Gear List

List of Gear 

What Aleutian Outfitters Provides for Guided Trips:

  • Comfortable lodging, including bed linens and towels
  • All meals/food/drinks with the exception of alcohol
  • Transportation between the Adak airport and the lodge
  • Transportation from the lodge to the hunting grounds
  • Guiding, fuel, hunting equipment, boats
  • Meat processing, freezing and boxing
  • Boats, off road vehicles and other needed equipment

What Aleutian Outfitters Provides for Rentals:

  • Comfortable lodging, including bed linens and towels
  • Transportation between the Adak airport and the lodge

What You Should Bring:

Bring good raingear, gloves and boots!  These are essential in the Aleutians.  Adak receives rain over 250 days a year.  Often it will rain for short durations but it will rain while you are here.

For raingear, we suggest the Frogg Togg Toadz (not their cheapest line) series as the cheaper version of what you need to stay dry on Adak.  We’ve worn the Toadz line for years and really like using it.  If you want to get the next step up from Frogg Togg Toadz, we suggest the KUIU Yukon series.  It’s better quality at about 4 times the price.  We have the Yukon jacket and pants.  They are very nice.

For gloves, we like Atlas 490 gloves in black.  These are fleece lined, waterproof gloves that keep your hands warm and dry.  Also, we like PL 150 Sensor Gloves for shooting/hands in use gloves.  These are not waterproof but will keep your hands warm when sitting or shooting.

For boots, we suggest a good pair of waterproof hiking boots if you are planning to hike/walk.  For general use, we often have on calf or knee high Muck Company boots.  These are waterproof and will keep your feet dry.

Alaska Air Packing

Alaska Air will allow you to carry a maximum of one carry-on bag that have to fit under your seat or in the overhead bin and one personal item, such as a backpack. Some hunters choose to put heavier, more valuable, or fragile items in their carry-on’s like, binoculars, cameras, camcorders, etc.  Remember you cannot carry ammunition in your carry on or in your gun case.  Ammunition must be in your checked baggage in the original box.

Other suggestions for your carry-on luggage might include reading material suitable for long airplane rides and weather-related delays, toiletries, and maybe a change of underwear and socks.  That way if the airlines loses your luggage, you will have what you need while you wait for your luggage to arrive.  Also consider that if you arrive in Anchorage late at night and you are flying to Adak the next day, you can leave all your luggage at the airport at the storage facility in the Baggage Claim area.  Then, just take your carry-on to the hotel and wear the same shirt and pants to the lodge the next day.  This strategy also works well if the airlines lose your luggage.

Alaska Air charges $25 for the for the first two bags.  These two bags must be under 50 lbs. each.  We often recommend bringing an 18 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck bin or Home Depot knock off (yellow and black bin) to pack your clothes and items in with a duffle inside.  You can use the duffle to take clothes back with you and use the tote for birds, meat or other items that you acquire on the island.  Another wrinkle that we use often coming to Adak is Alaska charges $75 for a third bag, $75 for any bag over 50 lbs but less than 100 lbs or oversized bags.  For a large amount of gear, we sometimes use a large marine cooler and fill it up to the 100 lb limit.  Being oversized, overweight or your third bag, the cost is still a maximum of $75.  For example, it is cheaper to have an oversized and/or overweight third bag than to have an under 50 lbs third and fourth bag.  You can get a free first bag (up to 50 lbs) by using an Alaska Air credit card to book your tickets (even if booking your ticket for miles and using the credit card to pay the tax).

Alaska charges $100 each way (total route) to bring your dog with you to Adak or anywhere else in Alaska.  They have a pressurized and climate controlled space for them.  We’ve traveled with dogs many times to Adak.  We’ve always felt our dogs have been well cared for while flying on Alaska Air.  You need to book space as soon as possible once you determine your travel dates.  The space is limited on every aircraft and is first come/first served basis.  You will need your vet to fill out the air travel vaccine documents within 30 days of travel.

We suggest the 1700 series Pelican hard gun cases for airline travel.  We use keyed alike Master locks that you can buy in sets at Home Depot.  Generally, you must lock both ends of your gun case for the TSA to accept your gun case so make sure to have at least two locks.

Cash

There is an ATM on the island, however, we suggest bringing any cash needed with you.  Honestly, there is not much to spend cash on the island.  There is a bar, a small general store and a liquor store on the island.  All take credit cards unless the internet on the island is down.

Clothing

As you probably already know, weather in Alaska is unpredictable.  No matter what time of year you come, weather can be unseasonably warm, cold, wet or dry!  So, prepare for the unexpected!  Dressing in layers is imperative for comfort.  The lodge has two washers and two dryers so washing clothes during your stay is not an issue.  We also provide boot dryers in the lodge.  With that in mind, here are some suggestions:

  • 1 Heavy Jacket • 1 Polypro-Pullover or Wool Sweater • 2-3 Warm Shirts • Packable Rainsuit (we highly recommend Frogg Togg Toadz line of rainwear) • 2 Pairs of Long Underwear • Socks and Underwear • 2 pairs of hunting pants (1 pair of jeans, 1 pair of hunting pants) • Warm Hunting Hat • Waterproof Boots (ankle fit knee high rubber boots or muck boots) • Waders (not required but recommended) • A Variety of Gloves • Travel Clothes

Note:   There is no legal requirement in Alaska for wearing hunter orange for any hunting

Equipment

  • Shotgun (if needed)
  • Rifle (if needed)
  • Ammunition (we recommend 12 gauge 3” 3’s) 6 to 10 boxes of shotguns shells – (We have shells for sale at the lodge, however, always good to bring shells that you are confident in)
  • Binoculars
  • Headlight/Flashlight

Miscellaneous

  • Toiletries • Lip Balm • Hand Cream • Reading Material • Camera • Extra Camera Batteries or charger • Extra memory cards • Federal Duck Stamp • Alaska State Duck Stamp • Alaska Small Game License • Dramamine (for boat rides on the ocean if you suspect you get sea sick)

Optional Nice to Have’s

  • Soft Gun Case – to protect your gun from salt spray while traveling by boat or truck to the hunting area. • Waterproof Gloves • Leatherman or Swiss Army Knife • Ear Plugs • Hand Warmers

If you get to Anchorage and realize you forgot something, there are national chain stores of Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops and Sportsman’s Warehouse in Anchorage as well as several local brand stores.  One of our personal local store favorites is Mountain View Sports in Anchorage.