Continuing the discussion from Going to Alaska? Gear list, please.:
This list was started to be a comprehensive list for starting new nodes. If you are interested in a long-term visit to an established node, see this thread: Gear list Wiki for long-term visits to boreal nodes
#All-Season
###Tools
Minimal:
Axe Forest Axe
- Cheap and dirty: buy an axe head or broken axe at a garage sale ($5+) or eBay, then put on a new hickory handle (available at hardware stores for about $12). Or, find a small tree/branch that looks like an axe handle and use the knife you chose above to make it look more like a handle (free).
- Inexpensive but good: Council Tool “Boy’s Axe” or “Hudson Bay Axe” $25-$40
- Higher-End: Wetterlings, Gransfors Bruks $100+
Knife Mora $10+ Russell Green River
Sharpener (works for knives, axes, draw knife, etc.) - Lansky dual grit (puck style) $7
Buck Saw (bow saw, w/ extra blades
36” bucksaw (buy the blade $10, make the handle for free)
Draw knife
###Kitchen
Bowl
Spoon
Cup
Camp Stove
3-5 gallon stock pot
1.5-2 gallon stock pot
Small .5-3/4 gallon pot
2 or more 5-gallon buckets with lids
Med-Lg cast iron skillet
Spatula
Ladle or small cup
Water bottle
###Food Type Things
Fat
Coconut oil Olive oil
Butter
Staples / Emergency
Emergency and staple. Ask us. Oatmeal, Rice, beans, lentils
Drinks
Coffee, Tea
Salt
Spices
#Summer (April-October)
Canoe 16.5-20 feet long
2-3 paddles
Lifevests (ones that allow freedom of movement are extra nice)
100’ feet of 1/4-3/8" poly rope (floats) for lining
Mosquito net to sleep in
###Fishing
4” mesh 50’ for whitefish,
6” mesh 50’ gillnet for fishing for salmon
2 pair Thermafit gloves for picking net…them salmon have teeth!
I like to have a second pair for a spare for work
2 pair Atlas orange gloves with wool liner gloves for cold weather fish cutting as well as bacteria rich hide work
###Garden
Seed potatoes
Chive seed
Cabbage seed
Carrot seed
Beet seed
Turnip, rutabaga, etc. seeds
#Winter (September-May)
###Tools
Ice chisel
###Transportation
Pull sled
Pulk $200+ http://www.northernsledworks.com/Siglin_Pulks.html
DIY Birch (or other) toboggan
Toboggan or pull sled >8 feet long
Tarp or tank for securing load.
30’ cordage for securing load
Shoulder/ chest strap 5’ x 2.5"
Snowshoes 4’-6’ long
###Shelter
Temperate to Cold Climate 4-Season Shelter
Canvas Wall tent $220-$500
8x10 or 10x12, Hunters Special Tent Packages at Alaska Tent & Tarp is a good choice: http://www.alaskatent.com/walltents/natural.html
Wood stove
10x12 canvas tarp (white preferred)
7x9 walltent w/ 2-3 foot wall
100’ pcord type cordage to set up.
22gauge sheet metal stove approximately 11"x11"x22" with 4" stove pipe
Foam or caribou skin sleeping pads
1 winter (-20–40)+ 1 summer (0-+20) sleeping bags
###Kitchen
2 quart thermos
###Trapping
Legholds [Optional]
6-12 #1 longsprings for weasel, marten, mink, muskrat, squirrel
6-12 #4’s for fox, lynx, coyote, otter, beaver, even maybe wolverine
Conibears:
6- 330’s for beaver , otter, lynx, wolverine.
Snares:
Two sizes…
12 -w/ 3/32" cable for fox, coyote, beaver, lynx
12- w/ 1/8" cable for coyote, otter, wolf, wolverine.
I like to make my snares with a length of heavy wire attached to the cable in a coil so it swivels… Hard to explain but it makes it easy to position the set.
Lightweight wire (picture hanging wire or Light ssteel wire) for snaring hares
2-3 rolls Baling wire
Cotton sacks for game bags and storing cranberries
Rope and cordage…2-400’ 3/8"-1/2" rope
500-1000 ft pcord
Sleeping bag good to 0’ and another one good to -20.
Good mud boots
Muck brand
#ADVANCED & OPTIONAL
###Woodworking
Chisels
Whetstones 1 big 1 little 1 for gouges
Strops
Sheath knife with sweep and drop point
Carving knife (sloyd)
Spoke shave
Crooked knife
Gouges 2 or more
Block plane
Chisels 1/4", 1/2", 1", 1.5", 2"
Brace/ bits
Hand saws: rip and crosscut
###Forestry
Block and tackle, or comealong & cable.
Splitting axe/ maul
Jersey Axe
Pickaroon
Chainsaw - Stihl ~50cc
Chainsaw Mill
Alaskan Mill
Chainsaw winch
Tlabaas/ulu
Old Hickory Butcher Knife, or similar
Wet scraper
Dry scraper
Wood scraper/ burnisher
Sewing kit
Awls
Straight handled spade shovel
2-55 gallon drums with lids for caches
Big 8-12" fish knife…sharp point
Packraft
Rocket Stove (short-term)
DIY 55 gallon drum stove
Motor for canoe
Freezer & Honda 2000w generator
