Alaska Advice

proudgeek

Sorry mods, I did a search for Alaska trips but it was closed, so at the risk of offending, I'm opening a new one. Besides, I know we have at least 2 AK residents among us, so I think they (and those who have been there) should be able to provide some good insight.

I'm traveling to Alaska at the end of July with my wife, and another couple. None of them are photographers, but they're just going to have to wait for me. We are not going in the traditional way (cruise) but instead are splitting our time between two small and very remote lodges — one coastal and one on the edge of Denali. Each day the lodge owners take you out via kayak, float plane, helicopter, etc. to go bear watching, glacier hiking, and other stuff. Both are on the water and there are multiple raptor nests on the property. You can also hike on your own. I'd love to get some feedback on my gear list. Before you say anything, yes I know we're talking about a heavy bag, but that's not an issue for me, as I train pretty hard just for this kind of thing.

Bodies:
D800 | D810

Lenses:
300mm f/2.8
TC20
70-200 f/2.8
105 f/2.8 (I hear there are great wildflowers and tide pooling)
17-35/24-70 f/2.8

Various filters
Plastic rain protection
anti-fog wipes
Tripod
7 32 gb cards (although I'll pick up a few more)
1 160gb storage drive

My question relates mostly to the wide end — the 24-70 or the 17-35. I'm leaning toward the latter as it is a touch lighter, and I think that the extra field of view will come in handy. Although I will say one of the reasons I go super wide is for astrophotography and I don't believe I'll be doing much of that in the summer in Alaska. However, there is one wild card. A friend of mine who owns clothing company has asked me to shoot my wife and her friend wearing a bunch of her stuff while we're out there (something with which I have limited experience but would really enjoy doing). For that reason I'll probably bring a single flash. I know I can get great portraits/lifestyle shots with the 70-200, but a 24-70 might be even better. Or do those of you who have done this kind of thing think I can get by at 35mm and 70mm? (David Jann? Rob Perry?)

One more question: bug repellent. I have read that anything deet-based in a killer for the plastic parts of cameras. Does anyone have any experience with this? Can anyone recommend a good alternative? I've heard that the mosquitos out there can reach the size of small aircraft.

Anything I'm not thinking of? Your collective wisdom is welcomed.

Thanks!

Golf007sd

Something to consider: Leave the 70-200 at home, if you are going to shoot at the long end...the 300 will be your go to lens. Instead, take a nice 35, 50 or 85mm 1.4/1.8 prime.

Photobug

Great question. I will get back tomorrow with my comments and recommendation. Four years ago spent 8 nights in Alaska and 7 on a cruse shift using a D300. I am rushed for time and will get back with my comments. My comments are slightly different than Golf, so you will have to balance our input and decide what works best for you.

ggbutcher

You definitely want the 300 if you're going to shoot wildlife, especially the ones you shouldn't get too close to... That, and there can often be terrain that keeps you from getting close.

Looking at my few shots with the D50 from the 1.5 years I spent going back and forth to Delta Junction (too much work, not enough play), it was either (a few) 200mm or (the majority) 18mm, shooting landscapes and artifacts.

tcole1983

For me I would go 24-70 because I hardly shoot wider. But that would be up to your preferences and what you expect to shoot.

As for the bug spray I might recommend picaridin or lemon eucalyptus stuff. I have some for work and will be trying it out shortly and can get back to you when I try it. Yeah don't get deet on your gear. It eats paint and plastic pretty badly. Ruined a pair of Oakley sunglasses I had.

gene_mcgill

What you list looks pretty good to me. I had the 24-70 f/2.8, and used it a lot. It held up in some pretty wet conditions with no cover at all. I sold it, mold-free, after I got the 24-120 f/4, which does not seem so well sealed. Most of my shots fall in the 24-120 range. I don't have the 17-35 but I do frequently carry my 18mm AIS. With the D800/D810 you have options: You can crop if 35 isn't long enough. Or you can photomerge if 24 isn't wide enough. I haven't done the helicopter tours, but years ago I had a neighbor who took me on some flights in his float plane. I think really wide could be good in the flying machines. I would take the 70-200 and the 300 for wildlife. ggbutcher is right - you may not want to get too close. You have many nice photos taken with the 70-200 on your flickr - I think you'd miss it if you don't bring it.

Regarding bug dope, I prefer to wear clothes instead of bug dope to the extent I can. It usually is cool enough that that isn't a problem. If the bugs are really bad, head nets are cheap and available and wearing one over a baseball cap will keep the net away from your face better. It is rare I resort to that. A dab of deet on my exposed skin is usually enough. I frequently wear light fleece gloves to keep the mosquitoes off my hands.

Speaking of clothes, bring warm synthetics that you peel off if too warm. The cold and wet is not at all unusual and it can get to you if you aren't prepared. If you are prepared, it is wonderful being out in the weather.

Denali will be light all the time unless the clouds are thick (which they often are in late July and August!) But the sun will set and there could be some great sky/sunset views that go on for hours if you are lucky. Depending on how far south your coastal location is, it could get dark. Juneau gets pretty dark that time of year, though not for long.

Hopefully the weather is great and your biggest problem is the 160GB drive is too small. Have a great trip!

proudgeek

This is all very helpful; thanks. And yeah, I'm not leaving the 70-200 behind. I barely walk down the driveway to get the mail without it. (and thanks for taking a look at my images)

When I saw that Golf had commented, my first thought was that he was going to try and convince me to buy a 500 f/4 for the trip. The only person who's better at spending my money than I am is Golf .

I am gravitating toward the 17-35. It'll be nice to have that extra field of view when it's needed.

Gene, I'm going to be in the Tutka Bay area (southeast of Anchorage) and up near the Skwentna River on the Iditarod trail. I hear I can expect quite a bit of rain/rainforest type conditions. True?

Keep the advice coming.

tcole1983

Personally anything but heavyweight clothes will not keep mosquitos from being able to bite you. Mosquito net hats are annoying especially if you want to use your camera the mesh is so fine it really blocks your view and you wouldn't be able to take pictures through it and be happy about it. Mosquitos will bite through clothing...trust me I always have them on my back where I can't get bug spray and that is with a decent weight cotton shirt on.

Ironheart

Some people are just sweeter than others :-) A vitamin B complex will reduce the swelling from the bites. So does Ethanol, mixed with barley and hops, ingested prior, during and after the bite.

proudgeek

I've been on a steady diet of barley and hops for years. Should be all set I guess.

gene_mcgill

I haven't been to Tutka Bay, though I have been in the general area. The Kenai Peninsula is typically cool (temps in the 50s), cloudy, and likely wet in the summer. It isn't rainforest like Juneau-Skagway-Sitka is but they get plenty of precip. I haven't been to Skwentna but with it being south of the Alaska Range, I'd expect somewhat warmer than the Kenai but still cloudy and possibly wet.

I've heard some horror stories about the Bush price of the ethanol-barley-hop elixir. Not sure what you can do about it though. If you need it, you need it. Good thing for me that I'm on the road system!

spraynpray

Everybody is talking about the bites, what about the diseases the little blighters carry these days??

proudgeek

That's another post entirely. Planning a second trip to Kenya at the end of this year. The list of recommended shot is daunting.

DaveyJ

I have spent a lot of time in Alaska. It is the highest rated travel destination in the world after the trips are taken according to a number of travel agents. Your list of gear looks good. The weather can change quite a bit from year to year. I like polar fleece in almost any cold setting and it has spectacular properties. I would make sure to take some video with that gear too. The Brown Bears alone are a treasure and make for spectacular photos. People vary greatly in attractiveness to biting insects. They have not really bothered me there, but you better come up with some tactics to keep the insects out of your photos!!! I for darn sure you bring a tripod and try to get the mosquitoes to come over with you and leave your tripod and the camera lens alone.....In terms of diseases from biting insects in Alaska and as a preventive medicine scientist for many years in the military that is NOT an ISSUE in Alaska at all. In Kenya however that possibility is REAL!!! I like wide angle lens in Alaska....the scenery is stunning!

tcole1983

In the United States I worry more about ticks...not saying there aren't a couple of diseases from mosquitos, but I work outside about half of my days at work and have gotten as many mosquito bites as anyone and I haven't ever had a problem. I try to use all sorts of protection, but they are persistent and will find any unclothed or unsprayed parts...as I said my back is usually a target. Might be worth spraying clothes before you put them on...but caution people said the lemon eucalyptus can stain clothes since it is oils, but I don't have first hand experience with that.

Photobug

My question relates mostly to the wide end — the 24-70 or the 17-35. Anything I'm not thinking of? Your collective wisdom is welcomed. Thanks!

Finally getting back to you with my comments. At the time I went I had a D300 and used the 17-55 for 75% of my pictures and the 35mm for a few and the balance were with the 70-200mm 2.8. My fatal decision was not having any thing longer than 300mm (200 x 1.5). Within a month of returning home I got the Nikon TC 1.7. I kicked my self a lot during the trip of not having a long enough lens. My good buddy who was shooting a Canon DX format had the 150-500 Sigma and he really got some nice wildlife pictures. So that was my lesson learned.

Your headed the right way, take that 24-70mm and that will handle a high percentage of your shots, then take the 70-200mm and use it in FX mode and flip to DX mode when you need the reach. Seldom felt the need for anything wider. Remember I was shooting DX so my 17-55 was equivalent to 25.5 to 82.5mm. The TC-20 is small so I would find room for it. Leave the 105 2.8 at home like I did. I did take the tripod but rarely used it. And yes, do take that 300mm. Using it in DX mode gives you 450mm and that will get you your wildlife shots.

Your okay with the number of memory cards. Every night I downloaded my memory cards to my laptop and to a Buffalo external HD. We had some long days and I had the battery grip on the D300 the entire time and yes, I had some days in which it depleted one battery and switched to another. If you don't have a battery grip, I would carry a second battery in your bag/pocket.

Regarding mosquitoes...we took a hike around one of the lakes and the tour guide gave us head gear to keep the Alaskan bugs off our face. We kept exposed skin to a minimum on that hike. That was the only time they bothered us. The good news is that we did not get bitten but it was creepy having them flying around your face in large masses of bugs. No place else was it an issue and we did take a bug spray along but never used it. My other hikes were less than a mile and never had any issues with bugs.

Shoes...pay attention to what you wear. I elected not to take hiking boots and that was a good decision. You not only want comfortable shoes but you want newer ones that are 100% broken in. I had Nike running shoes on and the soles were still flexible and soft, probably 4 months old. Worked great. Your going to be on your feet a lot.

Dress in layers. Some days we had 4 layers on in the morning and by 3pm we were down to 2. Oh, we went the middle of June. Nights are cool and there are opportunities for photography. If I were to go back I would have bought a coat in Alaska and brought it home. We had no room in our luggage for coats so we carried them on the flights to Alaska and home.

Leave room in your luggage for souvenirs; think we came home with 3 T-shirts and some other stuff.

I did use a Polarizer and a graduation filter. Also carried a lens cloth in my pocket and did lose one so be sure you have two. If you have lens hoods, use them. The sky is bright and it helped eliminate flair, especially on the half day boat trip to see whales, eagles, and other animals. I did carry a raincoat for my camera and lens and used it once. They are less than $5 each and a good item for your bag.

I did take my flash along and yes, I did use it for lodge pictures and friends.

Regarding Denali National Park. Please DO NOT TAKE THE HISTORY TOUR. It's short and does not go far into the park and you rarely see wildlife on this tour. I talked to lots of people and we made the decision to take the Wilderness Tour. It was worth the extra $$$. The first tour is less than 5 hours. The Wilderness Tour is listed at 8 hours and ours was almost 10 hours. We were in the second bus that morning and the first bus saw Denali (Mt McKinley). It's only visible 25% of the time. So the first buss makes the decision to do the extended Wilderness Tour or the standard Wilderness Tour. You get to see the Denali several times then the bus stops at the turn around point...lots of birds to photograph here, especially BIF. So after the leg stretch and bathroom break instead of heading back we went deeper into the park...45 minutes further than the normal trip. Not only is there more wildlife but better and closer views of Denali. So yes, I am a member of the 25% Club and have a T-shirt that says that. )

So many friends took the History Tour and they saw zero or a few animals. On our tour we saw lots of animals and the bear pictures I got were outstanding. How about 20 ft away.

It's a once in a lifetime trip and one in which you will take lots of pictures. It's a fantastic time and one you will enjoy. Do your research and enjoy Alaska.

proudgeek

Wow, thanks for the phenomenally well thought out and detailed response.

DaveyJ

Denali is only visible 25% of the time????? Not even that percentage. I have been there many times. The published percent I have seen is way less than that. It is 10% or less. Denali rises so high above the surrounding terrain that it makes it's own weather. It is indeed very rare to get a clear shot of the mountain. I have shrouded shots of Denali that are very impressive. But clear shots are indeed rare!

Vipmediastar_JZ

All this Denali talk made me google it and its beautiful park.

There appears to be some alert in effect traveling to Denali. Link here

Photobug

Wow, thanks for the phenomenally well thought out and detailed response.

Your welcome.
@Daveyj - I actually checked my T-shirt last night and it said 30% Club instead of 25%. And I know what your saying, we read a lot of articles and the number was from 10% to 30% and the guides even used different numbers.

Regardless of the actual percentage, most of the people we have talked to never saw Denali so it is rare group that has enjoyed the view. There are a few spots to see Denali before the turnaround point on the History Tour and double the number on the Wilderness Tour but after the first turnaround point there are so many spots to view Denali, especially at the second turn around point. The views are so fantastic. I used my polarizor filter to help manage the blue and reflections.

After two days at Denali we went to McKinley Lodge (owned by Princess Cruise Lines) for two days and the view in the morning from the lodge patio was unreal. The first day the view was fantastic in the morning and so-so in the afternoon. The next day the view was so-so in the morning and not visible that afternoon - totally covered in clouds.

Also heard about Denali creating it's own weather too. It's just so big it can do what it wants regarding the weather. Tour planes don't promise anything for the view.

One minor correction, it's the Tundra Wilderness Tour you want to take. Both tours are conducted by the National Parks and they hold all rights to tours in Denali.

gene_mcgill

About seeing Denali 25-30%, summer is the cloudy season, especially July and August. April and May are climbing season on The Mountain - better odds of good weather is one of the main reasons for that. Skies are also more likely clear in November - April for those who enjoy the colder seasons. Of course, no buses and the road is closed that time of year. If the percentages are based on a full year, 30% fits with what I see living in Fairbanks.

Seeing Denali in September is iffy, but the Autumn colors on the tundra around Labor Day are simply incredible!

I've always taken the shuttle buses and have been quite satisfied. Those drivers are out there day after day, they know where the wildlife is hanging out. They go to where they are scheduled to go. Most drivers give good narration.

gene_mcgill

Another hazard to a good Alaska summer visit are wild fires:



This fire was just across the Tanana River from Fairbanks back in 2010. This was shot just a few hours after the fire started. Strong winds were causing rapid spread.

The smoke from these fires, especially in extreme years, is especially oppressive. Check out the view from space in 2004:

http://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/13000/13363/Alaska_AMO2004182_lrg.jpg

You may have heard tonight on the national news about the Sockeye fire near Willow. By Alaska standards, it is a small fire. But being in a populated area, the impact is serious - a number of homes destroyed, but thankfully no reports of injuries or fatalities. Willow is not all that far from Skwentna so they may be getting smoke. I'd bet the Sockeye fire is mostly beat down by the time you arrive Proudgeek. They are hitting the fire pretty hard with air and ground resources. If fires are not threatening structures, they are frequently not fought, just monitored.

Here is some action during a fire near Fairbanks back in 2011:

tcole1983

Ok back from the field. Screw lemon eucalyptus...I got eaten alive. If you could tolerate it light weight long sleeves sprayed with permethrine which can be done before putting the clothes on might be good. I would also try picaridin (sp?)...this is my next item to try.

autofocus

We used Permethrin in the Army and it works great. Apply to clothing and let it dry. Withstands a few wash cycles before there is a need to re-apply. It's not the end all but definitely helps. Exposed skin will still need some sort of repellent as well.

Ironheart

@tcole1983 you need to find someone sweeter than you to hang out with ;-)

Have you tried this?
http://www.amazon.com/OFF-71703-Off-Clip-Starter/dp/B0043G63ZS/ref=sr_1_4?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1434484618&sr=1-4&keywords=off+clip+on

ggbutcher

Okay, started to post this earlier, but it seemed so off-topic...

Many years ago, I lived in Florida, and was an assistant Scoutmaster. We took the kids to summer camp one year at the district facility near DeLand. Their deep well wasn't working, so they were pulling water from a sulfur-laden shallow well. We mixed it with Kool-Aid but it still tasted terrible. But, you could tell who was drinking it, because they were bug-bite free; those that weren't were chewed all to heck.

Please note that I'm not suggesting that anyone should mix sulfur and water for drinking, don't need that litigation. But, maybe that's the water Dasani should be bottling...:D