J_Joel

Will be leaving soon for 12 days,mostly inland passage and kenai peninsula. What clothing is a must? Understand will be in the 60s and rain a lot so hooded waterproof jacket will need. Any other must haves? Trying to pack light (laundry will probably need to be done half way thru trip). Any suggestions would be great. Thanks.

sunbum1944

I found a light weight fleece that would fit under the raincoat helpful ( was there the end of June to middle of July)

I brought several long sleeved t shirts- it was 80 in Fairbanks but you never know.

The day we cruised Hubbard Glacier- a hat or headband would have been good to have

dfrostnh

Pack so you can dress in layers but agree with the above, don't forget a couple of short sleeve things. (It was unusually hot in the Anchorage area and unexpected.) A hat for sun. A hat for warmth. I also brought knit gloves. It can be real windy on board ship. Think about what you will need if you are out in the rain two days in a row. Jeans don't dry very quickly and if it's hot, I find khakis much more comfortable than denim. A fleece jacket is a must. I hate tie shoes so I wore Teva like sandals most of the time but hiking shoes on the trail. Roomy bag like a small backpack is handy to carry binnoculars, camera, extra clothes like hat and gloves, water bottle.

Kansan

I like to wear SmartWool socks to keep my feet warm and dry.

MiamiBeachMomma

It was in the 50s and raining most of our trip (Jul 21-Aug 6)!! I was cold in one fleece and a rain shell. Wish I had more layers. But Im a Florida girl.
We did have great weather in Juneau - sunny and 70.

MiamiBeachMomma

We did a lot of activities close to the water - kayaking, zodiac rides - glacier hiking - we also brought waterproof pants and rain boots.

saige

You'll be happy if you have a water resistant hat, jacket and pants. I can't tell you how many cruise ship passengers I saw in Alaska wearing cheap plastic shower caps and trash bags over their expensive cruise clothes. Expect to get wet.

J_Joel

Hello All -

Thanks for all your help and responses. We had a FANTASTIC trip to Alaska. Great weather - Yes!!! And with your help, the itinerary we planned went perfectly.

Hoping to get back to Alaska in the springtime to Fairbanks to see the Northern Lights. We think we saw them briefly one night while on the ferry at 2AM as it left Wrangell, but it was just a glimpse. Who has been to Chena Hot Springs for that?

Thanks again.

Jeff & Judy Joel

P.S. Thanks for all the help about layering. I brought my ski clothes with wicking but except for a couple of days, we had the BEST weather. The Alaskans were constantly commenting on the sunshine (we brought it with us I think - Jeff went out and bought an expensive rain suit before we left and only wore it once )