect your hands from scratches, sap, thorns and blisters. What works depends on the job. Thin gloves keep your grip and speed for small fruit. Tougher gloves are better for pruning, thorny trees and heavy lifting.

Some farms want bare hands or thin gloves for delicate fruit like berries, so it doesn’t bruise. Ask your supervisor before you start.

• Berries and cherries: thin nitrile-coated gloves, or none if the farm prefers it.
• Citrus: tougher gloves, as some trees have thorns.
• Mangoes: gloves and long sleeves. Mango sap can irritate skin.
• Grapes and pruning: cut-resistant gloves if you’re using secateurs.
• Vegetables like zucchini: gloves and long sleeves, as the leaves and stems are prickly.

Work boots for fruit picking: steel caps or gumboots?

You need closed shoes for nearly every farm job. Thongs and sandals are a no.

Steel or composite toe caps are sometimes required, mostly in packing sheds, around forklifts and on orchards with machinery. Check with the farm before you buy a pair.

Gumboots are the go for wet paddocks, early-morning dew, irrigated rows and wash-down areas. In dry, dusty country, light work boots or old runners are often fine for picking.

Wear new boots in before a full shift if you can. Good socks make a real difference to blisters.

Clothes that get trashed: what to wear on the farm

Farm work ruins clothes. Fruit juice, sap, mud and red dirt often don’t wash out, and banana sap is known for staining for good.

Bring or buy two or three sets of work clothes you can throw away later. Op shops are a cheap place to find them. Keep your good clothes for days off.

• Old long pants or work trousers with a bit of stretch for bending.
• Two or three light long-sleeve shirts.
• A warm layer for cold starts. Early mornings can be cold even when the afternoon is hot.
• A light rain jacket for showery days.
• Knee pads if you’re picking low crops like strawberries.

What to wear in a packing shed

Packing shed work is indoors, but it’s not always comfortable. You stand on concrete for long shifts, and cold rooms and chilled sheds get properly cold.

Most sheds require fully closed shoes, and some require steel caps or hi-vis because of forklifts. Many have food safety rules too, like hair nets, no jewellery and nothing loose in your pockets. The shed will tell you on day one.

• Closed shoes with good cushioning, or steel caps if required.
• Warm layers you can take off: thermal top, fleece, beanie.
• Thin gloves for the cold room, if they’re allowed on the line.
• Cushioned insoles for standing on concrete.

Fruit picking gear list by crop

This is a rough guide only. Every farm does things a bit differently, so ask what they supply before you buy.

What do farms provide? PPE, tools and what you pay for

Under work health and safety laws, if a business needs you to wear protective equipment to control a risk at work, it generally has to provide that equipment. Workplace regulators say you shouldn’t be charged for it. Victoria has its own OHS laws with similar duties. This can cover things like hearing protection, safety glasses, hi-vis or cut-resistant gloves for particular jobs. If you’re hired through a labour hire company, either the labour hire company or the farm may supply it.

Everyday items like hats, sunscreen, work clothes and general boots are often left to you, unless the farm says they’re required safety gear.

Many farms supply picking bags, ladders, buckets, secateurs and sometimes sunscreen. It varies a lot, so ask before your first day. If you’re asked to pay for safety gear, or money is taken from your pay for it, check with the Fair Work Ombudsman or your state’s WHS regulator.

Buy fruit picking gear in Australia or bring it from home?

Buy most of it here. Work boots, gloves, hats and hi-vis are easy to find at hardware stores, big discount stores and farm supply shops, and they’re made for Aussie conditions. Buying here also means you’ll know which crop you’re picking and what the farm requires before you spend.

Op shops and other backpackers are great for cheap work clothes and second-hand boots. When you leave, pass your gear on.

Worth bringing from home: broken-in walking boots or runners, a good hat if you already own one, sunglasses, and any medication you need. Leave space in your bag and fill the gaps once you land.