
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ruby, B. C. 
A1  - III, G. W. Leadbetter 
A1  - Armstrong, D. W. 
A1  - Gaskill, S. E. 
T1  - Wildland firefighter load carriage: effects on transit time and physiological responses during simulated escape to safety zone
JF  - International Journal of Wildland Fire
JO  - Int. J. Wildland Fire
Y1  - 2003
VL  - 12
IS  - 1
SP  - 111
EP  - 116
KW  - wildland fire suppression; firefighting; energy expenditure; aerobic fitness; blood lactate.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/WF02025 
N2  - The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effects of load carriage on transit time during simulated escape route evacuation. Subjects (8 males, 5 females) completed two maximal field hikes in random order on two successive days (16 kg [35 lb] line gear pack trial and no pack trial). Subjects carried a fire shelter and a Pulaski (the most commonly used fireline construction tool in the United States, consisting of a hoe/ax combination with an 80 cm handle) during each trial. Trials were completed on a dirt trail 660.5 m in length with a vertical rise of 137 m (average grade = 20.75%). Expired air samples were analysed continuously during each trial (Cosmed K4 or Aerosport VO2000). Blood samples were collected before and 2 min after exercise for lactate analysis. Transit time was significantly faster during the No pack trial, representing a 21.5 and 26.3% faster transit time for males and females, respectively. For the males, mean VO2 was higher during the No pack trial. The difference in blood lactate (peak&#8211;rest) was significantly higher during the Pack trial for the male subjects. High correlations between peak VO2 (L min&#8211;1) and transit rates were noted (r = 0.82 for the Pack trial and 0.87 for the No pack trial), indicating the contribution of aerobic fitness to transit time. These data suggest that escape routes should include a physical strain index related to load carriage, distance and slope and that line gear weight standards should be further evaluated. 
ER  -

