archives
This is everything. Every guide, every story, every piece of advice we’ve put together from years of working and traveling across Alaska.
If you’re the type who likes to dig around and find things on your own, this is your page. If you’d rather start with the most important stuff, head over to our Essential Guides or Plan Your Trip section.
Either way, there’s a lot here—take your time.
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Alaska Deckhand Jobs: What It Actually Takes
Ten years on Alaska’s boats — Deadliest Catch, Port Protection, Bering Sea Gold, and more. Here’s how deckhand hiring, pay, and crew share actually work,…
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Best Backpacks for Alaska: A NatGeo TV Crew’s Field-Tested Picks
The real backpacks worth bringing to Alaska — tested on boats, trails, and a backcountry goat hunt in Sitka — from a working TV crew.
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Homer Alaska Restaurants: Best Spots to Eat & Drink
We spent years eating our way through Homer filming for the Discovery Channel. Here’s the honest guide to where a tired film crew actually eats…
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Bush Planes in Alaska: What Years of Flying For TV Taught Us
We’ve made a career out of flying into the Alaskan bush — McCarthy glaciers, Cordova islands, ANWR, Port Protection. Here’s what flying bush planes in…
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Port Protection Alaska: The Real Place Behind the Show
Port Protection, Alaska is where Paul Taggart and I met. We shot every episode of the show for National Geographic. Here’s what the place, the…
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Tide Pooling in Alaska: Where to Go, Creatures, & What to Harvest
Gary Muehlberger wanted to make octopus fritters. That’s how my Alaska tide pooling obsession started. Here’s where to go, what you’ll find, and what you…
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Is Alaska Safe to Visit Right Now? An Honest 2026 Answer
A couple of years ago, an article asking “is Alaska safe to visit” would have been about bear spray and life jackets. In 2026 it’s…
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Best Binoculars for Alaska Wildlife: A NatGeo TV Crew’s Guide
Alaska is one of the best places on earth to watch wildlife. Humpback whales, brown bears, bald eagles, Dall sheep, sea otters, moose, puffins, the…
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Fairbanks Airport Restaurants: Where to Eat at FAI
The only sit-down restaurant inside FAI, + the best spots to eat near Fairbanks Airport, from a film crew who’s flown through too many times.
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King Salmon Alaska: The Ultimate Guide to Chinook Fishing, Runs & Where to Catch Them
We were on the water before the sun was fully up. My sister had come up to visit me while I was filming on a…
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What to Wear on an Alaskan Boat: Boat-by-Boat Guide
Figuring out what to wear on an Alaskan boat is its own problem. Specifically, it is not the same as dressing for a day on…
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Alaska Fishing Gear: What to Pack, Buy Here, & Leave at Home
Most people show up to Alaska with the wrong fishing gear, not because they’re dumb, but because nobody told them what fishing here actually demands.…