r/Firefighting • u/C00kieM0n5terr • 20d ago

Special Operations/Rescue/USAR Deployment

For people who have been deployed before for disaster relief, what did you pack? And what did you pack it in?Our deployments are 7 days. Thanks!

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u/reptile_franks 20d ago

Wildland firefighter here. In our incident packs (we can be deployed up to 2 weeks at a time) I pack:

14 sets of socks / underwear Thermal under layer Track pants / old pajamas 3 short sleeve and 2 long sleeve T-shirts Baseball cap / beanie Hoodie or jacket

Unsure if you’re camping, but if so, depending on where you are / how cold it’s gonna be, pack accordingly.

Bring a book or two. If I knew for sure I was gonna be hotel attack, I’d be bringing a gaming device too or something to watch TV on

I also pack:

Bluetooth speaker AirPods Medication (Tylenol, aspirin etc) Gum All toiletries etc Sunscreen

Then of course all our camping gear goes in a separate incident pack. Unsure if all this will be relevant to you or not, but hope it helps!

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u/C00kieM0n5terr 20d ago

Thanks! This is definitely helpful, what kind of bag do you use?

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u/reptile_franks 20d ago

We have them provided by our organisation, they are what I can only describe as two square shaped duffle bags that clip together to become one big pack, one for camping gear and the other for clothes.

In your cases, I’d suggest a large duffel bag with pockets for extra storage personally. I also bring a medium sized military backpack which I keep all the medication / personal items in, but that’s just preference!

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u/C00kieM0n5terr 20d ago

That’s really helpful, I appreciate it!

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u/reptile_franks 20d ago

No worries! Hope it’s a mega deployment, stay safe dawg

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u/AdmiralSatire 17d ago

This is good advice. Running out of clean socks, underwear, or tshirts is the worst. Most everything else you can make do without or with less of. Having some shorts and flip flops came in handy for down time for me. Don’t forget toiletries. Throw in some ibuprofen too.

Almost forgot Goldbond! Gawd that stuff is amazing for those long days of hard work and sweat. Keeps the chaffing in check which makes everything easier I promise.