40lbs of gear on our moose hunt! What would you bring?

[Elkonthebrain]

A little back story. A buddy and I just booked a transporter for our first DIY Alaskan moose hunt. Our plan was to go in 2018, but talking to the transporters we felt comfortable hiring it seemed like they fill up pretty fast with repeat customers and 2018 might not have even been a possibility. While communicating with one of them he told us about a new transporter who has six tags to a pretty desirable place where some real nice moose are taken. Its a ridge top hunt which appeals to me alot more than standing in water for ten days. I wouldn't mind a float hunt but I like the idea of begin able to glass. So we called and he was book through 2018 but two guys had cancelled for 2017. My buddy and I talked about it and felt this type of hunting suits us well and with the pictures he sent us we liked our odds of shooting a real big moose so we pulled the trigger. He told us we need to be in great shape for this hunt I definitely need to work on that. Sorry about the long story, I could have asked this in about one sentence I'm just really excited. Hopefully I can update you guys along the way. So he provides everything except clothes, sleeping bag, kill kit and rifle. We are limited to 40lbs. What would your 40lbs be? Our hunt will be September 15th thru the 25th. Thanks!

[Lefty]

We are limited to 40lbs. What would your 40lbs be? Our hunt will be September 15th thru the 25th. Thanks!

Not much 40 lbs wow,
Wear a lot of clothes
Better rain gear than you can afford.
A bottle of Dawn dish soap for doing your laundry.
will you be packing your own meat?
good meat bags
a way to sharpen knives
Dramamine if you have a crazy pilot
Maybe a shotgun for small game!!!!!
Can you have him haul in some goodies the trip to pick up his last clients with the expectation of leaving those items for others like the soap, shotgun shells

[Elkonthebrain]

Yeah, choosing which gear to bring is going to be hard. We were joking about showing up in three pair of pants, four shirts and two coats. I have the Kuiu Teton rain gear, not sure if its good enough or not? I have the black ovis game bags. I was thinking about buying one of the VIAM kill kits. Its up to us to get the meat to a ridge he can land on. He recommends trying to call the moose up onto a ridge instead of shooting them in the bottom. If I see a 60+ inch moose its going to be hard not to shoot it where ever it is. I was going to bring my outdoor edge with multiple replacement blades. Dramamine is an excellent idea. I get motion sickness really easy. He makes it sound like these spots are hunted once every two years, so no hauling in and leaving stuff.

[WapitiTalk1]

Alaska Moose hunt? How epic is this! I'll chime in on some gear recs also soon (for what it's worth). What time of year is the hunt; sounds like it's rutting time from your OP? Calling moose, now that's gonna be a hoot . Add moose call gear to your list.

[Elkonthebrain]

Epic for sure I'm already like a little kid on Christmas eve and its months away! From what I'm told its in the heart of the rut. I've been listing to podcast on moose hunting and calling. Planning on doing a bunch more listing and reading before the trip. Hopefully some moose hunting experts will chime in. I've been researching some gear. I know I need some dry sacks looking into brand and size. Not sure what's brands decent or a good size? Looking into what degree sleeping bag I need 15 or 0 degree. He provides a pack frame So I only need a day pack. I only have the 7200 kuiu icon pro I'm thinking I'll get the 1850 or 3200 to bring instead. 40lbs just isn't a lot with sleeping bag, boots, binos, day pack and clothes or maybe I bring to much stuff.

[wawhitey]

40lbs huh? Let me lose about 180-190 lbs real quick, then call me your carry on, i wanna go!

[boliep]

Ask about bugs. If your area has a abundance of the don't forget to bring the
very best repellent you can buy. Deet seems to be the most recommended
ingredient to make your hunt more enjoyable.

[Elkonthebrain]

Ask about bugs. If your area has a abundance of the don't forget to bring the
very best repellent you can buy. Deet seems to be the most recommended
ingredient to make your hunt more enjoyable.

Good call. I've heard bugs can be atrocious in Alaska.

[Indian Summer]

Who is your transporter? Man 40 lbs is super light?

Screw deet that stuff will make you sick if you use enough to deter the amount of bugs you could encounter. Get a Bug Tamer suit and spray it ahead of time with Permethrin which you can buy at Wal Mart. Boom no more bugs!

I wouldn't be counting on any breathable rain gear up there dude. it WILL rain. Maybe for days. Get yourself some Helly Hansen Impertech. It's cheap compared to Kuiu or Sitka. Dries out fast too. That breathable stuff takes days to dry inside the cuffs with no heat source.

On a ridge hunt it's unlilkey you'll shoot a moose near water. But you might because of there's any around that is where they will be. If you shoot one close to water they WILL immediately run out there until they are belly deep... which is darn deep for a long legged moose. If that happens you best have waders. Ask the transporter about any high lakes.

Fire starter!!!!!! There's no such thing as dry wood up there. Birch bark makes great fire starter but you will be thanking God for fire starter. A campfire dries things out and really boosts moral after a couple straight days of rain.

A good water filter is a must along with a collapsible water jug

Alpine Touch seasoning for moose and ptarmigan.

Plastic tarps for EVERYTHING... over your tent, over your meat, over your extra gear and coolers. Plenty of paracord to rig it all up too and for hanging meat.

Extra fuel for your Jetboil or other cooker so you can fire it up to take the chill off and to get rid of excess condensation in the tent.

Bull Magnet for calling long distances.

Durable saw such as a Wyoming Saw for whacking up moose and cutting firewood.

Rubber boots such as Lacrosse Burleys AND extra boots so the other pair can sit for a full day and night drying.

Do you see where I'm coming from when it comes to rain??? It could rain every single day and for sure it will rain more often than not so you absolutely have to be prepared for that.

A rental sat phone to let your transporter know the minute you get a moose down and also to tell everyone at home you are ok. It will boost your own spirits too. Also obviously priceless in case of emergency.

Learn to judge moose of you are in a 50 inch 3 or 4 brown tine minimum area and take a spotting scope so you know what you're looking at. Trust me this is priceless. You do NOT want to shoot an undersized moose and it can take time to get a head on look at them to make the call. You need to be zoomed in and ready to make that call the second they look directly at you. On a ridge hunt you'll definitely have a use for one and it can make or break your hunt.

Tang mix because who can drink straight water for 10 days???

Any chair. A Helinox is very small and compact as well as lightweight. You will spend days and days glassing and you won't want to be sitting on the ground the entire time. Plus it's nice to be able to sit up with a back rest at night when having dinner.

Not very many changes of clothes but plenty of socks.

Small lantern so your day isn't over at 6 oclock. Also nice for dealing with condensation.

I'll think of more things after I hit the submit button.

[husky390]

40lbs isn't bad since you don't have to haul food and water and a mess kit. I have zero Alaska experience but this is what I would bring.

First Lite Merino Boxers. You can get away with wearing the same pair for more than one day.

Down bags or quilts are lighter than synthetic but you can't get them soaked.

Insulated air mattress.

Merino wool base layers.

I'd probably just keep the kuiu 7200 and spend the money saved on better rain gear or boots.

Tyvek sheet for under my air mattress.

A tent that can handle wind and rain.

Check with your pilot about transporting fuel canisters for your stove. You may have to get a multi fuel stove instead and I think they last longer on a fuel canister.

Three flasks. Two filled with run of the mill Scotch and the third filled with special victory Scotch.


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[Brendan]

Maybe it's just me - but I would find out in detail what his "Everything except..." actually includes before you can really make a list... What type of tent, what type of cooking gear, what type of and how much food? It could be perfectly fine, or you really might be "roughing it" more than you expect...

Here's what I would bring for a sleep system: Helinox Cot, XTherm Pad, Synthetic Sleeping Bag. Can probably get away with a 20 degree bag if you wear base layers / puffy to bed if it's cold. That'll help dry stuff out too.

Depending on the shelter and stove he provides, Having a Seekoutside/Kifaru Tipi or a Sawtooth style tent with titanium wood stove could be worth it's weight in gold if you're not above treeline and there will be wood to burn.

Make sure all insulating layers are synthetic, not down. I've heard good things about the First Lite SEAK (Southeast Alaska) rain gear in terms of durability and being designed for that terrain, but haven't used it. I'd be worried about lightweight stuff holding up. Helly Hansen is supposed to be the bomb - but heavier and not breathable.

As above - all base layers should be merino wool. Plenty of wool socks.

If you're going to be packing moose - a good comfortable pack.

[Tigger]

Great ideas. I would bet most lists you or anyone comes up with is going to tip the scales well past 40 pounds. Sleeping bag and sleeping pad is 3-5 lbs, binocs and spotting scope is another 3 at least. Pack is another 3. Right there you are 25% of your limit and you have barely started. Socks, underwear and a few base layer tops and you have chewed up some more weight. One thought is to get rid of all packaging and use the lightest possible bags. You certainly don't want to use valuable weight for bags to contain your gear. It would be fun to see your list when you are done. Oh, and buy a scale!

[husky390]

This reminds me of the movie Never Cry Wolf where the plane is attempting take off but is too heavy with supplies so the pilot dumps the passengers entire load of toilet paper. lol.

Don't forget wet wipes and TP.


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[Swede]

Best wishes on your hunt. Let us know how things go for you. I see bug repellant is advised. When I was up that way in September, the bugs were no problem, but you might want some bear repellant, as in 44 mag., if you are on a bow hunt.

[Elkonthebrain]

Thanks for all the idea guys. Some great info. Here's a list of what he supplies. The only other thing I think he should add is helinox chairs.

Gear list for two people 10 days
6 person 4 season tent Big Agnes Flying diamond 2 Helinox high cots 2 z light pads 1 Helinox table 2 jet boil flash stoves + 4 1 lb canisters, 6 lighters 2 Tupperware container bowls + 2 sporks
1 water filtration system 2 platypus 6 liter water tanks game bags 3 tarps 1 Mr. Buddy heater+6 propane canisters1 1st aid kit
100ft paracord 1 roll of gorilla tape 1 Gerber shovel Led lantern 2 ALPS commander freighter pack frames
1.7 lbsfood/person/day 1 roll of paper towels/100wet wipes 2 rolls of Coleman camp TP 1 udap bear fence
1 Delorme communicator

Even with what he supplies 40lbs is going to be tight.

[WapitiTalk1]

Sooo, does the handle change to Mooseonthebrain? Hope you've got a camera and a large SD card on your list, can't wait to see the journey pics of your hunt Ed.

[husky390]

Thanks for all the idea guys. Some great info. Here's a list of what he supplies. The only other thing I think he should add is helinox chairs.

Gear list for two people 10 days
6 person 4 season tent Big Agnes Flying diamond 2 Helinox high cots 2 z light pads 1 Helinox table 2 jet boil flash stoves + 4 1 lb canisters, 6 lighters 2 Tupperware container bowls + 2 sporks
1 water filtration system 2 platypus 6 liter water tanks game bags 3 tarps 1 Mr. Buddy heater+6 propane canisters1 1st aid kit
100ft paracord 1 roll of gorilla tape 1 Gerber shovel Led lantern 2 ALPS commander freighter pack frames
1.7 lbsfood/person/day 1 roll of paper towels/100wet wipes 2 rolls of Coleman camp TP 1 udap bear fence
1 Delorme communicator

Even with what he supplies 40lbs is going to be tight.

The Z light pads can be used to sit on. Hopefully there are logs or stumps around camp to use as well.
That's cool that he's supplying a cot so you wont have to pack an air mattress.
I believe jet boils can only boil water, so keep that in mind if bringing anything that needs to be heated up.
Wet wipes supplied by him will cut weight for you.

I would bring a nalgene bottle or two and put stuff in it during transport. Having a frozen bite valve on your water bladder sucks.

[Elkonthebrain]

Yeah RJ it will be mooseonthebrain for the next couple months but those stinky elk won't get rid of me that easy. There will definitely be lots of pics.

Did not know you could sit on the Z light pads. Guess I should look one up. The supplied food is mostly freeze dried. So we should be good there. I'm not sure if we are going to be able to have a fire. Not sure if there's wood on the ridges? Definitely bringing a water bottle or two.

Right now I'm debating on a new sleeping bag. Thinking the Nemo sonic 0 down. Just nervous about bringing a down bag incase it gets wet.
Some new merino wool just not sure what all to get. Base layers vs outer layers.
I think I'm going with the HH rain gear if I have the weight left over might throw in the kuiu to see how it works.