Clothing for end of September moose hunt out of Bethel

[mcseal2]

I'm back still working on my list of stuff to take for the 10 day moose hunt this September 19th to 29th.

I wanted to get as many opinions from people familiar with this area or type of hunt on what to bring. I have talked to the outfitter since my earlier posts again and got a little more info. Some areas he puts camps in require a raft of some kind, and in some areas he will provide a motor for the boat. The motor does not count against our 100lb weight limit, but any fuel we take for the motor does count against our 100lbs. That's got me re-vamping the gear list again and trimming weight down some more. I figure if I get it trimmed back and end up not needing to save weight for fuel I'll hit the grocery and liquor store in Bethel before we fly out for some luxury items.

Here is what I am looking at for clothes to pack:

BASE
-Thorlo heavy merino socks (extra thick warm socks to sleep in)
-Darn Tough merino socks (4x)
-First Lite Aerowool boxer shorts (4x)

MID
-Kryptec Merino long underwear bottom (2x)
-First Lite Aerowool Wilkin half zip top (9oz each, x2)
-First Lite Chama merino hoody

INSULATION
-Kuiu Kenai zip-off puffy pants
-Kuiu Kenai hooded puffy jacket

OUTER
-Sitka Ascent pants (wear at camp or with Ridgeline boots)
-First Lite Seak rain jacket
-Simms G3 wader pants
-Sitka sub-alpine mountain jacket (light windproof softshell for when it isn't raining, much quieter than SEAK rain jacket)
-Sitka Ascent cap
-First Lite merino baklava
-Sitka Gradient waterfowl glove (medium insulated glove)
-Kuiu Yukon glove (waterproof glove fits over Gradient or Core)
-Sitka core glove (light quick drying liner glove for Aleyeskan glove)
-Aleyeskan rag wool gloves

-Ridgeline supply Tingley boots (rubber boots with waterproof nylon chap built in, waterproof to hip height) use as camp shoes & back-up
-Simms G3 wading boot

I'll wear my Kennetrek Mountain Extreme boots on the plane ride up in case we end up at a camp where they would be helpful, but plan on leaving them in Bethel unless I'm told different.

These are the best options I have from the clothing I own already I think. I'm thinking having some glove options lets something be drying out while I wear something else and gloves don't weigh much. The Ridgeline supply boots are ones I've used on the river and creeks around home, they are basically an ultralight rubber boot with a nylon chap sewed and sealed to them. I wore them unclogging a pond tube yesterday on the ranch and they are still waterproof. They will fit either me or the guy going with me so I figured they could be my camp shoes with the chap folded down and taped up, and serve as back-up waders if we manage to screw up our Simms to bad to repair them. I talked to one guy who tried to get by with duct tape and bread sacks after ruining his waders and thought I wanted to avoid that. His feet were in bad shape by the end of his hunt. Those boots/chaps in my size 11 weigh 46oz and are actually a lot lighter than the Muck boots I was thinking of taking for camp shoes.

The outfitter is providing the tent and a cot, I'm planning to take my Kifaru Slickbag 20 degree and a Thermarest pad.

Am I on the right track? Having never been here before and hearing stories of Alaska weather I would rather be over-insulated than under insulated I figure. I'm used to having a truck within a half days hard hike with a tote of dry gear in case things go wrong. I seldom use it, and I'm probably overthinking things, but it is different in my mind being in AK for 10 days with help an extra float plane trip away.

Thanks everyone for your help once again.

 

[cnelk]

This is what took on my fly-in AK moose hunt

Clothes
• Helly Hansen Impertech II rain jacket
• LaCrosse 600gram hip boots
• LaCrosse 800gram rubber boots
• LaCrosse leather boots
• Helly Hansen wool sweater
• 1 – Wool hat
• Beanie [for sleeping]
• 2 pair – Wool pants
• 2 pair – Base layer tops
• 2 pair – Base layer bottoms
• 1 – Insulated thermal bottoms
• 1 - Under Armour hoodie
• 5 pair – wool socks
• 2 pair - wool gloves
• Neck gaiter
• Crocs
• Big Agnes 0 degree sleeping bag w/ liner
• Big Agnes Insulated Core Air sleeping pad
• Gore-Tex bivy bag

 

[Ray]

In stead of puffy pants I would use heavy fleece wader pants/tights. Much more versatile in wet conditions and when using waders. If your hunt is water based, the only time you may be using the puffy pants is inside your tent.

 

[Reload]

I'm right there with ya Heath on packing for this adventure. FWIW, I'll include what I'm taking, as I've done several backpacking adventures in the deep and have been known to over-pack clothes especially back in the day. I've used this very combo of clothing down to 10 degrees at home with satisfying results. We are doing a float hunt from the 9th-25th so I hear ya about the 100 lb. weight restriction adding up fast. I've chosen to supply everything for this trip instead of using Steve's equipment, minus a Sat. phone and the Otter raft. Between the two of us, we've pared down our weight for me to also take my 42 lb. Kork raft from Larry Bartlett. To me, packing and discussing about this trip is half the fun of the adventure. Here goes,
Simms mid-weight fleece top and bottoms (Kuddos to K. Dill on this piece, good stuff!)
Columbia fleece wader pants
Peleton 200 pullover
Kifaru Lost Park Parka
Chugach rain jacket
Army surplus lightweight wool liners
Army surplus Aviation wool mitten
Wool stocking hat and ball cap
Wool neck gaiter
4 pr. Darn tough P.Buyon socks
4. pr. Aerowool boxer briefs
Simms waders and boots
Crocs

 

[duchntr]

Your clothes look fine and you should be plenty comfortable. If it were me id make sure the tent and cot provided are something you want to use as Id be looking to an 8 man tipi with stove. One thing id encourage you to bring is 2 8x10+ tarps one for a dry cooking/sitting area and one for your meat pole for keeping sun and rain off the meat.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks everyone. I actually have a Seek Outside 8 man tipi with a stove we use down here. I was told by some hunters who had been on this trip before that it wouldn't be a good choice though. They said you want a floor with the extremely damp ground. I think it depends on where you end up hunting, how swampy it really is. I'll miss my stove camping without it if we don't take it.

I actually have a 10x13, two 10x8.5, and a 8x10 tarp included right now in my weight list although I might drop one. I've been told you can't have to many tarps and I have several decent quality light ones. I'm thinking of rigging one of the bigger ones up over the tent as a fly to keep most of the rain off it. I have a hard time trusting a rented tent although I've heard no complaints about Steve's doing my research.

 

[rayporter]

as cnelk did, I took wool pants and shirts. fleece just aint the same. puffy pants may not go well with the boots. just wondering.

I also took a six man tipi and put a tarp on the floor. gravel bars and sand drained well and were very comfortable to sleep on. for moose you may find plenty of wood but wood is not always available up there. you should ask.

if you have a tent and cot that don't count against your weight that may be a plus. [ if you can stand]

 

[cnelk]

We used a tarp under the tent and over the tent.
Also used a tarp for the kitchen area and over the meat pole.

Use good tarps, not the POS blue ones

 

[Crazyalskn]

Pack for rain, lots of rain(maybe snow), and wind ... take wool like others said. And I’d get a 0* bag..

I recently purchased a 0* bag from Hyke and Byke and it’s awsome! It weighs 1.5 pounds and is filled with goose down. They are reasonably priced at around $150.

And good tarps/lots of rope

 

[USMC2602]

Use good tarps, not the POS blue ones

What tarps do you use/recommend?

 

[mcseal2]

I'm curious what you guys that have been recommend for tarps too:

The tarps I have are all sil-nylon ones that have taped seams or that I have seam-sealed myself. I have a 10x13 Aquaquest tarp that we used in Canada a few years back that did well through 3 days of rain. The other 2 are Snugpack 8.5x10 tarps that are seam taped and that I seam sealed over the top of. When we seam sealed the Seek 8 man tipi we set everything we owned up and did them all at the same time. We figure that was time well spent.

On tarps everyone else please give your opinions because I'm no expert, but I'll share my experience all the same. Take it for what it's worth and not more, it's not expert advice.

My buddy that is going on this hunt with me and I have spent many nights camping and catfishing on sandbars or gravel bars on rivers or creeks. One of the biggest things I learned early is that poly tarps are noisy as hell in wind. A silnylon tarp just doesn't wake you up flapping if it's pitched to the same tension as a poly tarp. If it's not an emergency situation shelters are generally supposed to be a place you can rest in with some level of comfort, so I'd go with the quiet ones. The Snugpack Kryptek patterned tarps seem to be the quietest ones I've tried other than the shaped Kifaru tarps. They are a bit heavier and are seam taped, but weight keeps wind from flapping them as hard too.

I have owned and used a Kifaru Paratarp and Megatarp for several years also. We also bought a Seek Outside 8 man tipi last summer. The quality of both those outfits is excellent. My Paratarp has kept me dry on several occasions before I upsized to the Megatarp. The Megatarp functions exactly the same as the Para, but is comfortable with 2 people or 1 person and way more gear than he can carry. I have never been wet in a Kifaru tarp shelter. I spent a week in Canada on a canoe/portage fishing trip where everyone else's tents leaked even with rainfly tarps over the tent fly we got so much rain, and my Megatarp kept me and my gear perfectly dry. I am a big fan of Kifaru products and don't think a buyer would EVER go wrong there. The reason I chose a Seek Outside for our large shelter despite the great results Kifaru has given me is the sod skirt. That shelter that gets used later season I just don't want the airflow underneath that I kinda like to dry out a singe wall shelter early in the year.

I bought a Kifaru Lost Park Parka also, Kifaru knows how to make gear that might be a bit overbilt for normal, but is exactly what you need when things go to sh*t. I plan to remain a customer.

 

[rayporter]

i take 2 nylon and a blue poly. my nylon tarps are square and i keep a bungee cord attached to 2 corners. on a float bungees are handy.
we also took 2 painters cloths [visqueen] wrap meat in the plane. they are compact and cheap and blood proof. a magic marker can come in handy to mark meat.

you can jump out and have a flying diamond pitched in seconds, to put gear under or to take a break.

 

[cnelk]

The better tarps can be found at farm stores or someplace other than the discount outlets.

Some are colored silver/ brown and are heavier in weight

Sure, tarps flap in the wind, but Id rather be dry.
Because like said above, its prob gonna rain

To save some time in the bush, tie about 6' of para cord at each corner/grommet prior to leaving
That way when you arrive and its raining, you can quickly tie off a tarp to trees/brush and have a place to get under.

 

[CTobias]

Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see any game bags on the packing list.

I like fleece or wool for my moose hunts. I have my simms waders and boots with me in case I need them. A thermacel is a must for me. I like to keep the bugs away. I did find that I did not need as much clothes as I brought with me. It rained the whole time I was out there this year, and I had no issues staying dry with my Sitka gore tex gear. Next year I will just be packing extra socks and base layers. There was no need for the amount of clothes I brought this year. I like to always pack an extra gore tex jacket. I've had blown zippers too many times to count, and was always glad to have a backup jacket.

My hunts are the same length as yours, and I stay out until I get something. But, I always have the option of hopping in my boat and running back to the launch if I need anything.

 

[mcseal2]

Game bags are on my list, that isn't the complete list of gear just clothing.

 

[MTSabo]

I use my hilleberg tarp10 all the time. I also bring cheaper tarps along to use for meat processing and to sleep on in my SO tipi when the ground is very wet.

I personally wouldn't go moose hunting without my rope puller and a lot of rope if hunting by water.

 

[pjohnson8168]

Just jumping in here, I will be heading up the week before mcseal2 with Renfro's, we have traded some gear lists. He has the FL Seak jacket as do I and I am wondering if this is the route to go for upper body rain/wind protection. Should I also bring a HH Impertech jacket or similar...? I have been happy with the Seak jacket but have not had more than short duration/low intensity rain to put it to a real test.

 

[cnelk]

Here is a pic for reference

My list above did not include my fleece jacket or the Cabelas Wooltimate that Im wearing

I wore this 'getup' every day for 8 days and I personally wouldnt go to Alaska without my HH Impertech jacket

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks for the pic. It looks like you were well set-up. I have that same holster set-up or a real similar one for my Ruger Redhawk 5.5" 44 mag. The area we are hunting bears are not supposed to be an issue. I'm taking my 300 win mag and not a bow, so I'm leaving the revolver at home for this one. The outfitter and hunters who have been on this hunt in the past both said it's unnecessary weight on this trip. Packing meat I will miss having it available instead of just the rifle.

I have an Impertech jacket too I could take. I use their rain bibs with a Carhardt jacket similar to the Impertech around the ranch. I worried about the lack of breathability but they keep you dry. I have sweat my butt off in that set-up fixing creek gaps in a light rain after the creek went down from the heavy one for example. The Impertech jacket I have in my hunting gear is the longer 3/4 length one that would work well with hip boots I think, but might be overkill with chest waders. Maybe I should try to put it back in my list with the SEAK and eliminate something else, if there is anything to double up on it might well be raingear. Maybe go with lighter simpler camp shoes to go with my Simms waders and take back-up raingear instead of back-up waders. Doing my research the two items that people most often said made their hunt miserable are rain gear and waders so I'd like to take back-ups of both as a group item either my buddy or I could use. I may not have room in my weight limit though. I have a repair kit for my Simms waders in my gear list that will hopefully cover any problem I might find there.

I'm going to sound soft, but I'm used to hunts where I know the weather report and dress for the day or next few days depending on the hunt. It's usually in a drier or warmer climate too. I pack pretty light then, but have the truck parked within a half days hike if I absolutely need something. There is no weight limit on what can be waiting at the truck in the extras kit so I pack heavy there. This is a new experience I am sure I will learn a lot from.

 

[geriggs]

got back from bethel in late Sept. You look like you are in good shape. We lived in rubber boots or waders....other guys didnt need waders. depends on where they put you. I recommend chest waders over hip boots. i wish i had them