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Bushfires-Where do you put all your gear and what do you take?
We are constantly told in NSW, Australia that we need a pocket knife, pen and paper, at least five litres of drinking water, food, medication if required, length of rope, lighter, torch, compass.. the list goes on. These are things we are not provided with but are required to lug around in the moutains or the bush in addition to all of the PPE provided and tools required for the job. Can anyone share with me and others the best methods for storage of these items and how they manage to carry all of this stuff around without it impeding their movement.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Liz O'Neill on
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Hi Lang and thanks for the information. I will look at Google, great idea.
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Thanks Jason, excellent suggestions. I will check out the website. Good point about allergy pills, as I had not thought of that and I need them. Cheers mate.
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LOL you must be bored Vic!
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Thanks foir the reply Thomas, there is a lot in the list I would not have thought of.
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Great points in your reply Adam. Nothing worse than waiting around for hours and you are not prepared for it, that's the worst part of the scenario and it is what we spend a lot of time doing. Maybe we should add a hand held game or crossword/puzzle book to this list...lol. Thanks mate.
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Thanks Chief. What is a multi piler?
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Permalink Reply by Tony P on
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G'day Liz. Interesting reading in this thread. A lot of posters seem to be assuming you are brand new, but I see you have Wildfire Firefighter and a couple of years under your belt?
Unless the RFS works in a very different manner to the CFA (and from Vic's writings it doesn't seem so) you don't really need and shouldn't be carrying a lot of the suggestions. Nominally two lengths from the truck or leave it alone/backburn. Nearly all your stuff can stay on the truck. Try to leave the long-walk stuff to the Forrests people...
For me? A small ex-Army bum-pack is all I take with me and that stays on the truck (the travel bag with the rest is back at the staging ground if I'm on a long range strike team). This little pack holds aspirin, hay-fever pills, eye drops, some lollies, military rat-pack cordial, small binoculars, small digital camera, pocket knife, spare batteries, insect repelant, spare sunglasses, spare goggles, small head torch for my helmet for working at night. Apart from that stuff I carry very little.
If I'm doing wildfire TIC work, I get a lot further away from the vehicle, but that is usually after blacking out, when were searching for missed spots - carry more water then, but five litres of drinking water when working from the truck? No need.
From the part of the list you quote, I'd be leaving "five litres of drinking water, food, medication if required, length of rope, lighter, torch, compass" in my truck pack (the bum-pack) if I was you.
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Permalink Reply by James Sage on
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A multi plier would be something like a Leatherman or Gerber multi tool, Like a Swiss Army knife but with pliers
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I can't really speak to the wildland firefighting aspect of things but I have to say your gear list sounds alot like what we carry for GSAR. For carrying and storing alot of guys use wildland packs like True Norths packs http://www.truenorthgear.com/nfpa1977.php or Coaxshers http://www.coaxsher.com/ they have a dealer in Australia http://www.redantfire.com.au/ As for some helpful tips, If you can make sure all your powered gear (GPS, flashlight, Headlight etc) uses the same type of batteries AA's seem to be easiest. That way you don't have to carry a bunch of different types around or special lithium ones that cost a fortune. Also seems silly to some people but if you are going to carry any food (dehydrated/ MRE's) try a few at home and find ones you like, nothing is worse than making a meal when your starving after a long day only to find your pineapple orange chicken with rice tastes like crap. Other things that seems silly but people never think of, roll of toilet paper/babywhipes in a ziplock bag (if your going to be out for awhile) chapstick/lipbalm in a little tin not the lipstick style (still useable if melted) and extra boot laces.
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Permalink Reply by Robert (Bob) Roberson on
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Liz, I know where you are comming from. At least the NSW RFS PPE has big enough pockets and more of them. Feel sorry for us Qld RFS Vols who are not only 100 years behind the rest of the Rural Fire Fighting world in some matters, but have PPE with less pockets and those don't even fit the FIG, a handkerchief and if you put any loose change in the wrong pocket hole it falls down your leg..
Qld Brigades have to raize the money for their own shed (but to RFS standards), 15% on each truck, truck fuel, tyres, truck repairs and pay up to 50% subsitity on foam, hoses, drip torches, radios, GPS and once this has all be aquired it all claimed as assests of the service.
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Pockets on wildfire PPC? No pockets on our overtrousers, three pockets (with flaps) on our jackets. Perhaps that's why I leave all my extra gear on the truck?
Not quite as bad here in Vic for equipment etc. Bob;
Vehicles - if we want anything other than the supplied appliance(s), we have to raise the money.
Fuel and maintenance - all covered by the CFA.
Foam cincentrate - covered by the CFA.
Hoses, branches, drip torches and the like - all CFA issue. Unless we want something extra.
GPS - we buy it (at the moment).
My Brigade purchased a TIC having raised all the money - CFA said OK, now it's CFA property, we will maintain and replace. We had to have approval before purchase though, no problem there, we do belong to the service.
Stations - owned by the CFA, but we can raise money and addextensions - but thay must be approved by the CFA, who will then accept responsibility.
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