>>2567116Boots suitable for wildland firefighting such as Whites or Wesco, or Red Wing Loggers if you won't be on fires. Plan on spending at least $400 for boots, anything less will be more expensive in the long run because you'll just end up buying a quality boot after destroying your cheap boots in the first two months. Do not buy any boot with gore tex or other waterproof liner, it'll leak within a month anyway.
Rain gear: PVC or heavy duty PU coated bibs and rain jacket. You'll spend a few hundred on a decent set but again, if you cheap out you'll destroy them in a day of clearing brambles or brush, or serious trail work.
Pants: Loose jeans or poly-cotton outdoor work pants, but no poly allowed on a fire because it'll melt to your skin. You'll be issued Nomex fire gear for fires. You'll also be issued a helmet and maybe goggles but bring sunglasses.
Leather work gloves, whatever fits. You'll need a few pair.
You'll need a pack to carry your rain gear, water, lunch, first aid, and stuff like chainsaw bibs, extra saw chains, and files. It'll get oily, greasy, muddy and generally beat up so don't bring an expensive pack, but make sure it can take a beating.
You'll need sunscreen, lots of NSAIDS, a blister kit, lots of good socks, etc. I'd bring a fleece jacket, no gore tex or other lightweight stuff. Take care of your boots and they'll take care of you. Also, get fit enough to carry a shovel in one hand and a McLeod in the other with 30 pounds on your back up two miles of steep trail every day. Do lots of pushups, crunches, and run two miles in the morning and two miles in the evening.
I'm sure there are conservation corps programs that are designed for today's special snowflakes but why bother? The fun shit is always the hardest.
