Air for tires

In 1976 (why do I recall this???)...I drove a duece and a half (6 tires) from Squarebanks up the Haul Road to Prudhoe.....blew every tire on that trip. Switching the 2 spares I carried was enough of a pain...but patching the other 4 and pumping them up with a foot pump was a true PITA....all of that added at least 8 hours to the trip.

Between '76 and '83/84-ish, I made another 6 - 7 trips on the Haul Road with a variety of vehicles. Never again did I travel without a generator (loud noisy construction type) and a fair size air compressor.....and of course, didn't have another flat on the road.

I'd suggest that it is either prudent or inviting good karma to carry a small air compressor when taking the gravel roads in AK and NW Canada.

I carry THIS and a 400W MSW inverter.
They are currently on sale for $50.

If you do buy one follow the break-in instructions.

It is wise to be self-sufficient, if possible. We've never travelled with an air compressor and haven't had an issue. But have had two flats on one trip up the Dempster, ironically one right in Inuvik due to a nail.

On our trip out from Inuvik, we passed and offered help to a fellow who had 4 flats along the Dempster and was driving on a flat because he had run out of spares.

Best advice I can offer is to ensure your tires are in good shape and rated properly for the load if you plan to enjoy the gravel highways and backroads.

I carry one of these Q Industries MV50 Portable 12VDC 150PSI Tankless Air Compressors (AMAZON) works just fine. I can air-up my trailer and truck tires and also use it for blowing out my water lines in the trailer when the temps drop below freezing...



Would not think of ever camping off the power grid without an 12VDC air compressor. Learned that big time back in OFF TRAIL JEEP days...

Roy ken

Carry a small 12 volt air compressor adequate for your needs.

Murphy's law :B

Air is available lots of places...but it sure is easier to have the flexibility of your own compressor.