Best outdoor accessories for fishing in Alaska are essential for staying prepared and comfortable, whether you’re navigating remote rivers or braving the elements on the open water. Here are some of the products tested by the team at Fish Alaska that we can’t recommend enough.
Best Outdoor Accessories
PacBak Roam 18-V Portable Vacuum Sealer
This battery-powered vacuum sealer allows you to take fish processing to the next level when you are able to turn a salmon into fillets, and then vacuum seal those fillets on the river. You’ve got the option of using the vacuum sealer at base camp in conjunction with the P60-MK cooler, or you can put the sealer into the PacBak Byway Backpack, and hike to the river.
The problem with filleting a fish on the river and not sealing those fillets is that you sometimes can get fish slime from the skin side onto the meat side in the process of traveling back to your vacuum sealer. So, in many cases, anglers haul their fish out whole. Having a portable, battery-operated vacuum sealer solves both of those problems—better quality meat, and now you don’t have to haul a stringer of heavy salmon back to your vehicle or the fish-cleaning table. This sealer is light, and works well, and is a smart product to add to your fish-processing kit.
Colt Manufacturing Company Kodiak .44 Magnum Revolver
This is a compact, stout, stainless-steel, double-action .44 Magnum with a 4.25” barrel for convenient carry in a holster. Of course, you can also fire .44 Special ammunition in it. This is a fine revolver for bear protection. The cylinder is unfluted. We measured the single-action trigger pull at about 5.6 pounds, and the double-action trigger pull at about 9.5 pounds. The barrel is ported to decrease muzzle rise and recoil. It weighs 4 pounds, which is an ounce less than a Ruger Redhawk .44 Magnum with a 5.5” barrel. The overall length is just short of 10”. Recoil-absorbing over-molded Hogue rubber grips come standard. Made in the USA in Hartford, CT.
Beau Mac Clam Counter
This ingenious little device makes it easy to keep track of how many clams you dug in order to help you avoid a ticket. If you are stopping to dump your clams out to count, you’re making life more difficult than it has to be. With the Clam Counter, you dig a clam, drop it in your bag, then move a bead on the counter. It’s a simple, yet a very effective way to keep track of the number you’ve harvested.
Crazy Creek Hex 2.0 Original Chair
This 250-pound-weight-capacity folding chair is great for providing a padded, dry seat while glassing or on a stand. King’s Camo is the color we used, though it’s available in 3 non-camo colors, too. Improved 8 mm high-density cored EVA closed-cell foam provides ample insulation and comfort without added bulk. The outer shell of durable 210D coated ripstop nylon protects from wet ground. The inner surface of water-resistant, breathable 70D coated ripstop nylon is more durable, easy to keep clean, provides better insulation, and is totally sealed from sand and dirt. It has virtually unbreakable carbon-fiber stays, tight-knit nylon webbing for superior tensile strength and reinforced wing connection for durability. Rolls up compactly to only 4” diameter using the attached roll-up strap; it’s also equipped with a hanging loop.
PacBak P60-MK Cooler
This cooler is far more than just your run-of-the-mill roto-molded cooler. Yes, it is roto-molded, so it’s tough, and with polyurethane-foam walls, it will keep items either hot or cold. But that’s where the cooler resemblance ends. This product is a portable fish-processing station. It includes a removable slide-out cutting board, a detachable table with legs, and a multi-chamber design (30-, 22- and 8 quart) to accommodate hot and cold, or dry and wet. The 8-quart chamber is designed to hold PacBak’s battery-operated vacuum sealer. The system allows you to process a salmon right on the river: catch it, fillet it, vacuum seal the fillets and get them chilling. It’s slick and gets two thumbs up from us.
Reliefband Sport
“I originally tested the Reliefband Premier a few years ago and gave it an Editors’ Choice Award. It was a game changer for me. I recommend the product to anyone who suffers from any seasickness,” says Publisher Melissa Norris. “I thought it would be good for my daughter too since she suffers from the same seasickness affliction but loves to fish, just like me.” Maizie tested the Reliefband Sport model and it’s a gamechanger for her too. The Reliefband is worn as a wristwatch that emits a pattern of pulses that stimulate the median nerve. This process creates a signal to the part of the brain that controls nausea, retching and vomiting. It’s an amazing product great for seafarers and anyone with motion sickness or nausea, even from medical conditions.
VTOMAN Flash Speed 1000
Many of us have lots of electric devices that we use when fishing and hunting. These devices need to be charged, especially on extended adventures. This year we brought the VTOMAN 1000 to base camp and used it for a week to recharge phones, cameras, laptops, flashlights, GPS units, and to power an electric coffee maker. It worked like a champ. You can also use it to jump-start a vehicle. It provides 828Wh capacity, and has AC, DC, USB-A and USB-C power outlets. You can recharge the unit using solar panels, through car charging, and through a standard 110V plug in; it recharges fastest on the standard 110V and can be fully charged in 70 minutes. The LiFePO4 battery is rated for 3000 cycles.
Infinity X1 Dual Powered Headlamps 3 Pack
These versatile headlamps have 5 different lighting options including flood and spotlight, and can light up the next 300 feet of your trail. Power options include standard alkaline or rechargeable batteries. The straps are comfortable and adjust to fit a wide range of head sizes. The 3 pack makes it easy to keep 1 in the truck, 1 in the camping kit, and 1 on the boat, without having to remember to take it with you when you’re packing for adventures.
Uncharted Supply Co. Zeus Air Jump Starter/Air Compressor
The Zeus Air Jump Starter/Air Compressor is the next great evolution of the Zeus family, ready to solve one of the top 3 most common and frustrating vehicle emergencies. The Zeus Air includes a 150 psi air compressor, ready to fill everything from tires to paddle boards to footballs. On top of tire inflation, the Zeus Air can use its 15,000 mAh power to jump up to a 6.0 L diesel engine and can supply power to phones and laptops with USB-C and USB-A outputs. It comes in a sturdy storage case with a collection of adapters, jumper cables, and an air hose, giving you everything you need right out of the box. Everyone in Alaska should have one of these in their vehicle.
Smith Caribou OTG
These over-the-glass goggles have Fog-X anti-fog inner lenses. For boat driving in bad weather, these are potential life savers, especially for times when heavy precipitation is falling. These lenses are not polarized, but the goggles are designed to wear over sunglasses or prescription glasses, if desired. Plus, they are very affordable at roughly $55. Everyone who pilots an open boat would benefit from owning a pair. You might not use them often, but when you need them, you’ll be glad you have them.
Arctic Ice Chillin’ Disc
These ingenious hard ice packs are designed to use with a 5-gallon bucket. Put a Chillin’ Disc in the bucket, then add your drinks, then put another Chillin’ Disc on top. Viola! This turns your 5-gallon bucket into a refrigerator of sorts. Says Editor George Krumm: “Arctic Ice ice packs are the best ice substitute I have ever used. They come in 3 different levels of cold, so if I want something to stay frozen or start freezing, I use the purple Tundra series ice packs.
If I want stuff to stay at or just barely below freezing, I use the blue Chillin’ Brew series. If I want stuff to stay cold, but not freeze, I use the green Alaskan series.” George often uses 3 of the large size Alaskan series in the bottom of his Kone Zone kill bag, along with a small bag of ice. The ice will begin to melt, then freeze to the Alaskan blocks. This will keep your catch cold for a very long day on the water.
Yeti Roadie 15
Alaska tough and Yeti tough are synonymous. This is the smallest cooler in the Yeti hard-cooler line, but it’s just as tough as its big brothers, and just as feature rich. Some of those features are: Doubleduty strap for easy hand- or shoulder carry; Neverfail hinge system; Quicklatch opens with one finger; Permafrost insulation—this polyurethane insulation makes sure ice stays ice; Bearfoot nonslip feet, and Bestdam drain plug. Internal width is 12.5” so standard wine bottles and 2 L soda bottles fit on their sides. Can hold 7 wine bottles, or 22, 12-ounce cans, or 16 pounds of ice. This cooler also makes a really good bait cooler.
Leatherman ARC
This is the ultimate right-of-passage gift for your hands-on teenager or a serious upgrade for yourself if you’re due. Multi-tools are available from many brands, but we’ve never seen less than a stellar performance from Leatherman tools. Keep one in your pocket, in the car, in the kitchen drawer or on your belt. The real claim to fame for the Leatherman ARC is it’s the first ever to include a Magna Cut knife blade and boy, it’s sharp! Made in America, the Leatherman ARC also has bit-kit compatibility so you can customize your tool with that add on.
Work Sharp RKS Rolling Knife Sharpener
Our tester loves this easy to use, perfect for the kitchen, handheld, ergonomic knife sharpener. The magnetic angle block allows you to sharpen at 15-, 17-, 20-, and 25-degree angles and comes with 320- and 600-grit Diamond- and Fine Ceramic Abrasives discs. This is a great evolution in the way of knife sharpeners and it’s handy to have an easy access go-to for frequently used knives that need to be kept sharp.
Fishe Wear OtterBox Symmetry Series Clear for MagSafe X Fishe Steel My Heart Phone Case
Tell the world you fish without saying a word, plus always be able to spot your phone among others. The Steel My Heart Phone Case collaboration between Fishe Wear and OtterBox means a durable phone case with a Fishe look. Also available in Mt. Cutty pattern.
Ledlenser HF8R Core RGB Headlamp
This headlamp can be fully hands-free thanks to Adaptive Light Beam. You can also manually set the brightness level or the lens color. This headlamp is a little bigger and heavier than the smallest headlamps on the market, but it is absolutely packed with capability and features. We especially like that it is waterproof (IP68) and rechargeable with a USB-C cable. Features include: multi-color front light (red, green, blue); dims and focuses automatically; Ledlenser Connect App compatible via Bluetooth; magnetic charge system; IP68 dust- and waterproof; brightness range from 20- to 1,600 lumens. It has 90 hours runtime on the lowest (20 lumens) setting, and 3.5 hours on the 900 lumens setting. It weighs 6.84 ounces, has a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack, and charges to 80% in 2.5 hours.