Returning from a multi-day hunt

I wrote a piece on packing for my week-long blacktail hunt about a month ago. This week, I want to reanalyze my gear lists and address what I would change for the next time. I’m a firm believer in taking notes throughout the trip on gear, food and travel for the next trip. I’ll break this down into categories of what I would have done differently and why.

Clothing:

We lucked out on the weather during our trip. We stayed warm (enough) and mostly dry. I wish I had brought an extra pair of long underwear bottoms because you can only imagine how funky my pair was after a week. An extra heavy sweatshirt would have been useful after the one I was wearing became saturated along the cuffs with heating oil. An extra puffy jacket with a heavier down fill and new insulated leather boots that DON’T LEAK would have been nice for long sits in the muskegs.

Food:

I always crave real food on these trips after I eat dehydrated meals for several days. Luckily, we had fresh deer tenderloins and hearts to eat and the foresight to bring butter, potatoes and onions to cook with the venison. Previous tenants in the cabin had left cheap macaroni and fake, squeezable cheese that momentarily satisfied our cravings. I brought a bag of apples, which was nice, but I was craving fresh vegetables. I could have easily brought more and kept them cool throughout the trip. I wish I had brought electrolytes that did not contain caffeine for refueling in the cabin at night and more salty foods, like chips or pretzels. I would like to supplement my lunches with pepperoni or sausage sticks to go along with the cheese sticks that I brought and maybe some dessert for the evenings, like a big cake or pie.

Cabin essentials:

The public use cabins of Alaska are very convenient and provide me with unique opportunities to bring different cooking equipment that I would normally bring on a tent-based hunt. I usually boil water and drink from the same cup. This is great for packing less weight, but not so great when I have sticky residue from hot chocolate from the night before on the rim of the mug when I go to boil water the next morning. A camp pot that is designed for ONLY boiling water and filling dirty water bags would be nice. A camp knife with the sole purpose of being used while in the cabin for cutting meat or bread will be added. Both of my inflatable pillows failed me miserably before leaving home and I borrowed a nice one from my hunting partner, Kyle. I will definitely be adding one to my Christmas list this winter. A thermos full of tea or hot chocolate would provide a good source of heat while hunting all day. A rechargeable headlamp would be great so that I can top it off every evening instead of packing around an extra set of batteries and stopping to change them when my light gets too dim. I also discussed the possibility of bringing a rechargeable desk fan for hanging high in the cabin to help circulate the warm air that collects at the top of the room. If you read last week’s column, you might have learned about our misfortune with the frozen moisture in the fuel lines. I might even consider bringing along an additional filter in the future to leave in the cabin and even firewood in case of an emergency like we almost faced.

Hunting equipment:

Probably the most annoying part of the entire hunt was the sling on my rifle. It’s wide and comfortable to wear without a pack on, but it doesn’t like to stay on my shoulder when I wear the pack. I was constantly having to take it off and hold it, being careful not to flash any of my hunting partners with the muzzle. I already have my sights on a different sling that is slimmer and more convenient for carrying. A small, extremely sharp knife would be nice for jobs like trimming meat from skulls and caping and fleshing. I brought one box of rifle ammunition and was down to my last handful when I left. Having two full boxes would provide a greater feeling of security next time. I also thought eight gamebags were sufficient, but for three deer I was definitely pushing my luck. More game bags and a heavier rope with heavier carabiners to hang them by will be on my gear list for next time. Noise cancelling ear buds will also be great, as well as a greater variety of deer calls to test which sound they prefer on any given day.

I’ve adopted a master packing list for all of my Alaska hunts and add to it after each trip. As extensive as it is, there are still holes that I have to fill and ways I need to adapt it for different adventures at different times of year. The only way to get better is to fail, and learn from those failures. Keeping notes in my phone on what to do differently next time is my way of doing that I encourage you all to do the same.