O.K. what is the trick?

[Budget Queen]

I do a lot of hiking in Alaska, 3+++ miles at a time, which depending on preferences, is mid range, maybe?? I have quality walking shoes, that's it. With waterproof spray treated. I never take hiking boots.

 

Where are you going to hike??

[thego6girl]

I found our cruise to AK (clothing wise) to be one of more function rather fashion. I packed almost everything black & white (+jeans)...and I wore a long sleeve light weight "undershirt" each day. That way, I could re-wear the layers that were not next to my body and everything matched. Polar fleece is light weight, as are down filled items...they tend to be bulky, so pack them in "air-bags" (get the ones that you have to roll the air out vs. the ones that require a vacuum hose). Outdoor clothing has come a long way from the big bulky clothes from years ago. I think you can manage this one with a medium size suitcase per person if you do it right:)

[CowPrincess]

I do a lot of hiking in Alaska, 3+++ miles at a time, which depending on preferences, is mid range, maybe?? I have quality walking shoes, that's it. With waterproof spray treated. I never take hiking boots.

 

Where are you going to hike??

 

I think many of us already own hiking boots. Certainly I do, and they are the most comfortable footwear for me for extended walking, not just hiking. I personally like the ankle support mine provide, the comfort, and the traction. Even if I never do another rugged hike, I will continue to wear my hiking boots. They are not for everyone, I realize, but in footwear there truly isn't one-solution-for-all.

 

I would never tell someone they MUST have hiking boots, nor would I dissuade people who want to use them. Foot comfort is so personal, I don't think anyone can judge what is best for another.

[vbmom87]

Seriously? I am looking at excursions that include hiking or kayaking. What if it rains? My sneakers are not waterproof and not good on slippery or muddy terrain. I am planning on bringing my boots, sneakers, slippers and dressy flats. I'll wear the boots on the plane. These days "boots" are lightweight, waterproof and super comfortable. Mine look like this:

 

 

What would be the alternative?

 

These are very similar to what my DH and I took. His were this cut, I had the low hikers. We wore them on the plane. They were a great choice. With merino wool socks and our waterproof footwear are feet stayed warm and dry. Now, back home in Michigan, we are putting them to good use.

[vbmom87]

Good grief. :) I am a multi frequent traveler. I use subways, buses, walk etc. So it has always been important for me to manage all my own luggage. Pack 5 days worth of clothes and do laundry. I ALWAYS take a bar of Zote laundry soap, a real timesaver, as it rinses completely and easily. Mix and match ( I do not rewear any clothes however). I haven't done "formal" wear in years- after 62 cruises who cares? :)

 

I was gone in Europe this summer for 5 weeks, and my son and I each had one rolling bag, that had to be kept below 44 lbs, which they were. I use a back pack for a carry on.

 

I just did a search to see what Zote Soap is. I had never heard of it. Where do you purchase it? (other than Walmart please)

[vbmom87]

It is difficult to pack light. However, when we went on a 2 week trip to Europe we did pack very light. Actually we went with suitcases half full so we had room to bring back souveniers. This meant we were washing clothes out in the sinks at our hotels. After that trip, we vowed we would never pack that light again!!! By the time we got to our hotel late at night, we were tired and wanted to go to bed. We did not want to be washing clothes. Then it usually took more than one night for them to dry. That meant planning to make sure you did the laundry on a day that you could leave it out to dry. We learned quickly that this was not our style of travel.

 

For Alaska, we each had a 24 inch suitcase and a backpack. We had one carry on that we shared. We were gone 18 days, did laundry once at the end of the cruise before our time on land. However, we do rewear clothes. I will rewear clothes before I will spend too much time doing laundry.

 

Do be careful with those space bags. They allow you to pack a lot more, but that means more weight in your suitcase.

 

I know people are upset about paying for checking luggage. However, people seem to forget how reasonable it truly is to fly. When I went to California from Michigan in 1972 It cost me $225. I was making $8000 a year as a first year teacher. This past summer I went to California and paid $300. If I was more flexible, I actually found tickets as low as $180. A first year teacher now would be making about $35,000. I just don't understand when people complain about paying for luggage. JMHO

[larry the lobster]

I have been to Alaska twice and last year we were gone for 13 days total that included our land tour. We only took one suitcase per person each suitcase weighed around 45 pounds. So my daughter , husband and myself each had about 5 pounds extra room in our suitcase for any purchases. Anyway my daughter and I both had a carryon for the plane and my husband carried a backpack which his was basically empty. I put my heavy coat in my carryon and a couple pair of shoes since shoes seemed to be so heavy. You wear jeans alot in Alaska so we rewore our jeans. I did take 4 pair. Also I layered even though it wasnt cold at all the last year when we went to Alaska. But I had several white thin shirts that I was going to wear under my fleeces or sweaters so I could rewear some sweaters. I admit it was a little stressful packing for so many days with heavy clothes in one suitcase BUT IT CAN BE DONE!! Also I washed a couple of clothes before we boarded the ship. I researched the hotels that I was staying at precruise to see if they had laundry facilities. And also usually once on the cruise they will have a special and you can put as many clothes you can get in a bag for $25.00 and they will wash them. I have heard that RCCL has messed up some peoples clothes but we didnt have a problem...of course I just filled up the bag with all colored clothes , nothing that I thought that they could mess up.

Good luck and hope you enjoy your cruise to Alaska!!

[bottom-dragger]

i think you should pack as many clothes as you can, hell with the extra cost. you're here to make a fashion statement and you will be judged if you wear the same pair of pants twice. all of the alaskans at one port will know if you wear the same outfit at the next port. we hold up signs similar to olympic judges.

 

avoid cotton as it's slow to dry. there are alot of synthetic clothes that drape well and don't swish as you walk. they'll rinse and dry overnight, and really, do you need to wash your pants if you haven't spilled anythng on them. wrinkles schminkles, i judge you by your attitude enjoying my state, not by your clothes.

 

except for the pants with the zip off legs

[jkmcmom]

Choose clothes you can layer that go together. And if your hiking shoes are what you're comfortable in, by all means, wear them on the plane so you have them when you're doing those days of hiking. Sure, they're a bit of a pain to take off & put back on at security at the airport, but if you're planning on wearing them several days and they're what you are used to hiking in, wear them, take them along. And laundry can be done or done for you on board. Enjoy your cruise & your hikes!

[PennyAgain]

I've walked endless miles in Alaska in my walking shoes, but I know what works for me. I gave up hiking boots when I had serious problems with the lug soles filling up with mud.

 

Whatever footwear you decide to take, wear it alot around home and walk alot wearing it. I bought a new pair of walking shoes, a famous brand, and found out after walking a couple miles that they made my heels sore. The store wouldn't take them back. I've tried many times to wear them around home and they just don't work.

 

Zote soap is a bar soap made in Mexico. Made for doing hand laundry. I just chop off a couple pieces, put them in a Zip-top bag and I'm set. I buy it at Big Lots or dollar stores. http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/mex-grocer_2088_133499332 It costs about a dollar more or less.

 

As for men's underwear, look into Ex Officio or brands made in Canada (Tilley) that are not cotten and dry overnight. Himself has to wash his own.

[PennyAgain]

Couldn't add to the previous post. 3 pair of washable/quick dry underwear per person are enough. Likewise with socks/tights. Get yourself good travel underwear for much less than the cost of paying over and over again for overweight or extra baggage.

 

If find doing my laundry to be relaxing. I travel with the Zote soap, a couple hooks that hang on a shower rail and at least one plastic coat hanger.

 

Your can read up on laundry on the Rick Steves WEB site or on any of the travel supply WEB sites such as Magellans.

 

Lacking Zote, I've also used hotel supplied shampoo or a few drops of Johnson's baby shampoo 'No More Tears' that I always have in my travel kit. Sadly Ivory soap doesn't work anywhere near as well as Zote.

 

Do some hand washing at home to see how well it works for you before you plan on doing it for travel.

[vbmom87]

 

Do some hand washing at home to see how well it works for you before you plan on doing it for travel.

 

This is exactly what I did before our Europe Trip. I purchased some travel underwear that was supposed to be quick drying from Travelsmith. I washed both my normal underwear and the quick drying. Thing was they actually took longer to dry than our normal underwear. Thank goodness they had an unconditional return policy. ;)

 

My husband used hotel soap when his work travel was extended by a day. One word of caution: Make sure you rinse your clothes well. He came home with a rash over all the parts of his body that were covered by clothes he had hand washed. :(

 

Thanks for the info on Zote. Although I don't ever plan on doing a lot of hand washing again as I did in Europe, you never know when it will come in handy.

[PennyAgain]

If your husband has soap issues, definately do a trial run at home. I also have a couple little plastic packs of soap leaves. Not as good as Zote but with the ever-changing restrictions they might be needed.

 

We've all had very good luck with Ex Officio brand items. They don't seem to wear out. Tilley (Made in Canada) started it all. Excellent if you can find them. I've seen Tilley stuff for sale in some airport gift shops.

 

I've bought Tilley in Canada and am hoping to buy a Tilley suit jacket and matching skirt on my next trip up there.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

My clothes take the least amount of room for my packing. I tend to carry the kitchen sink with me as far as supplies I might need. With today's packing restrictions I need to get that down!

 

As far as clothing goes I have a pretty good system that works well for me. For a 7 night cruise I will bring two pairs of nice slacks and a pair of very dressy pants for evenings. I then will pack a lightweight top for each evening. I like the kinds that are very light and have spandex in them for travel. No wrinkles! One pair of flat black sandals and 1 pair of strappy black sandals (dressy) for formal night. Day time for Alaska I am planning on one or two pair of jeans and one vest - one sweatshirt jacket and some long sleeve tops for layering. I will wear the jeans and jacket on the plane. That will work well as I FREEZE on a plane anyway. I will take two pair of lightweight walking shoes and waterproof them. One will be worn on the plane. I will rewear the pants, especially. They are never worn a full day.

 

I pack all of my clothes in ziplock bags and squeeze out the air - which saves a lot of space. Just be careful of weight! DH laughed at me until our luggage was left outside during a storm when we transferred planes in Dallas last year (we could see it sitting on the tarmac left outside. The people loading it onto the plane just left it there when they went inside due to lightning). Whe we got to our hotel in San Juan DH's clothes were all soaked. I took my plastic bags out, poured the water off of them into the bathtub and enjoyed my dry clothes.:D Now DH uses the zip lock bags, too. I use the 1 gallon and 2 gallon sizes.

 

For longer cruises I use the laundry service for clothes that need washing to get me through a cruise. I do not want to spend vacation time doing laundry. If I had kids with me that might be different. I carry the travel size Tide for handwashing in a sink in case I do need it.

 

For our Alaska cruise I hope to get by with one suitcase a piece plus a carry on. Now I have to see if the inconvenience of having to sign in 24 hour in advance while on a cruise is worth flying SWA with their free luggage vs having an assigned seat on Alaska Air or American with a luggage fee, but that is just me.

[cantw8togo]

We travelled to Alaska for a week with 1 large, shared suitcase and 2 carry ons each for a family of 4. Of course with the latest restrictions on carry ons, this wouldn't be an option, however it is possible to travel much lighter than 4 suitcases for 2 people. Layering and laundry are the secrets. A waterproof windbreaker that can be layered over a fleece jacket is the most versatile and least bulky solution to cool, wet weather. Consider layering a tank top or camisole as a first layer if you are concerned about being cold. They are small to pack and are available in extra warm and thin varieties.

 

Lay out all of the clothes that you plan on wearing for each day including formal wear and look for ways to pare back. Pick mix and match coordinates for the most vesatility and plan on wearing pants or trousers more than once. Pick outfits that can be dressed up or down with accessories so that you don't need to bring a complete change of clothes for the smart casual nights. Only pack one "just in case" outfit if you must; chances are you can rewear something anyways.

 

Some people find it helpful to consult with a friend or family member about their final packing decisions. A second pair of eyes may help to spot duplications or better mix and match options.

 

It can difficult at first to pack light with concerns about "what if I need it" or "what if I run out". With thoughtful editing and the knowledge that you can always do laundry and dry cleaning onboard, it is possible to take a lot less. If you do end up needing something, then it is a great excuse to go shopping and then the item becomes a souvenier of the trip.

 

Tilley is available by mail order on their website. They make great products.

 

Hope this helps.

 

N.

[Barkingowl]

Well we chose the option that proves how crazy I was at the time I suppose, we flew 1st class. No charge for luggage flying that way.

 

As for boots the only time that they were needed on my Spirit cruise was when we rafted through the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Haines & they were provided by the tour operator.

[cantw8togo]

For me, I find that a weeks worth of underwear takes up so little room that it isn't worth investing in travel underwear, and spending the time hand washing it. It can be stuffed into various nooks and crannies of ones suitcase including the outside pockets. (I like to think that it might even discourage someone from snooping through unlocked outer pockets while in transit.) Of course a longer trip may warrant investing in the quick dry undies, but for a shorter trip the regular variety is fine. JMHO.

 

N.

[NMLady]

One of the things I do to help me not overpack is that I type out the itinerary and then type in an outfit for each day, using mix & match. In AK I'll also layer.

 

Then I print it out and make sure I'm wearing each top and each bottom at least twice, preferably three times, especially if it's a top layer (blouse over turtleneck for example). This helps me not to pack too much and I can also plan possible 'washing days', whether it's ship laundry or handwashing or laundromat. These are all flexible.

 

Then I make my packing list from my clothing list. Now that I've booked most of our tours for our May cruise, I've started my clothing list and my packing list. That way I can add to it as I think of something else and I can print it out a week before we leave. Our AK cruise is the 14 day one on Amsterdam so clothes for 14 days have to be thought out, but I'm used to it since we've taken cruises of 12-18 days, just never where we had to have such warm clothes.

[Sunny AZ Girl]

One of the things I do to help me not overpack is that I type out the itinerary and then type in an outfit for each day, using mix & match. In AK I'll also layer.

 

Then I print it out and make sure I'm wearing each top and each bottom at least twice, preferably three times, especially if it's a top layer (blouse over turtleneck for example). This helps me not to pack too much and I can also plan possible 'washing days', whether it's ship laundry or handwashing or laundromat. These are all flexible.

 

Exactly what I do. It's a great help...I also don't have to think about what I'll wear on the cruise. I just pull out my list and there it is!:)

[colomom]

I love the idea of laying out each outfit so I can see them. That will make it much easier for me to mix & match and to cut back if I can. Thanks for the idea!

[luvlake]

This a great idea. One that I would have loved to follow, but on our B2B in July I had taken a couple of short sleeve shirts for us and had to wash them the 1st week as in Skagway the temp was 85 degrees and 76 degrees in Juneau. Actually bought a couple of short sleeve shirts, fleece just didn't look appealing. In Vancouver I wore capri's and DH wore shorts. The 2nd week was a little cooler and so long sleeve shirts were perfect. At Glacier Bay it was gloves and hats.

 

You just never know what each year or week will bring!:)

[moosetracks17]

Ginny- Southwest is COMPLETLY worth it. my uncle works for the airline and we fly free often. The key to Southwest is to either sign in 24 hours in advance..... or dont worry at all.

 

The back of the plane is almost never full..... I can get a whole row to myself if the flight isnt booked. Most of the time if you ask, people will move so you can sit with your DH as well in the back. I've never had a problem finding a place I can be comfortable for the flight.

 

As for Alaska- heres the packing for DH and myself (each with 1 rolling and a backpack carry on):

The trick is layering....

We wear our hiking boots/big shoes, jeans, light shirt, overcoat, and jacket.

 

We each take 2-3 pairs of jeans, 1 pajama, 7-8 shirts that are nice and stretchy (no wrinkles to worry about). Socks/undies/ etc. you know your own drill. He takes 1 pair of nice dress slacks and a jacket. On non formal nights- he has 2-3 nice business shirts/polos he wears. For me- I have 2 skirts that match the shirts I can wear later with jeans. We both take a pair of tennis shoes, nice shoes ( and we're wearing our boots).

 

I ziploc everything and use the mini tide packets in the sink. I wash my undergarments 1/2 way though the week. You'd be surprised how much room I save by doing that, and just setting the dryer on the counter while my garments hang above for 30 minutes.

 

you dont really need a huge jacket... .a wind breaker will do you just fine.

 

I always pack my suitcases flat down... that way by the time all the shopping is done, we can expand them and have room for our trinkets.

 

The final key is the weight- We pack most of our jeans and shirts (rolled up and ziplocked) in our backpacks..... then the suitcase is available for us to lay flat our formal and wrinkle possible items.

 

DONT FORGET THE POWER OF A HAIR STRAIGHTNER..... buy the downy wrinkle release... spray and pull... wrinkles go away. If they dont- your hair straightner on low is GREAT IRON for your clothes that wont get taken away.

 

No worries. Before my 1st cruise I took out all our clothes and practices packing a couple times until I got it all into 2 suitcases.

 

Oh yeah..... after you have everything in ziplocks.... put 1/2 of your clothes in each suitcase.... this way if 1 is lost, you (and DH) still have 1/2 your clothes you can get by on :)

 

Hope this helps!

[Sunny AZ Girl]

Ginny- Southwest is COMPLETLY worth it. my uncle works for the airline and we fly free often. The key to Southwest is to either sign in 24 hours in advance..... or dont worry at all.

 

The back of the plane is almost never full..... I can get a whole row to myself if the flight isnt booked. Most of the time if you ask, people will move so you can sit with your DH as well in the back. I've never had a problem finding a place I can be comfortable for the flight.

 

As for Alaska- heres the packing for DH and myself (each with 1 rolling and a backpack carry on):

The trick is layering....

We wear our hiking boots/big shoes, jeans, light shirt, overcoat, and jacket.

 

We each take 2-3 pairs of jeans, 1 pajama, 7-8 shirts that are nice and stretchy (no wrinkles to worry about). Socks/undies/ etc. you know your own drill. He takes 1 pair of nice dress slacks and a jacket. On non formal nights- he has 2-3 nice business shirts/polos he wears. For me- I have 2 skirts that match the shirts I can wear later with jeans. We both take a pair of tennis shoes, nice shoes ( and we're wearing our boots).

 

I ziploc everything and use the mini tide packets in the sink. I wash my undergarments 1/2 way though the week. You'd be surprised how much room I save by doing that, and just setting the dryer on the counter while my garments hang above for 30 minutes.

 

you dont really need a huge jacket... .a wind breaker will do you just fine.

 

I always pack my suitcases flat down... that way by the time all the shopping is done, we can expand them and have room for our trinkets.

 

The final key is the weight- We pack most of our jeans and shirts (rolled up and ziplocked) in our backpacks..... then the suitcase is available for us to lay flat our formal and wrinkle possible items.

 

DONT FORGET THE POWER OF A HAIR STRAIGHTNER..... buy the downy wrinkle release... spray and pull... wrinkles go away. If they dont- your hair straightner on low is GREAT IRON for your clothes that wont get taken away.

 

No worries. Before my 1st cruise I took out all our clothes and practices packing a couple times until I got it all into 2 suitcases.

 

Oh yeah..... after you have everything in ziplocks.... put 1/2 of your clothes in each suitcase.... this way if 1 is lost, you (and DH) still have 1/2 your clothes you can get by on :)

 

Hope this helps!

Thanks for the tips, Stacey!

 

We miss you on YOUR AZ Cruiser's thread ~ where ya been???!!!:D

[jeffbrig]

These days "boots" are lightweight, waterproof and super comfortable. Mine look like this:

 

 

What would be the alternative?

 

The company doesn't say these are waterproof. What has been your experience?

 

I've been wearing these for a couple of years now. They're Gore-Tex lined, so they're both waterproof and breathable. I've worn them hiking through knee-deep snow, splashed through puddles in heavy rainstorms, and never got my feet wet.

[mpbmark]

Thanks, I'll take a look at them for the upcoming Alaska cruise.