Is a rain cover for a backpack a good idea in Alaska?

I have a Mystery Ranch 6500. Some of the gear lists for AK goat hunts mention rain cover for backpack. Should I get one? Mystery Ranch does not offer rain covers. I read where some hunters use a large contractor trash bag to put the backpack in at night when store outside the tent.

Thoughts?

Goat country = rain country.

A rain cover is a very good idea.

I have the same pack and bought a cover for it at REI for about $15 I think. Definately would have one with you. Nothing worse than wet gear, and it will get wet.

I will check out REI. Long shot but by chance..do you have the name and model number of the cover you purchased? I will measure my pack and assume can get a cover that way which will fit. But...if yours fit and performed well I can not argue with that, either! Once on the mountain...no way to upgrade equipment that is crap so I am attempting to chose wisely.

If you find a pack cover that works let me know. My experiences have forced me to look for other solutions.

Some pack covers are lightweight and fold up the size of a deck of cards. These usually get shredded in the black spruce or alder brush. Pack covers are usually reasonably priced which means they are not made out of expensive materials so the heavy duty models are, well, heavy...thick and bulky. Speaking of bulk, I've found that even the models tailor made for a specific pack fit rather loosely. So they flap in the wind like a flag and snag on almost every branch I walk by. If you find one that really hugs your pack make sure it still fits in the event that you strap a tripod or sleeping pad on the outside of your pack.

My pack has something the manufacturer called a "map pocket". Its never seen a map. I call it the trash bag pocket. A couple trash bags go on every hunt. As a last resort they can become shelter, ponchos, meat sacks, etc. When you sit down to glass they keep yer ars dry. If you are boning out an animal they make a decent drop cloth and give you a place to set down chunks of animal and keep it clean. At camp the pack is usually outside of the tent inside a trash bag.

Oftentimes an animal is boned out, in meat sacks and in the pack. Now I'm looking at a "small" pile of gear on the ground...you know...all the misc stuff that was in the pack that you hauled up the mountain. Now the pack is FULL of meat. So I double bag all the misc gear in the trash bags and lash it on top of the pack or carry it "briefcase" style.

I have ditched the pack cover idea. I scotch guard the top and outside of the pack (not the part that rides against your back). Scotch guard isn't going to stand up to Alaska weather but since your hunt is in October you might not get rain...just snow instead! Then put anything that is moisture sensitive in a plastic bag before you put it in the pack. Line your sleeping bag stuff sack with a kitchen trash bag then stuff the sleeping bag into the sack. Put your clothes in a kitchen trash bag or zip-locks then in a meat sack then into the pack. Smaller items like TP and cameras go in zip-locks then into the outside pockets of the pack. So basically the pack itself is the abrasion resistant outer layer and the waterproof layer is inside the pack.

Hope this is helpful. In the end, do as your guide suggests.

Holy cow...you have been there and done that when it comes to trying to keep gear dry. I appreciate the suggestions and feedback. I do have to go through alders between the landing zone and the mountain so am attempting to avoid materials that will shred. I might be able to minimize the flapping in the wind by using some parachute cord or small bungies. I am thinking about getting a light backpack cover and not putting it on the pack until clear the alders which should only be the first couple of hours on Day 1 and then as head back down off the mountain to find a black bear along the river if time left after do the goat portion of the hunt.

I just used the rain cover I got at REI this past weekend in some of the nastiest weather I have ever been caught in here in COlorado. The cover worked great. It fit snug, didn't flap in the wind and didn't tear on all the crap I was going through. I think it was just an REI brand in their biggest size. It comes in a little pouch but I don't use it because it's just extra weight.

One other suggestion is to possibly use light weight dry bags for essential stuff like your sleeping bag and other gear that you want to stay dry inside your pack. You can double up things (sleeping bag plus matress, etc, in dry bags to save on weight.