Ahead of the Pack
True North Gear
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When you're working from a vehicle and only need the essentials, you can quickly attach everything to the Spyder-Web Gear with Alice clips for easy repositioning or removal. The small gear bag carries items such as a mobile phone, wallet, keys, map or weather meter, and it is large enough to hold an MRE. The pack can be configured with the shelter on one side and the personal pouch and accessory pocket on the other, so your back is clear, making it easy to slide in and out of the truck. The Lynx hydration pack add-on carries 3 liters (102 ounces) of water for those long, hot days on the line. When operations take you away from the vehicle, attach the Go! Pack to the back with a couple of buckles for 1,500-cubic- inches of carrying capacity, which includes a hydration pocket, two side pockets and a top pocket. Numerous attachment points on the belt and harness provide many options for customizing the pack with a radio and other accessory pockets. The Spyder-Web Gear and Lynx are NFPA 1977 (2005)-certified; the Go! Pack will be certified in May. www.truenorthgear.com
Coaxsher
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When you're fighting wildfires, you need to focus on your job, not your equipment. You need a comfortable, lightweight fire pack that can be customized to meet your needs. With its ergonomic harness system, adjustable waist belt and dual-action stabilizer, this modular fire pack is ideal for long shifts in rugged conditions, allowing you to carry everything you need without pain or strain. With the FS-1 Ranger, you can carry as much or as little as you want, choose how to best assemble the pack and quickly transform the pack with quick-release buckle connections. The pack's ergonomic harness system is equipped with aluminum stays that provide excellent load support, and it keeps load weight focused on the hips while stabilizing your balance, providing optimal comfort for long hours on your feet. Made from 1,000-denier Cordura, box stitching and reinforced stress points, the pack is made to withstand extraordinary conditions. New for 2010 is the fire shelter case drop-down feature, which allows the user to drop-down the fire shelter case to counterbalance weight while digging. www.coaxsher.com
Duluth Pack
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To make the Wildland Firefighter Pack virtually indestructible, Duluth Pack started with a super-tough, 18-ounce canvas construction and then reinforced critical stress points with thick leather and hand-hammered copper rivets. Inspired in part by its popular Wanderer Pack design, the Wildland Firefighter Pack features traditional side pockets with cinching straps, a leather reinforced grab handle, a draw cord closure for the main compartment, an interior zippered pocket under the pack flap, lash tabs with D-rings on top and a heavy-duty adjustable padded waist belt. By taking the company's time-tested padded leather shoulder straps and adding adjustable web extensions to them, Duluth Pack was able to lower the pack while being worn for increased comfort and security in the field. The lower compartment of the pack is intended for an emergency shelter tarp. It opens with a quick-release Velcro flap. The compartment detaches from the pack and can be worn independently as a waist pack. www.duluthpack.com
Nargear
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Nargear focuses on constructing packs for fire-rescue crews that depend on equipment functionality, comfort and durability. Designed for wildland firefighters, wilderness backcountry EMTs and search-and-rescue outfits, Groper packs are made extra-tough to withstand the abuse of the wildland fire arena. Double-stitched with military-spec parachute harness thread, the Groper accepts both sizes of fire shelters. Designed to minimize shelter "butt rub," it has an adjustable yoke shoulder harness and chest-strap safety whistle. Made of 1,000-denier Cordura fabric and hydration-system compatible, the Groper has quick-clip utility and fuel bottle attachment points. Nargear also offers aerial fire equipment for smokejumpers. The Groper Air Ops, or GAO, incorporates a detachable shoulder harness as well as tuck-away hip-pads to provide a clean, aero-dynamic exterior. Once on the ground, the GAO is identical to its sister pack, the Groper. www.nargear.com
Human Nature Gear
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If the flames come up fast and you have to run for your life, you need a system like this. Reliable Instant Protection Gear (RIP) enables you to instantly jettison your non-critical heavy equipment while at a full sprint so you can get to safety faster, while keeping the most important items that can save your life: your fire shelter, water and radio. Simply pull a release knob and your shelter is out of its housing and in your hand. Then pull the release handle, and your belt and pack drop to the ground. In an instant, you're unencumbered and moving up to 30% faster. And most importantly, your water and radio are safely at your chest and your shelter in-hand. In the heat of the moment when critical seconds count, this simple, fail-safe system eliminates easily forgotten steps (drop pack … retrieve shelter… grab water… grab radio… throw pack to get clear of fuel or fusees) and replaces them with two quick rip-cord pulls on the run. When a fire flares up and you have to retreat, don't be caught without RIP Gear — the fastest gear on the planet. www.humannaturegear.com
Eagle Gear
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Superior designs and input from our customers have helped Eagle Gear develop what it considers the most diverse and durable line of fire packs in the industry. Nearly eight years ago, the company began offering a safety pack with the ability to quickly detach in an emergency following several tragedies. The patented concept of the drop-and-run pack is to enable firefighters to quickly release the main pack if an emergency should occur. A single pull from a handle on the belt immediately releases the main pack from the web-gear, leaving the essentials: fire shelter, water and communications. Reassembly is straightforward and takes about one minute. www.eaglegear.com
Thielsen
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The Phoenix, Thielsen's newest pack that draws on elements of the Shot Pack, features an articulating frame design that makes it one of the most stable and comfortable packs around. Lateral sway and movement are virtually eliminated, and there's no more shelter droop or relentless shelter slapping. Pack weight can be completely transferred to your hips, protecting your lower back from fatigue. This 1,650-cubic-inch, top-loading pack has three internal fold-away compartments, two external side pockets with fusee slots, an easy-to-access large top pocket, a front pocket for two 32-ounce fuel bottles, two hip-mounted bottle pockets and an external hydration bladder pocket. With a wide range of height adjustments, the Phoenix is a one-size-fits-all pack that can be worn up on the hips or slung low off the hips. Each pack is built from 1,000-denier Cordura, 1,050 ballistic nylon, 3M reflective tape, and nylon hardware and webbing. www.thielsen.net
Harold Dramstad
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Comfort. Durability. Harold Dramstad has been making these packs since 1993 after he quit jumping, inspired by the Missoula jumpers, who have made thousands of packs of this fundamental design. Firefighting packs should ride low on the back, so they don't come over the top when you're digging line. And they should be comfortable enough to wear while you're digging, so you don't set them down and get them burned up. This pack has a top-load design — the pack does not rely on zippers to contain the load. The bottom-mounted fire shelter pocket accommodates the new generation of shelters. Fusees ride in covered pockets on the side of the pack. The padded suspenders are detachable for stowing inside the pack, which can fit under an airline seat as a carry-on. www.pgbags.com
Rit Bag
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The Cobra wildland pack combines modular components with a streamlined design to maximize performance and lessen fatigue. Its harness system features a MOLLE/PALS panel that easily attaches to a variety of pouches for tools, water and a standard fire shelter. The rugged hip belt also is equipped with MOLLE/PALS to allow repositioning of the fire shelter and pouches, which provides extra attachment capabilities. The Cobra includes a removable 600-cubic-inch main compartment and twin 40-cubic-inch storage pouches. Additional pouches are available to increase load capacity and to reconfigure from use in the field to a general day-hiking pack. Constructed from durable 1,000-denier Cordura nylon fabric, military-grade webbing and heavy-duty hardware, the Cobra is built to withstand abusive work environments. Highly reflective stripes provide additional visibility. The wildland pack is built to NFPA 1977 standards. www.ritbag.com
Cascade Fire
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In response to the real needs of wildland firefighters, Cascade Fire Equipment Co. has continually added to its extensive line of Strike Team Fire Gear bags and packs, including several hose and firefighting packs. Cascade's hose packs can store and transport fire hose. The Applegate has a full-front opening for quick delivery of hose, the Phoenix has large pockets for hose clamps and extra fittings, and the Strike Team easily stows and deploys horseshoe-rolled hose. For extreme firefighting, the Wolverine and Rogue packs feature several roomy compartments, including a built-in fire shelter holder, fusee holders for up to eight flares, and a 100-ounce Camelbak Omega hydration system. Finally, the Engineer Pack is a fire shelter holder designed specifically for equipment operators who are required to carry a fire shelter. The pack fits comfortably on the front of the firefighter and is easily accessible. All packs are made of ballistic nylon and have heavy-duty zippers, quick-release buckles and padded shoulder straps. They are fully adjustable and offer maximum storage, ultimate comfort and exceptional durability. www.cascadefire.com
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