As I stare at the growing pile of gear on the garage floor I wrack my brain for the things I might be forgetting. Heavy gloves-check. Snowmachine helmet-check. Stout ice-fishing rod and reel-check. 20-gauge shotgun and ammo-check. Leaving something behind can be the difference between success and failure and not having the right items can lead to a bad day. Fast forward to the next day and the angry patches of frostbite on my face.

It's quite amazing the amount of gear that an outdoorsman needs in Alaska. I took a tally of the gear amassed for four of us to enjoy a day of small-game hunting and ice fishing and the tally, considering the four snowmachines and trailers, easily exceeds $25,000. It's also quite evident that in this harsh environment, any technology upgrades can make a big difference in comfort and performance, and ultimately to your overall experience in the field. I often wonder if all the new gear is to help catch fish or the angler. The more time fishing leads me to believe that all of these new advances are necessary.

Take for instance, the SnoSuit Arctic Series one-piece suit that I've been wearing this winter. While others are huddled indoors trying to stay warm at minus 20, I've been fishing and hunting nearly every week. This high-tech suit has worked incredibly well to keep me comfortable in very cold conditions, especially when riding a snowmachine where wind chills can drop the temperature to minus 50. I've never been able to ice fish during the coldest parts of winter without being cold and this has changed by upgrading my gear.

Now back to those patches of frostbite on my face. Without a breath diverter in my helmet, my glasses fog up almost immediately. This leads me to take off my goggles, which eventually leads to snow in the helmet. Once the super cold snow hit my warm face, it melted to form an ice layer on my cheeks. It took only five minutes for that to turn into two ragged red patches on my skin. There's no escaping the elements in Alaska when you are not prepared.

The same can be found to be true when angling. Have you ever spent a day on the river and watched as your buddy caught fish after fish while you struggled to come tight to the occasional salmon? Was it skill, presentation, rigging or equipment that made the difference? Well the probable answer is all four, but you can be sure that with all things equal, the better equipment will give the edge in landing fish.

We've experienced it in rods that cast a little farther, wading jackets that kept you drier, lines that were more sensitive or reels that had such sweet balance that the spool would seemingly spin forever. Whether it is the hook that's super sharp and stays that way, or the lure with such incredible lifelike action that the fish can't leave it be.

A recent case in point revolves around line. After bird and rabbit hunting for most of the day, we end up on a lake to try our luck at burbot and lake trout. As darkness descended and the wind began to howl, it was getting harder and harder to discern whether or not we were getting nibbles or the ice tent was shaking hard enough to make the rods quiver. I had spooled my baitcasting reel with Power Pro Spectra and could feel the tapping of a fish 60-feet below the surface. I gave the fish time to enjoy the bait, reeled down and set the hook sharply. Shortly thereafter, a tasty burbot emerged from the hole. Had I been using monofilament line, I would not have had the sensitivity to feel this light bite in these difficult conditions. But being equipped with modern technology-most notably a high-end Frabill tent and Eskimo Mako Ice Auger, as well as quality equipment-not only allowed us to brave the harsh elements, but also to catch fish.

Marcus Weiner

-Publisher