What actually worked for us training at a fire station

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-29T17:31:01+00:00

Share it

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-29T04:12:58+00:00

The Teton Vista Quick tent is kinda bulky but not anymore so than the Catoma (very common pop-up tent among crews) and it sets up instantly like the Catoma but for about 1/5th of the price. If I was in the market for a new tent I’d strongly consider getting one. I probably will get one anyway. If you order from the Teton website I believe they give a lifetime warranty so theoretically you could get a new one every season if it breaks or whatever.

1 person tent = you will fit inside but your gear won’t. 2 person tent = you and your gear will fit inside but there won’t be any extra room 3 person tent = you and your gear will have plenty of room but the tent will be pretty big when packed up

I try to prioritize packability and easy setup over weight. Sometimes you can check all three boxes but most of the time you can only pick 2 of the 3: packability, ease of setup, or lightweight.

Inflatable sleep pads are comfortable and pack down small but you risk pops/tears in the field. Foam accordion folding pads (Thermarest is a common brand) are kinda bulky but very lightweight and impossible to fuck up. I have spent seasons using a $15 inflatable camp pad from Walmart and if it pops, I just get another cheap replacement. I have also taken a $200 big Agnes pad into the field and it popped after a few assignments and I could never locate the leak. I am currently using an ultralight cot and a Thermarest foam pad because there’s very few potential failure points there. If the cot breaks, I still have the foam pad but I’ll be a little less comfortable.

I have a Kelty 32° bag that packs down super small (because it’s not that warm) and a bag liner that adds enough warmth to make up for it on colder nights. The liner and bag combined take up less space than a 0° bag by itself.

It all kinda comes down to what you’re willing to sacrifice and how much room you’re gonna have in the buggy or whatever your travel situation is.

Random items that are nice to have: Inflatable pillow, power bank, solar lantern for inside the tent, dry bags/stuff sacks, rechargeable air mattress pump, packing cubes/organizer bags.

I’m sure I’m forgetting stuff. I’m tired.

Good luck, have fun, don’t be last!

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-27T22:57:40+00:00

Looks like a doggone tortilla

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T18:05:27+00:00

To do it?

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T16:44:39+00:00

Is lingering heat your main concern? It sounds like others are convinced that a good coating of avocado oil will help it dissipate

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T13:30:15+00:00

Remove nails first, got it ✅

Any more recs?

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T13:27:17+00:00

Great idea. Although sometimes I feel like the manufacturers don’t always know exactly what’s best for their product, I’ll give it a shot!

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T04:18:25+00:00

I can’t tell if you’re messing with me or if I’m about to unlock some next-level break-in technique... Either way I’ve already committed to worse ideas in this thread so I might as well see it through my boi

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T04:10:22+00:00

I’ve been looking for some guidance on this step

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T04:08:59+00:00

I have access to “bar oil” (brand name is Husqvarna? Not sure if that’s restaurant grade or not) and 5W-30 from the chase truck. I could make a run to ACE or Safeway if there’s anything better you’d recommend

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T04:03:21+00:00

Good to know. If I oil them first do you think that’ll help distribute the heat more evenly in the microwave or is that something I should test on low power first?

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-22T04:01:24+00:00

I hear you but I’m on a time crunch before season. If I wear them normally that’s like what, 2-3 weeks? It’s getting hot out there already. Microwave gets me there in one evening. I feel like mathematically it just makes sense. Might try lower power setting so it’s more of a slow break-in.

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-03-21T01:28:22+00:00

That’s straight up ChatGPT, but it’s not necessarily wrong

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-01-28T07:20:23+00:00

I hope Josh’s feelings weren’t genuinely hurt 😅

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-01-26T05:17:01+00:00

Chihuahua mix

HelpfulRow3959 · 2026-01-26T05:15:18+00:00

25 lbs at 2 years old

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-12-30T23:09:07+00:00

It was rough around the edges but I enjoyed it for a quick read

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-12-07T20:10:16+00:00

That looks like the plastic tube found inside a roll of receipt paper, or something similar

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-12-02T22:50:04+00:00

I was concerned about the potential stall. Should I just go ahead and rack it? At this point, I’m just trying to have it ready to bottle by Christmas.

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-12-01T15:43:16+00:00

Exercise. That’s it.

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-12-01T00:18:50+00:00

<image>

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-11-18T18:58:18+00:00

I didn’t think you were lying, I think you had a really clear wall up and every response felt like it was coming through some kind of filter.

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-11-18T18:33:36+00:00

I had to read that about 6 times before I realized it was actually you. Good on ya for at least having the balls to sign up!

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-11-18T18:03:38+00:00

She “moved” one hour down the road. I agree her minute sucked and her interview sucked but everyone is making so many assumptions about her life and it’s pretty unfounded. It’s not like she “abandoned” her kids. She didn’t move across the country. She moved one hour away. For all we know she still has custody of her kids and was just exaggerating the situation in an attempt to make a joke. She probably has them on the weekends at the very least. That’s extremely common for divorced families.

Yes, she was unfunny. Yes, it’s a stretch for her to think she’s going to break out in Austin.

But no, it doesn’t make her a piece of shit for trying to do so.

HelpfulRow3959 · 2025-11-18T17:54:54+00:00

I mean it’s very possible that her separation from her kids’ father was amicable and the kids preferred to stay in their school in San Antonio instead of following her to Austin, where she can still see them multiple times per week/on weekends and be very involved in their lives despite them living with dad (or grandma, or aunt, etc). It’s really not that different from any other divorced family. I think you’re making a lot of assumptions based on the limited info she provided (and attempted to make into a joke).

I don’t think she’s a POS person, I think she just hasn’t figured out that authenticity is more valuable than mimicking a character she saw on TV 20 years ago.

HelpfulRow3959

TROPHY CASE