The Idaho Panhandle is tucked away so snugly between Washington, Montana, and British Columbia that people often forget it鈥檚 there. The landscape is characterized by dense fir, hemlock, pine, cedar, larch, and spruce forests. Deep greens and wooly, gray skies tightly hug the Purcell Trench, rimmed by the Selkirk Mountains to the Northwest and the Cabinet Mountains to the Northeast. This season, the valley bottom is still soggy with slush and muck鈥攄ifficult conditions to work in for forester and fourth-generation Idaho local Chad Ramsay. Fortunately, Ramsay discovered the solution to post-holing through thinly covered alder and tumbling down slopes due to a loose snowshoe clip: $89 at Pacforest
High viz and lightweight, Ramsay’s staple outer layer lets the unlikely onlooker (or hunter) know that the wearer is on the job. The fifteen pockets of various sizes provide easy access to a gas station breakfast burrito, TP, and other backcountry essentials below. The vest is durable and features a large pocket that can accommodate a tablet, making it ideal for fieldwork. While it isn鈥檛 waterproof, Ramsay notes that layering underneath provides the necessary protection from the elements.
Accessories
In addition to hardgoods, Ramsay relies on several essential smaller tools for a workday in the woods. His ($60) is used for navigation, route mapping, and finding his way back to the rig before dark, which comes quickly in winter this far north. The ($195) helps him measure tree height and slope, which is crucial for terrain and tree growth assessments. For other tasks like calculating timber volume, tree age and health, and measuring tree diameter, Ramsay uses specialized forestry devices like a tree boring tool and loggers tape. His well-worn ($25), with a screw-on top, fits neatly in his vest, providing a caffeine boost throughout the day.
And lastly, no day in the field would be complete without layers and his canine consultant, a loyal companion who keeps watch for wildlife.
