John Whipple of 60th Parallel Adventures and Hunt Alaska associate editor shares the details of what hunting gear he carries in his pack on remote Alaska hunting trips. John explains that 90% of the hunting he does in Alaska is DIY, so bringing the right gear with him is absolutely vital. He’s usually backpacking in for 10- to 15 days, and regardless of whether he’s hunting brown bear, mountain goat, caribou, moose, Sitka blacktail, etc., he carries, for the most part, the same pack and same gear. In this video, he tells you exactly what he takes. Note that he reserves some space for gear for specific species (for instance, different rifles), but by and large, in this video he tells you the hunting gear he takes and how he packs it in his pack. This video is very in-depth and full of experience and insight; you don’t want to miss it.

He also talks about consistently loading his hunting gear in the pack, in the same place every time so he can always quickly find what he’s looking for.

Specific hunting gear items he discusses are his pack, spotting scope and/or camera gear, trekking poles, snacks, toiletries, ammo, eating utensils, medical/survival gear, GPS, rangefinder, raingear, gloves, pack rainfly. All of this gear needs to be readily available, so he packs it in the external pockets of his pack.

Inside the main compartment, he packs water bladders, food, stove, kill kit, water filter and water purifying chemicals, dry bag with extra clothing, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, pillow, game bags, and tent.

Next, John talks about how he dresses while hunting, even including what he puts in his pockets. He also explains what type of gear he brings for extra clothing. Last but not least he tells us what he brings in the category he calls hardware, to include his iPhone, pocketknife, lens pen for cleaning optics, ear plugs, a quarter, binoculars, and rifle. If he can handle more weight, he’ll bring a larger folding saw, a tarp shelter, and portable shelters. 

The hunting gear you decide to bring on your hunting trip is essential to success, especially in the weather variations that you can encounter in Alaska. The way you set up your pack can provide time saving and convenient hacks.