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There is a lot of basic survival (for lack of a better word) type gear which is not really unique to 4x4 activities. Things such as a knife, compass, matches, and so forth always have a place close at hand anytime you are in the field, whether you are in a vehicle or on foot. I normally keep a fishing vest stuffed full of these type of items, along with some bug dope (ALWAYS have bug dope readily available on the trails in Alaska), snacks, toilet paper, folding saw, twine, soap, light first aid supplies, small flashlight, disposable camera, extra ammunition, and other items that I don't want to be without. When I hit the trailhead, it goes on, and only comes off when I turn in at the end of the day. There are many items that you want to have immediately at available, and you don't want to leave them behind, when you decide to take a walk that later turns out to be longer than you though. It is amazing how much gear you can fit into one of these vests, and wear all day long without hardly noticing it. I prefer the "fishing" vest over the "Cargo" vest often seen on TV journalists whenever they are on location at some site they consider "rugged" or "third world". The shorter length stays out of your way as you move around, get in and out of the rig, drive, and work in various positions during the day. A fanny pack works well too, but is a little less convenient while riding in the rig. You don't want to have to remember to pick it up and put it on every time you get out of your vehicle. And if you don't then you will evenyually find yourself without a needed item, or having to return to the rig for it, which defeats the purpose of keeping it in a handy package in the first place. I also always have appropriate day packs, or even full size backpacks in the event that I have to set off on foot to walk out. Since this would usually be a trek of more than a day, you want to be able to carry sufficient gear, and do so effectively. So far, I have never had to return on foot from a trip I started in a vehicle. But without proper planning, and more importantly traveling with a well prepared group this would be a happening of high likelyhood.

Surveyors flagging tape in at least a couple of colors is an item that I always keep handy on the trail. It is indispensable for marking specific channel crossings along winding river course, or indicating which branch of a trail you followed for someone following behind. It is handy for marking cached gear, and has numerous other uses. Particularly when you are out in the treeless tundra highlands, and there are few prominent landmarks. We have also used it as impromptu "windsocks" when meeting a light aircraft at a makeshift landing strip. The newer varieties are biodegradable, so if you do happen to forget to remove it, or if your route doesn't return by the same path, it is not a terrible thing to leave it there.

Bring along some light to medium duty rope too. From tying up tarps at camp, securing gear on the roof rack, hanging game, or lashing logs together for an impromptu ramp. it is a must have item.

I made a brief mention earlier about recovery gear. It may have seemed a little disparaging. That was certainly not my intent. While a companion vehicle can usually extract you with a tow strap, this is not always the case. I STRONGLY discourage anyone from heading far up most Alaskan trails without at least on winch equipped vehicle in the group. It is much preferable to have a winch on every rig. And make sure that the winch is heavy duty enough to do the job. A deep peat bog can exert a lot of holding power. A bed of glacial silt "Quickmud" is worse than cement. Along with a winch, a pulley block or two should be considered a must have. These increase both the power and the versatility of the winch amazingly. I've seen more than one occasion that the proper use of a pulley block made a five minute job out of a situation which would have taken multiple pulls otherwise. It also allows you to split the force which the "anchoring" rig is subjected too. This makes it much easier to extricate a heavy rig with a light one. Some sort of winch anchor is very high on the list of suggested gear too. Many trails will not have any trees, or boulders to anchor a cable to. If all you have is a 3000 pound rig to pull a 6000 pound rig out of a deep mud hole, this can be a real problem without another solid anchor. If you elect to use a stake type anchor, 1.25 inch steel or iron rod is about the smallest worth bothering with. At least a four foot section of it, preferably more. Something along the lines of a Pull-Pal would seem to be ideal for the type trails we see most often around here. Hopefully I will be able to buy one, or build something along those lines this year, and put it to the test.

Along with the pulley blocks and any anchor(s) that you have with you, you will need to have plenty of cable. In most areas of the 48, you will seldom need more than about 50-100 feet of cable. There are few heavy duty winches which will not hold more than that on the spool. In this part of the world, it is not uncommon to need much more than this to reach a solid anchor. Especially if you have a rig badly mired, and have to use pulleys. Rigging like this demands a lot of cable. Currently I have 150 feet of 3/8 inch cable on my winch, and I carry two 150 foot coils of extra cable on the rig. I have used all of it on occasion. In the next couple of weeks I will be filling the winch to it's capacity of 450 feet of 3/8 inch cable. I will still carry the extra coils on the rig however, and will not be surprised to eventually need it all.

A highlift jack is not an optional piece of equipment. Two are even better. The 48 inch version is often useless with a lifted rig and soft terrain. Spend the money for the 60 inch version. After the first time you max out the short one without lifting your rig, you will curse the twelve dollars or so that you saved... Shovels (round nose) are a necessity. Preferable more than one if you've got the manpower to put them to use. A pick/mattock should be on hand too. I don't consider this an optional tool.While not real important in treeless areas, an ax is a very handy tool to bring along. I prefer a double bladed one, due to the better balance, and the fact that it can chop twice as long before needing to be sharpened. Don't forget a heavy hammer (I use a wood splitting maul) to drive the winch anchor stake. In wooded country, or if I expect to find abundant driftwood along the rivers, I usually bring along a small chainsaw (12-14 inch blade). This makes quick work of firewood, and trees that have fallen to block the trail. Even when you have a winch on every rig, a come-a-along is a very useful item to have with you. A snatch strap of at least 30 feet and 20,000 pound rating for each rig should be considered a requirement too. Several turnbuckles to connect cables, or attach straps will come in real handy for any serious extraction work. as will at least a couple of LONG 3/8 inch chains. These are for best used for securing anchor points, rather than inline with a winch cable. NEVER use a chain inline with a strap, or a turnbuckle between two straps. Remember the waders that I suggested always bringing along? they come in real handy in the mudholes and bogs, not just when checking out the creek crossings... A set of heavy leather gloves for each occupant in every rig is more than just a good idea. When the winch is put to use, every body winds up getting into the act to one extent or the other. They're more than just "nice" when it comes time to move rocks too. Bring gloves. I usually wear some well broke in steel toes boots as well, when traveling in off road vehicles, and working on and around them. But carry a set of comfortable boots more approriate for walking/hiking too.

Maps of the Alaskan back country leave much to be desired. The undeveloped areas seldom are maped to any more precise scale than 1:63,360. Often you have to make do with 1:250,000. And these maps are usually based on aerial photographs more than forty years old. They have seldom been field checked, although some were updated (again from the air) about 15-20 years ago. None of the back country trails and travel routes appear on these maps. But the terrain features are fairly accurate, and you can determine where you are, and where you want to be from them. In spite of their shortcomings, take whatever maps you can get with you. Read them, and try to get a feel for the area. Use the maps. Keep a compass with you. Know how to use it, and do so. Keep track of where you are, and verify your position regularly. Watch the landmarks. If you have a GPS, use it. This is a wonderful tool for this kind of travel. But don't become dependent on it. You can break it, or lose it, or simple wear out the batteries.

If you're beginning to think that my style of back country travel results in a heavy load to carry... Your right. This is why my Cruiser of choice is usually a wagon (Iron Pigs forever!!!). The carrying capacity allows me to haul the items that I consider necessary for an extended trip. Even for the wagons, a roof rack is pretty much a requirement. Obviously it is more so for the '40s. A good roof rack will carry an amazing amount of gear. And if you load the lighter stuff up top, the amount of volume that your rig can carry will surprise you. I have never seen a trailer in the back country except behind a tundra Buggy, or a tracked rig. A 1/4 military "jeep" trailer would be about the largest I would attempt to pull with an regular 4x4. Anything larger would be too cumbersome. Anything lighter duty, would probably just not hold up well. Even with the "jeep" trailer, you will need to be prepared to disconnect it to get through the toughest bogs, and rocky stretchs, then winch or otherwise get it through after you. On some trails I would not attempt to pull any trailer.

If some unlikely occurance manages to disable all the rigs in your party, or otherwise stop your return from the field (perhaps a rising creek which becomes uncrossable after the rigs are on the other side...), it is generally better to stay with the rigs. In a case such as just mentioned here, you can usually wait out the high water. And you have a lot better chance of being spotted by searchers coming to your aid, if you are in a camp with several rigs, a couple of tents, and a camp fire, than if you are walking without anything to draw their eye. Do not expect a cell phone to be of any use in this situation, nor a CB radio. You might have some luck with a HAM radio, but isolation and hilly terrain will reduce the effectiveness. You can usually contact high flying commercial aircraft with an aviation band radio on guard (121.5 MHZ). In an emergency they will be more than happy to relay your communications, and the FAA works closely with the search and rescue agencies. They will also relay the communications to any concerned parties. Just make sure it is a real emergency however. Non-emergency use of this means of communications is not only frowned upon, it is illegal.

Always leave information about your probable route(s) and destinations(s), as well as your anticipated time of return with a responsible party. Let them know when you expect to be back from the trail, when to start worrying about you, and when to send help. Make sure they can provide any searchers with accurate information about who you are, and what your group looks like (almost all searches will be from light aircraft), and what sort of capabilities you have (this will help them decide where, when and how to look for you).

If for some reason (a medical emergency along with disabled rigs?), waiting it out is not an option and you have to set out on foot, then DO NOT do so alone (remember the reasons for traveling in a group...). It is also preferable not to leave anyone behind waiting alone either, but waiting alone is preferable to traveling alone. Especially on foot. DO NOT attempt to set off cross country in hopes of reaching your destination sooner. The wide open terrain of the highlands, or the tundra is deceptive. Hiking through it is much more difficult than it appears, And the obstacles (alder thickets, ravines, steep slopes and uneven footing) are far more formidable than you might think. Breaking trail in the lowland thickets and forests is better left for bulldozer operators. Navigation is also much harder than you might think, as the rolling hills begin to look the same, the endless flat marshes are without easy landmarks, and the thick vegitation can block lines of sight. Equally important, if anyone does come looking for you, they will be searching along the trails first. And even if they do look for you off of the trails, a human on foot is extremely difficult to spot from the air, amid the miles and miles of open country (don't even think about how hard you would be to find in the wooded areas). Regardless of the distance you might seem to save by making a beeline for the trailhead, following the trail will almost always be faster, and will always be safer.

Don't forget that most water crossings will be more difficult when walking than when driving. The cold water will take a lot out of you as well. Stay as dry as possible. It is a very good and reasonable idea, to strip down to the buff for crossing a water course (maybe just out of your jeans if it is a shallow wade to reach the other side), and pack your clothing in a water proof bag help above the surface. If you have to swim, a tightly sealed waterproof bag can provide flotation to make it easier. A set of lightweight beach slippers will protect you feet, and take up little room in a backpack. A towel to dry off with before you put your clothes back on takes little room too. Wearing wet clothes will suck the heat right out of your body (even in summer, many of the rivers here run at about 35-40 degrees Fahrenheit). With nightime temps that can drop to comparable levels, staying warm and dry is imperative. The blisters and chafing that wet boots and clothes can result in can be more than irritating. They can stop you from continuing. If you are hiking in search of assistence for someone waiting behind, you will not be doing them much good in this condition.

(This is another arguement for taking a drysuit along on trips involving water crossings. The loose oversuit style drysuit can be slipped on over your clothes in a few seconds, and rolled into a small bundle when removed.)

In the event that you do have to walk out, it will probably be at least a couple days worth of hiking. Make sure that you take along anything that you would take along on a normal hike of this duration (food, water, sleeping bag, or ???).

Having to walk out to the trailhead does not have to be daunting. Many people (myself included) undertake hikes exactly like this for the enjoyment of doing it. But it generally isn't part of the plan for a vehicular outing. The best way to handle it is to make sure it doesn't come to be. Travel in a group, with more than one vehicle, and make sure that all the rigs are in appropriate form to be on the trail.

Probably the most important thing that you can possibly bring into the Alaskan backcountry is the proper attitude. It is an impressive land. It doesn't have to be intimidating. Proper preperation (over preperation) will keep the trip easy and enjoyable. The approach to the journey down the trial is a little different than in many other places too. Generally the trail is not looked at as an obstacle to be overcome, or a challenge to be surmounted. The emphasis is not on tackling the toughest stretches, and pushing the vehicles and drivers to the limit. We usually try to pick the easiest line through a tough section, rather than a tough one to show our "skills'. The goal is to get to the end of the trail, or to extend the traveled length of a trail whose end has not been reached before, or to blaze new trail where none has existed before. However leaving the beaten trail to bypass mudhole or other obstacle is frowned upon... minimal impact is a serious concern in this fragile environment. I won't tell you that we only drive on established trails. We don't. But we don't blast wildly over the countryside, or wallow out a soft spot into a bog, just so we can sling some mud. That approach will win you few friends in these parts, and will provide ammunition to those who would lock us out of our lands. These trails are traveled to enjoy the wilderness and solitude that makes these places what they are. The challenges of the trail are valued more for the way they restrict the number of people who can make it into these areas, than for the difficulty they present in passage.

This has turned into a bit of a babble. I realize that few who read it will ever get the chance to experience our Alaskan trails. Hopefully you found it interesting nonetheless. And maybe even picked up a couple of pointers that you can apply to your own type of 4 wheeling.

Until we meet on the trail,
Mark.

You can reach Mark at cruiser@rockcrawler.com

All Rockcrawler content including photos and text Copyright © 1998 ROCKCRAWLER. Article photos and text Copyright 1998 Mark Whatley.
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