Couple Question First Alpine Hunt.

[cb375hh]

I am mainly a lurker on this site and I have learned a ton so far. I am planning my first Alpine Hunt in August of 2016. My hunting partner and I are going after Blacktail in S.E. Alaska for 6 days . I have a couple quick questions. The first is does anyone have a check list of gear that you take for your Alpine hunts? I am worried about the small things that perhaps an inexperienced Alpine hunter may not think of that make life easier and a tad more comfortable.

The other question is clothing related most gear can be worn all week and isnt a big deal but what do most of you guys do for socks and underwear?
Obviously socks and underwear can cause some health issues lol that could really ruin a hunt If they aren't kept clean or changed. That being said I don't want to have to pack my whole top dresser drawer. Thanks for the help ahead of time.

 

[Mtnboy]

If it were me, I'd wear 1 pair of Merino wool socks (I like First Lite personally but there are tons of good options) and take 2 spares.

As for underwear, look into Exofficio, best made for backpacking in my opinion. On a 6 day hunt I consider rolling just one pair, but your not going to pay too much of a weight or space penalty if you take an extra pair. 2 pairs for 6 days is more than sufficient. I've done 4-5 days on one pair on more than one occasion, call me gross maybe!

 

[Beendare]

Yeah, most new guys pack too much clothing; I sleep in merino LJ's and wear them if its really cold, I wear; Sitka mtn pant, boxers-performance fabric, merino shirts-2, Kuiu Raingear which doubles as your outer shell in wind , merino socks [REI brand expedition wt] big brimmed water proof hat or WP ballcap, Boots, WP gaiter
extra clothes;
Prima loft Puffy insulation layer- [cabelas with hood]
one extra boxer
2 expair of socks in Ak- one everywhere else,
Beanie,
light gloves with waterproof over glove
and on Ak coastal hunts bring those heavy vinyl coated gloves
sometimes wiggies
I like wearing my HH impertech rain gear in Ak, boat hunts, etc but not backpacking- too heavy .

You will get wet, so stuff that dries quickly is worth its weight in gold. You don't need 2 jackets, your rain pants/ jacket can be an outer layer. I don't like rubber boots on those trips as we are usually covering some rough country and my feet need the support. You will get into thick stuff that you can't even get through so tough tear resistant gear is good. On Kodiak i suggest a Yellowjacket, most other islands its not necessary. A good strong tent is a must and pitch it where you get shelter from the wind- we've had 90mph gusts on Kodiak.

The deer can just materialize in those little alpine tops...and disappear just as fast. Go as light as you can- its rough country in many spots and pawing your way through nasty stuff is a beotch with a heavy pack. Shortcuts there....usually take longer...I've been on many of the islands between POW to Kodiak- anything specific PM me...Best of luck

 

[IanF.]

It's going to be wet, very wet, wet like you never experienced...Forrest Gump Vietnam wet!

You need to keep your feet dry and comfy or the rest or you doesn't matter...

I like darn tough socks with injinji liners but any good merino will work, and I'd carry 2 pair, wear one and wash as needed...dry feet = happy times...

My first season with firstlite Longhorns and I love them...for glitch I wear MEC (canadian rei) synthetics...many like merino boxers 1 pair is good for 3 day second pair weighs nothing and then you can wash one if needed.

Damn good rain pants and jacket are a must...

Very best,

Ian

 

[Ray]

The first is does anyone have a check list of gear that you take for your Alpine hunts?

The other question is clothing related most gear can be worn all week and isnt a big deal but what do most of you guys do for socks and underwear?
Obviously socks and underwear can cause some health issues lol that could really ruin a hunt If they aren't kept clean or changed. That being said I don't want to have to pack my whole top dresser drawer. Thanks for the help ahead of time.

Go down the forum to the backpacking gear forum. There you will find several threads on gear lists for various types of hunts.

The other issue you bring up can be mitigated by keeping yourself clean. Your panties won't get very dirty unless you don't keep yourself clean. Lots of baby wipes and TP will keep the possibility of baboon butt to a minimum. If you have foot issues then plan on washing them each night with alcohol based sanitizer. I love Darn tough socks with liners, and have one pair of smartwool just for sleeping. I can't wear them for hiking as they compress too much and cause issues with boot fit after a few hours.

 

[kodiakfly]

Where are you in SE MI? I've lived in Mt Clemens and my wife is from Lapeer.

You'll see general gear lists pop up on here often enough. Keep an eye out for those and those will get you pointed in the right direction. And like was said, a lot of guys new to it will pack too much.

Hunting coastal AK calls for a bit different set of gear than even other parts of AK or Canada. Everything is wet more often than not. Today here in Kodiak it's 45 and only cloudy. Past week it's been rain every day and that's not the least bit unusual. No snow...rain. For your question, depending on how long I'll be out it's only one or two pairs of underwear for me. I will pack extra socks though to help keep my feet dry.

There's plenty of guys that will swear by down in all conditions. I'm not one. I prefer synthetic insulation here and I use Wiggy's sleeping bags. They're heavier and bigger than a down bag, but on day 5 of 100% humidity...meaning you're literally living in fog...and everything is damp and saturated, your sleeping bag is still keeping you warm. Buy guys do still wear down. I'm just not one of them.

Rain gear will make or break a hunt. Get the best you can afford; taped seams and actual shell material. Don't rely on a softshell with DWR to keep you dry. I wear Sitka rain gear and it's worked well for me. The HH Impertech is 100% waterproof, but you will get wetter than rain if you're walking hard in it. I have the luxury of packing one or the other based on that day's forecast but if you're visiting, I'd error on the side of a GoreTex type barrier than can breath a little bit and probably has pit zips and is lighter than Impertech. And if you get here and the forecast turns to 1" of rain per day and you want to switch it up, you can buy Impertech in pretty much any town in coastal AK for not too much.

Don't get too caught up on bitter cold insulation just because it's AK. It won't get that cold, but I guess "cold" is a relative term. A light puffy can be nice but I don't even carry insulated gloves, just waterproof gloves.

There's plenty of experienced AK hunters on here as you've seen and I'm the least of them, but feel free to shoot me a PM and I'll answer what I can.