planning for the ALCAN in 2011

[strvger]

planning on a month, but i can take longer if i want too. will be playing it by ear as i make the drive.

 

[strvger]

ok, little update. communications are finally done. here is what i'm taking to cover all the bases i can. cb (installed now), frs portable radios, marine portable radio, cell phone. don't think i'll have time to see about a basic ham license and get a radio for that. have to wait and see as it will be a long winter and i might get it done.
but what i have should cover 99% of my needs for the trip i believe. did i miss anything?

oh, and i finally found a good used spare tire for my truck. should i get 2 as they have several available?

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Just remember that shore to shore is illegal with your marine vfh radio but ship to shore and shore to ship is legal and alot of the newer ones have a locate to triangulate your position. Make darn sure your CB and antenna are tuned for SWR its all the difference in the world (just get a Cobra 29). VFH is by no means better inland, on open water you have line of site so the myth makes it better than a CB. If you are anywere near water fishing ect. wear a PFD period no exception, you fall in it can be cold enough for cardiac arrest even in summer (dog too). If you bring a long big tube gun for say " Wildlife Managment" most bear attacks occure in 0-10 seconds. Might check the legality of bear mace in Canada. I hope you understand completly that you will be in another country traveling through several territories and being admitted back into the USA! The Alcan is a super hiway these days, you probaby are over doing it but better than under.

 

[strvger]

served many years in the military in more than a few different countries. been to canada many times and still only live a couple hours from the us/ca border. also familiar with brown bears and mtn. lions from living out west and still dealing with cougars where i live now. i think they are worse than bears really. plan on taking my 12ga shotgun when the ca. paper work is done. never boat without my pfd on, not just laying in the bottom of the boat. plans call for my trip to take me near coastal waters hence the marine radio.

 

[feellnfroggy]

I hope you plan on taking slugs as well as 00 buck. As far as radios go, Legal or not, maybe carry one just for emergencies. BUt above all that if you can afford 7 differnet radios then you mihgt as well pack a sat phone. two spares will be ideal but take up lots of room, hell if you have a trailer, might as well cary 4. But at least one extra rim in case you damamge a rim. THe other three tires you can always just swap on and off the rim yourself. carry some starter fluid. Jus my opinion.



OH yeah, with all this planning it will be the one thing you dont take that really fawks you up. remember that. So dont overdo the packing, IF its gonna get you itll get you no matter what.

 

[MountainMike]

So how's the prep going now that we have finally entered 2011?

 

[wtn4x4]

Seriously, as I have driven the ALCAN four times this is a VERY VERY easy trip to do. The level of preparation you are putting into this is vastly exceeds the level you will need to have 99.9% success. I guess the important question is how long are you planning on traveling this?

The majority that drive straight through the ALCAN people find no trouble along the way at all. In fact, it is my belief that you are or could be over prepared and could make life more difficult. I have driven the trip with three different vehicles and two times towing a 5000lb trailer with a loader on it. No tire problems no engine problems no trailer problems. My recommendation is not to take any guns at all. If you want to buy one get one here. I always drove straight through taking only enough time to make sure the tires were cool and check fluids.

I guess if I only give one piece of advice: FORGET THE AUX TANK AND FILL UP AT EVERY GAS STATION.

 

[meskater132]

from a alaskan

Tires and try to change some at home where you can figure out how to do it when its not raining or on the side of the road. take them off rim then put on rim with basic tools rubber mallet pry bars. tires are not easy to find and you will prolly go through them. a hard cover is a must for your bed. my trailer just had a tarp and it filled with mud weighed an extra 100 pounds and made it impossible to get to my stuff.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

Seriously, as I have driven the ALCAN four times this is a VERY VERY easy trip to do. The level of preparation you are putting into this is vastly exceeds the level you will need to have 99.9% success. I guess the important question is how long are you planning on traveling this?

The majority that drive straight through the ALCAN people find no trouble along the way at all. In fact, it is my belief that you are or could be over prepared and could make life more difficult. I have driven the trip with three different vehicles and two times towing a 5000lb trailer with a loader on it. No tire problems no engine problems no trailer problems. My recommendation is not to take any guns at all. If you want to buy one get one here. I always drove straight through taking only enough time to make sure the tires were cool and check fluids.

I guess if I only give one piece of advice: FORGET THE AUX TANK AND FILL UP AT EVERY GAS STATION.

I keep tryna tell people that but oh well. The alcan a cake walk these days period.

 

[MountainMike]

I keep tryna tell people that but oh well. The alcan a cake walk these days period.

Hey, I've said that in this thread too but to each their own. And depending on how long he wants to take and if he i going to be living out of the truck then over-preparation cannot be discredited.

 

['99 EB Explorer]

Might check the legality of bear mace in Canada.

Bear mace is perfectly legal. You can buy it over the counter at any outdoor shop. I carry it with me whenever I'm on my mountain bike...and I live in Ontario.

 

[strvger]

well, i won't be giving up my aux tank for sure. it is 27 gallons and plumbed into my fuel system with a tank switch in the cab. nice having 42 gallons on tap for whatever may happen. i do long road trips several times a year and really like being able to pick and choose where i fill up along the highway. also great for those excursions off the highway where others might not be able to get to, and back.
right now the engine is completely out. rear main seal is trashed. replacing every seal and gasket that can be gotten to. also putting in a high volume oil pump as long as it's already out. worst part is i don't have anywhere warm to do it, so i have it at a shop. they are guys i've known for quite a few years now and they are having a little fun with it and giving me some good ideas as they know my plans for this trip.

when that is done and the weather is nicer, be upgrading the sound system a little, finishing off the bed storage, installing a 2nd battery, finishing the carpeting and a few other little odds and ends. this will not be a pretty truck at all. it is a working truck with most of the work on it being for function and not aesthetics.

i plan on one spare for my truck. E-rated tires on it should do well with minimal problems i think. i'll also carry one spare for my trailer as well. very common size so i don't anticipate having any problems with it either. i'm just giving myself one box to hold my tools and spares just to keep myself from overdoing it too much. main thing is the tunes! perhaps too far north for my satellite radio, so lots of cd's unless i decide to get into an mp3 player. still debating that one.

so, that's it for now. can't wait for it to warm up! tired of all these below zero temps we've been having here this winter!

 

[Original_Ranger84]

I keep tryna tell people that but oh well. The alcan a cake walk these days period.

True that it isn't that hard (atleast not like Tok to Dawson city), but it never hurts to be overly prepared! haha. I remember in scouts every summer we would always hike up this one mountain that was like a 4 mile hike and you climbed about 2 miles within that... everyone always packed just what they needed because it was heavy and we spent miserable nights up there. One time I packed a full pack which wasn't much harder to pack up but I had the best night ever.

point is, why go with just what you need when you can be fully prepered?

Bear mace is perfectly legal. You can buy it over the counter at any outdoor shop. I carry it with me whenever I'm on my mountain bike...and I live in Ontario.

I don't believe you can carry it accross borders though, we had trouble with the mace when we went over to dawson to canoe the yukon river.

 

[MountainMike]

main thing is the tunes! perhaps too far north for my satellite radio, so lots of cd's unless i decide to get into an mp3 player. still debating that one.

Satellite radio works around the world, I have a Sirius radio in my old truck.

Speaking of tunes I finally got a stereo in the 93! For real!

 

[Original_Ranger84]

Satellite radio works around the world, I have a Sirius radio in my old truck.

Speaking of tunes I finally got a stereo in the 93! For real!

However they only work if there is satallite coverage, and alot of highways up here don't have coverage infact most of alaska doesn't have good coverage of any of the Satallite radios (FORD factory Sat is the only one with decent coverage i believe)