George Jackson, Project Leader, and Tony Petrilli, Designer
The Missoula Technology and
Development Center (MTDC)
has designed a companion
product for the personal gear
bag to make it easier to carry a tent.
The MTDC tent bag (figures 1 and figure 2)
is made from the same heavy–duty,
red nylon cloth as the personal gear
bag. The tent bag is attached to the
personal gear bag with the gear bag's existing straps and buckles. The tent
bag can carry any tent with poles 28
inches or shorter that can be folded
or rolled into a 6– by 6– by 28–inch
bundle.
The tent bag attaches to the existing
compression strap on the side of the
personal gear bag and the long strap
in the tent bag's outside pocket.
Lay the packed tent bag along the packed personal gear bag on the side opposite the gear bag's handle. The tent bag's short strap attaches to the personal gear bag's side compression strap (figure 1). The tent bag's long strap is pulled out of its pocket and goes around the personal gear bag and the tent bag, fastening to its mate on the tent bag.
Figure 1—Front view of the tent bag attached to the personal gear bag
Figure 2—Rear view of the tent bag attached to the
personal gear bag.
The personal gear bag's handle can still be used. The weight of the personal gear bag rests on the packed tent. We recommend that the tent be packaged carefully to prevent the weight from breaking the tent poles or from damaging the tent.
The tent bag is available from the General Services Administration (NSN 8465-01-463-4649) or from the Fire Cache system (NFES #0281).
About the AuthorsGeorge Jackson has been part of the Forest Service's Fire and Aviation Program since he began working on a district fire crew for the Lolo National Forest in 1970. From 1974 until 1991, he was a smokejumper at the Missoula Smokejumper Base. During the winters he was detailed to MTDC, where he worked on fire and aviation projects. Since 1991 he has been a Project Leader at MTDC. In addition to project work, he is an Air Tactical Group Supervisor and has served on many wildland fire entrapment and fatality investigations.
Tony Petrilli is an Equipment Specialist in the Fire, Aviation, and Safety and Health Programs at MTDC. He began working at MTDC over the winters in 1992. He joined the Center full time in 2000. He has spent more than 17 years as a firefighter for ranger districts on the Lewis and Clark and Beaverhead National Forests and as a smokejumper for the Northern Region. He is qualified as a Division/Group Supervisor. He is a master parachute rigger and understands textiles and their uses in firefighting.
Additional single copies of this document may be ordered from:
USDA Forest Service, MTDC
5785 Highway 10 West
Missoula, MT 59808
Phone: 406–329–3978
Fax: 406–329–3719
E-mail: wo_mtdc_pubs@fs.fed.us
For additional technical information, contact George Jackson at the Center's address.
Phone: 406–329–3967
Fax: 406–329–3719
E-mail: gjackson@fs.fed.us
Electronic copies of MTDC's documents are available on the Forest Service's FSWeb Intranet at:
