Let's see you

[Howie Feltersnatch]

actually the year before we did

I had been on the department literally 4 hours and they said "you are new...and you're going to learn the fun way"

I had never wore gear in my life, never breathed bottle air in my life and they put it all on me, and said "don't freak out, now run around in circles in 100 degree weather for 5 mins."

it sucked..

When I was a soldier at Fort Lost-In-The-Woods, we had to build a freakin' bridge in MOPP lvl 4 (full chem suit). Probably the single most strenuous thing I have done in my life.

the gear sucks as i'm sure yours did. It's the warmest and heaviest snow suit ever. It's great in weather like we have now, 0-20 degrees...you'll still open your pants and jacket to air out.