How to Pack for Alaska

Cruise season and summer vacation is fast approaching, and one destination on the list is Alaska. 

The weather in AK is hard to predict. One second it could be sunny and 65, and then you blink and it's raining. Living in AK for three years, I wouldn't say we became experts, but we definitely learned a thing or two about how to dress for the seasons...

How NOT to Pack for Alaska

This was my parents' living room when we found out we had 5 days to get our shit together and move to AK. Please note the excessive number of bags and the fact that we only thought we'd be there for one hockey season (7ish months), definitely not the 3 years we ended up staying. Overpack much?! My first trip home, after only 3 months of living there, I ended up bringing over half of this stuff back.

How TO Pack to Alaska

The key to packing for the land of the midnight sun is function. 

One way to be prepared is to do your research ahead of time, and to bring layers. It's easier to take off a layer if you're too warm, then to put on a layer you don't have if you're too cold.

If you're visiting the South Central (Anchorage-area), here's what to expect:

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If you're visiting the South East (Inside Passage - Juneau, Haines, etc.), here's what to expect:

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Unless you plan on attending a formal event, leave the formal clothes at home. Alaska is very casual and you will feel comfortable anywhere you go in casual clothes. (Also a reason why Anchorage was voted the worst dressed city in America.)

Clothing recommendations, by season:

Winter: long sleeved shirt, pants, warm hat and gloves, insulated boots, long underwear/leggings, wool socks, warm sweater or vest, snow pants, winter coat.

Note about winter jackets: I brought a North Face parka with me and wore it only a handful of times. Again, layers are key. If you're doing any type of outdoor activity (skiing, hiking, etc.), you'll be way too hot in a parka. But, they do come in handy when you're outside at 2am viewing the aurora boreal is. 

Spring: long sleeved shirt, pants, walking shoes, waterproof boots, wind breaker or jacket, hat, thin gloves and hat

Summer: short sleeved shirt, shorts, pants, long sleeved shirt, walking shoes, wind breaker or jacket, hat

Fall: long sleeved shirt, pants, warm hart and gloves, insulated boots, waterproof boots, windbreaker or jacket, sweater or vest

Other must-have items: 

hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, bug spray, backpack, binoculars, camera, sleeping mask (for the midnight sun)

If you're headed to Alaska this summer, or in the near future, and have questions about what to expect or what to pack, feel free to contact me. Seeing as I'm a total Alaska-pusher, I'd be more than happy to help!

Have you visited Alaska? What would you recommend packing?