Trip Essentials

This is the bag that will hold the bulk of your gear. A good bag is Cascade Design’s Black Canyon Boundary 115. Suppliers like REI, NRS, LL Bean, and others carry these and similar bags. A bag with shoulder straps is essential.

110 liters is popular but you can combine a couple smaller 50, or 70 liter bags if you prefer lighter luggage.

A 3- or 4-season tent able to withstand strong winds and medium snow load. The stakes you bring must be able to hold in sand and gravel. We highly recommend yellow plastic 9” “Power Pegs.” There are lots of great tents on the market including Hilleberg and North Face.

Your sleeping bag should keep you comfortable to 15 to 20 F. The stuff sack should be lined with a plastic bag or placed in a waterproof stuff sack. Women often sleep colder than men, and a sleeping bag liner is a good way to add warmth and versatility

Inflatable pads like Thermarests are the warmest.

These boots should come up to just below the knee and have room for insoles and heavy socks. Make sure they are comfortable, as you will spend many hours in them.  XtraTuf  and MuckBoots are both popular.

Especially if you are using our boots, bring your own. Quick drying is important. Superfeet is a good brand.

Your lightweight hiking boots can fill this need. Or bring a pair of lightweight shoes like Crocs or sneakers. Sandals are not suitable.

For packing gear and clothes. Line them with a plastic bag as an extra precaution or purchase waterproof stuff sacks from Sea to Summit or similar.

For lining stuff sacks. This ensures that your clothes and sleeping bag will be dry. Try and find unscented ones. These are not necessary if you have waterproof stuff sacks.

Five to six pairs total, heavy synthetic or wool blend.

Wool or synthetic base layer. Pack two total.

One pair bottoms.

Wool or fleece for the cold.

You should be able to layer several pairs of long johns plus your fleece pants under your hiking pants and/ or your rain pants for the cold and damp days when you want four layers on your legs.

This is for the really cold, bitter days. Down and synthetic are both fine. Hooded is best. Waist length is fine. Patagonia and Marmot both make good parkas. Go BIG.

This is the most commonly missed item on our list. You want an inch and a half thick  of insulation, not a 1/2 inch thick coat.

Fleece jacket, wool shirt, and puffy coat. You need a total of five layers on your torso including long johns but not including your big parka.

They should be sized so they can be worn together.  A cozy configuration could be two long john shirts, one down sweater, one fleece jacket, and a down vest. If it gets cold, you should be able to layer the puffy parka on top of all that and your raincoat on top of everything.

If in doubt, bring all your choices to the pre-trip meeting and we will help you choose.

Tightly woven, lightweight shirt to protect arms from sun and bugs.

Sometimes it is actually hot, even in the Arctic, especially in June and July.

Overmitts go over your warm gloves when paddling for a waterproof layer. Black Diamond makes some nice ones. Another option is a rubber fishing glove, the Atlas 282. Neoprene mittens or just oversized rubber dish gloves also work.

Scale down. For instance, you will not need a 6-oz. tube of toothpaste.

Place in a quart-size Ziploc bag.

After August 1st only. Really, you won’t need it April – July, even to read in your tent.

To recharge your camera, phone, or other electronic devices. Goal Zero is a good brand.

Hopefully you won’t need it but you will be really glad you have it if you do.

We carry a small trauma kit for emergencies, but you should bring medications and items you know to be important for you. Eg. Band-Aids, aspirin, moleskin, etc. Also Epinephrine, Glucagon or other life saving meds if you think you could need them.

For important medications, bring twice what you think you will need and pack your back-ups in a separate bag, with a traveling companion, or in the group first aid kit.

Bring an extra pair.

A very good idea during late June and July. Original Bug Shirt Company is a good brand.

Use these over heavy socks for day hiking to keep your feet as dry as possible. Sealskinz are a good choice.

It won’t work.

Best to leave it behind with the cell phone and your other worries.

We carry a satellite phone for emergencies. Unplugging from communications is a valuable part of our trips. Call us if you want to discuss.

In theory you won’t need any money or an ID on the trip. But sometimes plans change and planes get re-routed. An unexpected night in a village is possible. You might as well bring ID and a card just in case.

While theoretically optional, they can be essential on stream crossings and on tussocks (rough ground).

We carry a small library of natural history titles and field guides. Ask your guide at the pre-trip meeting about the contents so we don’t duplicate.

We usually pack three-legged stools for your use. If you prefer a Helinox or Crazy Creek chair of your own, let your guide know and we won’t lug the extra stool.

A small, folding backpack rod is sufficient. Pack in rigid container.

Doesn’t have to be fancy. 6-12# test line is sufficient for most trips. Fly fishers will, of course, want to bring a fly reel.

The fish aren’t really picky. Spinners with orange dots like Mepps work great. Bright colors are good when the water is murky. Grayling like flies or  1/8 oz kastmasters. Char seem to like the 1/4 oz pink and green pixees.

Fishing licenses can be obtained at many stores around Alaska or online. You may not fish anywhere in Alaska without a valid Alaska fishing license.

With comfortable shoulder pads and big enough for the items listed below. 20 to 25 liters is sufficient.

A waterproof daypack is ideal but not necessary. If yours isn’t waterproof, we will lend you a 20-liter dry bag to hold these items on paddling days. You’ll repack these items in your daypack on hiking/ layover days.

On our rafting trips, you will want to be rain and splash proof from your toes to your armpits. Heavy-duty rubberized rain pants like Grundens are a great option. If you have Gore-Tex chest waders with a wading belt, they are a good alternative. On a rafting trip, you will also want some lighter rain pants for day hikes in addition to the heavier ones you will wear when boating.

On our canoe trips, there is less splashing, and good quality, three-layer Gore-Tex Pro or similar rain pants are suitable. Patagonia makes a nice simple pair. These rain pants will serve in the canoe and on day hikes.

We recommend three-layer Gore-Tex Pro or similar. Good quality rain gear is absolutely essential. Patagonia makes a nice coat.

Ideally, this jacket will fit over your heavy parka and all your other layers.

Keep an extra layer handy for changing conditions.

A nice warm comfortable winter hat. Do not skimp here. Many guides prefer two hats – a thick one for the day and a thinner one for sleeping.

a.k.a. dickie, cowl, or neck warmer. A fleece or wool tube to wear around your neck or to augment your hat. A scarf works too. Buff makes some stylish ones.

One to two pairs of pile or wool gloves for around camp.

Reusable. Or two if you’re the thirsty type.

Keep in plastic bags. 35% DEET is adequate.

(strings that hold sunglasses on). In a durable case.

Cracked hands and sunburn can be a real problem for some people. Bring good quality hand salve like bag balm if you are prone. The air in the Arctic is very dry.

Bring lots of spare batteries and memory cards. A long lens and tripod are nice in our wide open landscapes. Pack in a waterproof, compact, and soft-sided case.

Though these are technically optional, we strongly recommend that you bring binoculars. You miss a lot without quality optics. Vortex makes a nice entry level pair as does Maven.

For burning toilet paper. You can bring this on your airline flight as carry-on or purchase when you get to Alaska.

Lightweight waterproof hiking boots for day hiking.

Wool or synthetic base layer shirt.

Wool or synthetic base layer bottoms.

Synthetic, fast drying. One pair for the trip is adequate.

A light jacket, hoodie, or fleece.

Whether a ball cap or a wrap-around brim, you’ll need something for the intense, ‘round the clock arctic sunlight.