WyoKid
WKR
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2019
- Messages
- 325
Just spent 2 weeks hunting Dall Sheep and Moose in the Alaskan Range. Here are some quick observations:
- Get the best boots you can. I wore Crispi boots and had no problems. Others wore Zamberlan, Scarpa or Mendhall. Lesser boots will be painful. Try different boots to get the near perfect fit. Crispi worked best for my extra wide and flat based on prior Elk hunts - this is not the place to test new boots.
- Get in shape humping 3000 verticle feet mountains with 45 lb pack. We logged 147 miles on foot.
- Working out in gym will not prepare you for walking though thick alder brush, side hilling shale slides, crossing boulder fields, walking river beds and waking on spongy tundra. Get out and walk the mountains to prepare yourself!
- Be prepared for rain, snow, wind and sun - all within a 4 hour period. We were constantly putting on rain gear and taking it off 30 min later, donning insulating layers on the summit and then shedding layers to soak in the warmth of the sun.
- I carried an extra pair of wool socks and a base layer shirt - when we had to sleep on some on the mountain, I changed out to warm dry socks and my dry base layer shirt. I slept in all my clothes (base layers, puffy jacket, shell and firstlite glassing mittens, and 2 pair socks) and took my wet boots off and put my feet into my pack. I also used a SOL pro bivy bag but it was still a cold SOB on the ground but survivable.
- You cannot avoid sweating climbing mountains but at the summit, I would lay out some of my layers or jackets in the wind and sun to dry while I glassed. Do not wear anything cotton - cotton kills! I wore synthetics and Merino wool. I also had a down puffy jacket for insulation when glassing and then covered that with a gortex shell if it began to rain.
- Wear Gators - I wore REI, which were light weight and water proof. I did not worry about camo Gators as we are talking about 8 inches that is typically covered by brush or you are on hands and knees crawling for the stalk. Others wore Kuiu, Kennetrek or Kryptek - they were heavier and did not wear as well. I am cheap and it did not bother me to tear my Gators since I did not spend big $ on them. Gators keep stuff from getting into your boots as you slug through brush and keep your boots from getting soaked when crossing rivers and creeks and Marsh.
- Trekking poles help - I used one during the hunt and 2 after the kill to pack out. They help with balance and prevent twisted ankles and falls - the tundra has hidden holes, rocks shift and lichen gets slick as snot when it is wet.
These are just my quick post hunt lessons learned. Here are some pics. My buddy was the trigger puller - I tagged along just for the pain. Outfitter was Midnightsun Safari and the guide was Parker Wallace - he is phenomenal.
My other comments on SLJ down bag: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/slj-dri-down-sleeping-bag.142589/
- Get the best boots you can. I wore Crispi boots and had no problems. Others wore Zamberlan, Scarpa or Mendhall. Lesser boots will be painful. Try different boots to get the near perfect fit. Crispi worked best for my extra wide and flat based on prior Elk hunts - this is not the place to test new boots.
- Get in shape humping 3000 verticle feet mountains with 45 lb pack. We logged 147 miles on foot.
- Working out in gym will not prepare you for walking though thick alder brush, side hilling shale slides, crossing boulder fields, walking river beds and waking on spongy tundra. Get out and walk the mountains to prepare yourself!
- Be prepared for rain, snow, wind and sun - all within a 4 hour period. We were constantly putting on rain gear and taking it off 30 min later, donning insulating layers on the summit and then shedding layers to soak in the warmth of the sun.
- I carried an extra pair of wool socks and a base layer shirt - when we had to sleep on some on the mountain, I changed out to warm dry socks and my dry base layer shirt. I slept in all my clothes (base layers, puffy jacket, shell and firstlite glassing mittens, and 2 pair socks) and took my wet boots off and put my feet into my pack. I also used a SOL pro bivy bag but it was still a cold SOB on the ground but survivable.
- You cannot avoid sweating climbing mountains but at the summit, I would lay out some of my layers or jackets in the wind and sun to dry while I glassed. Do not wear anything cotton - cotton kills! I wore synthetics and Merino wool. I also had a down puffy jacket for insulation when glassing and then covered that with a gortex shell if it began to rain.
- Wear Gators - I wore REI, which were light weight and water proof. I did not worry about camo Gators as we are talking about 8 inches that is typically covered by brush or you are on hands and knees crawling for the stalk. Others wore Kuiu, Kennetrek or Kryptek - they were heavier and did not wear as well. I am cheap and it did not bother me to tear my Gators since I did not spend big $ on them. Gators keep stuff from getting into your boots as you slug through brush and keep your boots from getting soaked when crossing rivers and creeks and Marsh.
- Trekking poles help - I used one during the hunt and 2 after the kill to pack out. They help with balance and prevent twisted ankles and falls - the tundra has hidden holes, rocks shift and lichen gets slick as snot when it is wet.
These are just my quick post hunt lessons learned. Here are some pics. My buddy was the trigger puller - I tagged along just for the pain. Outfitter was Midnightsun Safari and the guide was Parker Wallace - he is phenomenal.
My other comments on SLJ down bag: https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/slj-dri-down-sleeping-bag.142589/
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