Alaska Packing list - A different question

I have gone through the packing list provided by the good people here and I do have a comprehensive list and.....it frightens me :( .

It is going to be quite a bit of the green to get ourselves equipped for this vacation. Now what are some of the ways we could bring down our cost. Get the jackets, the hiking boots etc that too four of each...are there way we could cut costs here ? Any suggestions ?

Thanks in advance

Good question. I'll be watching for replies. I'm also keeping my eyes on Sierra Trading Post for sales...

I have no idea when you're going, your activities, excursions or destinations, but my personal opinion is that people get silly with this clothing issue. (maybe it's an excuse to shop for some folks :))

I only pack jeans, a few Long and Short sleeved T's to wear under 2 fleece pullovers and 1 hoody, 1 shorts, 1 capri, 1 pr good walking shoes, lined nylon jogging pants, knee socks and regular, gloves, knit hat or scarf. I carry a hooded jacket on the plane. I don't do formal nights so I pack khakis or black jeans and sweater to wear on board. Regardless of where I travel there's a poncho in my daypack, along with binoculars, camera, travel book, trail mix, water bottle, sunscreen, sunglasses, lipbalm and a baseball cap for rain or sun.

Depending on your activities and/or where you're from, you may need long underwear, and a waterproof jacket, waterproof shoes or even a cheap rainsuit from a sporting goods store. Heck I live in Seattle and don't have waterproof. I'd spray a pair of sneakers/walking shoes if I needed to.

I probably missed something, but basically this is it; worked fine for 4 trips. Only 1 cruise, the rest were land travel with tent camping or RV.

Unless you plan on serious hiking, don't bother with hiking boots. Sneakers are fine for most walking around, especially for kids. Spray with waterproof spray and/or bring a second pair just in case. Don't spend a lot of money on items that you won't use again at home. You do not need to spend $300 on a high end rain jacket.

Like mapleleaves, I live in the Seattle area and pack similarly. I don't own fancy rain gear, just a waterproof shell with hood. Layers are key. When I took my teens a couple years ago, none of them had anything remotely resembling rain gear. They had hoodie sweatshirts, jeans/shorts, their usual sneakers.

I've found that many excursions provide rain gear as needed. On a rainforest walk in Ketchikan, they handed out disposable plastic ponchos. We had good rain jackets already, so just kept our ponchos as souvenirs! On a rafting trip in Haines (out of Skagway) they provided rubber boots for everyone, had bins of old sweatshirts to borrow if you thought you'd be too cold, and offered heavy duty rain ponchos to use when it started pouring.

Don't overthink it. You probably have a lot of the things you need already. You don't need to spend a lot of money on fancy gear that you may not even need and likely won't use again.

I am happy to read these responses, too.

We live in the Midwest, so we already have plenty of fleece jackets, and we also already have waterproof hiking boots. The only thing I think we will purchase is something like this: FROGG TOGGS RAIN SUIT. They are only $30, and we will use it at sporting events and other activities besides the cruise.

I'd rather spend more on great excursions than on a new jacket and boots!

I agree with mapleleaves and sherryf, and, like them, live in the Pacific Northwest. I have found that the weather in SE Alaska is not that different from what we have here, so I've never needed to go out and buy anything special for our Alaska cruises. But I do realize that if you're from a warmer/dryer part of the country, it can be a bit daunting. Just remember, you're not going to the frozen tundra of the north...when people say it's *cold* in Alaska, that doesn't mean you need to go out and buy a -60 degree rated parka. I usually do fine with t-shirts and fleece vests over jeans and a pair of Merrell trekking shoes. My hubby wears cargo shorts, no matter what the weather's doing... :D

You don't need to spend a lot of money on fancy gear that you may not even need and likely won't use again.

Agreed. When we went to Alaska we did spend some money on some things. The question I kept asking myself about the purchases was "Can I use this at home" If the answer was no, then it was put back. It helped that we live in an area that gets cold, so the fleece pullovers are definitely used (especially today when the high is 10 degrees...). The other thing to consider is doing laundry on the ship. We did and we only had to bring half of what we thought we would need. Yes, you have to go and do it yourself, but it saved money (even brought our own travel laundry soap.....) and space in the luggage.

I too am from the PNW so I already own most of the gear I need for SE AK - and like the others from this area find that an AK cruise is like camping on the beach - with the same amount of weather changes :D.

I have also cruised with people from FL and NV who thought that 70 degrees was cold and were shivering cold in AK. - they looked at us in our t shirts and windbreakers and wondered why were weren't cold.

As for hiking boots - leave them home - unless you really plan on doing lots of hiking on your own - otherwise the tour operators will either provide what you need - or tell you in advance what to bring. BTW there are places to hike at Mendenhall Glacier and in Skagway where boots might be nice - but not needed - good running/cross trainers will suffice - and would be prefered when doing watercraft or flightseeing tours.

Someone last year posted here about finding good stuff at Goodwill and other resale clothing outlets - what they found was that people who moved south from northern climes donated the clothes they no longer needed

Sierra Trading Post, SteepandCheap dot com, and REI sales can be a great way to save. Also look for outdoor gear consignment stores (those are plentiful here in CO). But I agree, don't go overboard buying new gear. For one week you won't need a top of the line rain jacket. Good luck! We are outdoor junkies so our real problem is deciding what to leave at home or how to fit formal wear in next to the hiking gear ;)

We're from the midwest as well and went last Aug to Alaska, wore tennis shoes on the plane had a pair of dress shoes for dinner than one fleece jacket each and a few long sleeve shirts. we bought a few sweatshirts if needed and bought the cheapy little rain poncho from the dollar store and used it twice while cruising so was glad to have it with. Its -14 with a windchill of -31 today so we tend to be comfortable with the weather in Alaska and adjust just fine considering its warmer in Alaska right now than here in Minnesota LOL:D, however we DO NOT hike so no boots were needed.

I agree with the people that say do not buy too much. Both DH and I wore sneakers the entire time we were in AK. [though rain and snow--in Denali]

We never needed hiking boots. 4 pair of those will set you back. Especialy for the kids, since they will outgrow them quickly.

We did a lot of walking around. We got a map and walked all over Juneau to see the sites after our tour.

Went to the Totem Bight Park and Potlach Park in Ketchikan and walked both places before walking from the public bus stop down to Creek street.

The people we saw in AK did not look like they were into style very much--it was more about comfort.

PS--the hooded jackets DH and I took were purchased in San Francisco on Pier 39. We were there in late June of 2011 and froze!:eek: They cost us $19.99.:)

I quit hauling hiking books to Alaska bout 20 years ago and now wear decent walking shoes for all Alaska activities winter and summer.

I have a Frogg Toggs outfit that I keep in my camera bag for extremely wet conditions and very seldom use it.

My standard wear is mostly as described so well by other folks in this thread. I do not dress for formal nights and generally do not eat in the main dining room preferring to spend my time out on deck as much as possible.

I take many plastic bags to protect my camera gear (bags in a variety of sizes) and the cameras and I stay reasonably dry.

I have gone through the packing list provided by the good people here and I do have a comprehensive list and.....it frightens me :( .

 

It is going to be quite a bit of the green to get ourselves equipped for this vacation. Now what are some of the ways we could bring down our cost. Get the jackets, the hiking boots etc that too four of each...are there way we could cut costs here ? Any suggestions ?

 

Thanks in advance

Hi..do you have a link to the packing list that you refer to .... Going to Alaska May 2013. Very excited ... but living in Dallas...I have NO idea what to take. All other curises...warm weather. Thanks for any advice.

I think if you Google it you can find packing lists. We like to create a 'clothes map' for each trip. A chart, we use Excel, with each day across the top and the activities below it and fill out the items we will need. From that we generate a packing list and shopping list. We each take only one 21" suitcase and a carry one backpack for trips that are usually 12-16 days.

I purchased my lightweight, waterproof jacket at our first stop for $19.99 and still use it a few days each year in the SE Texas area.

Like many others on this thread, I live in the northwest and would never bother with hiking boots on a cruise. I wore my sneakers the entire time on our cruise last summer. Save the hiking boots for back country hikes, not for cruise excursions.

Rick Steves, the Edmonds Washington travel writer, provides what I consider the best advice on travel packing. He basically says, if you are not going to use it three times on a trip, don't bring it. (I personally make an exception for underclothing since I don't want to spend my vacation washing undies in the sink.) The biggest packing mistake I used to make was to try to bring something for every contingency.

Here is what I actually used on my 7-night Alaska cruise last summer: jeans, cargo pants, slacks (for dinner), two button-up shirts (for dinner), t-shirts, a couple of long sleeve shirts to layer over the t-shirts, a fleece pullover, a water proofed wind-breaker, sneakers, black shoes (for dinner), socks and underwear. I also brought gloves and a hat that I used on deck in Glacier Bay. Easy peasy.

Lastly, I also brought a blazer and tie. These are not really required for an Alaska cruise. But my wife likes me to dress up a for dinner on the formal nights.

It's real easy to buy sweatshirts and fleece pullovers on an Alaska cruise. They are sold everywhere. So consider this a souvenir buying opportunity.

For all who have been on a cruise the first week of july.... Can you get away with shorts durng the day.. or is it too cold...

Bring from NJ we have some cold winters... this packing thing is a pain in the butt going away for 13 days is going to be awsome but hard to pack for.. Please let me know what you think...

I purchased my lightweight, waterproof jacket at our first stop for $19.99 and still use it a few days each year in the SE Texas area.

Do you by any chance have a photo of this you could post? I think that's probably the only item I would need to look into acquiring if we go to Alaska this summer, as I tend to wear either a leather jacket or a dress coat in the winter, and have plenty of non-water-proof fleece and sweatshirts.

If anyone has any photos of the lightweight, water-proof jacket they took, that would be awesome. I tend to wear either a leather jacket or a dress coat in winter, and I know neither of those would be appropriate for Alaska. I have plenty of non-water-proof fleece pullovers, sweatshirts, etc., so hopefully just one inexpensive water proof jacket would be my only purchase.

If anyone has any photos of the lightweight, water-proof jacket they took, that would be awesome. I tend to wear either a leather jacket or a dress coat in winter, and I know neither of those would be appropriate for Alaska. I have plenty of non-water-proof fleece pullovers, sweatshirts, etc., so hopefully just one inexpensive water proof jacket would be my only purchase.

I don't have any photos, but what I bought was a Columbia (women's), with Omni-Tech waterproof, breathable technology, covers the hips, has hood for @ $60 at Outdoor World, but you can probably find them on sale now online at various retailers like REI etc. My husband found one on clearance at Gander Mtn. They are just shells with mesh lining, but my husbands does have a zip out fleece lining. Just google waterproof jacket.

For all who have been on a cruise the first week of july.... Can you get away with shorts durng the day.. or is it too cold...

 

Bring from NJ we have some cold winters... this packing thing is a pain in the butt going away for 13 days is going to be awsome but hard to pack for.. Please let me know what you think...

We will be there first time in May so I can't tell you for certain, but my guess is not very likely unless you are way warmer natured than me or they have a heat wave! Of all the pictures I have seen from Alaska, I have never seen anyone in shorts. Will be interested to see what the experienced cruisers say.

And this is way off subject, but I am dying to know what an "Open bar cruise" is:D

Hello a open bar cruise is simple you needed 30 or more people in your group and than you get open bar. you have to pay for it up front before you said and you need 30 people. There was no limit on how many you can have.

The booze is why i wear the shorts all the time Just kidding

For all who have been on a cruise the first week of july.... Can you get away with shorts durng the day.. or is it too cold...

 

Bring from NJ we have some cold winters... this packing thing is a pain in the butt going away for 13 days is going to be awsome but hard to pack for.. Please let me know what you think...

I haven't been that early, but I have been in mid-July and that particular week it was too cold for shorts most of the time. I wish I'd worn them in Skagway when I went on the train but was okay in jeans. In late July and early August, it's been warm enough for shorts quite often. Mid-August I did wear them occasionally but not as much. Of course, these are generalizations based on my 5 cruises in July and August. Weather in AK is unpredictable and can vary greatly even within the same week. I always pack at least one pair of shorts.

Of course, as stated earlier in the thread, I'm from the Seattle area, so I'm used to cool summers. I consider 60 F to be "shorts weather" and I'm downright hot at 80 F. I've been to NJ in the summer and was miserable. :eek:

For all who have been on a cruise the first week of july.... Can you get away with shorts durng the day.. or is it too cold...

 

Bring from NJ we have some cold winters... this packing thing is a pain in the butt going away for 13 days is going to be awsome but hard to pack for.. Please let me know what you think...

On our most recent cruise to SE Alaska was the last week in July of last summer. It was never warm enough for shorts anywhere. A typical daytime outfit was jeans, tee, lightweight fleece, and a rain jacket over that. My husband wore flannel shirts plus a rain jacket with jeans most of the time. I took capris and sandals and wore those in Vancouver, but not in AK.

Hi..do you have a link to the packing list that you refer to .... Going to Alaska May 2013. Very excited ... but living in Dallas...I have NO idea what to take. All other curises...warm weather. Thanks for any advice.

I got quite a bit of information when the search button was available. Here is the last of the thread on the packing list.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1771369

I don't have any photos, but what I bought was a Columbia (women's), with Omni-Tech waterproof, breathable technology, covers the hips, has hood for @ $60 at Outdoor World, but you can probably find them on sale now online at various retailers like REI etc. My husband found one on clearance at Gander Mtn. They are just shells with mesh lining, but my husbands does have a zip out fleece lining. Just google waterproof jacket.

Just bought DH a Columbia Omni-tech at Marshalls for $39 clearance. Glad I got to feel it. I was comparing it to a Marmot at $54 but this Marmot made crunchy noises when you crinkled it. Definately worth trying to find them in person to feel the difference. And read the label for waterproof not waterresistant. Also must say breathable.

Still on the hunt to find myself a jacket at a good price. That's my only spluge. Then 2 pairs of the cheapest pull on rain pants I can find, a can of waterproof spray and I'm done.