I worked as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service for four summers, the past two witha hotshot crew of20 experienced firefighters who travel all over the country andspendmost of the“summer”(April through October)sleeping on the ground and digging fire lines in extreme temperatures and rough terrain.
The government issues any equipment that is absolutely necessary to do our jobs, but we also rely heavily on our own personal kitsfor extracomfort. We’re not exactly nice to this gear; we subject it to 16-hour days in heat, smoke, and dust, and when we’re not using it, it’s often shoved into a duffel bag. Having these items break during the summer is inconvenient at best and could negatively affect your productivity at worst (like when your sleeping pad deflates halfway through a 14-day assignment and you’re camped in a place only accessible by helicopter). Because of scenarios like this, there’s added dependenceon our gear. After four seasons of trial and error, these were the items I knew would last, no matter how much I abused them.
Icebreaker Merino 175 Everyday Short Sleeve Crew ($70)
While I’ve spent a good numberof days workingin a cotton T-shirt under my “yellow” (the bright, long-sleevedfire-resistant shirtwe wear while on the job), from Icebreaker has taught me that wool is the way to go.
With no polyester, spandex, or nylon to hinderthe crew’snatural breathability, thewoolcuts down on odor and clamminessby wicking away sweat and drying quickly—and less stink means you can get away with fewer washings. (Microbes have a harder time clinging to wool than to synthetic fibers.) This ishelpful when you use thesame two shirts for a coupleweeks straight.
While other merino wool base layers I’ve used have effectively disintegrated—developing numerous holes and shedding more and more material after every washing—the two Icebreaker tees I bought three summers ago becamemy day-to-day mainstays. Neither hasa single hole to show for it, despite months of sweat, sawdust, and getting shoved into and pulled out of my bag every day.
Therm-a-Rest Women’s ProLiteSleeping Pad ($95)
Made with a 50-denier ripstop polyester, the strikes a good balance between tough and packable. At 11 by 4 inches in the stuffsack, it left space in my duffle for other gear, andweighing in at just over one pound, it’s Therm-a-Rest’s lightest self-inflating mattress for women. Most important, though, it didn’tpop a hole or break a seam in four years of heavy use, including many nights of sleeping atop iton rodeo-arena floors, soccer fields, and rocky ridgelines deep in the backcountry.
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow ($43)
Probably the best $43I’ve ever spent, thegaveme a comfortableplace to lay my head in the buggy on the way to fires, and it providedan added cushionfor the months I spenton the ground. It’s incredibly light (2.5 ounces)and packeddown small enough to shoveinto any open corner of a dufflebag (or my carry-on while traveling). I dig the plush outer lining—itssurface wasmuch warmer and cozier than the bare polyester versions I’ve used in the past, whichwere only a small improvement compared withusing a bunched-up rainjacket for a pillow.Sea to Summit doesn’t recommend machine-washing the Aeros,but I slepton itwith a dirty face and unwashed hair, so I cleanedit by hand after every fire assignment for two years. Afterdozens of washings, I haven’t noticedholes orsubstantial wear and tear or had any issues inflating it.
Suncloud Cinco Sunglasses ($50)
I’m a terrible sunglasses owner. I always seem to lose the ones that fit my face perfectly or break the ones that cost a quarterof my paycheck. That’s why practicality and affordability are now my biggest priorities when I’m shopping for a new pair.At just $50, vastly exceeds what you’d expect from midrangeshades. The lenses are polarized (which isn’tnecessary for fire workbut is very helpful for fishing on my days off), and the frames are made of a durable nylon material called Grilamid, which is more flexible than plastic. Unlike some of the gas-station optionsI’ve used in the past, the Cinconever fogged whenmy face wassoaked in sweat. They’ve withstood a whole gauntlet of mistreatment, such asregularly wiping them with dirty leather gloves, accidentally sitting on them, and, worst of all, placing them in the same pocket as my knife.
Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody ($260)
If there’s one piece of gear that has turned me into an insufferable gear bragger, it’s the . I’ve spent six years with it and adore it more than any piece of apparel I’ve owned. It keptme comfortable on cold mornings at fire camp and serves asthe perfectmidlayer while skiing. The 100 percentnylon shell (which haslight waterproofing for drizzly days) is stilldurable enough to withstand a few knicks while sharpening a chainsaw. Itssynthetic insulation maintains its warmth when wet, and the stretchy fleece side panels along the torso and under the arms lend more breathability than you’d get from a down jacket—and that meansless sweat when the temperature rises or the hike gets steeper. It stuffs into its own pocketfor easy transport, andwhile the price might be a deterrent for some, I’ve never had a more apt use for the phrase “Buy it nice or buy it twice” than I have with this hoodie.
Drew’s Boots Women’s 10-InchBrown Roughout ($399)
There are many fire-boot builders, but Drew’s is my personal favorite and go-to brand. The has anarrowfootbed, so it’s sized truerto the shape of a woman’s footand not simply converted from a men’s sizing chart. Drew’s boots are also made of a softer leather than other popular fire boots, which amounts to aquicker break-in time and fewer blisters. One consequence of this build is a shorter life span—I usually get two fire seasons out of a pair of Drew’s before the footbed blows out or the Vibram sole wearsdown. That said, a huge benefit of buying hand-built leather boots is theability to have themresoled at a substantially lower cost than a new pair would ring you.
FitsTactical Socks ($24)
You’d be hard-pressed to find a wildland firefighter who doesn’t have a very strong opinion about socks. My pick? The. Good socks are crucial when wearing a rigid leather boot like Drew’s, White’s, or Nick’s. With fire boots like these,it’s often said that it’s not the boot that gets broken in but your foot, so a durable pair of socks that fit well is sometimes just as important as the boot itself, especially when it comes to avoiding blisters. I’ve ruined a lot of socks in my time as a firefighter—bybreaking in boots, logging long miles, or succumbing to heel slippage—but I have yet to blow a hole in a pair of Fits. Credit its tough wool-polyester blendand the extra padding in the heel, toe, and arch.
SaltStick Plus Salt Capsules ($30)
Sometimesno amount of goo, bars, tabs, or glorified sugar water will replenish all theelectrolytes you’re losingas you hike, use a chainsaw, or swing a tool in extreme heat for up to16 hours straight for many days in a row. On high-output days, salt pills are the ticket. But aren’t traditional salt pills; each hasa relatively low dose of sodium (190 milligrams, which is only 8 percent of your recommended daily amount), along with magnesium, calcium, and potassium to cover your other electrolyte needs, plus caffeine for a little energy boost. Though not recommended for people with high blood pressure, kidney issues, or anyonenot dumping loads of sweat every day, salt pills—along with copious amounts of water, of course—kept me feeling well-balanced and hydrated amidsome of my hardest, longest, and sweatiest shifts.