My Alaska Top 10 Gear List

I biked more than a 1,000 miles during the winter of 2013 in Alaska on roads, trails, beaches, ice and more ice, glaciers, and anything else that I could run my 45Nrth Husker Du's across. My Ti Mukluk took me wherever I asked, and did so with style, grace and incredible endurance.  It is without a doubt the finest bike I have ever owned, period, end of story....

During this trip I encountered sunshine, rain, sleet, snow, more snow, and lots of snow, along with  temperatures that ranged from a low of -36 to a high of 45 degrees.  Planning and executing a self supported bike trip that spans those types of conditions is challenging to say the least. 

As part of my ongoing attempt to pull together and share my thoughts and my lessons learned, I have come up with my top 10 pieces of gear (non bike related); a few honorable mentions; and a short list of what dissapointed me the most.  In the coming days I will add some more detail to why I chose what I did and why the gear that worked, really worked.

Grand Prize: My Prototype Hyperlite Mountain Gear Mid

Top 10:

1. Patagonia Houdini
2. Patagonia Cap 4 Hoody
3. NeoAir X Pad
4. Bryjne Wool Fishnet top
5. RBH VBL Socks
6. Wool Buff
7. Sea to Summit UL Sil Backpack
8. MSR Universal Stove
9. RBH Gloves
10. Exotac Tool

Honorable Mention:

1. Goal Zero Guide 10 Plus packs
2. Apple Ipad Mini
3. Princeton Tec Light
4. O/R Insulated Sleeves

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Fatbike festival, Homer AK

Most Dissapointing:

1. Mammut Ultimate Hoody
2. Nokia Lumia 920
3. Swedish Fire Steel
4. Delorme InReach

More details on why stuff worked and why it didn't.  I love the fact that the two top pieces of gear on my list cost me less than $200 combined and were worn more than 90% of the ENTIRE trip.  They are without a doubt two of the most amazing pieces of clothing available to the outdoor enthusiast.

Photographic Gear:

• Nikon D800E - Still the greatest camera I have ever owned
• Zeiss Makro Planar 50/2 - My goto lens
• Zeiss Distagon 21/2,8 - An unbelievalbe wide angle lens
• Zeiss Makro Planar 100/1,4 - One of Zeiss's best pieces of glass ever!
• Sony NEX-7 with Sony 50/1,4 - This was my goto grab camera while on the bike

The kit worked brilliantly, albeit a little large for a bike tour.  However, I knew that with two months in Alaska I was going to encounter stunning scenery and I wanted absolutely the best gear possible for that trip. 

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Note: The links above are to the products on BHPhoto, my preferred source for photography kit.  Purchasing using these links provides me a small commission and costs you nothing.  These small commissions help me to pay for the web site and the exposure site where I share my stories and images.

Winter Bikepacking Kit

Here is the first pass at my clothing & camp setup for the upcoming winter Bikepacking expedition in Alaska.  This kit is a derivation of the setup I used last year in the Gaspe/Chic Choc mountains.  The main difference is that I will be going into colder and more extreme situations which will cause me to carry a bit more food, clothing, and fuel.

The following is a textual layout that will be updated with the appropriate weights once I re-weigh everything.  Some of the numbers are holdovers from last year and should be correct.  I will also map out visually where everything fits on the bike and how it is all packed once the setup is complete.

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Old Man Mountain Rack

When I decided to go to AK, I also opted to go the 'rear rack' way of packing v. the seat bag route.  My rationale was largely based on the increased load of a winter expedition kit.  After making this decision, I ordered the new Old Man Mountain Rack (OMM) made specifically for the wide rear end of a Mukluk, along with new wide Salsa Alternator rack.  My goal was and is, to evaluate the two and choose the one that will do the best job for my expedition.

Last evening the OMM rack arrived and it is amazing the work and craftsmanship that went into crafting this rack.  OMM racks are made in the USA out in Santa Barbara CA.  The welds, for those of us that appreciate these things, are nothing short of beautiful.  The rack feels solid and clearly designed to take a beating.  I think mounted to the Titanium Mukluk, it would be an even draw as to which failed first....

I will mount up the rack in the next couple of days and report back on the process.  The Salsa Alternator rack should be here shortly and I will then do the same for it. My goal is to always take and use the best possible gear when my life is on the line.  After a proper evaluation I will use the rack that I deem to meet that very singular requirement.

Barely a month to go

Time is flying by and December 12th is rapidly approaching.  Gear decisions are finally coming to closure.  I have updated my winter storm and riding gear with a Mammut storm shell and a Mammut Softshell.  My new Western Mountaineering 0 degree sleeping bag arrived as did my winter pogies.

The addition of the pogies has caused me to ditch the Jeff Jones bars for a pair of straight Salsa Pro Moto bars.  While I like these bars I do miss the sweep of the Jones bars.  Obviously in winter your hands are in the pogies so there really is no need for all that extra space presented by the Jones bars.  I would still like something with a bit more sweep and will keep an eye out for something used that would work, including some smaller bar ends.  The pogies are simply awesome!!

On the shoe front, perhaps my most serious issue, it appears that I will opt for the winter hiking boot/VBL/Neos Overboot route instead of my existing Lakes or even the new 45Nrth shoes.  For whatever reason this does not excite me as I am so used to riding my Crank Bro pedals.  Still, I think given the temperature range, the amount of overflow, and the unknown, this is a better route.  To prepare, I have mounted an old pair of flats on the Muk and will begin teaching my muscles how to pedal this way instead of the clipless way.  Luckily their is still some time and at a minimum, once I get to AK, I am in no hurry, so slow will be ok.

I spent a week and a half testing out the new MSR Universal Whisperlite and I was quite pleased.  It burns nicely, seems to be some what miserly on the fuel front, although it is prone to priming flare ups.  This is something to take notice of when lighting up in a vestibule.  I still don't have it quite down, but I am confident that it will work out.  All in all I like the stove and think it is a good choice for the winter conditions.

My shelter choice is a surprise, but to say I am stoked is an understatement.....

The rest of my cook kit stays the same with my trusty Snow Peak pots.  I will be adding a Kupilka bowl/spoon to avoid the dreaded "shit, my lips froze to my spoon, cup, pot...".  I love the simplicity and ancient elegance of these and am really looking forward to their arrival.

Lighting will be with my USE lights, both the front and head.  These lights really do rock and I expect no issues with them. 

Lastly is my decision to move to a rear rack for this trip.  While I prefer to go with straight Porcelain Rocket setup, my need to carry larger items and more food make this a smart decision.  I have the new wide Salsa Rear Rack coming and will report back on how that works.  As soon as I get it, I will do a mock load up and report back on how it all fits.  Luckily my winter trips last year really prepared me for this, even if I am making some changes.  I don't expect too many surprises when it comes to loading out the bike.

Pics and layout coming next week.