Here is my gearlist for a week long backpacking expedition in Alaska for the summer. I'm still working on getting everything and reducing weight. I'm not looking for ultralight but at least lightweight. Any suggestions are welcome.

Alaska Gearlist

Edited by aardvarkeater on 05/23/2008 11:43:43 MDT.

It won't let me open to looksee the gearlist. Are you sure public viewing is possible?

"We're sorry, (my email address) does not have permission to access this spreadsheet" is the message I received when I tried to view your spread sheet.

Sorry all. It should be fixed now.

That's a sweet spreadsheet setup for the gear list. What program did you use for that? I'll be in Alaska for the first time this summer as well. Going July 11th through the 26th with a packed itinerary in between. Looks great to me. I need to make one of this lists myself so thanks for the post. Eric

hey kyle, looks pretty good. there's just a few things that seem redundant or i have to comment on. pot, bowl, mug, cleanup container... thats a personal preference of course but are all three necessary? same with two spoons and a measuring cup. steripen and aquamira? same issue. both do the same thing essentially so why not just take one or the other? towel could also be used instead of taking a sponge as well.

you also seem to have a whole lot of clothing. im not sure what the temps would be but you said summer, so im assuming long underwear, a hoody, thermawrap clothing, and a jacket is a little overkill. focus on taking things can can all be worn at once when it is coldest and that you can simply take off a layer as it warms up.

is it going to be really wet? you have a ton of wet weather gear. i dont know what the weather is like there in the summer but i know that seems like overkill for a lot of hikes.

some sort of rope or cording would be a good addition to hang food (unless a bear can is necessary, in which you would need to account for that) and several other tasks.

seems like you could definitely drop some weight if you try to make sure as many items as possible are dual use and you will definitely use on your trip. hope that helped and enjoy!

What part of Alaska are you visiting? That will have a great impact on what to pack.

Depending on where you will be walking, I'd leave the headlamp and bring a head net. If you are north of Anchorage and here in July or early August, you won't need both the lamp and the light. You will need a head net. If south, there may be a couple of hours where a flashlight would come in handy. Also consider a can of bear spray.

Eric, I just used Excel for everything. Feel free to use the spreadsheet as a starting template.

Derek, Lauren, & Joseph,
Thanks for the input. I agree that I have some redundant things. I'm trying to figure out what to leave at home. 1 spoon and the bowl is staying home. I'm debating about the washup bowl. Not too crazy about washing clothes in my food bowl so I'll have to think about that. The towel for me is for cleaning my body and the sponge is for condensation and cleaning dirt/mud/crud from my tent and gear. I really don't want to mix the two.

I'll be hiking in Wrangell-St. Elias national park for ~7 days. It'll be a guided hike since it's my first time there. I have to bring my own gear. However the recommendations from the guide seem to be for more traditional backpacking with lots of heavy items. I've been told to expect all kinds of weather from sunny days, rainy downpour, high winds, to snow which is why I have so many clothes. I get cold easily while standing around which is why I have some warmer weight camp clothes. I want to reduce the number of clothes and am struggling with this.

I forgot to add the bear canister. I don't think there will be many trees where I'll be hiking to use a bear bag which is why I didn't include rope/cord.

I've updated my list to reflect some changes.

Edited by aardvarkeater on 04/30/2008 14:07:05 MDT.

I am no expert, but I've done similar trips, although as a hunter in both SE Alaska, NWT of Canada, and the Alaska Range and the Brooks Range. I glanced over your list and marveled at it's detail. A few things to consider. I always have binoculars for the spectacular view. With that in mind, a small section of a Z-rest pad within easy reach gives you a place to sit while you glass. Moleskin is my friend! What about waders.....several places make packable waders, you may not need them, but your guide would know. Your camera battery will go dead when you least expect it. On an expensive trip, I actually have a spare cheap, light camera that uses AA (lithium)batteries. I love tech stuff, and carry it on my trips. It may not be applicable, but Sat. Phone, video ipod, GPS with updated topo map. Just my few thoughts,
Don

Don,
Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I've updated my list again to include water/camp shoes for use in river crossings. Moleskin is included in my First Aid Kit. Eventually I'll split out all the individual items in it along with the weights. I've considered bringing some lightweight binoculars and if I do then the Z-rest is a good idea. My guide will be carrying the GPS & Sat Phone. I agree extra batteries for my camera is a must. I'm currently looking at purchasing a new DSLR camera for other uses and depending on my experience level with it by trip time I may bring that along with a lightweight tripod. That's still up in the air but I'll address that later.