Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Could you pass a Wildland Firefighter "Pack Test"?

Years ago I could have. Most of the villages I've worked in had at least one seasonal emergency wildland fire crew. I could probably do it now with about a 4-week tune-up period before the test.

Smoke jumpers? No fahqin' way. The Alaska Fire Service is based on Ft. Wainwright with smokejumper training. One morning while I was at Ft. Wainwright, we were doing one of our long runs for PT that took us off onto one of the back roads behind post. About half way through while we were all draggin' ass and suckin' air at an airborne shuffle pace, a single file of about ten smokejumpers ran past our formation like we were crippled. I don't recall noticing any huffing & puffing on their part as they ran by.

Funny, I never pictured you as a soccer player.

But I can see you stacking up the red cards.

I can't walk 50 yards until I am out of breath. Too old and broken down for that stuff.

I have my flop perfected.

Ha I resemble that remark but am to stubborn to admit it and would kill my self before admitting it.

Not sure but smoke filled "escape" houses in the dark and HUET were a pass.

I can barely walk across the house right now.

I can still do that and I'll be 73 this summer. I just carry a 40 pound bag of wood pellets for weight (in the summer) and carry the rifle in my hand; as I do in the fall. I am definitely slower and tire more easily than I did 10 years ago. I don't expect I'll have more than another ten years of mountain hunting ahead of me. Today, I carried two 7 foot, 5 inch fence posts on my shoulder and the posthole digger in my other hand, up to the back of the campground. It's only about 3/8 mile and a moderate hill away and I was real happy to set that stuff down. In truth, by the time I was halfway there, I was wishing I had thrown them in the truck and driven up. GD

Back in the 90s when I was chasing smoke our national forest in Region 6 used the 5 minute step test for red card certification. I think the pack test came into the picture shortly thereafter. Good times

Prolly. Made three packs of moose last fall. Gear from camp was three miles. 2 of the packs around 100 pounds each. The one hind around 130 or so. Each pack to the truck 2 miles. Slick, rolling terrain (had been raining.) At 66 years, I do not plan to be in that situation this year!
I see what the fire training guys do now and know I could not come even close to their level even in my dreams...

Yes.

For sure, “Getting there” is the easy part. IMO

Yes.

Yes that includes saddling the horse…

Yes

Yes

No problem now, at 64.

I hope that is true at 80.

Yep, and I'd be sweety at the end

Yes, that’s a faster hustle then my usual loaf tho.

Yes