The choices you make with your personal gear are extremely important. In Alaska when things don’t go well, you don’t just walk back to the truck and go home. You have to make it work.
Here are some ideas to get you pointed in the right direction. Where we recommend specific brand names, there is usually a good reason for it. If you have any questions about the equipment please call and we’ll go over it with you in more detail.
CLOTHING
•Bandanas- 2
•Baseball-style cap, camo with ear flaps if possible
•Camp shoes- 1 pr.•Coat- 1
•Glove liners (synthetic)- 1 pr.
•Gloves- 1pr. Waterproof or neoprene
•Gloves, (leather work gloves)
•Rain Gear- 1 set Helly Hansen camo Parka-length Impertech jacket & pants.
•Seal-Skinz socks, 1pr.
•Sun Glasses
•Tee Shirts- 5
•Thermal Bottoms, light wt. (synthetic)- 1
•Thermal Bottoms, med. wt. (synthetic)- 1
•Thermal Top, light wt., zippered "T"-Neck style (synthetic)- 1
•Thermal Top, med. wt. (synthetic)- 1
•Thor-Lo or SmartWool socks- 10 pr.
•Underwear, 5 pr.
•Vest
•Wool / Poly / Fleece Pants- 2 pr.
•Wool / Poly Shirts- 2
•Wool stocking cap- 1
•Wool Sweater- 1
PERSONAL HYGIENE
•Deodorant (small)
•Pocket Mirror
•Q-Tips
•Razor
•Shampoo
•Small hand soap
•Toilet Paper in large ziplock
•Tooth Brush, Toothpaste
•Wash Cloth, Hand Towel
FIRST AID
•Medicines, prescriptions
•Mole Skin, Mole Foam
•Super Glue
•Anti-inflammatory medications
•Ibuprofen
•Aspirin
•Band-Aids
•ACE bandage
•Chap-stick
TOOL KIT
•Leatherman Tool
•Super Glue
•Matches/ & Lighter
•Small amount of duct tape or patches for hip boot repairs.
SLEEP / SHELTER
•Parachute Cord, 100' length (2)
•Sleeping Bag (synthetic fill –20ºFrated)
•Sleeping Pad (Thermarest “camp rest”)
•Stuff sack for sleeping pad
•Compression bag for sleeping bag
HUNT GEAR
•Ammunition (2 boxes- same lot number) or correct arrows for game.
•Backpack w/freighter frame, or Badlands 2200 day pack
•Weapon in hard case (bring soft case too).
•Binoculars (no mini-binoculars, please).
•Cleaning kit for weapon
MISC.
•Card Deck/book
•Diary, Pens
•HD 30gal. Garbage Bags
A NOTE ON CAMAFLOUGE
Alaska has no “hunter orange” requirement, so you are welcome to bring your camouflage attire if you wish. Stick to patterns on the brown / gray end of the scale, rather than green, and you’ll match the conditions usually found here in the fall months. Two patterns that seem to work well are Advantage and Fall Sniper Brown. There are other similar patterns as well.
Special Items Needed for Some Hunts
In addition to the items on the list to the right, some of our hunts require special items. Here’s what you need:
SHEEP HUNTS
Footwear is a special concern because of the steep terrain. We've moved away from stiff leather boots to a much better substitute that allows us to perform the many creek crossings we do each day on our sheep hunts. Don't bring leather boots on your sheep hunt, or they'll be soaked and you'll never get them dry. Here's what you should bring for footwear:
•Koflach "Alaska Hunter" plastic climbing boot with liner.
•Glacier Socks.
•Patching materials for Glacier Socks.
Both of these items are available through Barney's Sport Chalet in Anchorage.
We advise all our sheep hunters to take some practice hikes in their Koflach boots, as getting used to them takes some time. In rare cases the plastic boots may not work for you and we will help you find a suitable replacement.
ALL MOOSE HUNTS
Moose inhabit swampy, marshy areas, so you'll need footwear that keeps your feet reasonably dry. Hip boots are by far the best way to go, but it's very important that you choose boots that have smooth outer surfaces. Some hip boots have Cordura or nylon uppers, which are extremely noisy in the brush. Here's what we use:
•Ankle-fit hip boots.
•Hip boot patch kit.
Both of these items are available through Barney's Sport Chalet in Anchorage.
FLOAT HUNTS
Put all your personal gear in a rafting bag (otherwise known as a "dry bag"). Do not check your gear in at the airlines in the dry bag, or the bag may become torn in transit. Instead, bring a dry bag with you and transfer your stuff into it when you arrive. You will need two dry bags for your float hunt:
•NRS Bill's bag 3.8
•NRS Bill's bag 2.2
Both of these items are available through Northwest River Supplies.
