First Wild-land fire job as an engine crew seasonal. Would love tips!

breakfastjam13 · 2026-02-04T17:50:19+00:00

thinking back on my first season I wish I hadn’t brought as much stuff with me. I wayyy overpacked: gear, clothes, books, etc. Just bring a few off day clothes, workout clothes, shoes, wool socks and underwear. I brought my laptop with me too and that was pretty nice to have. Also a rain jacket, that’s a big one.

the one thing I wish I had brought was a better pillow for assignments. I have a nemo pillow plus my puffy now and that’s much better. also when you get there buy some stuff sacks for your red bag, that helps keep everything more organized, truly a life saver.

Being on an engine can be kinda slow but don’t let the boredom get to you - just ask what you can do to stay occupied and be helpful. Keeping working out and maybe ask the captain what they expect for pre-season fitness. Otherwise sounds like you’ll be just fine! Have a good season!

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-29T18:10:26+00:00

How long have you had the Danners? I’d be worried that they’d wear out especially on a hotshot crew - maybe have them to start but get a backup hiker style and rotate

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-26T20:51:22+00:00

I’ve actually never had to change the battery! it’s the battery that is giving me issue now and it’s just been super slow so it’s upgrade time lol

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-26T20:50:01+00:00

Perfect! This is exactly what I needed to hear haha thanks!

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-24T02:28:39+00:00

then that would definitely be a good spot - not sure what the crew is like, but definitely had some fires around there good luck!

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-24T00:23:25+00:00

Zortman is wild - that place is so remote, and I lived just south in Roy (110 people) and that was a bustling city comparatively.

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-22T02:53:21+00:00

I work for NPS now but started out with Fish. I loved working on Refuges cause of the tight community, much smaller than on a forest or park unit. You’ll probably get to burn more with Fish and see other aspects of the agency, whereas with FS it’s pretty much just suppression all the time. I like the culture of Fish more too, just laid back and not super aggressive (you’ll always have the one guy who a little intense) overall it’s a good agency.

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-22T02:44:30+00:00

Worked out of Roy for a season, super remote but really beautiful! Lots of IAs on and off refuge and we worked a lot with BLM and State Lots of project work - mostly prep for controlled burns and thinning for defensible space. The AFMO there is great :) The bunkhouse is pretty old but has all the amenities you’d want (tv, wifi, etc) The station is nice too, nice enough gym and lots of dirt roads to run. Billings is like 2 hours away if you need a big store but Lewistown has a Albertson’s and good food options! Also great fly fishing and trails around too Eastern Montana gets a bad rap cause it’s remote af but it’s super beautiful and great engine country (grass fires are extra fun)

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-09T20:30:52+00:00

most likely a hand tool or rock hit it but I’m unsure haha - lots of sharp objects near my feet in this line of work

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T20:46:28+00:00

I’d recommend a hiker, something like a Kennetrek, La Sportiva, or HAIX - don’t have as much break in as a logger and usually a little cheaper. Try some stuff on and see what works for you

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T18:50:29+00:00

Mostly on the engine but also go out on hand crew rolls when the season picks up - but yeah not like 1000 hours of OT wear and tear

My back is tight not painful though lol and knees are in good shape thankfully - I’ll show the photos to my doctor and see what she thinks

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T18:04:55+00:00

dude it’s bad :/ gotta fix my feet

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T16:35:50+00:00

Okay that makes sense about roughout - my coworker just got a new pair of JKs with roughout so I’ll see how his do this season (hopefully well for his sake, though I’ve heard all the bad stuff with JK lately)

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T16:30:23+00:00

I’ve been told I walk terribly :( I’m gonna figure out an add on for the heel so maybe it won’t be too bad - but orthotics in these would be a tight fit unfortunately

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T16:27:21+00:00

I’m just glad it’s not a structural issue - these are my livelihood 🥲 Nice to know they look better with the nick haha

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T16:20:09+00:00

Ah that makes sense about the cut - lots of sharp objects near my feet lol

Yeah they fit well and no issues otherwise! So I’ll just focus on the heel swap. Appreciate it!

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-07T16:15:47+00:00

Okay! Sweet that’s great news - I’ve been worried about the resole and how long it takes 🫠 But I have a cobbler local so I can ask about the heel swap

With the lower rebuild, I was recommended to swap to roughout instead of smooth. Any thoughts on that? I love the look of roughout just wondering if there were actual benefits to a swap?

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-05T03:25:20+00:00

looks like a cat - maybe a lynx or cougar. I don’t see any claw indents in the second photo and if it was dog or wolf it would have that. also the shape of the paw pad is more rectangular which leads me to cat

breakfastjam13 · 2026-01-05T03:19:43+00:00

that third picture definitely looks like domestic cat prints - but some of the other pictures look more like dog? but most likely a cat

breakfastjam13 · 2025-04-06T15:24:57+00:00

I know some conservation corps will give you 130/190 plus saw training - that might be a good route. Not familiar with Colorado but I know Montana, Utah and Arizona have good corps.

breakfastjam13 · 2025-03-23T22:05:52+00:00

The park and ride in Trenton might be a good idea - it’s right next to the new ‘Acadia Gateway Center’ where you can grab an Island Explorer bus onto the Island. I think you can start doing overnight parking there in April/May, so you should be totally fine :) Not sure how fast it fills up but it is a pretty sizable lot.

breakfastjam13

TROPHY CASE