Hardware & Equipment¶

Physical tools and equipment for wildland fire research, monitoring, and field operations.

Portable Power¶

Jackery - Portable power stations from 240Wh to 3kWh capacity for charging laptops, drones, and equipment in the field. 💰 $200-$4,000 depending on capacity.

Goal Zero - Solar generators and portable power banks with integrated solar panels. 💰 $100-$3,500.

EcoFlow - Fast-charging portable power stations with high output capacity for power-hungry devices. 💰 $200-$4,000.

Anker - Compact USB power banks and portable chargers for phones, tablets, and small electronics. 💰 $20-$200.

Titan Solar Generator - High-capacity off-grid power systems with lithium battery banks. 💰 $3,000-$10,000+.

Satellite Communication¶

Starlink - SpaceX satellite internet with portable and mobile options for high-bandwidth field connectivity. 💰 $599 hardware + $150/mo service.

Iridium GO! - Satellite hotspot enabling voice calls, texts, and limited data anywhere on Earth. 💰 $800-$1,200 + monthly service.

Garmin inReach - Two-way satellite communicators with SOS, messaging, and tracking. 💰 $300-$500 + monthly service.

Zoleo - Satellite messaging device for SMS and email when cellular coverage unavailable. 💰 $200 + $20-$50/mo.

SPOT - Satellite GPS messenger with SOS and tracking features. 💰 $150-$250 + annual service.

Weather Stations¶

Tempest Weather System - Wireless all-in-one weather station with haptic rain sensor, no moving parts, solar powered. 💰 $329 .

Davis Vantage Pro2 - Professional-grade weather station with wind, temperature, humidity, rainfall, and optional sensors. 💰 $700-$1,500.

Ambient Weather - Consumer weather stations with WiFi connectivity and online dashboards. 💰 $150-$600.

Kestrel Weather Meters - Handheld weather meters for wind, temperature, humidity, and heat stress measurements. 💰 $150-$800.

HOBO Data Loggers - Temperature, humidity, and environmental data loggers for long-term monitoring. 💰 $100-$500.

Drones & UAVs¶

DJI Mavic 3 - Compact drone with 4/3 CMOS camera, 46-min flight time, and obstacle avoidance. 💰 $2,000-$5,000 depending on configuration.

DJI Matrice 30T - Enterprise drone with thermal imaging, zoom camera, and laser rangefinder for fire operations. 💰 $10,000-$14,000.

Autel EVO II - 8K camera drone with 40-min flight time and thermal imaging options. 💰 $1,500-$7,000.

senseFly eBee X - Fixed-wing mapping drone for large-area surveys with up to 90-min flight time. 💰 $12,000-$25,000+.

Skydio 2+ - Autonomous flight drone with advanced obstacle avoidance using AI. 💰 $1,100-$2,200.

Cameras & Sensors¶

FLIR Scout TK - Handheld thermal imaging camera for spotting heat signatures and hotspots. 💰 $600-$1,000.

Reconyx - Professional trail cameras for wildlife and time-lapse monitoring of vegetation and fire effects. 💰 $400-$700.

Bushnell Trophy Cam - Budget-friendly trail cameras for field monitoring. 💰 $100-$300.

GoPro - Action cameras for documenting field operations and research, mountable on helmets, vehicles, or drones. 💰 $200-$500.

Insta360 - 360-degree cameras for immersive documentation of fire behavior and operations. 💰 $300-$800.

Measurement Tools¶

Laser Rangefinders - Laser distance meters and rangefinders for measuring tree height, plot boundaries, and distance to fires. 💰 $100-$1,000.

Tree Calipers & DBH Tape - Traditional forest measurement tools for diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree coring. 💰 $20-$200.

LiDAR Sensors - Laser scanning systems for detailed 3D mapping of terrain and vegetation structure. 💰 $10,000-$100,000+ depending on specifications.

Suunto Clinometers - Handheld instruments for measuring slope, height, and angles in the field. 💰 $200-$400.

Ruggedized Computers¶

Panasonic Toughbook - Military-grade rugged laptops and tablets for harsh field conditions. 💰 $2,000-$6,000.

Dell Latitude Rugged - Semi-rugged and fully-rugged laptops for field computing. 💰 $2,000-$5,000.

Getac Tablets - Rugged Windows tablets with sunlight-readable displays and long battery life. 💰 $1,500-$4,000.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active - Rugged Android tablets with replaceable batteries and S Pen support. 💰 $400-$600.

Communication Hardware¶

Garmin GPSMAP - Handheld GPS units with topographic maps and satellite communication options. 💰 $300-$700.

Two-Way Radios - VHF/UHF radios for team communication in the field. Check frequency regulations. 💰 $100-$1,000+ per unit.

Mobile Hotspots - Cellular hotspots and routers for internet connectivity via multiple carriers. 💰 $200-$1,500.

Navigation & Safety¶

Suunto Compasses - Precision compasses for navigation and mapping. 💰 $30-$200.

Paper Maps & Waterproof Cases - Waterproof notepads, field books, and map cases for analog documentation. 💰 $5-$50.

Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs) - Emergency beacons for SOS signaling via satellite. 💰 $250-$500, no subscription required.

Safety Equipment¶

Always follow agency safety protocols and carry required personal protective equipment (PPE) including fire shelter, helmet, fire-resistant clothing, gloves, and eye protection when working near wildland fires.

Portable Fire Extinguishers - Vehicle-mounted fire extinguishers for fire line safety. 💰 $50-$300.

Safety Glasses & Goggles - Eye protection from smoke, ash, and debris. 💰 $10-$100.

Respirators & Dust Masks - N95/N100 respirators for smoke and particulate protection. 💰 $1-$50 per unit.