Jeans are reasonably resistant, as are twill or denim long-sleeved shirts. And leather gauntlets are the best garden gloves. Add a good canvas hat with a wide brim and you are pretty well protected.

It is possible that your roses are planted so closely together that you just can't get in to work with them without getting injured. Removing a few might make the ones you keep easier to manage.

Rosefolly

Jim Delahanty swears by arm coverings called ARMADILLOS.

I use goatskin gloves with long roughout leather gauntlets.

Jeri

My husband thinks there is a fortune to be made by somebody who designs garden gloves, aprons, gauntlets, and chaps in Kevlar.

I'm big on denim and gauntlets. But I agree - my tolerance for getting stuck and otherwise hurt has really lowered. I guess I'm not a masochist, after all.
Anita

I thought I'd been stuck by a rose in the back from crawling under them to prune during a pruning session the day before. It turned out I had shingles. They feel about the same and who can see the middle of their back? It wasn't until the shingles had worked their way around to the front that I figured it out.

Cath

If I am being "careful" I wear denim jeans, heavy socks, heavy sneakers, goatskin gloves and a long sleeved shirt and if it's cold an old old down jacket. It doesn't prevent all "sticks" but it gives me a fighting chance.

Cath

Cemetryrose, your husband is absolutely spot on - Kevlar is the material all self respecting tree surgeon would not be without. Good protective gear should be available from an arbourist outlet - I highly recommend Kevlar as being virtually indestructible, yet light and wearable (just).

cath, I just had a shingles outbreak too. I thought it was 'juniper rash'. The time before, I thought it was poison ivy, and the time before that I thought it was mosquito bites. I get it in weird spots, so shingles aren't the first thought. But now I know what it is.

Funny story, I was with my rose group doing pruning in the park, the group maintains these roses. I was walking in between two Knockouts (bleh) and a thorn caught on my shorts and ripped the hem. These were 'gardening shorts' and were quite old and threadbare. I laughed it off, until the other ladies pointed out that I also had a big rip in the back and my undies were showing. Luckily I had a nice pair on that day!

I got the shingles shot after three members of my family got them almost at the same time--200 bucks out of my pocket.

For crawling under the roses, I wear my bike helmet. And I try to prepare the area by propping up low-reaching canes.

Carol

I try to make sure I am wearing my glasses to avoid getting poked in the eyeball.

In lieu of glasses, I've found that the bill of a baseball cap or other gardening headwear defends my eyeballs against injury. Whatever is going to poke you in the eye will get the cap first.
That said, even after I'd finally learned my lesson about not gardening in short sleeves (the hard way, of course), no matter how hot it was, I was still getting scratched on my arms. These may be pricey, but I've saved a bundle on bandaids and neosporin. (They also sound like Jeri's description of the ones she uses.)

Kay

Here is a link that might be useful: Elbow length gloves

Please wear the wrap a round safety glasses when you go under and inside the bushes. My friend went to the doctor after a poke from a bogainvillea and is happy he can still see with that eye. It was very painful for him. Also his doctor said the leading cause of accidental blindness is bungee cords so wear eye protection then too.

RE: shingles. Most doctors won't give you the shot until you reach 60, but when that day comes I will definitely get it. My father had shingles and ended up in the hospital with it. He described it as being quite painful.

I do think it is wise to wear some kind of glasses when pruning roses.

RE: shingles. Most doctors won't give you the shot until you reach 60, but when that day comes I will definitely get it. My father had shingles and ended up in the hospital with it. He described it as being quite painful.

I do think it is wise to wear some kind of glasses when pruning roses.

Good advise, Rosefolly, and I now have had the shot, after the shingles of course.

Cath

the discerning and health conscious rosarian will prefer the following pruning outfit which can be had for a mere $4,000 and change. Note the long handled secateurs with belt which are included in this package. Start saving your money...

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Too funny, Harbor. I definitely need that ensemble.

Two weeks ago I poked myself in the eye on a pruned cane. Me eye wept for two days, and I was afraid I had damaged it permanently. Bt the time I got to the doctor it was healing on its own. Protective glasses for me from now on.

Regarding shingles: You can get a shot for it after you've gotten them but it has to be shortly after you've gotten them, a week or so. If you get the shot within the window of effectiveness, it will eliminate the pain within a few days and shorten the duration.

Cath

That submit finger is a little too fast. You also have to take pills.

Cath

I have kelvar arm gauntlets. They are cheap and work well.