SE Alaska backcountry - What is the one thing you wish you had?

[NevadaMike]

So I am sitting here in SE Alaska warm and dry looking out the large window. Its is howling and blowing hard outside and just taking the dog out send waves of concern over my upcoming fly in trip. I have spent the last year collecting the best of what I could afford and even stuff I cant afford. Last year I froze and we had a wall tent and a way to dry out gear every night but I was still cold by morning. I had one of those fancy 20 degree quilts with the open bottom and a sleeve for a pad. Lesson learned. My gear now includes a Western Mountaineering bag, Stone Glacier tent, Exped downmat and an array of sitka gear. I only have one layer of sitka rain gear. I am thinking I may need one of the heavier down jackets for use when we are not active.

For those of you that have spent days where it is wet cold what do you wish you had?

 

[sneaky]

A good synthetic insulation layer in wet conditions will serve you better than a down layer. Lots of good synthetic options out there. When is your hunt?

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[Marbles]

Wool. It gets heavy, and stays wet, but will keep you warm. As you are flying in, bring one set of wool base layer to wear during the day and one that stays dry to where at night.

Zip off wool bottoms, like what Kuiu has, are awesome.

A warm down puffy is great for evenings in a tent, but I will not use them (even under rain gear) in the rain as they end up wet and not insulating.

 

[NevadaMike]

A good synthetic insulation layer in wet conditions will serve you better than a down layer. Lots of good synthetic options out there. When is your hunt?

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We head out in October.

 

[Russp17]

So I am sitting here in SE Alaska warm and dry looking out the large window. Its is howling and blowing hard outside and just taking the dog out send waves of concern over my upcoming fly in trip. I have spent the last year collecting the best of what I could afford and even stuff I cant afford. Last year I froze and we had a wall tent and a way to dry out gear every night but I was still cold by morning. I had one of those fancy 20 degree quilts with the open bottom and a sleeve for a pad. Lesson learned. My gear now includes a Western Mountaineering bag, Stone Glacier tent, Exped downmat and an array of sitka gear. I only have one layer of sitka rain gear. I am thinking I may need one of the heavier down jackets for use when we are not active.

For those of you that have spent days where it is wet cold what do you wish you had?

So I would go away from down... Many times I've had to crawl in my sleeping bag soaking wet and that moisture gets trapped in your sleeping bag. I would go not down in southeast.

 

[EastMT]

Full set of Helly Hanson rain gear, it’s a real life saver. Boat trip back to town, all our fancy gear was tossed in the garage after a week of that. 2nd and 3rd weeks were pretty good!

 

[FLATHEAD]

I did a 10 day Brown Bear hunt out of Bethel in Polypro undies, Microtek, Poly Fleece and HH Impertech. Rained or snowed every day, seemingly all day. Slept in a Big Agnes Hog Park 20'.
Oh, a Gore Tex Boonie and a Carhart Beanie.

 

[beachbunny]

Full set of Helly Hanson rain gear, it’s a real life saver. Boat trip back to town, all our fancy gear was tossed in the garage after a week of that. 2nd and 3rd weeks were pretty good!

absolutely agree ,helly hensen
, no down

 

[Anglo-American]

So I am sitting here in SE Alaska warm and dry looking out the large window. Its is howling and blowing hard outside and just taking the dog out send waves of concern over my upcoming fly in trip. I have spent the last year collecting the best of what I could afford and even stuff I cant afford. Last year I froze and we had a wall tent and a way to dry out gear every night but I was still cold by morning. I had one of those fancy 20 degree quilts with the open bottom and a sleeve for a pad. Lesson learned. My gear now includes a Western Mountaineering bag, Stone Glacier tent, Exped downmat and an array of sitka gear. I only have one layer of sitka rain gear. I am thinking I may need one of the heavier down jackets for use when we are not active.

For those of you that have spent days where it is wet cold what do you wish you had?

Clear sky's and warm mild sun with a light steady breeze and an anarchy moose hunt with bear and wolf tags if we're making wishes.

 

[Athame]

Better Weather

 

[NevadaMike]

Full set of Helly Hanson rain gear, it’s a real life saver. Boat trip back to town, all our fancy gear was tossed in the garage after a week of that. 2nd and 3rd weeks were pretty good!

I have read that several times. I think Ill bring my old green Helly set I use for fishing.

 

[PA Hunter]

You need the Kuiu Super down jacket and pants, and a rain outfit to go over them then you will be toasty warm. Keep them in a dry bag and always in your pack until you need them.

 

[Runningwater]

We've used a tipi with with stove for the last 4 years in the Kenai Refuge/Wilderness and it makes a ton of difference if staggering in wet and/or cold at night or have a shut in storm day or 2. I've never had an issue with my down WM antelope microfiber bag on the Kenai or Kodiak.

Good luck, have fun and don't forget to take pictures!

 

[Carrot Farmer]

Rain gear…. The best you can afford! Insulation layers you can find at discount.

Hardest rain I’ve ever witnessed, Craig, AK… 4.5” in 24 hr!!!!


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[trapperJ]

A sunny day....

 

[Bighorse]

I'll bite and chat this up.......
I just did five days on Etolin in Nov. Rain, snow, and short days, temps in the 30's
Tepee tent with XL ti stove. I backpacked in and was harvesting wood on site. I did pack in a large supply of wax filled yellow cedar saw dust. I looked for naturally dropped Spruce branches that had been recently dropped and Yellow cedar from dead trees. I was able to get fires going and maintained by keeping a rotating wood drying approach.
During the day I used thick wools for my base layers with a synthetic puffy below a Gortex style outerlayer. I used a four layer bottom: base, light puffy, soft shell pant, rainpant. At night I would use the base and puffy in the bag. I made use of a second protected puffy kit. When I would return to camp at night I'd have a dry puff kit to wear while tending the fire. After three to four hours of burn time I'd have my days garmets somewhat dried for the next day. I was hunting in continuous rain and snow.
I don't believe it's necessary for survival to have a wood stove. I do believe it's necessary for pleasure to have a wood stove. Getting the moisture off your equipment and skin really helps keep you in the game so-to-speak. Also when daylight is 6 hours it becomes a little hunting with alot of camping. Because of this I pushed into the forest and staged near my destination zone where I had identified game. This ultimately backfired as a small herd winded my wood smoke and made for less humany forest. I identified this in fresh snow.
Anyhow, hunting rainforest in cold conditions is challenging without a recovery zone with an external heat source (Boats, Cabins, Hot tents)

 

[camelcluch]

Kifaru LPP and pants. No way you could be cold in a sleeping bag wearing those two pieces.