MI to AK

I would tape a bear spray holster to the gear leg. No way would I want it even in that box inside.

It is bad news when it goes off inside.

Any container you intend to use needs to be "air proof". Most PVC tubes I have seen still allow air leakage.

I use one of these

Don't bring anything but a filter for the oil change. You will run into enough guys that will let you stop in and change oil at their strip/hanger. If I am in town when you come by you can use my hanger and we can get a tour of Airframes/bushwheels while it drains. Let me know what oil you run and I will have it waiting for you.
DENNY

I put the Bear Spray in the belly pod.

Aktango, I also have some surveyor friends who'll be in Haines that I was going to stop in and see. I'll look you up when I'm heading there. I have plenty of guns so I could take a shotgun. It'd be lighter than the .444 I suppose. I'm not coming up to wreck or be a cowboy. If I do it won't be because I needed to land on a glacier to check it off of a list even if that's the impression I gave. I'll make good decisions based on my skill level and at least minimize the risks involved. I take all of your suggestions seriously even if I don't follow them based on what my priorities are. I'm steadily lightening my load. Thanks everyone.

Do your friends live in Haines? I probably know them.

One thing to consider and be prepared for, keep the camera handy, and don't get worked up about schedules. Up here is is all weather dependent.

My Cell: (907) 723-0435. Call if you have any questions. I have pretty good help all over southeast if you need it. Sometimes can send 316BR for missions if it is catching big fish!:lol:

My friends are originally from Michigan working for blm surveying. They will be based in Haines for while this summer. They were there last summer too. I'm flying speedos old plane so I know him a little. If there's a Wiita there with his cub, I know him a little. If you get any calls from 9063700748 it's me. I also have my text only inreach if I get in trouble.

I have done many of these trips from the east coast, and like others here have said you are bringing way too much stuff. 20 ounces of laundry detergent? That's over a pound! If you are really concerned about it, bring a small baggy with enough for one wash. They have laundry detergent in both Canada and Alaska, you know.

I would NOT ditch the bug head net, unless you plan to only stay in areas like Matsu Valley or Los Anchorage. It weighs less than an ounce, and it has saved my hide in many very remote places.

Think I'll go commercial airliner!

Excuse me; in contrast to the 18'' you just mentioned. I thought the rule is anything, but not a pistol? Does this really mean that I can't fly with my Remington 870 to TX from Canada? It is about 18.1/2''. And I was supposed to get the gun oils along with it. Can someone please tell me how I can properly do this without breaking any local and international flight laws? If I can't fly with it, does this mean I can't courier it to him as well? Some advice here folks. I will really appreciate it. I hope to send solvents also won't have to be a problem: cause I've got the best gun oil attached to the rifle when sending.

BredWest said:

Excuse me; in contrast to the 18'' you just mentioned. I thought the rule is anything, but not a pistol? Does this really mean that I can't fly with my Remington 870 to TX from Canada? It is about 18.1/2''. And I was supposed to get the gun oils along with it. Can someone please tell me how I can properly do this without breaking any local and international flight laws? If I can't fly with it, does this mean I can't courier it to him as well? Some advice here folks. I will really appreciate it. I hope to send solvents also won't have to be a problem: cause I've got the best gun oil attached to the rifle when sending.

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The Canadian Firearms laws are not exactly strait forward. Please call: 1-888-CAN-PASS and ask the questions. Be up front with what you want to bring with you, and they will tell you yes or no, or refer you to the office that does the paperwork for permits. Trust me, this is the best way to get correct answers.

Mailing solvents and oils is a US deal as most are Haz Mat. Ask your postmaster.

Most shotgun factory barrels are ok in Canada. Be specific as to how they measure it, if it has been modified it can be a problem.

One last thought: When dealing with Canada Customs, Begging for forgiveness is NOT the best approach

aktango58 said:

One last thought: When dealing with Canada Customs, Begging for forgiveness is NOT the best approach

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Words to live by. An acquaintance tried to enter Canada in his motor home and did not declare his handgun. The weapon was found, he paid a $10,000 fine, and his trip was ruined. The Canadians take their gun laws seriously.

aktango58 said:

The Canadian Firearms laws are not exactly strait forward. Please call: 1-888-CAN-PASS and ask the questions.

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What is not clear?

The person to call is the Province Firearms Officer.

There's an old saying about carrying handguns for bear protection: "If you're going to carry a handgun for protection from bears, be sure to grind off or otherwise remove the front sight, so it doesn't hurt so bad when the bear shoves it up your a&*."

Try, honestly try shooting a moving target with a heavy caliber handgun sometime. I've watched some pretty accomplished shooters try it, and it's not easy. Also, take a look at the ballistics of most of the "heavy caliber" handguns.....pretty wimpy stuff, frankly, compared to a rifle or shotgun with slugs.

And, if you're not carrying a gun for bear protection, why do you need to carry a gun? A shotgun with slugs is the best bear protection, from a ballistics and function point of view.

MTV

You have listed a vest. I'd recommend an inflatable life vest since it looks like a lot of your flying will be over water. I'd put the in-reach in the vest and also put it in a water tight pouch for crash protection and water proofing. Cell should be in a water tight pouch also.

mvivion said:

There's an old saying about carrying handguns for bear protection: "If you're going to carry a handgun for protection from bears, be sure to grind off or otherwise remove the front sight, so it doesn't hurt so bad when the bear shoves it up your a&*."

Try, honestly try shooting a moving target with a heavy caliber handgun sometime. I've watched some pretty accomplished shooters try it, and it's not easy. Also, take a look at the ballistics of most of the "heavy caliber" handguns.....pretty wimpy stuff, frankly, compared to a rifle or shotgun with slugs.

And, if you're not carrying a gun for bear protection, why do you need to carry a gun? A shotgun with slugs is the best bear protection, from a ballistics and function point of view.

MTV

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I did the charging Griz simulator a few years ago. They had it rigged up like laser tag and I did it three separate times over a weekend: With a handgun (not holstered) I missed wildly and I consider myself proficient but no 'pistolero;' With a shotgun (at low carry) I did pretty good, actually surprising the USFS Ranger running the setup (but I did shoot 'A' Sporting Clays once upon a time...) and; With bear spray (in hand) I did the best but even with that broad brush it was a challenge because you had to be quick and score a "snoot shot."

Following that experience, I carry bear spray in the back country and at home we keep a can at each door to the barn/house ( my wife can't hit the ground with a firearm)... but then again there is also an 870 slug gun behind the bedroom door because nothing else makes that sound.

If/when I go I would carry both, the 870 (with a standard stock, not one of those idiotic folding thingies) and a couple cans of fresh spray. Oh and I'd Deffinately take Eaton along for bait, sure worked well at Schafer Meadows and my motto is why mess with success!

I had a experience a number of years ago driving the the Alcan highway thru Canada and Alaska and back to the US. This was before Canada changed all there gun laws and became stricter. I had a hunting rifle with me had no trouble getting it into Canada at various Custom check points. However when I returned to the US border at or near Seattle I was detained by the US customs for the firearm. They told me it should of been registered with the US customs before leaving the US. They eventually let me go after a long period of time but had threatened to take my rifle. So I would suggest checking this side of the border regs before you go. Actually I think transporting a firearm is more trouble than its worth. If I was in bear country I would rather stick to bear spray. For what its worth. Or use the electric fence when camping.

There are those who are passionate on both sides of this debate, but, I thought this recent snippet I ran across was interesting. Just saying...don't crucify me for just passing this on:

Scientific research[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]proved[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]that bear spray is the best way to keep hell-bent bears from plowing into your campsite, eating your food, and possibly attacking you and your camp mates. Two professors, one from Brigham Young and the other from the University of Calgary, studied hundreds of bear attacks in Alaska and found that the spray stopped bears[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]93 percent[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]of the time. Only 2 percent of people who used bear spray were attacked, compared to 56 percent of people who were attacked when they tried to use a gun.[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]Counter Assault[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]makes an effective and popular spray.

Having both makes the best sense. Hiking, fishing, moving about with use of your hands makes the long arm a handicap. I see most left in the plane or near the campsite after those I have been with grow tired of carrying one. No doubt a large canister of bear spray can be effective. In LE we use a similar larger canister style and the noise/hiss during discharge also has the effect to deter and stop an animal. This website quite interesting and gives some info on data.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America

I had planned on updating on the trip but was too busy having fun. I had significantly cut my list of gear down but it was still too much stuff. Next time I will be lighter. I hear a lot of horror stories about customs but it was a good experience for me. Maybe I got lucky. I brought the 12 gauge pump with a longer than 18" barrel and bear spray taped to the step. The one thing I would recommend to anyone doing the trip that I wasn't prepared well enough for is keeping the plane upright in the windstorms. Bring duck bills that you can pound in the ground for tie downs when the ground is too soft for the claw. Maybe some bags or netting for rocks which was good advice from Denny. The wing spoilers for the windstorms might be handy too. I was rained/fogged in on a beach by seward for a few days and the claw with a bunch of rocks stacked on it wasn't enough for the unforecasted winds that showed up. My ropes were barely long enough for when I finally dug a hole and buried a log to tie down to. For anyone planning the trip, bring longer ropes than youre used to using at the paved strips and more ways to tie down than just the claw. A couple times my tail rope wasn't long enough to tie to a tree nearby and my wing ropes are the appropriate length only if the tie downs are standard cub size spaced. I missed not having my rubber boots when my feet were cold for a few days so I'll take them next time. The less stuff the better but being warm and dry while the plane is safely attached to the ground will be my priority when packing for my next trip. All I can say is it was the adventure of a lifetime and I might be moving. I met a bunch of you guys but didn't get the opportunity to message everyone that I had planned on. Next time... I will post a few pictures and talk about a couple of things from my adventure that I learned when I get the chance. I liked reading through the other threads to decide what I was going to pack and then adjusting it to fit me.

I would definitely opt for a tent rather than a tarp as you could have steady rain and once you are wet it is hard to dry things out and keep warm.

This thread did not happen without photos!!
;-)

Eddie Foy said:

This thread did not happen without photos!!
;-)

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And....every time I see this subject line...and the list folks come up with..I'm like. My list mirrors the contents of my Boy Scout back pack...cept now I use an adulting it back pack. With the addition of Meals Rejected by Ethiopians. Couple plugs, wrench and socket for same...metric crescent wrench. Screw'm drivers, shorty wrench set and 1/4 drive set...small bag of fasteners and zip ties. Duct tape, first aide kit has additional items like super glue, suture kit with 2% numbzit and some toradol. Need to finish my wings...I miss playing in the bush...can't...busted both hands...don't ask.


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I was hesitant to post the wing pictures. The claw pulled out in the wind and i bent a rear spar. It also smushed my cot I was trying to sleep on. For anyone else planning the trip I'd recommend more than the claw. Haha. A great group of guys had me flying in a week and one day though with a new rear spar. It was all part of the experience and still felt like a positive one even during the down time wrenching on the wing. I figured I'd post about so some can laugh and some can learn from my mistakes.

Wonderful pictures. Thank you again for sharing your trip!

streetreamer said:

All I can say is it was the adventure of a lifetime...

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Don't say that! Say that it's been the adventure of a summer..... so you can go back next summer, and the next, etc etc! ;-)

Sounds like you had an awesome trip, thanks for sharing!

FYI alder bushes are great for tying down your plane too! Use all the vegetation you can.

Gosh I never realized you needed so much stuff to fly up to AK, first time I flew up was In a PA11 . No radio, never got 500' AGL all the way. Here was my survival list:
10lb bag of Pretzel's and 2 cases of Beer........ Extra pair of Levis and bar of Ivory soap.
2nd trip up I flew a PA12 , and revised the list, had a Narco
Superhomer radio that work about the same as the one in the PA11, never got 500'AGL again on the trip.
Here is the revised list having all ready done it once.
5 lb bag of Pretzel's, and 3 cases of beer.........extra pair of Levis and bar of Irish Spring soap.lol.
The LAST thing I would ever ditch over anything on your list would be my Hudson Bay Axe. That is 2.5 lbs that is NOT removable for me...........

TurboBeaver said:

Gosh I never realized you needed so much stuff to fly up to AK, first time I flew up was In a PA11 . No radio, never got 500' AGL all the way. Here was my survival list:
10lb bag of Pretzel's and 2 cases of Beer........ Extra pair of Levis and bar of Ivory soap.
2nd trip up I flew a PA12 , and revised the list, had a Narco
Superhomer radio that work about the same as the one in the PA11, never got 500'AGL again on the trip.
Here is the revised list having all ready done it once.
5 lb bag of Pretzel's, and 3 cases of beer.........extra pair of Levis and bar of Irish Spring soap.lol.
The LAST thing I would ever ditch over anything on your list would be my Hudson Bay Axe. That is 2.5 lbs that is NOT removable for me...........

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What, no Ovaltine?:lol:

Looks like you had a great adventure!! Thanks for posting the pics.
DENNY