Flying with a Loaded Backpacking (Wilderness Backpacking Backpack)

I've got a ~55L backpack which I can usually bring as carry-on, but sometimes am forced to gate-check especially on small commuter jets. Your Kelty Red Cloud 5600 is ~92L, I think? You'll almost certainly have to check it. It's a personal nuisance, but part of fairness to other passengers. At ticket check-in, they may have extra-sturdy plastic bags for strollers and such, which you can use with your backpack to keep your straps and toggles from getting ripped off, although they'd run out when I'd flown last. I would buy a roll of extra-large, extra-tough clear plastic trash bags.

No, they won't let you take them on most likely as backpacks don't fit well into overhead bins. Just check them, I do it all the time under similar circumstances and its fine and you can most likely pick up anything you need in Fairbanks pretty easily. If you're really worried ask if you can gate check them (carry to the gate and hand check them there) but the airline likely won't let you carry them on at all. If you haven't checked backpacks before, you will want to remove the hip belts and other various straps or strap them down tightly or stuff the whole thing in a sturdy plastic bag so nothing gets torn off in the belts. Rare but it happens and it's a real bummer when half your hipbelt is missing.

Nowadays the airlines are pretty clear about their carry-on policies. Here's http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/traveling-with-us/baggage/during-your-trip/carry-on.html. Here is http://www.aa.com/i18n/travelInformation/baggage/carryOnAllowance.jsp. And you still need to be cognizant of the general TSA rules about liquids and toiletries and such. However, if you're on a full flight and every passenger's bringing the biggest possible carry on you can still get screwed and have to check your stuff at the gate. It's a bit of a crap shoot.

I have an Osprey Kestrel 48, which, in terms of measurements, is OK to carry on every airline I've tried it with so far. I usually check it when it's overstuffed on the way back from a trip, but at 75% "leave room for souvenirs" (my standard starting point at the beginning of travels), it's always been fine. No idea how a 48 litre pack measures up to what you guys need for this trip, though. Also, I will say that I bought this pack specifically with the intent of having a carry-on-able pack, and I had to look at a lot of packs before I found one that would work. So definitely measure and make sure.

If you haven't already sent your stuff, you might want to contact the Denali Park Post Office at 907-683-2291 and ask about general delivery options. The PO is right next to Riley Creek. It might be more convenient, though I'm not sure that would help much with the fuel as I imagine USPS won't allow you to send it to Alaska (mostly air mail up here). You can buy fuel and bear spray (and a lot of creature comforts) at the Riley Creek Mercantile. Check the weather as you plan your packing, it's been a ridiculously hot summer and you might need more warm weather stuff than you think. Mosquitoes were quite bad earlier in July, I'm heading up there again this weekend so I can report back on the current situation.

We don't want to check anything because our gear is critical to the success of the trip? Ship what you can't carry on. Since you aren't actually backpacking, you probably aren't bringing special lightweight backpacking foods -- you can save on shipping by buying food in Alaska. If you have metal trowels or other small metal tools I'd ship those to save any hassle at security. I'm not familiar with the pack you named, but wouldn't recommend bringing an external frame pack as a carry on. Internal frame packs should be fine, just make sure you can squish it into the allowed luggage dimensions, and don't count on it being your "personal item". Like any other carry on luggage, there may be situations when you are forced to check it.

The Flying with a Backpack source you linked sounds about right, from my experience. However, every time I've backpacked out of state and flown to get there, I've checked my backpack in an http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B008VOIAYK/metafilter-20/ref=nosim/. Carry on? You could easily be asked to check your bag because of its size.

Sorry can't answer your specific question but it may help to know http://www.prospectoroutfitters.com is a good outdoor store in Fairbanks. Was just there in April. Also, yes, it's been what some old timers call the best summer in 50 years. Sunny, hot and dry. Dunno how that affects your planned water sources. Just a thought.

Looked up the specs on your pack -- 5300 to 5600 cu in fully loaded. Maximum legal carry-on size is 22x14x9 -- 2772 cu in. Even half loaded, your pack has an internal frame that is going to make the pack 32" or 35" long. It is going to be a crap shoot whether you can get it on. It looks like it will lay long-ways in a baggage compartment, but whether the flight attendants let you on with it or not is going to depend on how full the flight is and your boarding zone. If you are a Delta medallion flyer and will board with the other "skyzone" passengers, then I like your chances. If not, then it gets a lot more likely you'll have to gate check your bag, especially if flight is full. You can roughly gauge that in advance by trying to change your seat assignment and looking at how many open seats there are.