Talkeetna Mts Adventure: Gear & Methodology

Things I wish I had taken with me:

1. Water-proof/breathable oversocks. These are calf-high socks that go over your regular socks, but also fit inside my trailrunning shoes. They would have been perfect for crossing icy streams, and prevented my feet from becoming numb on day 2 in the tundra, where we stepped in some cold bogs and crossed streams. As a workaround I used my waterproof paddling pants (Kokatat Semi-Dry) -- with the socks, these kept my feet much warmer but are not fit for bushwacking as the durable water repellent (DWR) coating wears away quickly in the face of brush.
2. An extra pair of dry socks. Minimal weight, would have given me a 'second chance' to get my outfit together instead of completely soaking my hiking pair -- with no chance of drying -- and having to use my other pair originally for sleeping only, to hike.
3. Better bushwacking pants. Bushwacking in Alaska required me to rethink how I dressed. I started off the first day in Ex-Officio bug-repellant travel pants, which absorbed water and were uncomfortable. They provided a bit of brush repellancy though, so I couldn't have gotten away with shorts. Several in the group wore Arc'teryx Palisade pants, which they raved about. I will have to check these out.
4. Lightweight gloves or mittens. I also would love a cozy for my titanium cooking mug so I can grab it right off the stove and transfer heat to my perennially cold hands. I think a pair of hand coverings would solve both. I am experimenting with fashioning some burned DeFeet socks into mitts.
5. Event-bottomed dry sacks. Allows you to squeeze more air out of the bag, reducing bulk.
6. A Heavier-duty backpack. I love my 72 liter GoLite Pinnacle, but I think it was overburdened with my 45 lb. pack for this trip and will probably use it only for trips of sub 35 lbs. in the future. I felt like I was going to rip the armstraps everytime I lifted it to put it on my back. Luckily, that never happened.
7. A 4 or 5 piece paddle. Bushwacking through the alders with two paddles sticking out of my pack was a nightmare. Every time I would step through an opening in the thicket I would get whip-sawed back when the branch caught on my paddle, then I'd have to negotiate a back-bend yoga move to get under and through. Having a more collapsible paddle would solve this.
8. More map coverage. My map didn't cover much of the 'escape route' along the train tracks, so planning an B option wasn't easy because I didn't include much unnecessary space on my custom topo maps. For a trip with a given level of uncertainty, this is a good idea.