Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic Bus.

Here you can discuss anything relating to Alaska and this story.
SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic Bus.

Postby SteveSalmon » Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:32 pm

~SS
Last edited by SteveSalmon on Thu May 03, 2012 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby SteveSalmon » Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:35 pm

~SS
Last edited by SteveSalmon on Thu May 03, 2012 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby SteveSalmon » Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:36 pm

~SS
Last edited by SteveSalmon on Thu May 03, 2012 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby SteveSalmon » Sun Jan 16, 2011 5:53 pm

~SS
Last edited by SteveSalmon on Thu May 03, 2012 8:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jedidiah
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:09 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby Jedidiah » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:00 pm

SteveSalmon wrote:MAGIC BUS INVENTORY:
#1- DEET! 100% Deet, nothing less than 100%. Found at Walmart.
#2- Bear Defense Kit. The VERY MINIMUM Bear bells, Bear Whistle and Bear Spray.
#3- Water! Several bottles of it.
#4- Rain Gear. (Pants & Jacket)
#5- Camp style Cooking Pot w/ Utensils
#6- Great pair of hiking boots that you've broken in already!!
#7- Socks!!


on #1. Along w/ 100% DEET get a camo Mosquito Net hat. Every useful!!!!!!

on #2. I suggest bringing Bear Spray, a handgun of caliber 44 auto or 45 mag. Bear bells, useless. Try instead saying "HEY BEAR!!" every 10-15 min to alert any grizzly in the area of your presence. This is more effective and also suggested by the Park Rangers in Denali National Park.

on #3 Don't bring small water bottles. This just creates trash. Bring a one quart sized metal or plastic canteen. Then carry a gallon jug of water in your pack. As I've said before to elliasd, Once you run out of water just use water purification tablets like the ones offered by Portable Aqua Plus. On a side note you’ll notice the air in Alaska is incredible dry. Your sweat evaporates as quickly as you produce it, so often times people get dehydrated because they don’t even realize they’re sweating. Don’t let this happen to you, it can be deadly.

on #4. To save weight use hiking clothing that also functions as rain gear. One less pair of cloths means a lighter pack!

on #5. Go light weight aluminum or emanel for cooking pot. As for utensils get a metal spork to save weight.

on #7. Socks, you can't bring ENOUGH of them!!! For best results (keeping your feet dry of sweat, etc) get a wool, silk, breathable polyester blend hiking sock. On my 22 day trek I have 5 pairs of socks, just to give you an idea

ellisd
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Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 1:01 pm
Location: central/upsate New York
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Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby ellisd » Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:50 pm

GREAT JOB GUYS!!! thank you both for the immense help this will be to me, and others too i'm sure.

If i may add, Mytopo.com has custom Topographic maps made to your order. I bought one of the same type krakauer used when he first went to the bus. It even lists the old gauging station and park cabins, which is a big plus.
a GPS and a compass as backup would help to. Also As Jed told me earlier, becoming familiar with reading and using maps, a compass or a GPS is a MUST.

Jedidiah
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:09 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby Jedidiah » Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:30 pm

ellisd wrote:GREAT JOB GUYS!!! thank you both for the immense help this will be to me, and others too i'm sure.

If i may add, Mytopo.com has custom Topographic maps made to your order. I bought one of the same type krakauer used when he first went to the bus. It even lists the old gauging station and park cabins, which is a big plus.
a GPS and a compass as backup would help to. Also As Jed told me earlier, becoming familiar with reading and using maps, a compass or a GPS is a MUST.


mytopo.com actually gets their maps from the http://www.store.usgs.gov site. If you're needing maps of the stampede trail they are Healy D-5 and Healy D-6. I would also suggest that you get Healy C-6 just in case you can't cross the Teklanika River. This way you can follow the Teklanika River south (upstream) to where the Denali Park Road crosses the Teklanika River, a safe haven. Each map on the usgs.gov site is only $8 where as mytopo.com requires a $30 yearly subscription.

SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby SteveSalmon » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:41 pm

~SS
Last edited by SteveSalmon on Thu May 03, 2012 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Jedidiah
Posts: 44
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:09 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby Jedidiah » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:43 pm

So I remember posting most of my goods for my 2010 expedition on my blog awhile back so I figure I'd repost them on here. Just as a helpful guide for any solo hikers out there or anyone just wanting a good idea of well researched items to buy. It took me over a year and a half to prep for my journey. This was due to the physical and monetary aspects that the trip requires.

My physical preparation came mainly from two articles. The 1st is by Therese Iknoian and was published in the April 2001 edition of Backpacker Magazine. It can be found online at http://www.mountainsurvival.com/backpackfitness.html The 2nd is located at http://sierrabackpacker.com/condition.htm Both articles are the best I found after days of searching. Use this to your advantage.

I will now list a ton of gear that I bought and how much each item cost. I was an Eagle Scout so you’ll notice that I bought a lot of stuff off of scoutstuff.org, this website is open to anyone just like amazon.

Tent
I prefer a 2 person tent for my solo treks, simple to fit myself plus my gear next to me.

Sleeping Bag and pillow
North Face, Aleutian $110. A campground favorite, this classic mummy bag keeps campers warm in temperatures down to 20ºF. Made with a silky taffeta shell and liner, this smooth bag is insulated with thermally efficient synthetic insulation that won't lose its warmth or loftiness when compressed and shoved into a daypack. For a pillow, I used the Slumberjack® Quallofil Camp Pillow ($10.99). It compresses down very nicely to a small 8”x4”.

Clothing
Due to Alaska's quickly changing climate, I ususally take 2 bi-layer thermal shirts, a pair of jeans, 1 T-shirt, 'long underwear' and Carhartt Duck Bib Overall - Unlined $44.99. For a jacket I would suggest Columbia's Heat Elite Jacket~$135. It features both omni-heat and omni-shield protection. You can find a product description on their website. SOCKS!!!!!!! Bring at least 5 pairs, the MORE the better! For best results (keeping your feet dry of sweat, etc) get a wool, silk, breathable polyester blend hiking sock.

Backpack
I'm a bit biased. I love kelty. I took the Redcloud 5600 ($179.99) with me, the BEST backpack ever! Although I have recently upgraded to the Redcloud 6650. There isn't any diffence except its 1150 cubic centimeters larger than the 5600. You can't find a better backpack for the price! Plus Kelty has an amazing warranty and customer service.

Bear Protection and Small game hunting and fishing
Bear Spray is absolutely necessary! Most brands can shoot up to 30 ft! Cost varies from brand to brand. REMEMBER bear spray can’t be taken on airplane so I’d suggest you buy some from an REI in Anchorage, AK or somewhere in Fairbanks. Another option is to take a handgun with you just in case the bear spray doesn’t work and it gets ‘dirty’. I would suggest a 44 auto or 45 mag. Most Alaskans that I have talked to would prefer a 45 mag. I took a 44 auto ( Glock 21, 45acp $629.99) plus some Winchester Bonded PDX1 45 Auto (25 shells/box, ~$30). These shells come highly recommended against bears since they flatten out and become very hot.
Small game hunting wise I took a 1. 597 Remington .22 Flx/camo ($219.99), 22lr Brick Remington (200 pack ammo shells $32.90), and Red Head (Rh) Pursuit Scope (for .22, $99.99). Don’t forget a gun case and waterproof case like ones offered by Pelican (pelican.com). You can always hid your gun case in the bush and return for it later, take the waterproof case though. Also, follow all Alaskan hunting laws and buy a small game permit ($20).
For fishing I took a collapsible fishing pole, 50 lb line, and some tackle. Fishing in the Teklanika and Sushana is limited to only artic grayling, a tricky fish to catch.

Knife and Axe plus sharpening
A knife and axe are essential items when preparing food and personal defense against the wilderness. The knife I choose was the M60 SOTFB by CRKT ($100). Columbia River Knife and Tool is a great place to get a high quality knife. Check out http://www.crkt.com/survivalknives I took an axe simple for its utility to cut wood and therefore to build a fire. I ordered mine from scoutstuff.org ($33.99 Hand Axe & Sheath). Many people opt for propane stoves but I’m a lightweight backpacker and propane canisters are heavy and bulky. They can also run out of fuel and create more trash to carry around. A good knife sharpener is also necessary if you plan using your knife and axe regularly.

Mosquito protection
1 can of 80-100% DEET. Be careful using this. It is known to cause cancer, only use on clothing. I would also STRONGLY suggest taking a Mosquito Heat Net. Mosquitos can be a killer the closer you are to water.

GPS and maps
As for the gps, I would suggest you get a gps that actually gives you your gps coordinates so you can relate them to an actual map. Something basic like the Garmin eTrex H is perfect. Having an actual map will keep you safe just in case you are stranded and run out of batteries. As for the SPOT messanger, I’ve also considered getting it. I decided against it because it requires a yearly subscription and has no multifunctional purpose like a gps can.

Topo maps: Make sure you have the physical Healy D-5, Healy D-6, and Healy C-6 maps. Why C-6? Well C-6 is just south of D-6 and shows the southern route to the Denali National Park Road just in case the Teklanika is too high to cross. You can hike to the road where buses pass every 10 or 15 min and they will pick you up and take you back to safety. Also note the 2 Ranger Cabins. One the Denali park boarder on the Savage river (south D-5) the other also on the Park boarder but on the Sushana River (south D-6), these are both safe havens.


Books on Nature and Survival
All of the following books can be found on amazon.com

Alaska Wild Berry Guide and Cookbook
By: Alaska Northwest Publishing $11.66 –ONLY TAKE if you’re in Alaska in July

Alaska's Mushrooms: A Practical Guide
By: Harriette Parker $11.01
Alaska Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Plants and Animals (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press) By: James Kavanagh $5.95

Alaska's Wilderness Medicines: Healthful Plants of the Far North]
By: Eleanor Viereck, Dominique Collett $12.69

Alaska's Wild Plants: A Guide to Alaska's Edible Harvest
By: Janice Schofield, Janice Schofield Eaton $12.69

The Nature of Alaska, 2nd: An Introduction to Familiar Plants, Animals & Outstanding Natural Attractions (Waterford Field Guides), James Kavanagh, Raymond Leung $10.17

Alaska Trees & Wildflowers: An Introduction to Familiar Plants (A Pocket Naturalist Guide), James Kavanagh, Raymond Leung $5.95 – I left this at the Bus.

Survive!: Essential Skills and Tactics to Get You Out of Anywhere - Alive
By: Les Stroud $13.59

Primitive Wilderness Living & Survival Skills: Naked into the Wilderness
By: John McPherson, Geri McPherson $24.45

Other useful items
Scoutstuff.org
$6.99 Knot Tying Kit
$33.99 Hand Axe & Sheath
$2.59 Boy Scout Toothbrush
$9.99 Folding Shovel
$2.99 Lobster Claw Carabiner
Amazon.com
Petzl Fixe Pulley $24.95
1000' Foot Black Parachute Cord Paracord Type III Military Specification 550 <===== ABSOLUTE MUST!! Maybe not 1000 ft but 200 will do you good!
Sold by: Love It Enterprises, LLC $44.99

Packrafting- ALTERNATIVE method for crossing the Teklanika River. See my post in –The Magic Bus- forum.
Sevylor Inflatable Trail Boat Sold by: LeisurePro $62.95

PACKRAFTING! An Introduction and How-To Guide
By: Roman Dial $24.95


Hope this helps! I’ll probable edit a few more times before it’s finalized to check back soon. Things like a medical kit, etc.
Last edited by Jedidiah on Fri Feb 11, 2011 5:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

SteveSalmon
Posts: 295
Joined: Thu Sep 30, 2010 4:42 am

Re: Helpful Advice And What You'll Need To Get To The Magic

Postby SteveSalmon » Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:13 am

~SS
Last edited by SteveSalmon on Thu May 03, 2012 8:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.


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