I worked as a wildland firefighter for the U.S. Forest Service for four summers, the past two with听a hotshot crew of听20 experienced firefighters who travel all over the country and听spend听most of the听鈥渟ummer鈥澨(April through October)听sleeping on the ground and digging fire lines in extreme temperatures and rough terrain.听
The government issues any equipment that is absolutely necessary to do our jobs, but we also rely heavily on our own personal kits听for extra听comfort. We鈥檙e not exactly nice to this gear; we subject it to 16-hour days in heat, smoke, and dust, and when we鈥檙e not using it, it鈥檚 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鈥檙e camped in a place only accessible by helicopter). Because of scenarios like this, there鈥檚 added dependence听on our gear. After four seasons of trial and error, these were the items I knew would last, no matter how much I abused them.听
Icebreaker Merino 175 Everyday Short Sleeve Crew ($70)

While I鈥檝e spent a good number听of days working听in a cotton T-shirt under my 鈥測ellow鈥 (the bright, long-sleeved听fire-resistant shirt听we wear while on the job), from Icebreaker has taught me that wool is the way to go.听
With no polyester, spandex, or nylon to hinder听the crew鈥檚听natural breathability, the听wool听cuts down on odor and clamminess听by wicking away sweat and drying quickly鈥攁nd less stink means you can get away with fewer washings. (Microbes have a harder time clinging to wool than to synthetic fibers.) This is听helpful when you use the听same two shirts for a couple听weeks straight.
While other merino wool base layers I鈥檝e used have effectively disintegrated鈥攄eveloping numerous holes and shedding more and more material after every washing鈥攖he two Icebreaker tees I bought three summers ago became听my day-to-day mainstays. Neither has听a single hole to show for it, despite months of sweat, sawdust, and getting shoved into and pulled out of my bag every day.听
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Therm-a-Rest Women鈥檚 ProLite听Sleeping 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, and听weighing in at just over one pound, it鈥檚 Therm-a-Rest鈥檚 lightest self-inflating mattress for women. Most important, though, it didn鈥檛听pop a hole or break a seam in four years of heavy use, including many nights of sleeping atop it听on rodeo-arena floors, soccer fields, and rocky ridgelines deep in the backcountry.
Sea to Summit Aeros Premium Pillow ($43)

Probably the best $43听I鈥檝e ever spent, the听听gave听me a comfortable听place to lay my head in the buggy on the way to fires, and it provided听an added cushion听for the months I spent听on the ground. It鈥檚 incredibly light (2.5 ounces)听and packed听down small enough to shove听into any open corner of a duffle听bag (or my carry-on while traveling). I dig the plush outer lining鈥攊ts听surface was听much warmer and cozier than the bare polyester versions I鈥檝e used in the past, which听were only a small improvement compared with听using a bunched-up rainjacket for a pillow.听Sea to Summit doesn鈥檛 recommend machine-washing the Aeros,听but I slept听on it听with a dirty face and unwashed hair, so I cleaned听it by hand after every fire assignment for two years. After听dozens of washings, I haven鈥檛 noticed听holes or听substantial wear and tear or had any issues inflating it.
Suncloud Cinco Sunglasses ($50)

I鈥檓 a terrible sunglasses owner. I always seem to lose the ones that fit my face perfectly or break the ones that cost a quarter听of my paycheck. That鈥檚 why practicality and affordability are now my biggest priorities when I鈥檓 shopping for a new pair.听At just $50, 听vastly exceeds what you鈥檇 expect from midrange听shades. The lenses are polarized (which isn鈥檛听necessary for fire work听but 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 options听I鈥檝e used in the past, the Cinco听never fogged when听my face was听soaked in sweat. They鈥檝e withstood a whole gauntlet of mistreatment, such as听regularly wiping them with dirty leather gloves, accidentally sitting on them, and, worst of all, placing them in the same pocket as my knife.
Arc鈥檛eryx Atom LT Hoody ($260)

If there鈥檚 one piece of gear that has turned me into an insufferable gear bragger, it鈥檚 the . I鈥檝e spent six years with it and adore it more than any piece of apparel I鈥檝e owned. It kept听me comfortable on cold mornings at fire camp and serves as听the perfect听midlayer while skiing. The 100 percent听nylon shell (which has听light waterproofing for drizzly days) is still听durable enough to withstand a few knicks while sharpening a chainsaw. Its听synthetic insulation maintains its warmth when wet, and the stretchy fleece side panels along the torso and under the arms lend more breathability than you鈥檇 get from a down jacket鈥攁nd that means听less sweat when the temperature rises or the hike gets steeper. It stuffs into its own pocket听for easy transport, and听while the price might be a deterrent for some, I鈥檝e never had a more apt use for the phrase 鈥淏uy it nice or buy it twice鈥 than I have with this hoodie.听
Drew鈥檚 Boots Women鈥檚 10-Inch听Brown Roughout ($399)

There are many fire-boot builders, but Drew鈥檚 is my personal favorite and go-to brand. The has a听narrow听footbed, so it鈥檚 sized truer听to the shape of a woman鈥檚 foot听and not simply converted from a men鈥檚 sizing chart. Drew鈥檚 boots are also made of a softer leather than other popular fire boots, which amounts to a听quicker break-in time and fewer blisters. One consequence of this build is a shorter life span鈥擨 usually get two fire seasons out of a pair of Drew鈥檚 before the footbed blows out or the Vibram sole wears听down. That said, a huge benefit of buying hand-built leather boots is the听ability to have them听resoled at a substantially lower cost than a new pair would ring you.听
Fits听Tactical Socks ($24)

You鈥檇 be hard-pressed to find a wildland firefighter who doesn鈥檛 have a very strong opinion about socks. My pick? The听. Good socks are crucial when wearing a rigid leather boot like Drew鈥檚, White鈥檚, or Nick鈥檚. With fire boots like these,听it鈥檚 often said that it鈥檚 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鈥檝e ruined a lot of socks in my time as a firefighter鈥攂y听breaking in boots, logging long miles, or succumbing to heel slippage鈥攂ut I have yet to blow a hole in a pair of Fits. Credit its tough wool-polyester blend听and the extra padding in the heel, toe, and arch.
SaltStick Plus Salt Capsules ($30)听

Sometimes听no amount of goo, bars, tabs, or glorified sugar water will replenish all the听electrolytes you鈥檙e losing听as you hike, use a chainsaw, or swing a tool in extreme heat for up to听16 hours straight for many days in a row. On high-output days, salt pills are the ticket. But听 aren鈥檛 traditional salt pills; each has听a 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 anyone听not dumping loads of sweat every day, salt pills鈥攁long with copious amounts of water, of course鈥攌ept me feeling well-balanced and hydrated amid听some of my hardest, longest, and sweatiest shifts.