James Croy pre mission SITREP-
It's fall here in Alaska, which of course means fall colors,
back country adventures and hunting season. My good friend and former Ranger
Mike approached me last year about going on a 15+ day ATV excursion into the
back country of Alaska to go hunting. I
immediately agreed and we began pre mission planning for what would truly be an
epic adventure with a great friend. The
concept may seem fairly simple but honestly when it comes to heading into the
"bush" as we call up it here nothing is simple. In fact there are many challenges to overcome
for an extended trip such as this.
Undertaking an Alaskan mission like this is daunting and requires
more than a simple 3B's (Beans, Bullets, Band-Aids) logistics plan. In reality there are many dimensions to
surviving and thriving on a multi-day self-supported Alaskan big game hunting
trip. To give some scope this trip is
for two men unsupported for 15+ days in a really remote part of Alaska (remote=
50+ miles down an unimproved dirt road, then 30-50 miles as the crow flies off
that road with no other road within 100 miles of that). So no cell service, no
satellite phone, no roads, very few trails and no structures to use as shelter
except for what we take with us. Having any kind of failure could literally be
catastrophic with results ranging from a very bad day to death. I could write a
book on how wild it is out in Alaska's bush country and how dangerous it is if you’re
unprepared or even when you are prepared.
Reality check
Just because we are using ATV's on this mission doesn't mean
we can haul heavy and take unnecessary gear going in. All of our gear and
logistics needs are carefully figured for weight and size. If we are both
successful hunters we figure on coming back from the bush with 1600-2000 lbs.
of meat. Yes you read that right. A
Large Alaska-Yukon Moose can weigh in at 800-1000+ per animal after being
quartered for transport. Hauling that
much weight out on ATV’s is challenging on a good day. When factoring in the
potential Alaskan backcountry contingencies; Grizzly's or Black bears, steep
and uneven terrain, rivers, streams, boreal forest, tundra, glacial boulder
fields and steep and very uneven terrain- you can understand that hauling that
much weight out becomes even more daunting.
"When undertaking a mission like this the quality and preparation of
your gear is paramount"
I've been doing trips like this for over 30 years and a lot
of my knowledge of gear and experience has simply come from both success and
failure. Gear failures are going to happen,
period. Minimizing the effects of the
failure, or being able to make field repairs is an absolute necessity. In other words, always be ready to improvise
when necessary. I will not get into the brand name, “Ford-Chevy
debate" or the "you should take XYZ whizz-bang gadget". When I mention brand names it's for reference
only, not a brand endorsement for your unique situation or mission. The only thing I will say about the gear you
choose is to make sure it WORKS WELL prior to taking it to the field. In other
words test it thoroughly under various conditions. Understanding the limits of your gear and your
individual abilities is critical in many activities, none more so than Alaskan
backcountry travel.
"Planning for this mission started almost a year in advance
and encompassed coordinating overall logistics, total time in the field and team
and individual equipment needs"
The machines
I will be using my Artic Cat TRV550 towing an ATV
trailer. Mike will use a 2011 Artic Cat Mud-Pro 700 with an ATV trailer. We fitted
both machines with a 2500# winches on the front and Mike's with a rear #2500
winch. We added 40 watt LED lights to front of both machines. Other than Tires,
LED Lights and the winches, the machines are bone stock. We will each carry 15
gallons of extra fuel for each machine.
We both have tools assembled to do minor to medium emergency repairs in
the field plus we each carry recovery gear. Taking a tool kit beyond the OEM
supplied kit is really mandatory, Sockets, wrenches, tire repair, etc. Here is
where experience, knowing your machine, and how to do field repairs comes into
play. If you don't know how wrench on your machine, LEARN! Recovery gear is
also critical because you are definitely going to get stuck. It's not if, it's
WHEN you do. So bring a shovel, ax/saw, tow ropes (more than one), block and
tackle if possible. Recovery gear makes it possible to get you, the machine,
your gear and cargo back home at the end of the mission. We did reliability
checks again and again, ensuring each piece of added gear and all of the
accessories worked properly. 
As with all missions that involve camping, some gear is
essential and some is just plain snivel gear. We obviously trend toward the
essential, but do allow for a few gear choices to improve comfort in the field.
For our shelter on this mission I am
bringing my freestanding 6 man tent man (sierra designs Bedouin 6). That will
be our base camp accommodations. There are numerous reasons for such a large
tent for two people: you can stand inside it, dress or undress out of the
weather, hang and dry wet or damp clothes and when necessary, all of your
personal gear can come inside. For cooking
needs on this mission we have chosen to run propane for the stove and
heater in base camp. We are bringing
enough propane (in 1lb bottles) for the expected duration plus 3 days. Mike
built a great mini alcohol stove and I use a Giga stove that travels in my
"go bag". Water Filters- in
base camp we have 2 Katadyn gravity filters and two MSR mini-works for out and
about. We have 4 Primus Butane lanterns for base camp also. We constructed a
table from one the ATV trailer lids and have enough tarps/cordage to construct
improvised weather ports. It sounds like a given but where we are hunting there
are trees (some places in Alaska don't have trees) so we should have enough
natural pole making material and fire abilities should we need.
Food
I've learned over the years that the difference between a
great Alaska trip and crappy one is good coffee, an occasional shower, a warm,
dry place to sleep and good food. Next to fire, Chow is the most important
component of backcountry morale. I find
plain, freeze dried camping meals to be lacking in what I like to call “flavor”.
I go to the grocery store and purchase
shelf stable food for extended missions such as this one. They are still simple
meals; most only require boiling water but are loads better tasting than
backpacking meals (see picture). I’ll
bring some canned goods also. When planning for this I planned for two people
to eat three meals a day plus some snacks. Snacks are essential as they allow
you to not over eat your rations. Again I planned for 15 days plus 3.
Personal Gear
My under layers are Smart wool top and bottom base layer (two
sets). Three sets of wool blend socks. Pants are two pair of USMC issue MARPAT (personal
choice). One pair of light weight chest waders. Jacket is a pullover type that
is both wind resistant and lined with Gore-Tex type material. One light weight
rain jacket. One pair of wind block Fleece style gloves and one pair of polypro
liner gloves. North Face Dark star -40
sleeping bag w/ fleece blanket. A note
on Bags. I DO NOT endorse any type of down bag for trips like this. I don't
care who made it or what the down is encased in. The climate we will be in is
wet, period. Instead, bring a well-constructed, high quality synthetic bag to the
lowest temperature rating you expect to encounter along with a self-inflating
2" ground pad. We will each carry a small trauma bag and some basic first
aid items along with head lamps and high output tactical style flashlights with
spare batteries.
Everyone has an opinion. Again KNOW your gear and its
limits. This is where my personal choices are informed from my past experiences,
both good and bad. My rifle is a Ruger Hawkeye stainless in 375 Ruger with
shooting sticks. Mike will be using a Remington 700 stainless in 35 Whelen.
Both are great choices for Alaskan sized animals. We carry approximately 1.5
boxes of rifle ammo and one reload for the side arms. Mike will carry his Glock
20 in 10mm and I will carry my S&W performance center R8 357 mag. as my
sidearm. We both have two to three knives of varying size configuration for
field dressing animals/camp/general use with sharping kit. My trusted Leica
10x42 binos and Leupold 15x30 compact spotting scope w/ small tripod. Leupold
rage finder. We both carry a Camel back style small back pack with a stove,
pot, cup and small snacks and rations to use as a bug out bag.
Contingency mindset
To many people of all walks of life head into the wilds
under prepared but have this notion that if I just hit that "easy"
button on my said rescue beacon a Helicopter with highly trained individuals
will come rushing to my aid within minutes and greet me with hot coco and a
blanket. I choose to travel with knowledge and better planning. Tentative return dates in Alaska are just
that. Be prepared for added delays due to weather or any of the aforementioned
situations or conditions. Don’t panic,
plan for delays and contingencies.
Finally, there are plenty of "experts" on
survival, back country exploration, etc. out there. I do not lay claim to being
an "expert". I have rescued a
few "experts" but I will never suggest that I am all knowledgeable on
Alaskan backcountry travel. I
continually learn and train and stay ever prepared for “Beyond Normal Limits”
situations. The best piece of gear
anyone can have can't be bought or rented. It sits squarely (for most people)
between your ears and just north of your shoulders. Unfortunately the ability
of some people, especially in modern times, to use this piece of kit under
stress let alone under normal conditions is always up for debate. Alaska judges these types harshly. If you come here, make sure you are prepared
and have planned to make it back alive.
Cheers,
Cheers,
James
Look for more SITREPs on this mission on the AOG blog. Interested in planning your own Alaskan mission? Contact us for more information.
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