The North Route
Gravel, ferries and fuel gaps, from the Skeena to the Arctic coast.
This is a kit list for the long gravel run north, organised by what fails and what it costs you when it does. It is not a shopping list. Where a pick is named, we carried it. Where a pick is still marked as owed, testing isn't finished and we won't pretend otherwise.
Tyres and spares
The northern gravel highways are known for cutting sidewalls, and a flat far from service is the most likely way this trip goes wrong. Buy for the surface, not the brochure.
- Light-truck construction, with a load rating chosen for your loaded weight rather than your empty weight.
- Two full-size spares, mounted and checked before departure.
- A plug kit, and a compressor that can bring a tyre up from flat without cutting out on heat.
Our pick: ‹tyre› — tested ‹duration›.
Fuel
Services are far apart, and their hours change with the season. Plan the drive fuel stop to fuel stop, and confirm current hours before you leave rather than trusting last year's notes.
- Certified jerry cans, mounted outside the cab.
- Enough reserve to reach the next stop if the one you planned on is closed.
Our pick: ‹jerry can› — tested ‹duration›.
Ferries and river crossings
At the northern end of the Dempster, the river crossings run by ferry in summer and by ice road in winter. Neither runs during freeze-up or break-up, and that gap can last weeks. Check the Northwest Territories road and ferry reports before you commit to the drive north. No piece of kit fixes this one.
No piece of kit fixes a closed ferry. Check the crossing before you check anything else.
Glass and lights
Rock chips are close to certain on a long gravel run. Slow down and move right for oncoming trucks. Headlight covers are cheap; a replacement windshield in the north is neither cheap nor quick.
Our pick: ‹headlight guard› — tested ‹duration›.
Communication
Cell coverage is limited to communities, and the gaps between them are long. A satellite messenger is the one piece of electronics we would not make this trip without. Leave your route and your check-in times with someone at home.
Our pick: ‹satellite messenger› — tested ‹duration›.
Food storage
This is bear country for the whole route. Store food, garbage and anything scented in a hard-sided vehicle or a certified container, never in a tent. A rooftop tent keeps you off the ground, but it does not keep your food safe.
Our pick: ‹food container› — tested ‹duration›.