well, that's a lotta information on a T...it'd be educational to compare that information to what you'd get on a forum dominated by tundra owners. i know youve already settled on a T (good choice), but here's another perspective than "because all these guys here have one".
@#$!ing bethel? get a T...
i own and wheel a tundra (it is slowly being built up as $$$ and time allow), grew up in anchorage, recently road tripped a tundra from the lower 48 up to anchorage with my dad. the tun is a great truck, and it is *completely different* from a T except for some degree of looks--take any recommendation from someone unfamiliar with one of your choices with a grain of salt (ie people unfamiliar with tundras). drive them both, and talk to some tundra owners (who will also undoubtedly tell you to buy whatever it is they happen to drive, unless they own one of each--you might want to ask sunrise420 about that).
why do i still say go with a T? they are a well-established product, period. if you dont do all the work yourself, youre more likely to find someone in bethel who knows a T than a tundra. if you start with the mods, there's more available for a T, and a lot more people have modified Ts than tundras for adverse conditions. if you decide to sawzall the sheetmetal for larger tires and a solid axle, youll feel much better about doing so to a T than a tundra--the 00 model tuns are still holding up like new cars, tho you can find one (without a cap) for 10G on ebay in the 80k-100k range. as far as towing and hauling, a T is quite capable of getting its own ass up a steep hill with a couple snowmachines in tow, or a load of skiers and camping equipment and three dogs in the back. also, there are plenty of Ts here in ohio (dont ask me why im in ohio, i get all cynical and depressed about it), and they are nearly rust-free...surprising in a state where you can go outside in the winter and make salt angels. the v6 in the T is a non-interference engine, meaning while you need to change the timing belt, if it breaks, you dont lose the engine--not so in the tundra's v8, and in the mileage range you'll be looking at for tuns, most people will sell before their 90k maintenance and leave the next owner with a 500$+ maintenance bill for the timing belt/water pump R&R, not to mention any leftover TSBs they didnt know about, didnt care about, or didnt want to $pend for.
if the tun had been around for a decade, and we'd figured out all the problems, solutions, and mods, i'd say get one...it's the same size package, with twice the truck, but because of it's youth, twice the problems and cost. for the money (and the final destination), you'll be in much better shape with the T, not to mention the support of the guys on the board here--people who regularly tear in to their rigs, vs. a tundra and the eager support of a bunch of kids who will all ask you where to find clear taillights (well, it's not that bad over there, but...you get the idea). there are plenty of dealership techs unfamiliar with the tundra, but right at home working on a T (it shares an engine with...what...at least three or four other trucks now).
fyi, dont be running around on permafrost and marshland in a truck unless youre running oversize boggers and solid axles, youll wind up very, very stuck. like adam said, a quad or snowmachine (or both) will set you up real nice in addition to the T.
have fun in bethel <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />...&& dont be discouraged by the maligning attitude of a city boy like me (anchorage), alaska is alaska, it's always gonna be home to me. youre fortunate, AK is generally a BYO kinda place, and you are. good luck, and enjoy the scenery.
-sean
