The last thing you want is for a key piece of gear to break when your hundreds of miles from the nearest road. In any outdoor situation, good gear is important. The need for reliable gear is magnified exponentially when you’re on a wilderness expedition.  A very important part in planning a remote trip is researching the type of gear you need, looking for stuff that will stand up to the test. A lot of this knowledge is gained from smaller trips closer to home where you can see what works and what doesn't. For my Arctic adventure, I searched out the best gear I could find and put it to the ultimate test. This gallery covers some of the equipment I used and what I learned about it. --Jim Baird