When you book with us we will send you our Raspberry Island Remote Camps equipment list to help you pack and prepare for your trip. We have lived year round in the Alaskan Bush and know what works. The gear we recommend we have used and continue to use. One of the most important things to consider is your foot wear. You may hunt steep and rocky terrain and if you have to pack anything out traction and ankle support are critical! Let us recommend to you footwear that best suits you hunting ability and methods.

Layered clothing is especially important here not only because of the variety of weather we may have on a given day but because we like to hunt “high down”. That means two things: we climb to glass and to control the stalk and in doing that we get hot going up and will cool off glassing. The best way to maintain a level body temperature is by adding or taking off layers of breathable materials. Silk weight underwear is the platform to controlling your body heat and controlling sweat. Fleece layering out from there to your choice in rain gear will not only control your body temperature but you level of noise while hunting and making that most important stalk.

Too often we see hunters not get the most out of their hunt because they have been taught to go light in their choice of equipment and gear. True there are some benefits to lighter and more compact binoculars and rifles but there may be too many disadvantages that many hunters overlook. We like the bigger binos and heavier rifles to steady our glassing and shooting. All too often my hunters have a nice light rifle that beats them up so bad they develop a flitch they aren’t even aware of. The heavier rifle can absorb a lot of that recoil and the bigger glasses let you see more and with less eye strain.

Your pack can also make or break your hunt. Let your guide or packer worry about the heavy gear and you hunt with a day pack, something quiet and small so you can carry your lunch and rain gear in and not bang around on the bush. On our guided hunts the packer will carry any excess gear and have a frame pack in case we have some serious weight to move or a gun rest we need in tall grass. He will also be a spotter and camera man on the final stalk so his pack won’t bang on the brush when it is important to be quiet.

We will be happy to offer advice on physical training and shooting exercises to aid you in preparing for your trip. When you arrive on Raspberry Island one of the first things we will do is sit at the bench and do some shooting to fine tune your rifle and to be sure traveling hasn’t knocked it out of zero. Please don’t hesitate with any questions you might have about your gear or clothing, we will be happy to answer any inquiries and can recommend products we know work for us. Also our friends at Mack’s Sport Shop in Kodiak have an excellent staff and inventory to not only help you with specialized questions about specifics but carry the product line you are looking for to get the most out of your Kodiak adventure. Ask for Tom, Cheryl, Jesse or Eric and you will be pleased with not only their answers but the fairness of their pricing.