Arctic Gear

[Guy Miner]

What's the well-dressed hunter wear in the Arctic? Well this is what I chose:

Cabelas MT 050 Gore Tex trousers & jacket for a wind and rain proof shell.
Kuiu down "jacket" which was more like a shirt - but warm.
Military surplus fleece jacket when needed.
Good gloves, danged if I know the brand, but they were warm.
Cabelas long-johns.
Gaiters.
Danner Pronghorn boots, the 8" version.

Some days and some hours, I didn't need all that, but it's easy to add or remove layers as necessary.

I only removed my hat for photo purposes.

Am also carrying my much liked Nimrod hunting pack.

There ya go!

Guy

 

[DrMike]

Kitted out well for the environment. All appears to be in order.

 

[Bruce Mc]

I'll tell ya right now, that tip on the nimrod pack you gave me a number of years back was a good one. It is a great hunting system.

 

[Guy Miner]

Nimrod pack:

It's a great system. Can be a large belt pack with suspenders or there are a couple of different options for the top portion. Very comfortable with either a light or heavy load.

Not as well known as some, they're American made and used by many western wildland firefighters as well as hunters. The owner came up with this design and has used it extensively in backcountry hunts, as have I.

Link: http://www.nimrodpacks.com/

Guy

 

[DrMike]

Hey, what's that white stuff? It's June when those pictures were taken! You're not supposed to be anywhere near snow. :mrgreen: Neat intel on the pack system. They do look very well designed.

 

[SJB358]

Great intel Guy. My hunting kit is just about the same. I am still slumming alot of the same stuff I was issued. Got a couple of pieces that need upgrading, but the old field jacket liner is still one of my favorites.

 

[Africa Huntress]

What happen to the post Cheyenne made ? I liked that post as it obviously depends on where you are in the "arctic"
on whether you are properly dressed or not. Maybe she was afraid Guy might be offended and she deleted it, but anyway the one thing she said that I agreed with Guy

Socks, you need socks Ha

Best Regards

Jamila

 

[Guy Miner]

Hmm. I didn't see Cheyenne's post.

Ya, it was May, and I was only about 150 miles north of the arctic circle. Pretty decent weather actually. Some wind, rain and sleet, but didn't stay below freezing very much.

Except for adding the down jacket/shirt, I just used the same stuff I use here in Washington for winter hiking and hunting. We are however, rarely below ten degrees or so here in winter, a few days to a couple of weeks a year down in to zero, but nothing worse than that. My gear worked really well on the Alaska trip.

Guy

 

[Guy Miner]

Oh, and hip boots! I bought my first pair of hip boots just for this trip. They worked GREAT crossing that stream four times.

Then I crossed it twice in leather boots! At least I had my gaiters & gore-tex trousers on. Actually stayed pretty close to dry.

Guy

 

[Guy Miner]

I'd bet Cheyenne uses some much better gear, for much more severe conditions! I'd like to experience that someday as well.

 

[Thankful Otter]

Jamila, I was not afraid that Guy would be offended as he is a gentleman. but true to course others felt it was "pompous" of me to attempt to advise someone as knowledgeable as Guy.

And believe me I had no intention of trying to tell Guy what he should or should not wear. In fact I thought he was very well clothed for the hunt he was on!!!!. I was trying to not only joke with Guy but also mention that the proper way to dress in the Arctic, depends on where you are in the Arctic.

I want to thank everyone for their support on the 30-06 thread--thank you! But let's just let it pass on Guy's thread and concentrate on how properly dressed he was for his hunt Grizzly hunt. thank you!

And except for obviously not taking any socks ( at least according to your original post,) I wholeheartedly agree with your attire

Guy, I said something to the affect, that it depends on where you are in the Arctic on whether or not your properly dressed. I would be wearing a parka with a fur trimmed hood, and the fur trim is not for looks, I prefer larger than foot size boots and then add extra liners and socks, a hat with flaps that tie down, mittens over the gloves, a face mask, tinted googles and a dozen pairs of socks! you didn't list socks in your initial post. I knew you had them, it was my feeble attempt to joke with you.

 

[Guy Miner]

Ya, I did omit the mention of socks!

Oh, one of the guides is working on a collection of parka squirrel hides for a parka! I thought that was pretty cool. I think he said he was up to about 140, and thought he needed quite a few more.

Guy

 

[Polaris]

I work outdoors in MN, and experience conditions quite comparable to Spring summer and fall in the arctic. The only words of wisdom I have to offer above and beyond what's already discussed are Wool, Rubber/Kevlar, silk. These are 3 materials that will keep you warm even when damp, moist or downright wet. My boots for 40 above to 20 below are Baffin industrial pipeliners. Knee high Kevlar with various wool felts and space age stuff wedged into layers. They make a comparable sporting model with less weight minus the heavy lug soles, safety toe and electrical hazard rating.

My bottom layer is silk longies, cotton longies (a spare dry set is kept in a pint Ziploc in the pack), and Codet wool pants. A generic pair of Gore-Tex/nylon bibs is on hand if cold or wind is severe or I will be sedentary either hunting from a stand or blind or operating a directional drill. Top layer is silk top, cotton long underwear top, and a heavy wool shirt of varying thickness depending on temperature. A Swedish ECW parka or Gore tex Herters parka will be worn depending on severity of cold/wind and desire for breathability or need for waterproofness. I also have a Swiss rainsuit of rubberized nylon that will fit over both and comes in a very effective broken country camouflage pattern (Alpenflage). It is specifically designed for alpine/tundra conditions, and is the best rainsuit I've ever owned, comparable to some costing hundreds of $$$,

Note I do wear cotton, but it is there to be a wicking/breathable layer between heavy wool and thin silk. Polypropylene is excellent also but my skin reacts to it. If the cotton becomes saturated, it comes off. I have various options for hats and gloves from thin wool to leather to polyfill to beaver fur, also depending on severity of conditions.

 

[mcseal2]

A preliminary copy of my 2018 Alaskan moose hunt list. It is definitely open to critique and advice. I'm not sure how well this will copy and paste from Excel to here, we have a 100lb weight limit for the plane. Some items are group items and listed accordingly, plus I rounded every ounce of gear weight up. Nope having this done doesn't mean I'm excited about September 2018 at all!

Gear Weight (oz)
Rifles Inc 300 win w/ Swaro Z5 3.5-18x sling loaded 121
25 rds 300 win mag 31
scope caps for rain 2
Primos standing height shooting sticks 16

Otis 30 cal cleaning kit 5 5 cleaning kit and oil for guns, also have Tuff cloth for wiping them down
Electrical tape, full roll (rifle muzzles) 3 3 rifle muzzle covering

Leica 10x42 Geovid HD-B 36 36

Kuiu bino harness/case 9

Hard rifle case (one for both Dean and my gun) 128 128 hard case to hold both rifles, damn things are heavy! Check other options Plastic one I had is 8lbs, metal is 17.5

Cot included in camp weight
Kifaru Slickbag +20 wide 35
HCG Mountain Serape (insulating layer and sleeping bag addition) 40


Sea to Summit 20L red dry bag (holds sleeping bag and serape) 4 Hold Serape and sleeping bag, use as pillow with spare clothes (made sure they fit 6-17)

Clothing
Simms G3 Guide boot size 12 (62oz wear in)
Simms G3 guide pant (wader stockingfoot waist high wear in)
Sitka waterfowl Goretex cap (2oz wear in)
Helly Hensen Impertech rain jacket long (waders are rain bottom) 32
Sitka Kelvin insulated jacket (puffy) 32
Kryptek Koldo rain jacket
Kuiu glassing mittons 5
Kuiu Yukon gloves 4
Sitka Gradient waterfowl glove 2
Kryptec Dalibor II pants (x2, wear one in) 26
Kryptec Merino bottom (2x) 8 oz each 16
merino wool tops (4x)
Filson wool vest (wear in)
Good merino wool boxers (9)
Smartwool socks (9) 23 re-weigh
merino wool bottoms 2x
Sitka core glove 2
light camo baclava 2
suspenders for Simms pants
Kuiu Kenai zip-off insulated pants 9
mosquito face net 1
Core 4 Element Talus belt (wear in)

Russel fleece base layer pants x2 (sleep in one, wear other under waders) 26
Hound Dawgs imitation crocks 9
Rocky gore-tex socks (wear with Dawgs)
Wear Kennetrek Mountain Extreme boots on plane, leave in Bethel unless Steve says different
Repel 1fl oz bottle 100% Deet (x2) 4 2 for me, Dean should also have bug repellant. Hope not to need but don’t want to run out!

Exo 3500 82 (need to buy Exo 3500 bag if 2000 isn't adequate for trip, dry bag also)
Exo dry bag (when available)
Exo crib meat hauling attachment 6
Eberlestock rain cover 5
Leki micro vario carbon trekking poles 16

Alaska game bags 60" bags 8 total 48 8 bags = 4 quarters, 2 rib cages, loins & tenderloins, brisket & neck.
Pathfinder nesting bottle, cup, stove, lid, and hanger plus spork and bandana 18 My water bottle plus emergency water boiling or cooking kit
Daypack survival kit 14 Dean should carry knife, space blanket, cordage, and fire making kit, but this should cover the rest
medical kit 16 16 include leukotape
Dark Energy Poseidon, I phone cable 13 Charge phone in pack
Goal Zero Nomad 20 40 Solar panel, charge Venture 70 in camp
Goal Zero Venture 70 battery pack 17 Keep hooked to solar panel
Garmin Rhino 520HCX GPS (back-up to Onx maps on phone) w/o batteries takes 4AA 8 8 Back-up GPS in case phone GPS craps out
Garmin Rhino 120 (GPS to link with 520, shows each other's location) takes 3AA Dean carries weighs 8oz
copy of rules and regs
hunting license
moose and bear tags
I phone w/ OnX maps for area we will be hunting 6 download books on phone, charge with solar panel & pack

strip of reflective material to catch flashlight at camp docking point
Yellow Ivation solar lantern/flashlight 5 5 camp light
Mag lite XL200 (4AAA) 5 5 bright compact flashlight for night time boat navigation, whatever else is needed
Black Diamond headlamp AAA battery (4AAA) 4
Fenix flashlight 1 1
Mammut S-lite (spare headlamp) (1AA) 2 2
Fujifilm Digital AA camera w/ lithium batteries and camo case (2AA) 9 9 Take one camera for both of us on trip, Dean carries he is better at scenery pics
AAA lithium batteries (12)
AA lithium batteries (30) GPS batteries for MY GPS, Dean needs more

GB small forest axe & Boreal 21 folding bowsaw 55 55 Camp use, wood processing, driving stakes,whatever is needed
Leatherman Wave 8 8 Keep at camp for cooking, repairs, whatever is needed
Outdoor Edge replacable blade knife, 8 blades 4
Battle horse Pathfinder Scout & firesteel in all leather sheath 15
Spyderco sharpmaker & ceramic steel 17 17 keep Dean and my knives touched up. Need to keep option in mind of taking only replacable blade knives, lighter.
Rapala 4" fillet knife 3 3 camp knife for food prep

Go Lite poncho 7 7 keep in daypack
Grabber space blanket 11
Road flare (emergency fire, keep in boat)

Tuffcloth container (protect metal blades etc.) re-fill with fluid before trip 2 2 wiping down knives, axe, saw, guns, anything metal. Protects even when dry better than oil
squirt bottle of isopropyl alchohol (wader repair) 4 4 repair Simms wader with this plus kit below
Simms Goretex wader repair kit (Bass Pro)

Repair kit (gorilla tape, superglue, repair needles, safety pins, tenacious tape, seam grip, 5 5 camp repair kit
Bankline 4 rolls 262lb test (Dean takes 2 I take 2) (4oz each) 16 16 have Dean take 2 I take 2, 4 rolls total
Paracord 100ft (Dean takes 1 I take 1) (8oz each) 16 16 have dean take one also, 200ft total for camp
Walmart tarp 5x7 (x2) (door mat and put meat on) 9oz each 36 36 have Dean take 2 also, 4 total for camp/meat
Aquamira water purification tablets (also in survival kit)
Sea to Summit 10L collapsible bucket (2) 7 7 carry water to camp, pre-filter through sleeve into Katadyn to preserve filter
camp soap (Coglans, two 2oz bottles) 6
Sawyer mini water filter w/ 64oz bag 5 5 water filter to carry in daypack
Katadyn 10L Base camp water filter w/ spare filter 19 19 water filter for camp
7x16 100 micron filter sleeve to pre-filter water 4 4 pre-filter water going from 10L bucket into Katadyn


Sea to Summit 5L kitchen sink 4 4
Sea to Summit 10L solar shower 4.5 4.5
50 gallon drum liner trash bags (8)
towel

Mountain house meals 10 days = 30 meals x 5.6oz each (168oz) 168
Beef bullion cubes (warm drink) 1 per 8oz cup

Predator calls in case we get moose quick 6 6 6

Fishing gear?

Kelty Noahs tarp 16 68 68 shelter over cooking area, place to get out of rain
Aquaquest 10x13 tarp 29 29 tarp we used in Canada Put over meat
Jimmy Tarps Hudson 28 28 heated shelter
Kifaru Parastove 45 45 stove
12" ABS tent stakes (18 total) in wool sock 26 26 longest lightweight stakes I have for anchoring tarps
9" Coleman ABS tent stakes (41 total) 46 46 next longest stakes I have for anchoring tarps, tents, meat tarps, doormat tarps, whatever

Carmex 2
Deoderant 5
Toothpaste/brush 3
Razor w/ new blade 2
multivitamins
wet wipes
shop towel rolls (toilet paper) 3 rolls
watch (wear in) w/ stopwatch to time MH rehydration

Moose in heat urine spray
citric acid

Total weight ounces 1614.5 642.5
Total weight pounds 100.90625 40.15625 TOTAL WEIGHT OF GROUP ITEMS I HAVE ADDED IN POUNDS
Total weight ounces minus Dean's half of camp gear 1293.25 321.25 OUNCES PER MAN
Actual total weight w/ half of camp gear 80.828125 20.078125 POUNDS PER MAN, WEIGHT I CAN SUBTRACT FROM MY TOTAL

 

[sask boy]

mcseal2, I think that you have just about all that will be needed . That is sure detailed.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Guy Miner]

Flying or driving McSeal?

I found that my hard rifle case was not allowed on the bush plane, had to put my rifle in a soft case for that leg of the trip. I did use the hard case while the rifle was in my Jeep. Everybody at customs, U.S. and Canada, liked that.

BTW, my rifle didn't shift zero at all during the 4,500 mile Jeep ride, the two plane rides, or 9 days hunting in rather variable weather. I was pleased. Recently took it to the range, and fired a few of the 200 gr Noslers - they hit to the same point of aim, and with just as much accuracy as before the trip. Simple wood-stocked Rem 700 with an old Redfield scope did well.

Guy