I just returned from a backpacking trip to Denali Alaska. So I thought I’d share some observations and comments from a survival standpoint. First of all, Alaska and the mountains in Denali are particularly unforgiving of rookie mistakes.Rugged terrain, steep ascents, BEARS, and weather that changes quickly make for a challenging environment.
We planned on staying 5 days and 5 nights in the mountains in Denali, moving between several units within the backcountry of the park. Mother nature had other plans for us and kicked us off her mountain after 3 days and 2 nights. It rained. A lot. And the wind would change directions, and kick up to 45+ mph. The rain turned to sleet and then snow. The temps dropped. The storm kept a-comin. Our Garmin inReach Explorer could not punch out a signal through the storm. So we bailed and road tripped around the state. It was a blessing in disguise. We (my buddy and I) have already had our man cards punched a whole lot. Nothing to prove. But it was a good solid learning experience.
We were backpacking for 5 days, so we had plenty of gear, even if our packs weighed sub 40 pounds including bear canisters and 64 ounces of water. So, we could survive. Bivy tents, sleeping bags, raingear, stoves and fuel, and plenty of food calories.
Still, I brought dedicated survival gear. The picture shows everything I brought for “survival gear”. The only thing missing is my strobe and 1[SUP]st[/SUP] aid/trauma kit. I brought them, they’re just not in the picture. So for signals I had a strobe, a tac light, a signal mirror (useless in overcast/rainy conditions), a whistle and flagger’s tape. For fire I had 2 bic minis, a fero rod and steel, some strike anywhere matches, some dry tinder and fuel tabs. I brought my trusty Mora knife and a generic multitool. l also had several types of cordage and brass/stainless wire. Thats kind of it. Combined with the gear I had in my pack I could survive. But I tell you want, without that gear? It would be tough. There was almost NO natural shelter. No trees, no good shrubs, no dead and down wood for a fire. Lots of rocks, so I would build a shelter of rocks and cover it with cut branches from the scrubby shrubs present. Everything was soaked, and cold. Fire would be a challenge. If I did it again, I would bring a canned heat. There’s no food, except some sketchy berries. No fish in the rivers. Willow ptarmigan are around but without a survival rifle, they would be hard to bag. You might get lucky by throwing a rock at them. They would walk around near us, like chickens. Within rock chucking distance.
What worked: Frog Togs rock. I left my fancy gortex at home to save space in my pack. Frog togs worked. My new Keen Targhee boots were sorta waterproof. But super supportive and comfortable.
Both headamps worked: Petzl Tikka (brand new one, rereleased @200 lumens and an old Black Diamond. MSR pocket rocket stove worked like a charm. I barely used my Mora knife, relying mostly on my small multitool, even to strike the fero rod for a fire later in the week. Silva Starter compass. Bombproof.
In summary, I could have survived for 5 days and nights with my survival gear, and the clothes and stuff I had in my pockets. If for some reason I got separated from my pack. It would have been miserable, but I’d survive.
It was a great trip, and, an excellent learning experience. I always take notes and pictures to continue my journey of learning more survival skills and then passing those along to my students. This year I’ve been in the jungles and mountains of Costa Rica and the high latitude backcountry and mountains of Alaska. I am applying some of these into my Wilderness Survival class being held next month on the 13[SUP]th[/SUP].
