| Packing - day hikes or overnight, the essentials | Clothing - think in layers; remember cotton kills |
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Raincoat - waterproof; NO umbrellas, ponchos, or Gore-Tex Rainpants - waterproof; zippered vents, suspenders are nice Hiking shoes - heavy duty; break them in BEFORE the trip! Garbage bags - compactor; put sleeping bag, clothes inside Toilet paper - carefully burn or bury; or use sphagnum moss Topo maps - include maps of neighboring areas just in case Compass - with signal mirror; always bring, even with GPS Sneakers - or sandals or booties; cross streams, in camp Headnet - black is best; use instead of mosquito repellent |
Shirts - one wool; nylon, silk (bugs); max one cotton (sun) Shorts - one pair, lightweight; nylon or cotton okay (sun) Jackets - several; polar fleece, wool, or acrylic; NO cotton! Trousers - one pair; tropical wool or polyester; NO cotton! Underwear - several pair; polypro, nylon, silk, some cotton Thermals - top and bottom; polypro, silk, fleece; NO cotton! Gloves - or mittens; fingerless okay; wool or polypro best Socks - several pair; wool, synthetic, blended; NO cotton! Hat - one wool; maybe another with visor (shelter from sun) |
| Camping - overnights; prepare for cold & wet | Cooking - stove & fuel may be split up & shared |
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Tent - three season, separate rainfly; self-standing is better Backpack - internal or external frame; of sufficient capacity Ground cloth - heavy duty space blanket; put INside the tent Sleeping pad - closed cell foam, RidgeRest, or ThermaRest Sleeping bag - synthetic, NOT down!; good to 20 F (or -5 C) Blanket - polyester; add to bag if cold, use instead if warm |
Fuel - appropriate for stove; bring only what you really need Stove - light, dependable; MSR WhisperLite recommended Lighter - NOT child-proof (won't work if you're hypothermic) Spoon - or two, and fork; durable (polycarbonate or metal) Cup - with snap-on lid for faster cooking of pasta or ramen Pot - or two, fairly light weight, WITH its lid (saves on fuel) |
| First-Aid - keep it simple, very basic, lightweight | Personal - important items; varies by individual |
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Tablets - a few each of analgesic (aspirin) and antihistamine Bandages - moleskin; band-aids; gauze pad; adhesive wrap Medications - if you're on them, don't leave them at home! Toothbrush / toothpaste - bag to reduce attraction of bears Creams / lotions - antibiotic first-aid; hand lotion; sunscreen Soap / shampoo - ONLY if biodegradable; moist towelettes Dental floss - serves as thread for repairs, stitching sutures Needle - to sew buttons, repair gear, or even make stitches |
Knife - Swiss army type okay, don't get too carried away Money - for before or after trip; don't leave it in the vehicle Identification - pack drivers license or other identification Horn / whistle - for people (bears EAT whistling marmots) Signal flares - optional; as signal, fire starter, bear repellent Bear spray - safer than a pistol (and certainly much lighter) Shock cord - a few yards (meters); for repairs, to tie down Duct tape - for repairs; no Alaskan would ever be without it! |
| Food - no smelly, oily food; bears smell well | Optional - depends on person & trip purpose |
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Water bottle - quart (liter) size, or bring a couple if smaller Water filter - giardia is quite present in wilderness Alaska Breakfasts - "bloatmeal", yoghurt, granola, powdered milk Lunches - jerky, bagels, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, vegies Dinners - be creative; spice it up, but avoid oils and odors Snacks - eat while hiking; candy bars, dried fruit, nut mixes Treats - after dinner; hot chocolate, tea, dessert, cookies |
Camera - take photos along the way to remember the trip Film - or extra memory card / stick if using digital camera Book - light-weight (or split up); for those long days of rain Notepad - to keep notes, sketch; something to do if it rains Rock hammer - to pound in tent stakes, extract specimens Chisels - to extract fossil specimens, rocks and minerals Sacks - to collect specimens; Tyvek envelopes work well |
In Alaska, weather can change quite rapidly, such as a storm bringing heavy rain turning into clear skies and cold temperatures. Suppose someone is out in the rain and gets wet due to poor quality raingear. Or perhaps the rain was at night and they got wet from a rainfly that was badly damaged or not properly functioning. When the storm clears and the temperature drops, that person may be in danger of hypothermia, a lower than normal body core temperature. It is very important to keep our clothes and sleeping bag dry, so that this situation does not occur. This means having waterproof raingear and a waterproof tent or rainfly. What hikers need is raingear that really works--not just around town in the sun, but in heavy rain (or snow or sleet) and high winds. Gore-Tex and Tyvek raingear are NOT waterproof and thus NOT adequate for Alaska. Ponchos and umbrellas are useless due to the high winds we can have here. Cheap gear from low price stores like WalMart is usually worthless as well. I've seen WalMart dome tents collect four inches of water overnight, and I've seen them blow away from strong gusts of wind.
Down filled sleeping bags are not recommended for summer in Alaska. Down absorbs moisture from the air, or from our breath as we sleep. The moisture decreases down's ability to insulate. Purchase a synthetic bag, preferably one filled with some sort of hollow insulation. Place a thick plastic (trash compactor) bag inside the sleeping bag stuff sack, then stuff the sleeping bag inside the plastic bag. This will keep the sleeping bag dry when it rains, or if the wrapped bag is dropped in a creek. The outer stuff sack protects the plastic trash compactor bag. A thick emergency blanket (aluminumized on one side and colored red on the other) makes a better ground cloth than the official tent footprint. Instead of placing it UNDER the tent (where it causes water running down the walls to collect into a pool), place it INSIDE and curl it up along the walls (so any water drops will be kept underneath). It also protects the floor (since most punctures originate from the inside anyway). The aluminumized emergency blanket reflects body heat, adding warmth; or the red side can be used to signal for help if an emergency situation arises.