Alaska remote trip Prep

Just don’t carry too much booze, Canada only allows single bottle of liquor or a 12pk of beer or a bottle or two of wine across the border.

 

Saw some fluids already listed, but also unless I missed these: some brake fluid, antifreeze, tiny bit of ATF for the steering, etc. (any fluids you can see and think of...). Maybe even some PBblaster to help break something free if needing to take apart??

And with all the fluids... funnel(s)

Spare tire valve cores maybe?

Enjoy your trip! Watch out for the lol

 

Why are you planning on Deadhorse instead of Tuk? At Tuk you can park right at the ocean. Deadhorse is an industrial wasteland with a hefty shuttle fee the last 7 miles. The Dempster also has substantially less trucks.

Bring -
Good 10 ply tires with corresponding spare
Heavy duty plug kit
Good GMRS radio. Seems most communication is through gmrs up there.
Head Net
Ioverlander is a MUST. We were gone 6+ weeks and only slept indoors 2 nights.

don’t sweat a lot of other things. Everything you need can be found.

 

This^

If you carry everything suggested here; you'll need a second taco!

 

For the mosquitos, DEET spray alone won’t do.

I am in heavy mosquito country at least 50 days from spring thru summer, and 50 years of that solo remote and as a kid with my family. Fishing, hunting, camping, non stop.

I will coat every inch of myself heavily with DEET spray for hiking, fishing, etc. On one fishing trip hiking the Skagit river, I got over 50 bites in leass than 5 minutes. I was covered thickly in DEET, just dripping off me. They did not care. Going for my nose, ears, eyes, and limbs of course. I am used to it though with so many bush trips.

So, what you need for when you have setup camp and want to be outside cooking and such, are mosquito control devices like this one. I have 4 of these that I position in a close circle around my camp. They work very well. The mosquitoes stay away.

You do need to purchase a bunch of extra fluid cartridges and repellent mats. Makes a big difference though, lets you be outside your camp and avoid major bug attacks.

I have used mosquito coils for years prior, but the stink and inhalation from the coils is much worse than from these devices.

 

Did the AlCan a few years back. AZ to Fairbanks and back in 38 days. Besides camping gear you’re going to want to carry an extra 5 gallons of gas, a second, full sized spare and basic hand tools. SatCom is a bonus. I would definitely recommend the biggest can of bear spray you can find and lots of bug spray or the Thermocell mentioned above. If you want to bring a firearm read up on the Canadian rules before you cross. A shotgun is the easiest but they still have hoops you need to jump thru.
Every 7 or so days it’s nice to get a hotel and do laundry. White Horse has nice hotels but make reservations. The RV park in Tok has awesome washers and dryers and the Top of the World highway is a must do.
I needed a part shipped to me and my bud mailed it to the Denali post office and I just needed to show a picture ID to get it.
The iOverlander app was very helpful finding camping spots when we had phone reception.
All and all it was an amazing experience. Hope this helps.

 

& jus for Reference, fuel in Valdez $4.85 Glennallen $4.79 & Valley Palmer Wassillia $4.19 FYI..

 

Takes the ferry from Vancouver

 

I looked at taking a Ferry to end the trip, but the time & cost didn't make sense I would have to drive down to Juneau (850 Miles, at least 2 days of hard driving), then the ferry will take like 5 days to get to the PNW. My initial estimate was like $1700 for the vehicle and 2 passengers. I definitely want to cruise along the inner passage, but I think that will be another time, without the vehicle.

Driving would be about 2200 miles, and it would take about 4-5 days of hard driving, or we could do it over the same amount of time 7 days, and really get to see another route. We have Vancouver tentatively on the list, but to go there, and also go through the PNW will add several days to the trip, and we may be ready to get back, depending on how much time we spend in the Yukon/Northern Alaska.

 

You and others you pass will be throwing a lot of gravel so beware of fast approaching rigs.
I added dog screen (home depot has it) to cover the front open grill area and no gravel made it thru so no blown radiator or AC.
Did not see anything but might have missed it on real skid plates if you plan on big offroad treks.
We did 45 days up there and gas can be an issue sometimes so the gas can is good.
Don't leave food in the Tacoma as bears will rip it open so hang it or bear box and we had moth balls to kill any spell when leaving the Tacoma (need airtight storage when driving with them ha ha)
Bear spray is OK but if wolf packs running and you are hiking a shotgun is better in back county.
Plan on a hotel but always have extra meals along and a cooler of drinks in case.
Moosesquitos come out in July (why salmon start running) so a head net is good.
Rain gear/suit - good for boat trips fishing too a must do for halibut out at Ninilchik then salmon many options.
Plane ride up to the glaciers is a kick so we went out of Haines.
Hotel rates double starting 1 July - some had a $99 rate (a few years ago) after cruise line buses came in for open rooms so read the Milepost on that.
Super 8 was a good chain in AK and lots of small places are great too but more rustic of course. Some had an attached diner so good food too.
Many laundry mats have a pay shower in them if you need some cleaning up both clothes and you.
Beware of taking too much stuff due to weight. Any item in the shell that you do want to see any dust need to be in plastic bins - it gets in everything.
Road wash outs are usually refilled with loose gravel so as I said on first sentence beware.
Finally on the paved road if you see sticks (some rather large) upright in the pavement that is a huge pothole and a warning so now you know as if you hit one it can take a tire out or worse!

Can't drive to Juneau no road. North road access on/off ferry at Haines or Skagway and south Prince Rupert is first road access. Ferry is fun but gotten costly as you said.
Enjoy the trip!

 

"Good quality tires, a gas can or two for just in case, basic tools and whatever camping supplies you want to bring are all you need."

This^^ Don't over think it. Have fun, sounds like a great trip!

 

Having re-read the list I made up, I recalled an incident on the Steese Highway. That route basically heads northeasterly from Fairbanks and ends at Circle, on the Yukon River. In its own way, the Steese is as rough as the Dalton. The Steese, though, usually has much less traffic. On one of my trips on the Steese Highway, I got behind a Chrysler minivan with New York license plates. That was one of the classic bottle-shaped minivans. As close as I could tell, it contained a family of four or five, with a little luggage on the roof. Yet the minivan driver was also one of the most skilled I had ever seen. I don't know if he was carrying an extra spare, but he didn't have a flat tire while I was behind him. Because of road work, I was behind him for 75+ miles. He was traveling at a safe speed, and I stayed just behind his dust.

On the other hand, I have seen high-clearance and 4x4s driven by complete idiots. Some had Alaska plates, some didn't.

If you do travel on the Steese Highway, I recommend the Steese Roadhouse at Central. Good food, fuel, and showers. The museum at Central is worth every minute of your time. It has a magnificent display of gold, nuggets to dust, all donated by Fred Wilkinson. Fred was a local miner that had several well-organized gold mines nearby. His reclamation work was amazing. He is kind of a legend.

 

Can you share pictures of your Harker EXO on the truck?

 

I don't recommend firearms of any kind for bear or wolf defense, specially if driving through Canada, and even Alaska. I don't know about Canada, but in Alaska you would have to prove that you shot a bear in self defense. It's best to avoid the hassle. The best kind of bear spray you can afford is fine, and more than likely you won't have to use it as long as you keep an eye open to stay away from wildlife.

Consider protecting the front of the vehicle, including the radiator, from rocks (just don't block the airflow into the radiator and engine). It is also a good idea to have a "temporary" metallic shield under the gas tank (unless your Tacoma already has one). You can carry jumper cables if you want, but the best jump starter would be a Portable Power Bank with a capacity of 8,000 man (3.7 V). The jump start current from a jump starter like this = 200 Amps to 350. C large it fully before you leave home, and now and then plug it into the cigarette lighter socket, only if you need to top charge it. Sold at CostCo Amazon, etc., and come inside a cloth cushioned and hardened case of the following dimensions: about 3-1/2" high x 5" front to back x 8" end to end. Takes little room, and packs enough juice to jump start your tacoma at least three times in a row (maybe more) before it needs to be recharged. On the Dalton, plan your fuel stops with care since there aren't many places along the way. A couple of fuel cans (full) can be handy. When you see the big rigs coming toward you, it is best to slow down to a crawl or even stop as close to the road side as you can. Don't forget to bring a couple of small stoves, lighters and so on, but you can also buy those in Fairbanks before you head toward the Dalton.

A face-net over a brim hat to keep the bugs away from your entire head not a bad idea, but there are mosquito suits too. Also, you may want to buy a mosquito net you can use to cover yourself and your bed.

Don't drink water from creeks or rivers along the roads, unless you have the proper filter, or at least boil it for several minutes first. You will see lots of crystal clear water along the way, unless it is raining

About traveling with firearms in Alaska (rifles, shotguns, handguns, and so on: It should not be a problem if you are a resident of Alaska, and aren't a felon. But using any kind o firearm, bow, and so on for bear defense, even for Alaska residents is just a hassle unless you can prove it was used for bear defense. You will still have to deal with the dead bear, and the rest as you being monitored by F&G. Black bears you have to skin, salvage the meat, and other things. Grizzly or brown, is treated differently by F&G (other rules apply), but I haven't hunted for a few years already, and have no idea what these are these days.

 

I won't be bringing any firearms, I'll have 3 cans of bear spray. One for the vehicle, and 1 each for my son and I. Also, I do have the battery jump charger from Costco, and it's fully charged. I don't think I have time for a cover for either the front of the vehicle or the gas tank as I leave in 2 days, but I will take it slow when I am on the gravel roads, and I will both give them wide berth either passing, or staying well behind them.

 

Sat phone.

 

I would carry my Glock 20. With proper loads, that 10mm will stop just about anything.
Rather have and not need it than need it and...
JMHO

 

You can't have and carry around a handgun on your person or in a vehicle in Canada. Doesn't matter what you are licensed for at home. If a cop catches you it's big time jail.

 

You can have it and transport it through Canada with the proper paperwork, done it a few times. Has to stay locked up and is basically useless but you can have one.

 

Has to have a trigger lock on it and in a locked container. Any ammo must be locked in a separate container. Don't dare take it out of container and certainly don't load it. Canada ain't like the U.S. Canadians can only transport a hand gun properly locked in a direct travel to and from a gun range that they are a member of. Must have proper licensing, and permits too. Can't buy or sell a handgun right now too.