It has been HOT and it is supposed to get hotter by next weekend!  If you are coming on a trip with us in the near future, you will have to be extra diligent on keeping your weight down.  Bring only the essentials.  When the air is hot, the performance of any aircraft decreases significantly and in order to get into the air and fly, the Otter will have to be leaving with less weight than we can take on a colder day.  If you are good on your weight, there should be room for a cooler or 2 of ice for your party.  I know we are always trying to keep our guests on or near their weight limit but during this heat it has to happen.

Here are a few tips:

Don’t over pack on clothing!  you will be wearing the same clothes everyday when you are fishing.  Pack a seperate bag for travel clothes and leave it in your vehicle.  Why haul them into the bush and back again when they will not even see the light of day.

Plan your menu.  Do not shoot from the hip when it comes to food.  Plan out your meals.  Try to stay away from glass if possible when shopping.

Water.  During the heat, water is a neccessity, but remember that it is 10 pounds per gallon, or 30 pounds for a 24 bottle case.  If you require lots of water, we can try to fly it in prior to your trip, otherwise it has to be accounted for in your 100 pound weight limit.

Rod cases.  Everyone likes to protect their rods from breaking during transport but everyone in the group does not need a bazooka that weighs 25-35 pounds.  For a group of 6 guys there should be 2 rod cases.  If weight is an issue, you can also remove the rods from the cases and if the reels are removed they can be zip tied and transported with ease to your outpost lake.

Batteries.  We have a small Honda generator at each lake for recharging batteries for your depth finders and cameras.  One rechargable battery is lighter than bringing 3-4 sets of alkaline batteries.  Remember 5 pounds here and 5 pounds there adds up in a hurry.

We like to do our best to get everything in for your group but remember there is a 100 pound per person limit!  This includes your beverages, sleeping bag, fishing tackle, depth finder, and food.  A good rule of thumb is 50 pounds for your gear and 50 pounds for beverages and food.