[Sca-cooks] Primitive Camping? (waxing longish and wandering OT)

[Georgia Foster]

OH ... I thought we were discussing primitive camp sites ...

For Primitive camping, look to the Wild Land Fire Fighters.  As another very 
cool part of my very cool job, they let me play wild land fire fighter.  For 
those who play front line (initial attack), one has a coyote bag (possibly a 
local term).  The contents include two MREs, two quarts of drinking water, a 
flash light and anything else that would make the fire fighter happy (mine 
also has a chainsaw sharpening set and a fire-weather kit) so long as the 
whole comes in under 45 lbs (yes … THIS is the reason I am required to walk 
three miles in forty-five minutes, with a 45 lb pack).  The coyote bag is a 
smallish, soft-side backpack, and should contain everything needed sustain a 
firefighter for 24 hours without additional support.

Additionally, there is the redbag.  The redbag is a duffle bag, and it is 
(with blinding originality) red.  It can contain ANYTHING the fire fighter 
wants to put in it, and I have seen some really obese redbags. Mine has a 
sleeping bag, a two man quickset tent, a roll of foam egg-crate, a tarp,  
two changes of clothes, seven changes of undies and socks, a pair of comfy 
tennies, a pair of gym shorts and a t-shirt that says ARMY, a bottle of 
shampoo, a hairbrush and a handful elastic hair ties.  The contents of the 
redbag are what a fire fighter might need for an extended stay (21 days) in 
a fire camp.

In fire camp, meals are provided by the host agency (3000 calories per meal) 
(SEE … a cooking Reference!), and we get camp rate per diem ( two dollars 
thirty three cents a day).  Most of the line fire fighters make GS03 – GS05 
wages, ($6.50 – $8.50 an hour.  Nope, they don’t do it for the money.

Why do they do it?  For the adrenaline;  Plain, Pure and Simple.  If you 
think Heavy Weapons fighters are adrenaline junkies … talk to your friendly 
neighborhood wild land fire fighter.  Makes Duke so-and-so look like a 
milk-sop.

Now, for those who don’t know me … I am an old woman.  I am at least twice 
the age of most of the fire babies we have.  I work wild land fire, but I am 
a Resource Advisor, Fire Archaeologist, and also can work as Sawyer, a Time 
Keeper, a Driver, or on a Hand Crew or Engine if needed.  I only go out on 
fires in my Zone.

My reasons are somewhat different.  I do it because I have a resource that I 
am responsible to the American People to protect.  I am just not comfortable 
trusting anyone else to make decisions regarding fire that happens in my 
Campgrounds, my Recreation Sites and my Wilderness Study Areas.  I am NOT 
comfortable trusting anyone else to make decisions regarding my Petroglyphs, 
Pictographs, Cave Shelters, Cairns and other Sacred Sites.  OK … the rush is 
nice too.

Cheers

Malkin
Otherhill
Artemisia




Jo (Georgia L.) Foster
jo_foster81 at hotmail.com

Cynicism is not realistic or tough - it is unrealistic and kind of cowardly, 
because it means you don't have to try ... Peggy Noonan