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Ronny Anderson's Wilderness Info

If you're looking for wilderness info you've come to the right place

It's always good to be well prepared when hiking, bring all these important things with you.

FISH NET
Bring a fish net even if you don't plan to use it, especially if you are going somewhere where there are very few other people who can help you out if you get stuck.

SLEEPING PAD
You're going out in nature to have a good time and enjoy some time away from work, you should make sure you're comfortable when you are asleep otherwise the trip won't be as enjoyable. Try different sleeping platforms (foam mat, air mattress, hammock, etc…) to see which one is best for you and don't care too much about the weight, it's worth carrying an extra pound or two to be able to sleep comfortably.

CAMPING SAW
These are generally very light, if you have one of these with you can build a pretty good hut if you happen to get stuck in the wilderness for a whole winter.

FOOD
Bring good tasting food to eat, even if it weighs a bit more. You're going out in nature to have a good time and enjoy yourself, not for some kind of punishment.

TOOL
Either a Leatherman tool, Swiss Army knife, or something similar will do. These tools are excellent if you need to fix some broken gear.

BACKPACKING STOVE
The packweight of a camp stove is the sum of two weights; the weight of the stove and the weight of the fuel. In this category light weight wood powered stoves leave all conventional stoves in the dust. They are a little bit slower to cook on and generate some smoke but they are much lighter. The Stratus Trailstove has the lowest packweight of any stove in the world, it weighs 15.3 oz (433 grams), and that stays the same no matter how long a trip you go on since you don't bring any fuel at all.

Kill animals with a deadfall trap.

This is the most simple type of trap you can make but it's very deadly, it will kill or cripple an animal easily. Don't do this unless it's a life and death situation.

Find a heavy log that can be lifted up on one side.

Put a round rock on the ground under one edge of the log.

Find a good strong stick that can support the log.

Find a smaller stick to hold the bait.

Put one edge of the bait stick on the round rock, lift the log up and support it with the strong stick. The bait stick should be wedged between the strong stick and the round rock and with the other end suspended in the air under the log.

Carefully put the bait on the bait stick and walk away.

Noatak National Preserve

Kotzebue, AK

As one of North America's largest mountain-ringed river basins with an intact ecosystem, the Noatak River environs features some of the Artic's finest arrays of plants and animals. The river is classified as a national wild and scenic river, and offers surperlative wilderness float-trip opportunities - from deep in the Brooks Range to the tidewater of the Chukchi Sea.

CONTACTS

Email - WEAR_Webmail@nps.gov

Fax- 907-442-8316

Write to
National Park Service
PO Box 1029
Kotzebue, AK 99752

Phone
Headquarters - 907-442-3890
summer Visitor Information - 907-442-3760

TRAVEL BASICS

Operating Hours, Seasons
Information Center Use: daily, summer: 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.; "occasionally", winter: 3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. For Parklands Use: Open all year long. Closed most Federal Holidays

Getting There
PLANE - Access to the Park: to get to Kotzebue, fly with Alaska Airlines from Anchorage or Fairbanks. From Kotzebue to the Parklands, fly with various air taxi operators. There are scheduled flights to villages and chartered flights to specific park areas. Summer access may include motorized/non-motorized watercraft, aircraft, or by foot. Winter access may include snowmobiles, aircraft or by foot.

Weather & Climate
Expect high winds throughout the year and short, mild, cool sunny summers. Experience 24 hours of daylight for one month and a long, severe, harsh, extremely cold winter with about one hour of daylight by December 1. The area recieves 10-12" precipitation annually. For back country hiking/camping, wear plenty of warm clothing, dress in layers, and use rain gear. Wear sturdy hiking boots and waders for wet terrain.

Accessibility
There are no trails or roads within the park.

Some content donated by Hikercentral.com and the National Park Service

FISH NET	Bring a fish net even if you don't plan to use it, especially if you are going somewhere where there are very few other people who can help you out if you get stuck.
SLEEPING PAD	You're going out in nature to have a good time and enjoy some time away from work, you should make sure you're comfortable when you are asleep otherwise the trip won't be as enjoyable. Try different sleeping platforms (foam mat, air mattress, hammock, etc…) to see which one is best for you and don't care too much about the weight, it's worth carrying an extra pound or two to be able to sleep comfortably.
CAMPING SAW	These are generally very light, if you have one of these with you can build a pretty good hut if you happen to get stuck in the wilderness for a whole winter.
FOOD	Bring good tasting food to eat, even if it weighs a bit more. You're going out in nature to have a good time and enjoy yourself, not for some kind of punishment.
TOOL	Either a Leatherman tool, Swiss Army knife, or something similar will do. These tools are excellent if you need to fix some broken gear.
BACKPACKING STOVE	The packweight of a camp stove is the sum of two weights; the weight of the stove and the weight of the fuel. In this category light weight wood powered stoves leave all conventional stoves in the dust. They are a little bit slower to cook on and generate some smoke but they are much lighter. The Stratus Trailstove has the lowest packweight of any stove in the world, it weighs 15.3 oz (433 grams), and that stays the same no matter how long a trip you go on since you don't bring any fuel at all.