Clothing and Gear for Women Wildland Firefighters
Random assortment of clothes I’m wearing lately getting hairy from my dog Hank
Women’s Gear Recommendations
I get questions from lots of women asking what kind of socks, underwear and sports bras to wear. Here are some of my favorite brands along with other women specific gear you may want.
SOCKS
I have five pairs of these merino wool Danner socks (pictured above in grey). They are really tall for hiking socks (I like my socks to be taller than my boots and not slip down), good in hot and cold temperatures, dry quickly and don’t get too smelly. I will love them forever and keep buying them whenever I find them on sale.
Other good sock brands that I have for boots socks and athletic socks are Darn Tough (I like these for colder months because they are thicker, pictured above, tall purple and pink), Smartwool (Great for boot and athletic socks, pictured above grey with blue stripes), and Le Bon Shoppe (Love this brand for colored athletic and casual socks, pictured above in teal with white stripe).
There’s tons of great brands that last and plenty of cheaper options on Amazon too if you’re just starting your sock collection. Sierra.com also has great deals on weird colors and factory seconds. The Smartwools pictured above I bought at Sierra.
FIRELINE SPORTS BRAS AND UNDERWEAR
It’s important to wear cotton or wool underwear with as little synthetic fibers as possible on the fireline. In the worst case scenario, fire will melt synthetic fabrics into a molten plastic that will stick to your skin and give you really bad second and third degree burns. Cotton and wool won’t do this.
I used to have a random assortment of cotton cami bralettes like this and this until I found this Branwyn merino racerback sports bra (pictured above right). I love it so much and it’s now the only sports bra I wear on the fireline. It’s thick and supportive and doesn’t chafe under my pack straps and has held it’s shape and doesn’t get super salty and smelly. Can’t recommend it enough. Totally worth the money. I also have Branwyn’s essential bralette and love it to for hiking and backpacking.
So many of my fellow ladies wear Hanes cotton underwear it’s kind of a running joke. But they are comfy, super cheap, have multiple styles and you can buy them anywhere. I recently bought these black cotton underwear (pictured above below the shorts) on a whim since some of my old pairs had holes and really like them. They are a little more cheeky so I can wear them under my workout leggings and they look better and are less saggy and stretched out over time compared to the Hanes pairs.
Some of my girlfriends like to wear cotton boy shorts because they say it helps with chaffing. I recommend buying underwear in an all black pack because no matter how well you wash things, fire destroys them and makes anything but black look super gnarly after awhile.
ACTIVEWEAR
For workouts I love Girlfriend Collective sports bras (pictured above with the skinny straps) because you can always find them on ThredUp or other secondhand websites for a great price and they have lots of different cuts. I also really like Vuori’s Daily bra and Mindset bra. They are all supportive for working out and they look good under normal clothes so they can pull double duty when I’m out on a fire assignment.
For tank tops I have a weird collection of cut off cotton shirts like the one pictured above. They are a great way to use cotton tee shirts you wouldn’t otherwise wear that have great graphics.
Two pairs of shorts I’ve been loving are: Toad & Co Sunkissed Shorts (pictured above the really bright print). They dry super fast and are so soft and flowy and great for wearing as casual shorts) and Youer Outshine Shorts (pictured above black with printed waistband). They are great for running because of the zip pocket and compression waistband. I also love Youer’s Commit Tank for casual wear and hiking/ backpacking. I also wear my old checkered Umbros from my youth soccer days.
For PT and general wear these Under Armour seamless underwear (pictured above by my running shoes. Mine are an older version than what’s linked) are my most favorite. They never show panty lines and are so easy to wash in the sink and they dry super fast.
I love Salomon Sense Ride trail running shoes. I think the quick lace system fits everyone really well and they are great on trail and pavement. I’ve had a few pairs, but recently I am trying out some Hoka Speedgoats and Arc’Teryx Norvan trail running shoes (pictured above) and have been happy with them too.
SKINCARE
Take it from someone in their late 30s, WEAR SUNSCREEN! EVERY SINGLE DAY! I’ve worn sunscreen on my face since I was in my early 20s and I promise it’s the best thing you can ever do for your future self. I try new ones frequently, but lately I’ve loved Trader Joes Facial Sunscreen since it is non greasy and goes on clear and Korean brand Beauty of Joseon Daily Sunscreen because it is hydrating and not sticky at all. It’s my new favorite. Beauty of Joseon also makes a great eye serum.
The other things I do to keep my face from breaking out is to wash (or at the very least use face wipes) at the end of the day to clean it as best I can. I really like Burt’s Bees ones because they are gentle and not very chemically smelling, but any type of face wipe is better than nothing.
Then I put on 10% Benzoyl Peroxide acne cream any brand will do as long as it’s max strength 10%. It’s the only thing I’ve found that really helps me prevent breakouts and cystic acne.
To help protect my skin from further damage from fire and being outside all the time I have used The Ordinary products for awhile now. They are crazy cheap for how high quality they are, and I have noticed a huge difference in my skin quality since I found the brand a few years ago. I use The Buffet anti-aging serum and Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, for zits and ani-congestion. They have a great regime builder so you can do what works for you.
I’ve also recently discovered Good Molecules skincare line. They are also very affordable and I’ve used their Discoloration Correcting Serum, Yerba Mate Eye Gel, and Overnight Exfoliating Treatment and really like them. You can find them online and at Walmart and Target.
WOOL SHIRTS AND LONG UNDERWEAR
I love Duckworth Wool Vapor tees to wear underneath my yellow. They last forever, wash and dry well with no shrinking, are made in the USA, and are super comfortable. They are an investment, but worth it because they are such high quality. For cold weather and skiing, I also love their Comet Hoody and Powder High Neck.
For a more affordable option, I have bought this wool tee shirt on Amazon and it held up pretty well too.
Sierra also often has women’s wool base layers, from good brands like Smartwool and other lesser known ones. Here’s a link to women’s wool base layers. I’ve also bought running shoes, work out clothes and even my favorite Flylow ski jacket from here. You can get lucky on some killer deals on really quality brands if you poke around.
I also buy heaps of used and new clothes on platforms like Depop, Mercari, Thred Up, Poshmark, and Ebay. If there’s something I have my eye on, nine times out of ten I can find it on one of these sites.
NOMEX
A quick note on women’s Nomex. You’ll probably be issued whatever basic fire Nomex is lying around. However there are women specific cuts so if what you’re given fits poorly ask if your supervisor is willing to buy you some pants that would fit better. I like mine to fit baggier so this type is my favorite. This female specific style is what lots of my female firefighters like to wear, but it needs to be special ordered. Green Buffalow is a newer brand that I haven’t tried yet and have heard great things about. Maybe someday.
WOMEN TRAINERS
Not gear, but these are my favorite women trainers for yoga, pilates, strength training and mobility videos.
YOGA: Yoga With Adriene She has a million videos of all lengths and types and some that focus on specific ailments. She is funny and down to earth and accessible.
YOGA, STRENGTH TRAINING & MOBILITY: Shona Vertue She does it all. I love her intense strength training videos with a focus on maintaining great form. Her yoga/ mobility videos are a great way to recover, work on muscle imbalances and work out soreness. She is a crazy Australian and I love her wide variety of videos, especially her Vertueous Quickies series, when you just need to do something, even if it’s only 10-15 minutes.
PILATES: Move With Nicole Another Australian, she does great, wide-ranging and accessible pilates and barre videos that you don’t need equipment for. I always feel sore afterwards.
STRENGTH TRAINING: MadFit She does killer high impact work outs with or without dumbbells or equipment in a variety of lengths and focuses. I love that I can pick an abs or legs workout and really get to it and not waste time.
Please reach out and let me know your favorites! I love hearing what other people are into
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