Three Months at Sea: What Do I Bring?
A personal list of things I take before a lengthy commercial fishing trip
Guest post written by Kevin Jezek
It’s 3 am and I have not slept a wink. Green army duffel bag sitting on the end of my bed, backpack like every school kid has in America right next to it. Both stuffed full of everything I can think to bring for the upcoming salmon season up in Port Moller, Alaska. I will be on a boat that is 40 feet long and 10 feet wide with one other person. Not much room, gotta pack smart. I’m 16 years old, this is my third season and I know exactly what to expect and what to bring. Let’s rewind three days and I will take you on the journey from the beginning talking about my purchases and why I chose the things I chose.
Day one of packing is centered around clothes. Very, very important step here. Might be the most critical, but definitely tied for the number one spot. Clothing offers two functions, the first being comfort. It is crucial that you be comfortable in the clothes you have, especially while you are working in them. For this reason, I would always choose sweatpants and basketball shorts. Second benefits of clothing is psychological. It makes a person feel good putting on clean clothes, especially something like brand new socks. Below is my clothing list for a whole three months of living, working, and everything elsethat comes with that.
1. 10 hooded sweatshirt
2. 10 pairs of basketball shorts (these are undergarments which work way better than underwear)
3. 10 pairs of sweatpants (thick ones, not thin, tiny, see-through leggings)
4. One pair of waterproof boots
5. 15 t-shirts
6. 30 pairs of socks
So here is the way I do it. I spend all day driving around to all the thrift stores and second hand stores I have to. I buy everything except the socks and boots second hand. These last two items I buy brand new. Here’s the reason I don’t like wearing second hand shoes. First of all, it kinda creeps me out. But the biggest reason is, in my opinion, because one of the best feelings in the world is putting new socks on your feet. This is the reason for having so many pairs. While I am fishing, I always have rain gear over everything. So I wear my clothing for at least 7 days, sometimes longer if we are super busy. My socks, however, I change every three days. It’s short enough to always have that new sock feeling! This is a huge mental boost in a environment of constant up and downs, highs and lows.
Day two of packing is spent gathering up my entertainment. I personally load up an iPod with everything I can think of and call it good. But some people bring everything from Gameboys to full gaming systems and laptops. I also bring a camera because there is always something amazing to see and take a picture of. Whatever you choose to bring, make sure it is waterproof! My first year, I spent the entire summer taking what, in my mind, were award winning photos… Only to have the entire camera and everything on it ruined when, late in the season, a wave crashed over the deck while I was distracted taking a photo. The wave soaked the camera and thus destroyed my entire summer of photos! Plenty of paper and pencils thrown in as well.
Third day of packing is spent gathering our toiletries and hygiene products. All the normal items, folks. Toothpaste and on and on. This is pretty mundane but these little creature comforts become huge late into the season. Never underestimate the power of feeling clean and healthy for both body and mind. It really can lift one’s spirits to clean up. I also liked buying food and snacks for the plane ride and travel. You never know in Alaska if you will be staying overnight at the airport because of bad weather. Second year fishing, I spent ten days in the Anchorage airport waiting for a flight into King Cove. I had a hundred dollars in my wallet and managed to make a fun camping trip out of it. If I were a bit older, I might have been scared or worried. But I was just a dumb kid, it was all a big game to me!
All in all, you really don’t need much for your everyday life. I have taken this approach to my life on land, I have noticed. Not so much by actively seeking to, but more out of habit at this point. Honestly, you really don’t miss many things for long once you go without for any length of time. Our mind likes to trick us into believing that there are things in our lives we cannot live without. That is simply not true. I truly find that the less I have in my possession, the less I have to worry about. And that, my friends, is a very relaxing and comforting feeling.
Kevin Jezek was born on September 13th 1988, in Tacoma Washington. He grew up in Federal Way, Washington where he attended Federal Way High School. He started commercial salmon fishing in the summer on my uncle’s boat in Alaska when he was 14. High school dropout (with GED). Has had held a variety of jobs, such as working with crab, salmon, cod, fishing, construction, heavy equipment operator, landfill, aircraft maintenance, plumbing, electrical, gardening and more. Kevin is an open-minded, deep thinking, loner who likes people.
“ I’m going through life looking to collect experiences not things. Your mind is either your strongest asset or your Achilles heel depending on how you use it!”
