I would be the last person to argue that all of the activities undertaken in the Alaskan wilderness are safe or conservative - there have been many, many times I felt that I was in danger (frozen feet in Juneau; run-ins with musk ox in Nome; pretty much every summer on the Copper River.... and so on). I do believe, however, that like we say in the military, "prior planning prevents piss-poor performance." In an extreme environment, planning can quite literally save your life.
A fundamental of good planning is to field-test your equipment, especially if it's new. We purchased a new tent and cold-weather gear from Cabela's in advance of an upcoming moose hunt. (Cold weather gear, especially your tent, is not the place to save money - go with a manufacturer you trust and make the investment. I love to shop the Cabela's "Bargain Cave" to keep expenses down.) The day after it arrived, we set it up in the blazing California sun to inspect it for rips or tears, test the poles, and get a feel for how long it took us to set it up in case we ever need to do so quickly.
We were curious about set-up time, but it is not vital for our next adventure, which will include a relatively large group in a relatively accessible location. If you ever do set out truly on your own, I strongly recommend practicing set-up and tear-down to become as efficient as possible. I also recommend that you practice packing your gear to get a feel for how much it weighs and how the weight will sit on your boat, 4-wheeler, or back. This is a step that is often neglected and can have serious consequences once you are in the field.(Ours is a very basic design - how long do you think it takes to set this beastly tent up? Don't want to be caught in a storm trying to do that.)
Want to ensure success? Don't forget to recruit the best tent-testers available!
