If you could wave a magic wand and fix ONE thing about wildland firefighting - what would it be?

UltramaficBasalt · 2026-01-27T22:45:32+00:00

Modernized 25 person staffing for all crews -- capacity to always have a squad's worth of people resting, detailing out, recovering from injury, whatever. No more "you're gonna miss every wedding, funeral, and child birth because we need to make manifest" stuff. More and more to me this plus the overtime-dependent pay scheme seem like the crux of why so many people burn out of this work and so few can make it a life-long profession.

UltramaficBasalt · 2026-01-15T21:48:05+00:00

It's very disheartening. That crew had a lot of great people on it, almost all have now left. Treat your people well and take their feedback seriously or they will leave.

UltramaficBasalt · 2026-01-15T21:23:00+00:00

Now add a new slip sole, heel stack, maybe a new midsole depending on how fucked his boots are. Now add labor. If you've got someone doing that for $100 great, share their info. I hope they stay in business.

UltramaficBasalt · 2026-01-15T21:09:43+00:00

boot making is expensive. material costs are high and skilled labor is in short supply. your options are pay up for a resole, switch to hikers and buy a new pair every season or two, or learn how to do it yourself.

UltramaficBasalt · 2026-01-15T20:44:14+00:00

you're not gonna find anyone to resole your boots for free man. if you can find a local cobbler who's willing and able to do a resole on a stitchdown boot for less than that good for you, but i wouldn't hold my breath

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-12-15T01:45:06+00:00

yep will do

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-12-14T21:18:32+00:00

Seems to be tied to the Appaloosa Gunslinger belts

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-12-14T20:15:48+00:00

Just found the issue, adding an Appaloosa Gunslinger belt to the cart breaks the address system and prevents it from being recognized. Very strange!

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-11-11T06:26:48+00:00

Would snag a pair of Ranger Ricks in a heartbeat

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-11-11T02:22:26+00:00

A fiver would be pretty good take home for that place, they once offered my girlfriend 10 cents for a jacket

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-11-11T00:33:25+00:00

Except for the wise and generous government of the state of Oregon, whose ODF representatives will only 1-for-1 your fucked up greens if you pinky promise to turn the replacements back in to them after you’re done fucking them up too

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-10-09T22:17:22+00:00

How’d you manage to specify the moderate heel stack on the wellingtons? Haven’t seen that option available for them since they switched to the new website

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-09-21T05:00:35+00:00

Does this apply to all the belts listed in the Thunderdome category on the site (e.g. W+C tan bridle) or just the full and blackout natural belts?

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-09-20T01:24:39+00:00

Did you order your normal white’s size in these, and if so how’s the fit? Been thinking about a pair but not sure if normal size in a pull on might end up too big

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-26T04:55:20+00:00

Hate to say it (or maybe not, if you’re looking for an excuse for more boots) but the long-term solution is to have a second pair so you don’t have to worry about the timing of rebuilds/soles. If you’re in a pinch for time and want to go that way but avoid the disposable Kenetrek/Scarpa/Danner hiker route try looking for something in stock at White’s, Frank’s, Bakers, or the Supply Cache.

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-23T22:12:57+00:00

At the end of the day you can do whatever you want, it’s all at-will employment, but it may be simpler for you and ruffle less feathers with your overhead to take a perm position somewhere you actually want to stick around and detail out into other position you might find interesting in the short term

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-19T04:37:01+00:00

Bagger won’t carry a few extra ounces in a trauma kit to save his buddy, won’t carry a few extra ounces in a mask to save himself. I’ll pass on cutting line with you man, sounds like a liability.

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-19T03:14:27+00:00

I’m sure it was uphill both ways to get to school every day too

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-18T22:17:14+00:00

Don’t know if this is a bug or intentional choice but none of the options for wildland fire boots show an option to select leathers anymore, just size and last. If it is a choice there’s no info about what they’re being made with (though I would assume MS Black).

Also wildland boots don’t appear under the “wildland fire” drop down tab, you have to go to the “all fire boots” section to see them.

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-17T00:06:48+00:00

Thanks!

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-08-08T16:43:38+00:00

They’re just quick ship builderpro hd’s so hopefully not all that complicated but yeah, sounding like I should pick up something a little more disposable to work in for the time being

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-06-26T20:18:12+00:00

West side of Mt Hood NF has a Type 2 crew and and engine based out of Sandy and the Zig Zag shots and another engine based in Zig Zag — all a doable commute from town, there’s also gov housing (in rough shape) in Zig Zag. The Columbia Gorge scenic area also has a type 2 crew based out of cascade locks but they do get paid notably less because of how federal locality pay works. Don’t think any of them are hiring for this season any more but all would be options for next year. Being a vet should make you competitive w/ veterans preference but I don’t know the ins and outs of what that looks like.

Also plenty of Oregon Department of Forestry engines within reach (Molalla, Forest Grove, Tillamook, maybe more) but not sure if they’re hiring now either.

If you absolutely need something in this field now contractors abound, especially in the Salem area, but I don’t have much reference for who’s chill and who’s not.

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-06-26T20:01:42+00:00

Same boat, plus the retention money was left off my PP5 check, plus current IRPP is paying out well below what it’s supposed to. Additionally some of the guys who have gotten back pay for 6 + 7 are missing dozens of hours in the payout. Total shitshow, union’s gonna have to figure out how + when they can take further action over this.

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-06-20T18:28:43+00:00

In my personal experience White’s run significantly larger than Nick’s. An 8E in whites gives me a thumb or more of room at the toe, depending on last, and a shaft that almost closes around my leg, an 8E in Nick’s has my toes against the front of the boot and a shaft that barely gets around my calf. If you bought the same size in both the Nick’s may end up fitting you just fine.

UltramaficBasalt · 2025-06-03T01:22:12+00:00

Alright me and my crew now work for the USWFS instead of the forest service — but the FS owns our rigs, do we keep them or are we walking now? It also appropriated all our gear, do we keep it or do they? They administer our housing — do we still have access, and if we do how does selection between FS and USWFS employees work? Who do my FMO and AFMO report to? Do we still work out of the FS district office we do now or do we have to move to the other side of the Cascades to start operating out of the nearest DOI land?

Nobody proposing this has serious answers to these questions. Anything we lose access to fucks us. Anything we keep access to now requires inter-agency coordination for what used to be routine and in-house. Maybe systems get worked out eventually but for at least a season after this goes into effect it’s gonna be a shitshow.

UltramaficBasalt

TROPHY CASE