Everything I Carry in My “Red Bag” (Travel Bag)

Mar 4

*A prime sleeping spot in the Idaho wilderness with a tan personal gear bag next to my sleeping bag*

Red Bag, personal gear (PG) bag, 14-day bag, it has many names.

But they all mean the same thing, it’s the bag that has all your sleeping stuff and extra gear. I always call it my red bag even when it’s a different color because the original bags issued to all firefighters by the government are red. Now we can buy different heavier duty and more waterproof bags that aren’t always red.

Remember that your home station will issue you a tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, and usually a space blanket to protect your sleeping pad from punctures.

I generally sleep out under the stars or use my own bivy sack instead of a tent unless it’s pouring rain, but that’s my personal preference.

PRO TIP: Set up your sleeping spot under a large tree or other foliage to prevent dew from forming on your sleeping bag. The branches and your body heat form a little blanket of warmer air. Since the temperature doesn’t drop as low under the foliage compared to the area around it, it’s way less likely to reach the dew point.

In no particular order:

Extra socks and underwear. I bring at least 15 pairs of each. Some people get by on much less, but this keeps my feet in good shape and I like clean underwear. This way if I have to extend to a 21-day assignment I’m also well covered and not having to wash things in a sink or waterway
The important thing is, socks and underwear need to be natural fibers like cotton and merino wool with as little synthetics in the blend as possible. In the extremely unlikely event you come into contact with flame, synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon will melt to your skin and make a burn way worse than if you were wearing natural fibers
Most cotton or merino garments will have 1% elastane or something so they can stretch
I love these Danner socks and Darn Tough boot socks. They are a good weight for any temperature, comfortable, hold up really well, are tall enough to be over the tops of my boots, and cheap enough to buy multiple pairs. (Here’s tons of other sock options).
I wear black cotton bikini style underwear, but many women I know wear longer boxer brief styles. Really whatever you’re comfortable in
Guys on my crews love Duluth Trading underwear or whatever cotton blend underwear you may like is fine
Clean crew shirts or plain cotton or wool t shirts to wear under my yellow (Nomex fire shirt). At least three. This gives me a clean one to wear when traveling home (which is a rule on most crews), a clean one to sleep in, and a spare
I love Duckworth wool shirts to wear under my yellow and for working out. They are USA made and last forever. I also have this black merino wool shirt that I wear under my yellow on the fireline
Spare Nomex pants. In case I rip or tear a pair and there’s not a fire camp to get them traded for a new pair. Also to wear home since they will most likely be clean. Otherwise I wear one pair of Nomex pants for an entire roll unless it’s crazy hot
Merino wool long underwear top and bottom. I get really cold at night sleeping at high elevations or late in the season when temperatures drop at night. Slipping into a clean long sleeve top and pants to sleep in is a nice luxury
Down jacket, beanie, and gloves for cold times at camp
Spare bag to put dirty clothes in
We always bring workout clothes and running shoes. You may go out to a fire and then switch to severity (This means that we aren’t going straight to a fire, and instead going as a back up fire resource in case fires start). Sometimes on severity you sit around a lot waiting to get sent to a fire and being able to go on a run or do some body weight exercises not in your boots and Nomex is a great thing
Street clothes for eating out after fire shifts or travel home. I generally bring a plain shirt, a plain sweatshirt, and pants or shorts depending on the time of year. A lot of crews don’t let you wear your fire clothes or crew gear after hours
Flip flops (It’s nice to take the boots off and have something else to walk around in after work. I’ve had the same Reef pair for years). If it’s colder weather I bring sneakers
Ball cap (You’ll most likely buy a crew one)
An extra headlamp to read with at night so I don’t have to grab it from my fireline pack and forget to put it back. Also serves as a spare. I like this Black Diamond one because it is rechargeable, has red light for nighttime, and a lock feature). You can find many headlamps that take AA or AAA batteries that are good too (Make sure to bring extra batteries if it’s not rechargeable)
Alarm clock (You can use a watch or your phone)
Foot care items like duct tape, mole skin, and Gold Bond Powder. If I’m getting hot spots or blisters I put a long strip of duct tape over the area and hike with that on. It works better for me than anything else because it rarely falls off or rolls up in my boot the way moleskin does. I put Gold Bond on my feet and in my boots every night to keep them drier
Facial wipes (I like Burt’s Bees ones the best because they are natural and not drying)
Toothbrush, toothpaste (travel size toothpaste isn’t big enough if you brush your teeth twice a day for two weeks, FYI), and floss picks
Ibuprofen, Acetaminophin, Benadryl, cold medicine, cough drops, Melatonin, Vitamin C, and some daily vitamins. I started taking a collagen supplement in my coffee every morning and it makes my joints feel better. A lot of the guys bring protein powder and/or Creotine
Bring whatever else you need medicine-wise if you take medications
Small Dr. Bronners soap, tiny loofah (excellent at getting ash and dirt off), mini 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, razor, hair brush (I love a Mini Wet Brush. It’s the best for my instantly dready thick hair), and facial scrub for the off chance there’s running water
NOTE: We are usually staying at a hotel during our travel days home and I can shower there and use their toiletries. For this reason I also pack a swimsuit so I can use the hot tub at the hotel.
Deodorant. Helps a little. Humble Black Spruce is my favorite
Hand ointment for cuts and scrapes. I like Burt’s Bees Res Q Ointment because it comes in a small tin and works great
Tweezers for splinters and nail clippers
Ear plugs. I can’t sleep without them if people are snoring. I love these Hearo ones because they fit smaller ears
I keep all my toiletries in a dopp kit/ toiletry bag like this one
Small pillow. I have a Therm-a-rest camp pillow and it is a game changer. I used to make a pillow out of my down jacket and cover it with a clean t shirt, but it doesn’t save much space and zipper lines on my face became an unnecessary problem (here’s some other pillow options)
Packable synthetic down blanket. I get really cold so I love having this for spring and fall rolls. It makes a huge difference in comfort and warmth even with a good sleeping bag (mine was a deep clearance item from Pendleton, but here’s some cheaper options)
Portable air pump for inflating my air mattress. This little guy is rechargeable and inflates it so quickly and has a light for setting up camp in the dark. Basically our whole crew bought these in 2024 and not having to blow up my air mattress by hand anymore is priceless
I keep all my clean clothes in a medium 10L dry bag so they are dry if my red bag gets wet (they aren’t all waterproof). I also stuff my sleeping bag in a burly trash bag for the same reason. This way I’m never surprised with wet clothes or a wet sleeping bag. Sometimes red bags get flown into spike camp or are in the back of a pickup truck and they get soaked in the rain
Extra snacks, coffee, chai mix and my trusty 16-oz metal cup for heating things over a fire, making ramen or drinking hot beverages or having something to eat out of if we make group dinners. Buy a 16 oz rather than a 10 oz, ramen fits better
My module has a JetBoil and fuel for the everyone to use easily accessible, but when I was on a hotshot crew me and a lot of crewmembers had their own personal one so they could make coffee or whatever when they wanted and not have to dig it out of the camp bag
I also brought my personal Aeropress to make coffee when I was on a hotshot crew. On my current module we make coffee in a giant french press for everyone
I rarely chew tobacco, but lots of guys stash extra logs of chew in their bag in case we can’t make a store stop

My list will be different than someone else’s list. A lot of people pack more or less, but I like my toiletries and clean underthings and staying warm.

Where to buy your gear

Besides Amazon and grocery stores, I’ve bought a lot of my personal gear and snacks at places that are nationwide like Sierra, TJ Maxx, REI, and Walmart.

Don’t forget about your local outdoor shops or eBay for things. I found my bivy and my (brand new) Aeropress on eBay for way cheaper than retail.