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Monday - Friday 10am-8pm Saturday 10am-6pm Sunday Noon - 5pm 9107 Mendenhall Mall Rd. Suite #301 (907)789-0956 |
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The winner for our $25 Nugget Alaskan Outfitter Gift Certificate for March 2017 is Abbey Cummings. Congratulations Abbey! To pick up your gift certificate, drop by the front counter and we will get it for you.
January winner: Stephanie Winters
March winner: Rodney Steger
Winners are selected from those of you who receive and open our monthly e-newsletter. It doesn't matter when or how you signed up for our e-mail club - if you are on our email list you are a potential winner each month. Thank you for joining the club!
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Bikepacking
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We have a big backyard with over 100 trails to explore and many places to hike or bike to for an overnight campout. Or for those times when you just need to get out of town - bikepacking is a great option. Bikepacking (i.e. backpacking by bike) is an inexpensive way to explore and cover more miles than hiking. As a rule of thumb, bikepackers can cover 3 times more distance than they would if backpacking the same route on foot. The average cost for transporting a bike on the ferry is much less than taking a car, you can get to Hoonah, Haines, Skagway or Sitka and your bike will only cost $25-30 ea. way.
Planning your trip location, length and duration is key to enjoying your trip. The actual distance
will vary by the route and the individual. You will want to start small, try out your gear, test your skills with bike maintenance, and endurance, then build up your trips as your endurance and confidence increase. Each bikepacking adventure will differ based on whether you plan to explore trail and dirt roads (Mountain Bike or Fat Bike) or stay on paved roads and hit the campgrounds (Road Bike). The distance you travel should vary with the difficulty of the terrain. Make sure you take a map and compass, GPS and/or a smartphone to track your progress and location. NAO carries Goal Zero battery backups and solar panels that will keep your electronics charged and ready to use.
You don't need to spend a lot on a bike to go bikepacking, that old mountain bike sitting in your garage will work just fine, to get you started. I would recommend taking your bike to the shop for a good tuning, before heading off. Ask them to set the handle bars a little higher than normal, since you will be spending a lot of time in the saddle, higher handlebars and a comfy saddle will make for a more comfortable ride.
Use lightweight gear to make riding easier and fun. My first bikepacking trip was 2 day, 54 mile ride from Atomic City Idaho to Craters of the Moon National Monument. I was young and in good shape at the time, but I still had a hard time making it up the hill we encountered right before reaching the Park. We packed very light, carrying all of our items in day packs on our backs. To save weight we shared a sleeping bag and left out a tent. Unfortunately, it rained that night and we ended up spending an awkward night crammed together under the eaves of the bathroom, which other curious campers visited all night long. Still, it was a great adventure and a lot was learned from the experience.
 Instead of carrying packs, you should plan to attach all of your  gear to your bike frame and rack, using tie downs, bungies or panniers. NAO carries a variety of bungies and tie downs, we also have light weight tarps from Liberty Mountain, or you can use the SOL sport utility blanket for shelter - they also have a lot of other great uses and are much easier to pack than a tent/poles and stakes. Another fun idea is to take one of our new Thermarest Hammocks and a Thermarest hammock rain fly - no sleeping pad needed and trees are usually easy to find. 
Plan to carry everything that you would take on a backpacking trip, plus bike tools, spare tubes, tire repair kit, helmet, bike gloves and safety glasses. You might also enjoy padded bike shorts! You can carry a day pack for light, bulky items or anything sensitive to vibration. My personal setup includes a rear rack with panniers, a handle bar bag and two water bottle racks, but for narrow paths you will want something more streamlined. There are a wide variety of racks, panniers and bags available for every part of your bike, but for starting out you really only need a rear rack, dry bags and bungies.
 Since we are in bear country you will also want to carry bear spray, so you don't become a meal on wheels. NAO now carries SCAT bear spray belts in "Cub" (holds just bear spray) and "Grizzly" (which holds bear spray, mobile phone and other small personal items) models for quick, easy access. Consider an extra pair of casual shoes for camp and rest days. Packing a small tarp to protect your bike in foul weather is also a good idea, or at least something to keep the seat dry. 
One last note: Bikepacking means you'll be carrying your own weight, plus the weight of your gear. This requires additional precautions such as limiting your speed, allowing for longer stopping distances, allowing more room for turns and using an easier gear to avoid fatigue. NAO can help you select camping gear, shoes and clothing for your trip and Cycle Alaska can help you chose bikes, bags and saddles. The important thing is to get out and enjoy - and be safe in your travels!
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Staycation
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If you have been into the Nugget Alaskan Outfitter recently you probably noticed our Juneau Staycation display. Everything you need to enjoy a campout was listed, the grand total for the entire package was under $1,500. After the initial purchase of tent, sleeping bag, pad, cook gear etc. the cost for all subsequent trips equals that for meals and camp sites. Of course, you get to customize and buy the pack, sleeping bag and tent that best fits your needs. Once you are set up with gear, the world is open to you.
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Coming in May
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NAO FUN RUNS: May 1st and May 15th
Drop by NAO to register, all registration forms must be in before 6pm. The runs begin precisely at 6 pm at the Nugget Alaskan Outfitter (walkers are encouraged to start at 5:30pm) and end at 7 pm at a location yet to be decided. All runners/walkers are entered to win door prizes at the final destination.
Participation is FREE
and at your own risk, so please read all info provided.
Cameron Clark Memorial Run
May 13th, 9am at Lena Beach. The first 50 kids will receive a FREE Nathan race number belt. Sponsored by NAO.
Grundens Deck Boss Boots
Built by fishermen for fishermen - tough, durable and comfortable. Hopefully, these will arrive mid-May.
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Lots of FUN new items for Spring
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| T-shirts from Aquatic Design, Life is Good, Ojai, Salmon Sisters, Ray Troll, and more. |
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| Caps from Prana, Under Armour, Pistil, Marmot, Big Trucker, and Grundens. |
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New shoes from Birkenstock, Oofos, AKU and Timberland.
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Tights and waterproof Bags from Fishe Gear.
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Packs and Jackets from Mountain Hardware.
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New trigger point Therapy balls and rollers from RAD. |
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Coupon Trouble
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Constant Contact recently changed the coupon process, so if you claimed one of the last two coupons, you would have received an email that looked like this:
You would not have received this email unless you claimed the coupon. Unfortunately their automated reply dropped all of the information that was in the actual coupon. Constant Contact figures that since you have already read the coupon and accepted the terms of the coupon before you claimed it, they don't need to put all of the details on this automated email. Unfortunately, we and a couple of customers have found this confusing. I have contacted the company and we are working on a solution. We really appreciate your patience and understanding while we fix this problem. Please note that the current coupon which expires 5/7/17 is for 20% off a pair of Birkenstocks or a pair of AKU boots and does not apply to other items in the store. Feedback is welcome...Thank you, Stacey
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Please Connect with desired Social Media Pages, if you have them. Visit socialquickstarter.com for help getting started with Social Media.
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