Hey everyone. I’m in my first season of Southwest Alaska flying and am in need of some winter gear. I just moved up from Florida so not only is this my first Alaska winter, but my first real winter ever. With that said, I’m a bit overwhelmed when it comes to winter gear, specifically gloves.

I’ve got boots, socks, pants, and a (I think it’s descent enough) coat. I plan on getting a Yukon extreme carhartt insulated bib. Also need a good beanie.

For gloves, I’m not super interested in the nomex gloves, but if those are the best then it is what it is. I plan on getting some thicker mittens when it’s gets way colder. What I’m looking for now is a pair of gloves that are thin enough to where I can function in the cockpit, warm, and ideally wind/waterproof.

I’d appreciate recommendations for gloves, gear, and any other cold weather tips and tricks for a southerner. Thanks a lot.

I asked a similar question last winter. This may be of some use to you: https://backcountrypilot.org/forum/cold ... zero-25751

Where in SW Alaska? Peninsula, further north, or? Makes a difference in temps.

Congratulations on your first season in AK! You’ll either love it or hate it, not much in between.

MTV

Cold Climbing gloves work well

Good for the time when you’re flicking switches before the plane is warm enough for you want to go sans gloves

I’m
Having to rebuild some of my gear from living in the south for a few years, it’s like I have tropic gear, a smattering of 0f stuff, not much in between and my boots and gloves got fubared

https://www.hestragloves.ca/gloves/climbing-gloves

Welcome to AK!
I'm sure you'll get plenty of recommendations on gloves and other gear. A few thoughts based on my two seasons of winter flying there.

At minimum:
1. Fly only in good conditions with a good forecast until your northern survival skills are developed (if not already).
2. Whatever gloves you decide on, have a pair of overmitts attached to you while you're flying. If you go down and manage to get yourself out of the airplane, you'll be able to save your hands from becoming frozen digits so you can operate emergency comms, light a fire, etc. https://www.boundaryfursewing.com/beave ... nt-harness
3. Have at least a lighter or two, a fire-starting kit, and your knife on you as well. Preferably the fire-starting kits and lighter/hurricane matches are in separate pockets.
4. Carry a GPS beacon - either a PLB or an Inreach-type beacon. No sense spending more time out there in an emergency situation than you have to.

What're you flying?

Johnny
Kenai AK

ckflyer wrote:Hey everyone. I’m in my first season of Southwest Alaska flying and am in need of some winter gear. I just moved up from Florida so not only is this my first Alaska winter, but my first real winter ever. With that said, I’m a bit overwhelmed when it comes to winter gear, specifically gloves.

I’ve got boots, socks, pants, and a (I think it’s descent enough) coat. I plan on getting a Yukon extreme carhartt insulated bib. Also need a good beanie.

For gloves, I’m not super interested in the nomex gloves, but if those are the best then it is what it is. I plan on getting some thicker mittens when it’s gets way colder. What I’m looking for now is a pair of gloves that are thin enough to where I can function in the cockpit, warm, and ideally wind/waterproof.

I’d appreciate recommendations for gloves, gear, and any other cold weather tips and tricks for a southerner. Thanks a lot.

Nomex gloves are perfect flying weight but for exterior preflight and fueling you need some super warm bulky type gloves that will slip over the nomex. I am sure there are other good liner weight gloves instead of the nomex ones but those are what we have at work due to the survey and off airport fed requirements and now I have gotten so I prefer them.

Be interested to here some first experiences first

Nope, in Alaska a PLB is the gold standard. Cell coverage works pretty good in Anchorage……

And Globalstar coverage sucks in AK, or anywhere north.

MTV

. And Globalstar coverage sucks in AK, or anywhere north.

I keep hearing that, but my SPOT tracked me perfectly to Tuk and back - almost 70 north.

Here's the latest coverage map, a lot more of the globe than 10 years ago.

MTV is correct. NOW BACK TO GLOVES. It is not so much the flying that is the issue it is everything else. In the other thread I mentioned I carry several pair. You need that big heavy mitten when everything goes bad and it is cold with no heat. You need the everyday load/unload leather glove that is warm and tough. You need that real thin tight fitting glove at -30 to put the cowl screws back in. Nice warm gloves for flying when the duct tape just can't stop that cold draft. I would throw in a set of latex when you know the oil is going everywhere. Just stick them in the daypack and you always have what you need. BUT, what you really need is a Sealskin hat, get that and people will know you understand what Winter flying really means.
DENNY

Absolutely concur about the sealskin hat. My mittens are beaver. The hat and mittens are always in the airplane with me in the winter. Along with huge warm layers.

Troy Hamon wrote:Absolutely concur about the sealskin hat. My mittens are beaver. The hat and mittens are always in the airplane with me in the winter. Along with huge warm layers.

Nah, pilots in the interior of Alaska, where it actually gets cold occasionally, wear marten hats. Just be sure to get the one with three tails, lest you become the butt of village jokes.

Beaver mitts are the warmest.

MTV

Found the mittens at glacierwear.com, all sorts of fur options, but I'll take the sage advice from this group for beaver.

Found a "trapper" hat in marten, is that what MTV refers to? Is a sealskin hat the same thing in sealskin?

Cheechakos here, obviously.

Try Sue down near Ninilchik in Clam Gulch. https://www.howlingwolffurs.com/
Many of the trappers in the area use her services to make their stock into hats, gloves, etc., if they don’t do their own.
She can probably round up what you’re seeking.

https://www.seafursewing.com/shop-all/p ... rapper-hat. This is what a Seal skin hat looks like.
DENNY

Karmutzen wrote:Found the mittens at glacierwear.com, all sorts of fur options, but I'll take the sage advice from this group for beaver.

Found a "trapper" hat in marten, is that what MTV refers to? Is a sealskin hat the same thing in sealskin?

Cheechakos here, obviously.

Yes, common reference is a "trappers hat". Marten is soft, and really warm. Much finer fur than Beaver. Beaver hats are warm also, however.....just not as handsome.

MTV

Earlier, I asked where specifically the OP has moved to. There’s a reason for that question. Example: Here’s a link that shows average temps in Kenai, AK: http://s/215/1/Average-Summer-Weather-i ... emperature

Note that average lows in January are around 13 degrees F. That’s PLUS 13 degrees, by the way.

Bottom line: Don’t buy a bunch of gear designed for super cold weather, if you’re living in the Miami of Alaska.

Do consider COOL weather and WET weather gear in that case. But a trappers hat in Kenai…..only if you’re into styling.

MTV

Waterproof you say?






Jokes aside, if it’s not getting too too cold, I have had good luck with pig gloves down to +10ish for preflight, loading, waiting for the aircraft to warm, they are also very good at providing dexterity

https://www.tacticaldistributors.com/pr ... ther-glove