Clothing Items & Footwear

• Layered clothing: as mentioned above, this is of utmost importance. From personal experience, I’d rather be over prepared and over-layered than freezing and wishing I had more to layer on. You can always take the layers off if you get too hot
• Wool or moisture-wicking socks: Cotton socks will absorb any water or sweat that enters your shoes and will literally never dry. Invest in a couple good pairs of wool/moisture-wicking socks especially if you are doing any outdoor activities in the water, rain, or snow.
• Waterproof, insulated outer jacket with a hood: The outermost layer of your clothing should be a waterproof type jacket. Thickness can be dependent on time of year visiting, but ensuring it is waterproof and hooded for unexpected rain or snow is key.
• Gloves: Thickness can be dependent on time of year, but it does get chilly when outside all day anytime of year.
• Beanie: Keeps your head and ears warm while outside and there’s windy or a chilly day on the water.
• Hiking pants: Synthetic blend pants that move with your body is the most comfortable pant you can wear when you are out and about all day. Hiking, climbing mountains, and any outdoor activity is more enjoyable in a flexible pair of pants. If they are waterproof, that’s even better!
• Waterproof hiking shoes or boots: The shoe situation is probably the most stressful part of packing. Whether you choose a shoe or boot that covers the ankle, getting a pair of shoes that has good tread and are waterproof will save you a lot of hassle. You can almost guarantee your feet will get wet at some point on your trip – you will come across rain, snow, puddles, or mud making it wet and slippery. The last thing you need on this trip is an injury!

Gear

• Binoculars: But, of course! Even from the car, you might see eagles flying around or a moose in the woods – binoculars are so essential to bring with you on your Alaskan adventures.
• Sunglasses: No matter the season, the sun and its glare can be killer, especially for my fellow blue-eyed friends. I’m suprised the sun glares bouncing off the white snow didn’t fully blind me.
• Backpack: An absolute necessity – bring a backpack that you can put all your other gear and shedded layers into. The backpack doesn’t have to be massive, just a solid backpack that is comfortable to wear all day throughout your activities like hiking, kayaking, or ATVing.
• Water bottle: A stainless steel, spill-proof water bottle will serve you well as you might not come across a gas station or restaurant for several hours at a time. Even a road trip in Alaska, it is best to be prepared with water because it can get very remote very fast.
• Waterproof phone case or cover: Again, precipitation is almost guaranteed at some point during your trip so you’ll want to protect your phone that takes all your pictures. Some water activities like kayaking or a glacier cruise will also present more water-related phone accidents, so get a waterproof phone case or waterproof pouch to have in these instances

• Sunscreen: Though the UV index doesn’t get very high, the sun can surely still give you a sunburn – I would know. The sun bouncing off the ice and snow will definitely give you a sunburn on your face if not prepared. It is best to bring a good facial SPF if you bring any sun protection at all.

• Bug spray: The mosquitos are the size of small birds, so if you can’t pack bug spray, I recommend picking up some bug spray before you venture out into the wilderness.

• Sleep eye mask: The sun is up for nearly 20+ hours a day depending in the time of year you visit. Nearly all lodging places will have blackout curtains for this purpose so you can trick your body into going to sleep. Take the added measure by bringing a sleeping eye mask to really block out the light to catch some sleep for your action packed vacation.
  • Side note – if you happen to be there during the summer solstice, the sun doesn’t set and it is an incredible experience to be awake and see the sun at 3 am!

• Bear spray: Now I doubt you’ll have bear spray to pack from wherever you live, so plan to either rent bear spray or buy some at any grocery/convenience store once you arrive. If you’re feeling anxious about being in the mountains, woods, or even on the road with bears, bear spray will protect you in the event you have a close encounter. It also helps ease the mind – I took it with me to even get the mail when I lived there just to feel better about my safety.

• Thick gloves: If you are braving it during fall and winter months, you will want to be EXTRA prepared with warm gear. Thick gloves (I like snow mittens) will serve you well. You can even wear a thin pair of finger gloves under the thick mitten gloves – I’ve done this for snowboarding.
• Beanie that covers the ears: A thick, insulated beanie will keep you warm but make sure it is long enough to cover your ears. If you leave your ear exposed when it’s below freezing, they will turn red and hurt over time!
• Snow pants or snow bibs: If you plan on doing any snow activities like snowboarding, skiing, or snow machining, a good pair of snow pants that go over your base layers will be necessary. For snowbaording, I would wear a waffle-type legging base layer, topped with a loose pair of sweat pants, and topped with snow pants or snow bibs. If I got too hot, I would take off the loose sweat pants under the snow pants.
• Snow jacket: Again, for snow sports, a well-insulated snow jacket on top of all your layers will be needed. Make sure it is big enough to fit on top of multiple layers, so you may have to consider sizing up.
• Insulated boots: For casually walking around, it will be snowy, wet, and cold outside so you will need thick, waterproof boots. Uggs will definitely keep your feet warm, but make sure you treat them or you may end up with water stains. Another good option is a boot that goes to at least your mid-shin – I really like the Sorelle boots. I wore these when I knew I’d be outside in the snow for long periods or shoveling my driveway.
• Hand and toe warmers: 100% recommend hand and toe warmers, especially if you are going to be outside for several hours. I attached them to my socks and put them in my mittens for snowboarding every single time. If your hands get too hot, just move the warmers to your pockets.
• Vitamin D/Caffeine: This isn’t a necessity but something to consider if you are sensitive to the lack of sunlight. Compared to the endless sunny days in summer, the winter brings, what feels like, endless dark days. Deep into the winter, it will be dark when you wake up until 10am or so, and the sun will start setting around 3pm. So some over-the-counter vitamin D and drinking caffeine might be helpful. I’m no doctor, just sharing what is helpful to me during the winter months.