2023: Alaska Gear Junkie Review

[adventure907]

Thanks for sharing. Always enjoy these posts and especially since this covered the Hilleberg tarp. It’s on the short list of tarps I’ve been looking at. Is going to the 10 just for the extra since you are using with a client too?

Yes, that was my initial thought for going to the 10. Although, I was in Barneys the other day and got to handle the 10. I don't have the official weight numbers in front of me, but it did seem quite a bit more hefty in the weight compartment compared to the Tarp5. I may just stick with the Tarp5, as it was sufficient to get two guys out of the rain in a pinch. We shall see, the never ending gear evaluation process continues.

 

[badgerboy14]

I bought a Tarp 10 from Barney's a couple weeks ago for a moose hunt that was destined to be wet the whole time. It was nice to set that up every day and sit and glass from under it as the rain came down. It is big, so trying to tie it down was somewhat challenging but the space was nice.

 

[CodyB]

@badgerboy14 and @adventure907 thanks for the info on the tarp 10, I’ll be looking at the tarp 5 for my uses if I go with the Hilleberg.

 

[MooreAK]

For my last hunt, I opted to go back to the Outdoorsman’s and the system I was comfortable with. The weight penalty was worth my familiarity with the tripod. I will likely stick with the Outdoorsmans for the time being. The verdict is still out on the Aziak and I might give it another shot on Kodiak this fall, but we shall see. Now, don’t get me wrong, I do think the Aziak is a nice tripod at a very attractive price point, but for me, the ballhead and ease of use, or lack thereof, that was it’s biggest drawback.

Thanks for the review! I’ve been eyeing the Azaik but just wasn’t sure about the head. Pretty used to a ball head as well. Can you put an outdoorsman’s head on the Aziak?

 

[adventure907]

I tried putting the Outdoorsmans Pistol grip on the Aziak, but they weren't compatible.

 

[justin262]

My sheep hunting partner had the new barneys pack this year in AK. The pack itself is built with waterproof fabric, but the zippers are not waterproof. He had standing water in every pouch. We did have 1.5 days of pretty brutal driving rain. I had a SG pack with a rain cover and my pack was soaked. Kuiu chugach rain jacket and stone glacier m5 rain pants also completely failed. I treated them prior following the directions of SG and Kuiu. Luckily, we killed two rams the night I was soaked to my underwear so heavy packing kept me warm until I got in my sleeping bag.

 

[GoatBoat218]

I also got to use the new Barneys pack this year. Definitely no need for the rain cover, the fabric doesn't seems to soak up any water. As water resistant as it is there is one downside, when you put something damp inside the pockets the moisture stays and almost seems to condensate. In the main part of the bag its not as big of a deal because the section of the bag against the frame is still Cordura so it still should breath through I'd imagine but the small pockets not the outside do not let water out well. It also is extra loud in cold, snowy, below freezing conditions. All things considered I definitely like the new bag over my all Cordura one. We'll see what I think when I dump a wet greasy bear in it but that's still to come.

 

[Koyote]

How do y'all think the Barney's brooks range jacket and pants compare to using more traditional puffy layers (under rain gear when necessary)? Still tinkering with my layering system

 

[adventure907]

I also got to use the new Barneys pack this year. Definitely no need for the rain cover, the fabric doesn't seems to soak up any water. As water resistant as it is there is one downside, when you put something damp inside the pockets the moisture stays and almost seems to condensate. In the main part of the bag its not as big of a deal because the section of the bag against the frame is still Cordura so it still should breath through I'd imagine but the small pockets not the outside do not let water out well. It also is extra loud in cold, snowy, below freezing conditions. All things considered I definitely like the new bag over my all Cordura one. We'll see what I think when I dump a wet greasy bear in it but that's still to come.

Great point on the condensation when putting something damp into one of the pockets. I noticed that as well, so from that point forward I made sure to separate anything wet from items I wanted to keep dry.

 

[mtwarden]

Thanks for taking the time to post up your review!

My guide/packer was using a Barney's, not the newer version though- looked like a very solid pack and seemed to carry great for him. Of course he was 6' 4" and 22 years old !

 

[Ecampbell25]

Great reviews thank you Josh!

 

[cbeard64]

Thanks for taking the time to share that.

 

[ohioguy47]

Three years ago following the hunting season I wrote up an evaluation and debrief of all the new gear I had used during that season. My field trials if you will, consisted of three sheep hunts which I felt provided a pretty good shakedown in how the gear would perform and a baseline as to the gears durability potential. Now that in the blink of an eye my sheep and fall 2023 guiding season has seemed to have come and gone, I figured I’d sit down and do the same as I have added a few new items of gear over the last couple of seasons. Like my previous review, this season consisted of three sheep hunts followed by a moose hunt just for good measure. As for the 2020 Gear recap, you can find that here:
https://rokslide.com/forums/threads/alaska-sheep-season-2020-new-gear-review.187276/

(Meeting of the minds)

Frontier Gear of Alaska, Freighter Frame and Yukon Ultralight Pack Bag:
First off, I’ll start with my pack. We all know packs seem to be a hotly debated topic on this forum with many folks arguing their merits in the tradition of good ole boys arguing their Ford’s and Chevy’s. When it comes to my favorite pack, I seem to be falling into the category of, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” As each season comes and goes, I become more steadfast in my belief that the “Barney’s Pack” is the best pack in the business for hauling heavy loads. While the Barney’s pack may initially be slightly heavier than the competing offerings, it more than makes up for and outshines the competition when the loads get heavy. Let’s face it, 100+ pounds on your back is no fun no matter what pack you are using, but the strength of the external frame and the robust shoulder and waist harness system handle that weight much more “comfortably” and stable than your run of the mill hybrid or internal frame. If I have equal loads with the overall Barneys pack being 103 pounds versus a Stone Glacier/Kifaru/Exo at 100 pounds (hypothetical), the stability and load hauling capability will be much more “comfortable” in the Barneys system. That extra three pounds of pack weight isn’t going to make an iota of difference in perceived pain. Also, I believe the reduction in strain on your body with the more stable platform will allow a hunter to conserve some of the energy that would be burned by a hunter using their various small and large muscles to keep an inferior pack stable. Anyway, I digress. I won’t go too in depth as to the pro’s and con’s that I find between some of the various packs out there, you can find some of that in my previous review, but I will talk a bit about Barney’s latest offering in the pack bag department, their new ‘Yukon Ultralight’ pack bag.

In the past I’ve often used their “Hunter Bag”. This is a 3/4 quarter length pack bag which saved a little weight over their full length offerings, the “Yukon” and “Pinnacle”. When using this bag, I would strap my sleeping back underneath the bag to the frame with the rest of the gear going inside the main pack body. I’ve also used the “Yukon” bag in past seasons. This is a full length bag with an access zipper in the bottom along with a zippered interior meat shelf which helps get the weight off your lower back and higher on the torso where it should be while packing significant weight. I like the bigger bags for my later season hunts as I tend to bring a little bit heavier weight gear and I can keep the sleeping bag inside the pack while not having to tie it off the bottom. This also comes in handy while bushwacking, as many sleeping bag stuff sacks have met their ultimate demise in the alders. And, it obviously offers more room which is always nice when the hunt is successful and we are packing out a sheep. Depending on my hunters ability to help with weight, that extra room, 10,000+ cubic inches, often becomes invaluable. Anyhow, this year Kevin at Barney’s introduced his newest pack bag, the “Yukon Ultralight”. It is made not from the traditional Cordura, but rather it is cut from Challenge ULTRA sailcloth. This material is lighter than the Cordura and also almost double the strength and abrasion resistance. Not only that, it is a waterproof material! This was a game changer and convinced me I had to give this bag a try. Overall, you get about a half pound in weight savings from the traditional “Yukon” bag, but the fact that the material is waterproof and I wouldn’t have to pack around a pack cover (which saves another half pound or so), I was sold.

Of course, with any new piece of gear, there is always reservations and concerns and this pack was no different. With the nature of the material, my first concern was would it be noisy? Second, how would it hold up? I am admittedly hard on gear and this pack would either sink or swim with the abuse it was going to take. My packs are always being thrown down on rocks, dirt, dragged across tundra, slept on while siwashing, etc, etc, so I wasn’t quite sure how this bag would hold up compared to the older, proven material.

So, after three sheep and a moose hunt, how’d it do? Well, it exceeded my expectations and performed better than I could have imagined. My aforementioned concerns turned out to be of no concern at all. A few scuffs here and there in the material, but with no cuts or holes after the rock dragging abuse I put it through, that was quite impressive. As for being noisy, it wasn’t. The material seems to “break in” and didn’t produce the “ruffling” noise I had predicted.

The biggest benefit though is its ability to keep the water out. It was a wet sheep season and leaving the pack cover at home was a bit of a risk. The older Cordura packs would tend to soak up the water adding even more weight to the pack. Not so with the Ultralight. It did a fine job keeping the water out, especially while hiking in a heavy rain. I was able to leave the pack outside my tent while it rained all night and not have to worry about whatever was inside getting wet. It was also nice being able to have certain items stored in the exterior pockets and not worry about them getting saturated. This came in handy with hats, gloves, and other items that I wanted to have quick access to while not having to dig into the main pack body. With all that said, one thing to keep in mind is the zippers, which aren’t waterproof. I didn’t have any issues with this, but I was mindful to make sure the cuffs that covered the zippers were mostly in place at all times, especially when I left the pack outside overnight.

Great stuff here

 

[ChrisD]

Also really liked this thread. I have the same pack, and love it. It’s not the newest on the market. Also been really into the hill where tarp set up, and will try to expand its application. Was surprised to read about the .357- interesting for sure. Thanks for the insight

 

[PoorUSMC]

Stone Glacier Chilkoot 0 Degree
When the sheep hunting was done and moose hunting was on deck, I decided it might be a good idea to bring a bit of a warmer bag. While a firm believer in synthetic on the sheep hunts, I figured down would suffice for the more traditional base camp style moose hunt. Little did I know, we’d end up spiking out on the moose hunt and I slept under a tarp the night we killed the moose, but I was glad to have that much much warmer down bag. While I didn’t get to thoroughly put it to the test as I only spent 2 nights in it, the Chilkoot lived up to its favorable reputation that it has gained. It was roomy enough, which is a feature that is important to me in a sleeping bag as I tend to toss and turn, and it was certainly warm enough to keep me cozy when the temps dipped a bit on the chilly side. I look forward to giving this bag a more thorough testing on Kodiak this November.

Public Service Announcement
If you pack it in, please, don’t be a slob, pack your damn garbage out. There is nothing more disheartening than coming across a stash of mountain house garbage that has been spread all over the mountains by animals. It weights nothing, you’ve already consumed the food, pack the garbage out. I’ll never understand the mentality of those that trash these beautiful and wild places that we supposedly love so much. Every year I come across mountain house garbage that sheep hunters have left behind. In the least, burn it. It leaves a tiny amount of tin foil that weights next to nothing which is easily packed out. Pack it out, please. Off my soap box now.

Anyway, for the most part, that is all of the “new” or changed gear I used this season. If I can think of anything else I’ll add it on a subsequent post. And for those who are curious of such things, here’s a brief list of the main gear I tend to use over the course of the season.

Pack: Frontier Gear of Alaska Freighter frame with Yukon Ultralight bag
Tents: Hilleberg Rogen, Hilleberg Niak, Hilleberg Soulo, Hilleberg Unna, Cablelas XWT 8x8 (on the moose hunt)
Tarp: Hilleberg Tarp 5
Sleeping Bag: Kifaru Slick Bag 20 Degree, Stone Glacier Chilkoot 0 Degree
Sleeping Pad: Klymit Static V Insulated Ultralite
Firearm: Smith and Wesson M&P340 .357 Magnum, Buffalo Bore .38 Special +P Hard Cast Bullets
Trekking Pole: 100+ Year old Austrian Ice Axe
Boots: Koflach Degre, ruby red slippers
Heavy Jacket: Frontier Gear Brooks Range Jacket
Light Jacket: Arctyrx Atom Hoody
Pants: Frontier Gear PA18, Fjallraven Keb Trouser
Puffy Pants: Mountain Hardware Compressor Pants
Rain Jacket: Simms ProDry Fishing Jacket
Rain Pants: Arctyrx Beta Pant
Gaiters: Outdoor Research Crocodiles
Spotting Scope: Swarovski STM65
Tripod: Aziak Backcountry Lite, Outdoorsman’s Medium
Binoculars: Zeiss Victory 10x25 Pocket Binoculars
Stove: Jetboil, MSR Windburner

(Hilleberg Soulo and Unna)

(A ledgy little spot for a siwash)

I know these gear threads tend to be redundant and my apologies for adding to it, but I know there are new sheep hunters coming to Alaska every year who are anxious and questioning of their gear and equipment, and if this helps just one of those hunters, it’s worth it to me. We are a fraternity of hunters that love these high and wild places, I’d be remiss not to help in any way I can with those hard lessons I’ve learned, even in this small way. I hope a few of you guys find this information helpful and happy hunting!

Josh

I am one of those new sheep hunters, and thank you!

 

[uncastan]

Thanks for the great write up.

Have you had a chance to put the SG chilkoot bag to the test any more? I haven't heard of anyone testing the bag much on any hunts in wet conditions yet. Trying to decide between the chilkoot and the slick..
cheers