In Part 1 and Part 2 of our Wildland Fabric Selection Guide were focused on firefighter safety, both from direct exposure to flames, and environmental factors like heat stress and abrasive objects in the field. Safety should always be the number one driving force behind any PPE purchase that you make, but there are other factors to consider as well.
Comfort
While not necessarily safety related, fabric comfort does have tangible impacts on moral and should be a consideration when purchasing Wildland PPE. Comfort is best judged through in personal experience by actually touching the fabric. Departments who are specifying a fabric should consider requesting fabric samples, or in some cases conduct wear trials to solicit real world feedback from their members. For firefighters making personal gear purchases we recommend asking your peers for advice based on their own experiences, or visiting one of our distributor’s retail locations.
Budget
In terms of budget, our most important advice is to consider the long term cost of ownership over the initial price tag. Fabrics that are more protective, breathable, and durable will generally come with a higher initial cost, but that investment will pay off in garment longevity, fewer safety incidents, and firefighter effectiveness. That said, CrewBoss does offer solid certified fabric options for cases where budget is limited, or only light duty use is expected.
Conclusion
The CrewBoss team has decades of experience in helping wildland firefighters select the right fabric for their specific needs. Please fill out the form below if you have questions about any of the information in this post, or would like assistance in creating your own wildland PPE specification. You can also join our email list to stay up to date with all of the latest news and deals from CrewBoss.
