Training for the Wildland Firefighter Pack Test

Persons in certain field support positions must qualify at the Light level. This involves walking one mile in 16 minutes.

Some technical personnel who work on the fireground must qualify at the Moderate level. This requires walking two miles in 30 minutes while carrying a 25 pound pack.

Front line firefighters must pass the test at the Arduous level. This requires the candidate to walk three miles in 45 minutes while carrying a 45 pound pack. The event tests a person's capacity for sustained hard physical exertion typical of fighting wildland fire.

Since forest firefighting tends to be seasonal, it's easy to get a little out of shape during the months when wildfire activity is low. As fire season approaches, front line firefighters know they'd better start getting ready for their annual three-mile Pack Test qualification.

While there are scientific training regimens available, many firefighters just load up their pack and start walking. If that works for you, fine. But if you find that pack seems a lot heavier than it did last year, there are some supplementary exercises that may take a little pain out of the annual transition.

Remember, the Pack Test isn't just about your legs. It includes the upper body, too, especially the back and shoulders. Exercises for the trapezius muscle and the latissimus dorsi can make that pack a lot easier to carry.

Training the Traps
The trapezius muscle is a large, roughly triangular muscle running down the outside of the back of the neck, out the shoulder, then down to the center of the spine near the middle of the back. Some good exercises for the traps include:

Shrugs: Stand erect with arms by your sides holding a dumbbell or weight plate in each hand. Lift shoulders upward in a shrugging motion, hold, then relax slowly to the starting position.

Upright Rows: In a standing position, grip a barbell with both hands near the center of the bar. Bring the bar straight up the front of your body to chest height, hold, then relax slowly to the starting position. (You can also do this with a dumbbell in each hand or on a cable machine at the gym.)

Training the Lats
The latissimus dorsi is a large sheet of muscle that extends from the underarms down the sides and wraps toward the center of the back. Good exercises for the lats include:

Pull-ups: Using a wide overhand grip on an overhead bar, pull your body up until you can see over the bar. (This is just a variation of the standard "chin-up".)

Pulldowns: On a cable machine, attach a lat bar (or a straight bar) to the high cable station. From a seated position, grasp the bar near each end and pull straight down. Bring the bar down to chest level, hold, then slowly allow the bar to return to the starting position.

These are just a few examples of numerous exercises (and variations thereof) which strengthen the lats and traps. As with any strength building regimen, start off with light weights, gradually increasing the weight and number of repetitions over a period of weeks. For more information, check with a personal trainer or do more research on-line.

On a personal note, I usually started training for the Pack Test about two months prior to the scheduled test date. That's when I'd start emphasizing shrugs and lat pulldowns in my regular exercise routine and start walking with weight.

Carrying the Weight
Now a word about walking with weight. If you have a good frame-type backpack, you can weight it with sandbags and it works fine. Just make sure that you adjust the pack so that most of the weight is up on your shoulders rather than down on your lower back.

Better still is a weight vest that distributes weight on both your chest and back. Select one that has capacity for the weight you need to carry, and is adjustable so it fits snugly on your upper body.

Finally, if you walk on a hard surface be careful about your footwear. Some official publications regarding the Pack Test suggest that you should train in the boots you'll wear on the fireline. I won't argue with the experts, but I know from painful experience that a three-mile daily pounding of heavy boots on hard pavement can lead to stress fractures.

Three miles in 45 minutes with 45 pounds on your back. It ain't fun and it ain't easy. And even with training, it's still Arduous.