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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:05:27 AM EDT
[#1]
Sounds like a fun opportunity to check some big ticket items off the list. I've never been there, but several of my dreams involve hunting and fishing in that area. Good for you!
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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:19:42 AM EDT
[#2]
hot/smoky in summer with huge skeeters
cold as fuck in the winter yep thats about it eta if your mil wife hates the dark your fucked-lots of the big D due to long winters |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:30:07 AM EDT
[#3]
I'm in Fairbanks. The place to avoid is the SE part of town (between Lathrop and Cushman, especially south of Airport Way. The nicest areas are west Fairbanks, Skyline above Farmers Loop, and Chena Ridge.
A lot of people live in North Pole. There are lots of places inside Badger Loop that are questionable. You will definitely want to winterize your cars. DEEP snow isn't usually a problem, so as long as they have good tires a couple of AWD SUV's will make it easy for you to get around. I would wait until you get to Alaska to buy new stuff to avoid the hassle of moving it. Sierra Trading Post and Backcountry have good prices on high quality outdoor gear to help keep you warm. It's a lot drier than NH so even though the temps get a lot colder, it won't be a complete shock. There has been very little of -40 the last few winters anyway. Alaska is THE PLACE to have your guns and land and be left alone. I was born and raised in Kentucky, lived 4 years in Tennessee, 5 in Wyoming, and been in Alaska almost 4 now. The gun culture, the culture of independence, and the ability to be left to your own devices is so much greater up here that it is like a different country. Shoot me a PM if you have any questions or want my cell phone number. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:30:40 AM EDT
[#4]
Try your question in the Alaska HTF
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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:41:11 AM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
hot/smoky in summer with huge skeeters cold as fuck in the winter yep thats about it eta if your mil wife hates the dark your fucked-lots of the big D due to long winters This I lived in FBX for about a year before moving to Anchorage. It does get cold but I won't lie, I missed the place when I first moved down. The summers are nice up there. I would suggest taking advantage of the military resorts in Hawaii since it's a 5 HR flight away. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 11:49:34 AM EDT
[#6]
Thanks for the info guys. Hassle of moving stuff from NC isn't a big deal as the army will do it for me.
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Posted: 2/12/2017 11:55:15 AM EDT
[#7]
I'm a bit jealous.
I'm trying to get up there too... |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:08:36 PM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I'm a bit jealous. I'm trying to get up there too... Yeah my only reservation is if i'll be happier there in my current MOS or reclass and go needs of the army(i am a pessimist and always plan for the worst so ft polk.) |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:25:03 PM EDT
[#9]
Went through arctic warfare training there a lifetime ago. Spent a lot of quality time outdoors in Jan and Feb. Dark and cold beyond belief. Cold like getting hit in the face with a 2x4 when you walk outside. Cold like you are in space and need to suit up before going outside or you will die.
That's about all I've got. Was dark, so I didn't get to see how beautiful it is...and we were too busy to take in the local sites. Seems like a great place for an outdoorsman and kids in the warmer months though...and you can dress for the cold. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:27:05 PM EDT
[#10]
The winter can be very hard psychologically. Cold and dark for months. Some people don't handle that well. I only went there in the summer but I heard from the locals that the winters are not for the unprepared.
Stuff is pricier there, though in Fairbanks it isn't too bad. It's fun to be walking from bar to bar, with the sun high in the sky, and look at your watch to see it's 2:00 in the morning. Buy some blackout curtains. Denali National Park is the most beautiful place on Earth. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:31:36 PM EDT
[#11]
I've been to Fairbanks four times. I would never want to live there. Interior AK is a bug infested swamp with huge temperature and light swings. If I had to move up there I'd find someplace devoid of humans near mountains and sea.
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:36:53 PM EDT
[#12]
My nephew was in the Army in Fairbanks.He liked it,stayed there.
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Posted: 2/12/2017 12:39:05 PM EDT
[#13]
Do it.
Oh and you probably won't want to leave. Alaska gets in your blood bad. Something about world class hunting and fishing in your backyard. That people pay 10's of thousands + dollars to do, that you can do for $24. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 1:30:09 PM EDT
[#14]
Not sure how it would apply to you but they pay you to live there based on the oil revenue. Every citizen gets a dividend check. At least they did about 10 years ago.
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Posted: 2/12/2017 4:06:02 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Do it. Oh and you probably won't want to leave. Alaska gets in your blood bad. Something about world class hunting and fishing in your backyard. That people pay 10's of thousands + dollars to do, that you can do for $24. It's $69 now. $94 if you want to trap as well. Still an unbelievable deal. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 4:11:27 PM EDT
[#16]
I spent some time at Wainwright a few years back... Great place, seriously!!
The interior of Alaska is beautiful and there are some amazing outdoors opportunities all around. MWR rents river boats, campers, and everything else to make all your Alaska adventures enjoyable for pennies on the dollar. Head over to MWR, take the boat class, and start working your way up to the top shelf river boats they have to offer. Then get out on the local rivers and have fun!! Get up on the Yukon too, its just beautiful!! If I could, I would move to Fairbanks tomorrow, but unfortunately my family situation doesn't allow it right now. Best of luck!!! |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 6:59:24 PM EDT
[#17]
I lived on post when I was up there. Heating a home in winter is fucking expensive, so I was happy to let the government worry about that.
I recommend getting on Outdoorsdirectory.com (Alaska Outdoors Forum) and doing lots of searches for every topic you can think of. There is a wealth of information there. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 7:05:53 PM EDT
[#18]
One piece of advice, sell one of your 2wd SUV's and buy a beater 4wd SUV to use up there.
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Posted: 2/12/2017 7:08:06 PM EDT
[#19]
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Posted: 2/12/2017 7:12:11 PM EDT
[#20]
It gets down to -40 F in the winter
They heat their houses with wood stoves, which, combined with the cold weather in winter, traps the smoke to create air quality that is worse than Beijing, China.. In the summer, it gets up to 95 F. It's surrounded by vast forests which invariably catch fire in the summer from lightning strikes, creating an air quality similar to Beijing, China. The water smells like sulfur. On the plus side, the traffic is great, because no one wants to live there. Oh, and the aurora is nice and appears more frequently and is more visible there than Anchorage. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 7:13:59 PM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Not sure how it would apply to you but they pay you to live there based on the oil revenue. Every citizen gets a dividend check. At least they did about 10 years ago. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 7:16:00 PM EDT
[#22]
Huge ass mosquitos in the summer and a lot of them. Winter is pretty brutal also.
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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:18:07 PM EDT
[#23]
Ever watch "Life Below Zero"?
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Posted: 2/12/2017 8:29:10 PM EDT
[#24]
Buy heavy crap before you get here. Weights/bars cost a ton to ship.
Buy a good 4wd down there, it will be a lot cheaper. |
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Posted: 2/12/2017 9:05:45 PM EDT
[#25]
Only went TDY in the summer.
Fun times. A friend said it best: He said he and his wife cried when they got orders to go, and cried when they got orders to leave. |
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Posted: 2/13/2017 1:22:53 PM EDT
[#26]
Buy a 4WD vehicle at Bragg before you go. I bought a used one for my wife just before I PCSed there. She drove it for 4 years and we sold it for more than we paid for it as we left. Look at getting a 4 wheeler also, you will pay more for it up there.'
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Posted: 2/13/2017 6:30:37 PM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Not sure how it would apply to you but they pay you to live there based on the oil revenue. Every citizen gets a dividend check. At least they did about 10 years ago. I'm not sure if .mil stationed there are eligible for that. |
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Posted: 2/13/2017 6:59:43 PM EDT
[#28]
You couldn't pay me to live there.
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Posted: 2/13/2017 8:59:24 PM EDT
[#29]
Just got back from Fairbanks last month. Coming from sunny and hot as balls florida, I was freaking out about the long range forecasts of -35. I went to the HT forum to ask about clothing to which I got excellent advice from the awesome dudes here. Anyway as my trip neared the forecast got warmer and I loaded up my shit and went up there to see the Aurora.
I gotta tell you, I loved it. I hadn't seen snow hit the ground since 1991 and it was a winter wonderland. The stark beauty of the area in winter is beyond description. I had NEVER driven in snow or ice and was unnerved by doing so. I drove back to town from Chenna Hot Springs and Cleary Summit late at night in sub-zero snow and ice and didn't have any problems. Drove past a few Alaskans in the ditch! Loved the area, the people were great, and the beers were better than Montana by far! We made it through the big winter storm right before new years eve. I'd go back in the winter again in a heartbeat. |
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