Personal Equipment List

   
Please plan well when packing for your tour. Bringing the proper gear and clothing is essential for your enjoyment and well-being. In the summers, we enjoy a cool, moist maritime climate with temperatures ranging from the 40s to the 70s. A typical week is 25% sunshine, 25% rain, and 50% overcast. In order to keep up with the variable temperatures and weather, it is best to layer your clothing. We recommend having a paddling outfit as well as a camp outfit with a couple of extra items to change into during the week.
 

 

silk boxers

 

Paddling Outfit

• 2 sets of long underwear tops and bottoms of a synthetic material such as capilene, polypropylene, lifa, etc. Mid-weight or a combination of mid-weight and lightweight is best. Cotton will not keep you warm once it is wet!!!
• Extra top layers such as expedition weight long underwear, a lightweight fleece or fleece vest. It’s all about layers in Southeast!
• Uncoated nylon pants (great for layering over long underwear)
• Nylon shorts (can also be used over long underwear in place of nylon pants)
• 1-2 t-shirts (synthetic are best)
• Warm socks (no cotton)
• Sun or rain hat (baseball cap works great)
• Warm hat (wool or fleece)
• Lightweight fleece gloves (we provide paddling poggies in LeConte Glacier Bay)
• Nylon wind shell or lightweight rain coat
• Rain jacket and pants (Good quality and large enough to wear comfortably over your other insulating layers. Paddling jackets work great.)
• Swimsuit (believe it or not, there's a great swimming hole at Big Creek and hot springs on the Stikine)
• Knee-high rubber boots. We wear them in the kayaks and on any of the short hikes we do—you’ll love yours by the end of the trip! We rent them for $10. Bringing a pair of insoles (from a pair of tennis shoes or simple felt/cushioning material) to put in your rubber boots will make them more comfortable and add an extra layer of insulation between you and the chilly waters!

Camp Outfit

Some people like to wear their paddling clothes around camp but it’s also nice to have some camp clothes.
• Sweater, vest or fleece top
• Fleece jacket
• Warm pants (wool/fleece)
• Sleepwear (cotton OK)
• Camp shoes. Teva sandals or lightweight walking shoes work well. No hiking boots necessary!
• Undergarments

 

Miscellaneous

• Sleeping bag, good to +20 degrees F
• Sleeping pad (Therm-a-rest or closed-cell foam)
*We rent sleeping bags with Therm-a-rest pads and sleep sheets for $45.00. Please
reserve in advance!!
• Personal toiletries (we’ll bring the TP!)
• Sunglasses, croakies
• Camera in waterproof box or dry bag with extra battery and film
• Bandana and/or small towel or washcloth
• Sunscreen and lip balm containing sunscreen
• Bug repellent
• Water bottle (at least one quart)
• Flashlight
• Binoculars
• Small pocket knife
• Reading/writing materials

Lee’s Clothing here in Petersburg stocks most of the clothing you will need including rubber boots. They can be reached at 1-800-478-7702 or 907-772-4229.

Packing your Gear

On all of our tours, there is always limited space for gear and a possibility that the bags may get wet, so it is important to pack wisely. Your gear (excluding sleeping bag and pad) needs to fit into two medium sized dry bags or two medium sized nylon duffel bags (approx 12” x 18”) that are lined with trash compactor plastic bags. Your sleeping bag should also be in a nylon stuff sack lined with a compactor bag. Trash compactor bags can be found at most grocery stores and will work much better than regular plastic bags. Bringing a larger nylon duffel bag that will fit all of your smaller bags will make carrying your gear easier, but is not required. We can help you sort and pack and answer any questions in Petersburg before heading out on the tour.

Storing Extra Luggage

Any extra clothing and luggage you have can be stored either in the Scandia House luggage room or with us while you are out on your tour.

*If you have any questions, feel free to contact us: 907-772-4600 or info@tongasskayak.com.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tongass Kayak Adventures, PO Box 2169, Petersburg, Alaska 99833
phone 907-772-4600 fax 907-772-4646
email: info@tongasskayak.com
Copyright © 2001-2004, Tongass Kayak Adventures. All rights reserved.