What do you pack when you are hiking the Chilkoot Trail through Alaska, BC, and into the Yukon in the footsteps of the gold rush stampeders? I know what would be on my list today, but what did the historic gear checklist look like? Let’s find out!
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Historic Gear
What an eye-opener!
Posted in one of the cooking shelters at Sheep Camp, we found a sheet of paper with historic packing list suggestions for men and women planning to hike the Chilkoot Trail through Alaska, British Columbia and the Yukon.
Read the lists below and – after you research to learn that oakum is tarred fibre used to plug cracks, that mackinaw is a water-repellent woolen cloth, and you stop laughing at the fact that women were advised to bring both house and knitted slippers – you will appreciate why the Chilkoot Trail became the world’s longest museum of discarded gear!
Gear for Men
(as listed by Pierre Berton in his book, Klondike, p. 245)
- Three suits of heavy underwear
- A mackinaw suit
- Two pairs of mackinaw trousers
- Heavy rubber-lined coat
- One dozen pairs of wool socks
- Half a dozen pairs of mittens
- Over shirts (2)
- Snag-proof rubber boots (2 pairs)
- Shoes (2 pairs)
- Two blankets
- Four towels
- Overalls (2 pairs)
- A suit of oilskin clothing
- Five yards of mosquito netting
Groceries:
- Flour (400 lbs)
- Cornmeal (50 lbs)
- Oatmeal (50 lbs)
- Rice (50 lbs)
- Beans (100 lbs)
- Candles (40 lbs)
- Granulated sugar (100 lbs)
- Baking powder (8 lbs)
- Bacon (200 lbs)
- Soda (2 lbs)
- 36 yeast cakes
- Salt (15 lbs)
- Pepper (1 lb)
- Mustard (½ lb )
- Ginger (¼ lb)
- Evaporated apples (25 lbs)
- Dried peaches (25 lbs)
- Evaporated apricots (25 lbs)
- Fish (25 lbs)
- Pitted plums (10 lbs)
- Dried onions (50 lbs)
- Evaporated potatoes (50 lbs)
- Coffee (24 lbs)
- Tea (5 lbs)
- 4 dozen tins condensed milk
- 5 bars laundry soap
- 60 boxes matches
- Soup vegetables (15 lbs)
- 25 cans butter
In addition, one must bring these items: steel stove, gold pan, three nest of granite buckets, a cup, plate, knife, fork, two spoons, two frying pans, coffeepot, pick, hand saw, whipsaw, whetstone, hatchet, two shovels, three files, draw-knife, axe, three chisels, twenty pounds of nails, butcher knife, hammer, compass, jackplane, square, Yukon sled, two hundred feet of rope, fifteen pounds of pitch, ten pounds of oakum, and a canvas tent.
Gear for Women
(as suggested by Annie Hall Strong in The Skagway News on December 31, 1897)
- house slippers (1 pair)
- knitted slippers(1 pair)
- heavy-soled walking shoes (1 pair)
- arctics (1 pair)
- felt boots (1 pair)
- German socks (1 pair)
- heavy gum boots (1 pair)
- heavy all-wool stockings (3 pairs)
- summer stockings (3 pairs)
- Moccasins can be purchased here of the Indians. The tall bicycle shoe with extra sole would make an excellent walking shoe. In the way of wearing apparel, a woman can comfortably get along with:
- good dress (1)
- one suit heavy Mackinaw, waist and bloomers
- a summer suit
- short skirts of heavy duck or denim, to wear over bloomers (3)
- winter underwear (3 suits)
- summer underwear (3 suits)
- one chamois undervest
- long sack nightdress, make of eiderdown or flannel
- cotton nightdress
- arctic mittens (2 pair)
- heavy wool gloves (1 pair)
- cap
- arctic hood
- hat with brim broad enough to hold the mosquito-netting away from the face
- summer dress
- aprons (3)
- wrappers (2)
- shirtwaists (2)
- some sort of gloves for summer wear; to protect hands from mosquitoes
Bedding:
- piece of canvas, 5 ft x 14 ft
- rubber blanket
- all wool blankets (2 pair, better 4 pair)
- feather pillow
- ready-sewed tick will be very nice to have, for it can be filled with dried moss and makes a good pioneer mattress.
“An old miner would no doubt laugh me to scorn for suggesting a little satchel or handbag, but the comfort derived from the hundred and one little extras a woman can deftly stow away in it will doubly repay the bother of carrying it.” – Annie Hall Strong
Yup, I always take a little handbag… of course mine is called a backpack. What’s the most favorite piece of gear on your backpacking checklist?
Planning a Yukon hiking trip?
Want more hiking adventures in the Yukon? Check out these posts:
- Exploring Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon Canada
- Hiking in Tombstone Territorial Park, Yukon Canada
- Yukon Adventures: Finding Stories Tall & True
- Backpacking in the Yukon: Bock’s Lake
- Hiking the Chilkoot Trail: Dyea to Lindeman Lake Section
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