Starting to feel the itch - AK Moose 2020

[IndianaBowman]

Sat phones are a nice safety measure, but I've only had one in camp on one of my trips. Solo hunting, I would see it as a requirement. Hence, why Tina and I didn't even know about 9/11 until Friday and it occurred on a Tues.

[Matthew Wilson]

The outfitter flying me in next year requires a lithium powered device (sat phone) for my solo trip. They advertise one move to a new site if necessary. Gotta be able to contact them for that and an early departure if needed. It's kinda nice that I can send a text to the wife as well, she is not as excited about my adventure as I am.
Matthew

[Walt Francis]

Managed to get couple of billets down to the final ring, prepared them for takedown sleeves, mixed up some MT-13, got them glued up, and am waiting until tomorrow for the epoxy to fully set before continuing.  With a free evening, I will try to get back and add to this thread.  Let us look at where you will spend most of your time while in camp, your sleeping bag.   What follows, like all these discussions, is what I have found that works for me, others might have different or better ways.  A lot of what I use came directly from others who shared their insight, testing, and experiences, additional insight experiences are not only welcome but encouraged.

Sleeping gear

1.   Sleeping Bags
a.   Down is warmer ounce for ounce & pound for pound.  It compacts into a small package for its weight.  Good down (850 ) is usually more expensive too.  Drawback is down losing its loft, and therefore its warmth, when it gets wet.  There can be a lot of rain in Alaska in September and you had better be prepared for it.  A lot of the new down is water resistant (not waterproof) and holds up much better to moisture.  I have used the new down with good results in Montana.  Hunter used a Kuiu down bag on our AK moose hunt in 2016 and it did a good job of keeping him warm.  On that 12 day hunt it rained all day, every day but two days.  Those two days it rained in the morning and the afternoon of the other day.  With the right precautions and care, I have never had an issue using down.   
b.   Synthetic bags are bulky, they do not compress much.  They weigh around 4-6 times as much as a down bag for the warmth a down bag provides.  The good, they will keep you warm even when they are wet.  You might be miserable being wet, but you are still alive.  They also provide lot better insulation on the bottom side than down.
c.   Style-Mummy or rectangular- This is a matter of personal preference.  Mummy are generally thought to a little warmer but impede movement.  The rectangular bags allow easy movement but are not considered as warm.  The only complaint Hunter had regarding the Kuiu bag mentioned before was how tight it was which made it difficult to move around in it. 
My  preference for Alaska hunts is a Cabela’s Alaskan Guide sleeping bag.  Not sure if they still make this model, I got mine in 2000.  I believe Bryan Burkhart uses the same model.  The bag is 2/3 synthetic materials, 1/3 down (Not water resistant), with a rectangular shape, and weighs 7-8 pounds.  This bag has kept me warm down to -30 (f), has plenty of room to allow lots of movement, and keeps you warm when wet. 
2.   Sleeping Pads
a.   Foam.  Most likely everybody has used the ½ -1” foam that rolls up.  It is really bulky, kind-of works if you have a flat place and the ground does not get very cold.  They are better then nothing, but not much better.  You feel every stick and stone on the ground if there are any.  You get the idea; these have no place in my camp.  However, I have cut one up to make sitting pads to use when glassing and bottoms for some of my quivers.
b.   Air pads are more comfortable than the foam pads but have no insulation value.  They are great in warm climates and conditions, but a waste in Alaska unless you can bring in enough insulation to go on top of them.
c.   Air Pad’s with Foam.  The are comfortable and provide insulation.  Depending on the thickness (and weight), they can have an R-value from 3-11.  Mine is from REI, 3” thick, and I’m not sure what the r-factor is.  With my Cabela’s bag it has been plenty.  I know several people who prefer to  use a 4” insulated pad with their down bags.  Air pads can leak, bring a repair kit.
3.   Sleeping Cot.  First, Thank You Kevin Dill!  I always thought of a cot like the ones used in my Spike tent when horse or truck camping, would be the ticket for a good night’s sleep in the Alaskan bush.  Unfortunately, all the cots I had ever seen were like mine, bulky and heavy; the aluminum one’s weigh close to ten pounds.  Several years back in one of Kevin’s moose threads he reviewed a lightweight cot that keeps you 4” off the ground.  After reading his assessment of it, then asking him a few questions, I bought one.  I will just say on my last moose hunt the cot accounted for the best eleven night’s sleep I have had in all of my Alaskan hunts. 
4.   How to stay warmer in you sleeping bag
a.   Wear a beanie or other type of warm cap.  If you have a healthy head of hair this may not pertain, as much, to you.  However, if you are follicle challenged as I am, this can add 10-20 degrees to your sleeping bag.
b.   Wear socks, but only if your feet do not start sweating. 
c.   A down cover/liner for your bag.  Military poncho liner work really well.  Costco sells a lightweight down throw blanket that weighs a couple of ounces, they sell them every year for around 15-20 bucks.  They pack into its own attached 3 x 4” round bag.  I use one with my lightweight bag when hunting backcountry elk.  (Also carry one with a poncho in my pack when in AK) 
d.   Keep your nose and mouth out of the sleeping bag.  Breath in fresh air and exhale outside of the sleeping bag.  The moisture in your breath condensates, cools, and can cause problems.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Walt, are you making the bow that is going to AK with you?

[Walt Francis]

Jeff,

Taking Pigger like always, probably her last major trip. Might take a new one as a backup, but that is highly unlikely.  I broke my left shoulder in April, then broke three ribs on July 4th, and have been unable to fish (I’m left handed but shoot bows mostly right handed).  I have been building bows on the evenings & weekends instead of fishing.

 

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Wow, you are tough on your body!  Guess you just wanted to make this solo hunt a little more challenging? 

Good to hear that Pigger gets to go to AK one more time, that bow deserves it.

[DXH]

Love the images. What poundage are ya'll pulling for the moose

[Kevin Dill]

I remember a year not so long ago in a restaurant far, far away....

It was the Chena Pump House in Fairbanks and the place was crowded. Bryan and I met Walt and his hunting pard there and had a decent dinner. We talked about everything for ten minutes and then nothing but moose hunting for about 2 hours. That was the year Pigger drew blood and what a year it was. Great stories...greater memories.

Regarding sleeping gear, I gained some insight from others who had been doing the floorless tipi act before I started. I believe it was John Havard who gave me a not-so-subtle clue about the LuxuryLite Cot and Exped DownMat Pad I ended up with. Then I swapped out my good sleeping bags for Western Mountaineering bags and that pretty much ended my search for the best. As Walt indicates, the cot is the foundation of a great bed over rough ground. It elevates and suspends...reduces pressure points...and can be leveled to perfection if you wish. I've always said that my bed is critical gear, because I'll spend 1/3 of any hunt in it and how well I rest has a large say in how hard I'll hunt.

I need a snorkel in my sleeping bag. On really cold nights I just can't keep myself from diving completely inside including my head and face. I wear a beanie but my head still gets cold. And of course i introduce moisture vapor by doing that, so I try to air out my bag regularly. I always wear thin base layers and socks when sleeping. Sometimes I wear liner gloves if it's going to be cold.

An interesting note: Apparently isobutane canisters are getting hard to find. I've seen some price gouging for them online (as in $29.99 for a single 8 oz canister which typically runs $6.00) and the FAA is getting more restrictive about flying with them.

This weekend I burned-in my new U-Turn stove. The Redcliff is set up and ready to seam-seal. I'm up to about 50 miles of legwork as I hit the road every morning at 4:00 am. Walking under pre-dawn stars is as good as it gets.

[IndianaBowman]

Fantastic information!  Walt, I didn't know you were a rodeo bull rider?  What the heck....  I sure hope all heals quick. 

For us guys with less hair on top a beanie is invaluable.

Won't be long now for you guys.  I'm jealous!
 

[Orion]

Kevin:  I agree about the Western Mountaineering down bags.  Have had one for a few years and have never had trouble keeping it, or my previous down bags, dry even on a 14 day Alaskan moose hunt during which it rained 13 days.  Mine is a Sequoia model, which is a little larger than its mummy bags, but not quite as wide as a rectangular bag.

Regarding the rising isobutane fuel costs, you might want to consider a gasifier wood stove, at least as a back up.  I just purchased a Starfire Scout.  Haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but several excellent reviews on U-tube. Very compact and light. Yeah, it's usually raining in Alaska in September, but can usually find small dry sticks under the canopy close to the trunks of the scrub spruce, etc. 

[Kevin Dill]

Orion...

The Western Mountaineering Sequoia (GWS) is the bag I bought when I decided to make the 'final' upgrade. I've had it many years and it has seen me through lots of trips and countless cold nights. When I wake up at 4:30 and the tipi is completely crystallized with inside frost....I'm glad to have all that goose down.

As for fuel issues and cooking, my final backup plan is always to use my main woodstove for heating water.

One tidbit for isobutane stove users: A few years ago my stove malfunctioned right at the end of my trip. I cleaned it when I got home and thought it was good to go. The next year it failed me at the outset of my hunt, BUT I had decided to bring a backup stove...a very tiny Snow Peak Titanium gas unit. I ended up using the backup stove for the entire trip. I later figured out my primary stove had some type of tiny debris inside the orifice. I had to use the exact right (size) wire to clean and service it. Bingo....perfect operation the last 2 years.

My flights to and from Alaska have been cancelled twice. I'm trying to reschedule again.
My new tipi pole arrived with missing parts. Got that resolved.
Still working around the stove canister issues.
Fairbanks hotel I used last year is $55 LESS per night this year.
There are rumors of a virus affecting travel.
Someone said I need to take a Covid-19 test before hunting, but I can't seem to find the study guide.

 

[Walt Francis]

Camping

Let’s round out the camping equipment.  Most things listed here have good and bad points, everybody has their preferences and I have mine.  Often, multiple items in the same category are taken on the hunt.  The categories are taken directly from my check list and I probably have multiple versions of most of them.  When getting ready for any extended hunt I go through my checklist, laying everything in groups then making choices on what is going with me.  I will be going back and  forth between items until the final decision is made.   My comments here are limited to my choices and sometimes why.

1.   Hatchet/ Axe – 18-24”
  a.   Gransfors Burks - Simply because they work really well, probably the best production axe made
  b.   Council Axe - because they work, and are the best production axe made in the USA
2.   Saw
  a.   Folding - Silky
  b.   Bow Saw - Collapsible - I’m old school so I bring a lightweight version
3.   Knifes
 a.   Traditional
      i.   Folding –
             1.   Belt - For sentimental reasons, I always have either the Buck 110 inherited from my brother Gary or the Schrade my Dad gave me as I walked out the door headed to the Frank Church on my first deer hunt.
             2.   Pocket – Always carry a folder Doug Campbell left on my kitchen counter while I was hunting in Alaska one year.
     ii.   Fixed Blade – Rarely bring one, would rather use the axe for big jobs and a folder for the smaller ones.
     iii.   Replaceable Blade – Always – Havalon with 12 blades
     iv.   Leatherman/Multi tools - Usually
     v.   Wet Stone - Always
4.   Light
  a.   In Camp – I use a headlamp
  b.   In Field – Always have two with me
5.   Communications
  a.   Radios
  b.   Sat Phone – Have had one of these on my last five trips.
  c.   In-Reach – Thinking of taking one this year instead of the satellite phone because of weight.  Comments on experience with these are encouraged.
6.   Batteries – A back up set for both headlamps
7.   File – Sharpie – Some evenings I like to touch up my broadheads.

8.   Charger – Optional,
  a.   My experience is solar chargers do not work very well in the bush because of the clouds and rain.
  b.   Flash Drive type is much better
9.   550 Cord – Rope – Everybody has a preference, it’s 550 cord for me because I have a 2,500 foot roll of it.
10.   Sunglasses (2) – In case it is sunny, and if I only take one pair, I always step on them and break them.  If I take two pairs nothing ever happens to either pair.
11.   Reading Glasses (3) Minimum, I usually take four pairs of cheaters
12.   Water Filter – Your preference.  Some places the tannin's in the water will constantly clog your filters
  a.   Pump
  b.   Squeeze Bottle – My Favorite.  Bought a PUR water filter at Costco in 1998 and it worked great until 2018 when the plastic lid started cracking and leaking everywhere.  We had three other filters with us in 2018, the tannin's clogged them so bad the first use they were worthless
  c.   Drip System
  d.   Purification Tablets
13.   Gun – Personal reference, I take a .44 mag with 12-18 rounds.
  a.   Pistol
  b.   Shotgun
  c.   Rifle
  d.   Bear Spray
14.   Electric Fence – I have left this at home every year because of the weight.  I believe Kevin Dill used carbon arrows for the posts, I’m going to look into that in the next couple of weeks.  Kevin, how well did the arrows work?  Any suggestions?

[wingnut]

Walt I saw a neat pre filter setup for water to prevent the clog issue.  They just ran the water through a coffee filter first and then the filter.  Worked like a charm.

Mike

[wood carver 2]

For anyone who is driving up to Alaska from the lower 48, they just announced on the news this morning that you can cross at one of 5 border crossings in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and you’ll have to display a tag in your windshield that shows the date that you have to be out of Canada by.
They want you to get through as quickly as possible.
Have a great hunt guys! Us guys in our group are still waiting to see if we get a bull tag for our hunt in northwest Ontario.
Dave.

[Kevin Dill]

I did build my own bear fence years ago, and used carbon arrow shafts for the poles. Will they work?...yes....basically. I found them to be too flexible and not long enough to drive deeper in Alaska soil which tends to not be tight. I’m not satisfied with them. I’ve moved on to using the fiberglass snow marker poles available at Lowes or Home Depot. Very strong and more rigid. And by the way, I did have a big blonde grizzly test my fence a few years ago. I was sitting in the tent waiting on the rain to stop. The bear approached unseen and I had no clue until I heard some subtle noises outside. After contacting the wire, the bear hustled off away from my camp. Good thing too, because the next deterrent was about to be a chunk of hot lead.

[Whip]

One of the gear pieces I needed to upgrade for this trip was my sleeping bag. I've been using a quilt the past few years but knew that wasn't going to cut it.  I really wanted a Western Mountaineering Sequoia but couldn't pull the trigger to spend nearly the nearly $900 it would take.  I threw a wanted ad on Rokslide and it took awhile, but found exactly what I wanted.  8 year old Sequoia long in perfect condition for less than half the price of new.

That bag paired with an Exped downmat on top of a Helinox cot - I should sleep good.

[Bryan Bondurant]

For anyone who is driving up to Alaska from the lower 48, they just announced on the news this morning that you can cross at one of 5 border crossings in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia and you’ll have to display a tag in your windshield that shows the date that you have to be out of Canada by.
They want you to get through as quickly as possible.
Have a great hunt guys! Us guys in our group are still waiting to see if we get a bull tag for our hunt in northwest Ontario.
Dave.

I know a guy that drove up from Texas to Fairbanks in June, made it. But he had Alaska Drivers License. Cant say what what happen with lower 48 license, as it seems all tourism is off. That said, fly into Fairbanks, get on a Cesna and fly out to a camp, doesn't seem to be an issue.

[Jeff D. Holchin]

For those lucky Bowhunters who, unlike me and Kevin, made it to Alaska this fall and chased the mighty moose, how about some feedback on your gear?  What worked and what didn’t?  What methods worked and what didn’t?  What would you do differently, if you could have a redo on your 2020 moose hunt?