The terms "protective gear" and "protective clothing" are in many cases interchangeable; "protective clothing" is applied to traditional categories of clothing, and "gear" is a more general term and preferably means uniquely protective categories, such as pads, guards, shields, masks, etc.
Chaps are individual pant leggings made of leather and worn by farriers, cowboys, and rodeo contestants to protect the legs from contact with hooves, thorny undergrowth, and other such work hazards. May also be made of other materials for leg protection against other hazards, such as "rain chaps" of waterproof materials, or "saw chaps" of Kevlar for chainsaw workers.
Zip-off Convertible Ventilated Trousers: File:Convertible Ventilated Trousers shown with one leg cover removed.jpgConvertible Ventilated Trousers shown with one leg cover removedThese are pants styled in the zip-off fashion, where covers are removed from the lower section, exposing a mesh material on the lower leg. This allows the cooling and ventilation of shorts while providing the user the abrasion protection and appearance of regular pants. CVT's were originally designed for and are still predominantly used as work clothing, as the wearing of shorts is often prohibited for safety reasons in many industrial occupations.
Chainsaw protection (especially a helmet with face guard, hearing protection, kevlarchaps, anti-vibration gloves, and safety boots). Specific information about chainsaw protection is given in the chainsaw safety clothing article.
Bee keepers wear various levels of protection depending on the temperament of their bees and the reaction of the bees to nectar availability. At minimum most bee keepers wear a brimmed hat and a veil made of hardware cloth similar to window screen material. The next level of protection is offered by leather gloves with long gauntlets and by some way of keeping bees from crawling up one's trouser legs. In extreme cases, shirts and trousers are also fabricated to serve as barriers to the bees' stingers.
