Tents
Southeast Alaska campers need a tent that is waterproof. This means the floor and rain fly should be designed and constructed to withstand lots of rain. Three-season tents are made for spring, summer, and fall use, while four-season tents will stand up to heavier wind and rain, as well as snow loads. If fast and light is more your style, we also carry ultra-light single and double wall tents that sleep one to two people and weigh in at less than five pounds! We offer a selection of some of the best backpacking tents on the market and encourage you to come in and see the tents set up in our back room.

If you call ahead of time, we can set up two or three tents you are interested in side by side so you can crawl in and around them for a full inspection. We are also happy to set the tents up while you wait.

Like all good technical equipment, tents require a certain amount of care and maintenance to make them last as long as possible. Please review our list of Ten Things You Should Know About Using Your New Tent.

Sleeping Bags
The majority of the sleeping bags we sell use synthetic insulation, which is a durable alternative to natural goose down, providing warmth in wet environments. We feature sleeping bags constructed of Polarguard Delta—made up of hollow core continuous filaments, that is lighter, more durable and more thermally efficient than any Polarguard product ever produced. These advances are achieved by a higher diameter fiber with more hollow space inside to create a stronger, higher lofting insulation.

We also have a small selection of down bags available for customers who want a minimal weight without compromising warmth. These bags are made from high quality goose down. They compress to very small sizes, and will not lose their loft like some synthetics can over time. Keep in mind, a down bag is ideally suited for dryer climates than Southeast Alaska.

Try to choose the bag that will keep you warm for the majority of the time you will be using it. For instance, if you only go winter camping very occasionally, you can probably get by with using a lighter bag, and then layering clothes or a liner inside the bag for extra warmth for the few times that you need it. Temperature ratings provided by the sleeping bag manufacturer assume that the camper is sleeping inside of a tent, on top of a sleeping pad, with the bag fully zipped. Eating a good meal before going to sleep and staying hydrated can also affect temperature comfort while camping.

Backpacks
Fitting a pack can be confusing, even to an experienced backpacker. You need to find the best pack for your size, shape. and camping requirements as well as your budget. We like to take our time with each customer to discuss all your needs, take the proper measurements and help you try on packs right in our shop with weight in them. Sometimes it takes several visits to the store to find exactly the right pack for you, but the rewards are great when you know you have carefully chosen a pack that you will carry on adventures for years.