Backup tent
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4merguide
Well-known member
Reminds me of another time.... A fellow coworker a few years earlier had drawn the same caribou permit that I had just drawn. He and I were to hike up just for a day hike just to show me where he had gone up and also killed a bull previously. I ended up killing one big old lone bull we just happened to find. Ran out of daylight. Had a very steep mountain to try and haul down that whole caribou between us in the dark. We had no sleeping bags, but the weather was nice so decided to try and find a place to hold up for the night. I happened to find a somewhat flat spot in some stunted hemlocks on the side if that hill. I had nothing but another layer and rain gear, but my buddy had a space blanket. I was tired but warm from packing and fell asleep almost right away. Woke up a little chilled just as it barely started getting light. I built a little fire between us, and we both hugged it and fell back to sleep till the sun was ready to come up. Up until then I hadn't carried a space blanket but started to carry one all the time after that. We were lucky the weather was super nice.
The German
Active member
Ok then,,,,,, I've got a small day-pack with me in the truck at all times, it has everything one needs to survive for a day or 2 if needed, it weights right at 3.5lbs, I won't leave the truck with out it,,,,,, Period.!!!
TG
Space blankets should be in every pack. We used them on that sheep hunt I mentioned where we hiked 4 days in the rain with no tent packing our sheep back to the airstrip. Made a frame for a lean to. Covered with some boughs, space blankets, and more boughs. All 4 of us stayed dry. that is, after we got dried out from the days packing in the rain.
6.5-284
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Had the same opportunity on a sheep hunt years ago. Spotted 4 rams late in the day, so didn't have time to commit to a stalk. I wanted to bivouac where we were, then go after the rams in the morning. We could have climbed and stayed out of sight until we got above them. The weather was good and we had food, water, rain gear and a space blanket. My guide wasn't interested in doing that and so after trying to convince him, I gave up and we hiked the 2 miles back to our spike camp. His plan was to was to go around the mountain the next day and come in from the other side. Unfortunately that plan failed because we ended up not being able to proceed the final part of the stalk due to the sheerness of the mountain. There was no way around or up it, so we had to turn back. On the return hike back to our spike camp, the aforementioned guide injured his knee and there went my sheep hunt. There was no one else in base camp to guide me so my hunt ended there. You have no idea how many times I wished we would have rolled the dice and just siwashed it... I get it that the weather changes constantly and we would be taking a risk, but if it got too bad, we could always just head back to our spike camp. I don't take unnecessary risks because that will get you killed...along with being over confident; however, there is always a small level of risk in anything that you do when hunting in AK. I am sure some will disagree with me, but if you never take a chance, you may as well stay at home. I weigh the risks with the outcome. If they are too great, I bail. If it's doable, I am willing to try it albeit cautiously.
4merguide
Well-known member
You can handle a fair amount of wet and cold just with a space blanket and emergency candle. Another guide friend of mine, a diehard sheep hunter, told me of a time he ran out of daylight putting a stalk on a nice ram. He decided to put the ram to bed and hang out in a rock outcropping for the night. All he did was wrap up in his space blanket and back up against a rock. When he started to get cold, he'd light up that emergency candle under the space blanket and near his chest. He didn't get much sleep but got plenty after he got up and killed the ram. Sometimes good rams don't come easy. I've always believed you have to do the best you can to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself as you might not get another chance.
cdubbin
Well-known member
I would rather have a good sleeping bag and a tarp, than a bomber tent and just a blanket...I've had some miserable bivies with the latter, and slept warm and cozy rolled up like a burrito with the former...
6.5-284
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@ 4mer...sounds like something Lauber would do. lol A small candle does make a surprising amount of heat.
You're right though...good chances usually only come once on a hunt. Screw it up, and it most likely will never return. Needless to say, I never booked with that guide again...for reasons than just the one I described earlier.
@cdubbin...Amen to that!
You're right though...good chances usually only come once on a hunt. Screw it up, and it most likely will never return. Needless to say, I never booked with that guide again...for reasons than just the one I described earlier.
@cdubbin...Amen to that!
I have always felt that having a sleeping bag in my pack was a good move. I may drop the pack during a stalk, but I want that bag when I'm away from camp. You just never know where you could be at the end of the day, or whether you may be suddenly in bad weather, or injured.
