Top-end hunting gear that will keep you warm, dry, comfortable, and let you haul a load of gear and meat when you need to.
I just returned from a 25-day trip to Alaska. I spent 16 of those days hunting moose from remote camps. This is my 50th year of big game hunting. It was one of the most challenging hunts of my life.
Though I didn’t fill a tag, I could have. I passed two bulls I probably shouldn’t have. That’s because I’d seen the biggest bull moose of my life. It was that bull or nothing. After seven days of targeting the monster bull, the season ended, and I went home with a tag in my pocket, but I learned a lot.
Spend most of a month in remote Alaska, and you learn what gear works and what doesn’t. Here’s a look at the gear I used, loved, and will keep using on big-game hunts in coming seasons.
KUIU Icon 6 6000
In 1994, I had a pack built specifically for sheep and moose hunting while I lived in Alaska. I still have that pack. It still serves a purpose. This fall I’ve been using KUIU’s Icon 6 6000 pack.
I’ll leave all the details of the 6000 pack’s design for you to peruse on KUIU’s website. I used this pack and frame on multiple bear, deer, and elk hunts, as well as a moose hunt. In Alaska, the pack held 50 pounds of gear, including hiking boots, waders, a spotting scope, a tripod, and all my clothes. The locking buckles on the compression straps were put to the test and always held strong. From commercial flights to bush planes, boats, and rugged hikes, the straps and buckles held firm and never slipped. The belt and shoulder straps are very comfortable and easy to adjust for a range of loads.
I helped another hunter butcher a moose on this hunt. A young packer in top shape was eager to try the Icon pack frame. He strapped a full hind quarter of a massive bull moose to it first. It weighed close to 200 pounds. He packed it an impressive distance, cinching the straps as the load settled.
He lives in Alaska, where he packs out several moose a year for family and friends. He said it was the most secure pack he’d ever used on a moose. That night he got online and ordered the Icon 6 6000.
I packed much lighter big-game loads with the frame. It’s very comfortable, ergonomic, and simple to adjust on the go. I’ll be using it on upcoming hunts this fall.
Big Agnes Torchlight 0 Sleeping Bag
I’ve lost track of how many sleeping bags I’ve had over the decades. I used to run a 200-mile-long wolf trapline while living in Alaska’s high Arctic. I wish I had had a Big Agnes back then. Mummy bags make me claustrophobic, but over the years I’ve compromised comfort for space and weight. I won’t do this anymore.
The Big Agnes Torchlight Sleeping Bag features two zipper panels—one on each side—that run from the shoulders to the foot box. Each expands five inches, enough room to toss and turn, lie on your side, and curl up your knees. It’s the most comfortable bag of its kind I’ve ever used.
The down in the Torchlight is touted to be water repellent. I wasn’t sure I’d ever rely on that feature. I was wrong. One day while out moose hunting, high winds kicked up. Steady winds of 50 mph ensued, with gusts up to 70. It was pouring rain. When we got back to camp, I found my tent’s rain cover shredded. Everything inside was wet, including the outside of my sleeping bag. The inside of the bag was totally dry. I slept great that night. The next day the rain stopped, so I hung the bag out to dry. It was like new in no time.
The Torchlight’s contoured hood is ingenious. It covers your head all night long, no matter what position you’re sleeping in. Best of all, it never creeps over your face, so you can breathe comfortably while staying warm on cold nights. An additional slot holds a pillow in place for added comfort. The PadLock system works well on a range of pads, no matter how thin, keeping the bag in place. The insulated back adds further comfort.
I got the Big Agnes Torchlight 0 Sleeping Bag, and it sleeps warm, as expected. But the side zipper lets heat escape easily. The bag was custom fit to my height and weight. This next-level sleeping bag delivers an excellent night’s sleep.
Orvis Waders & Boots
I wore waders every one of the 25 days I spent in Alaska. Moose hunts took place along rivers and in swamps. From the moment I woke up until I hit the sack, I was in waders.
After several decades of moose hunts, I’ve come to prefer a waist-high wader over full-sized waders. Because I may hike miles each day, I like a lower-profile wader that’s less confining and more breathable. The suspenders on some full-sized waders can also be taxing on the shoulders.
After several days fishing in my Orvis Men’s Pro LT Wading Pants, I felt they were moose-worthy. Paired with their Ultralight Wading Boots, they were a perfect fit for the job.
The Pro Wading Pants are not only comfortable, but tough. I logged miles walking through willows and thick alder patches. The biggest test came when I tromped through knee-high water and countless beaver-cutting stubs hiding in tall grass. A thin wader would have been destroyed. Not mine. They endured many treks through brushy thickets.
The Ultralight Wading Boots are designed for hiking. The rigid outsoles are tough and grip muddy slopes, trails, and rocks. The toe box is comfortable, and the ankle support is durable.
Originally, I got the wader and boot in my usual sizing, but they ran a bit small. To allow room for multiple base layers and thick socks in cold conditions, I sized up one size in the wader and boot, and they were perfect.
Paka Base Layers & Socks
If you’ve not worn clothes made from alpaca fibers, treat yourself. Alpaca fiber retains about half as much water as other wools, so it dries fast and doesn’t harbor foul odors. One of the first things you’ll notice when wearing Paka clothes is how well they regulate temperature in hot or cold conditions. Next, whether you’re wearing base layers or socks, you’ll notice how well they breathe. Wet clothes don’t cling to your body like many base layers today.
You’ll also be amazed at how odor-free this material is. I hiked between 4 and 12 miles a day for a week straight on the moose hunt. No matter how hard I worked, my Paka base layers never felt wet, and dried within seconds of taking them off. The best part: after 13 days straight, they had no foul odor. It’s a revolutionary design active hunters will appreciate.
I wore Paka’s Trail Crew Socks seven days in a row, and on day seven they smelled as fresh as they did at the start. One afternoon, I gave them a rinse in the river and hung them to air-dry. They dried quickly, and I wore them six more days. Because of the alpaca fibers, the socks and thermal base layers dry fast, preventing moist environments where odor-producing bacteria can thrive. Day in and day out, even after sweating profusely, I love this feature.
The Paka Thermal base layer is soft, comfortable, and surprisingly odor-free. As I’ve experienced with some wool base layers, the Paka thermals don’t itch or irritate.
Rounding out the Paka layers, I wore the Hoodie and their new Mayu Ultralight Jacket. The jacket has an impressive warmth-to-weight ratio, and because it’s half the volume of down, it packs down very small. As a system, Paka is one of the top-performing, lightest, most efficient clothing lines I’ve used, and I’ve tested many over the decades. The Hoodie and Mayu are so comfortable that I wear them around the house. All the Paka items mentioned here are integral to nearly all my big-game hunts out West, in Alaska, and in Canada.
There you have it, top-performing gear you’ll want to consider for upcoming hunts out West or in the Far North. I’ll be using all of this gear this fall and winter, and for years to come.
Note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s latest book, just out, Elk Hunting The West~The Experience, visit scotthaugen.com.
