Sack Lunches

19th Century American bars would often times offer a “free lunch” as an attempt to entice drinking customers in to their establishments. The catch was that patrons usually had to purchase at least one drink, and often times the foods served were high in salt content, thus leading to more thirst and higher beer sales. In response, economists of the era created the acronym TANSTAAFL: there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch. Wildland fire has its own version of the free lunch. You just have to be willing to work extremely long shifts, in difficult and at times dangerous conditions in order to get it. Frequent “On The Line” contributor Dr. Brent Ruby re-joins the podcast along with its host Charlie Palmer, as does current registered dietician/former hotshot and smokejumper Wanda King, to talk about the firefighter sack lunch, what’s in it, what it attempts to do, and proposed changes to the contract. Let’s strap on the feedbag! 

This podcast was made possible in part through support from the U. S. Forest Service and the University of Montana. The University of Montana is an equal opportunity provider.