Need clothing advice for our Denali Cruise/Tour in Mid-July

[Moondoggy51]

My wife and I are finally going on our Denali Cruise/Tour starting in mid-July.  We're in our 70's so we won't be hiking or kayaking while on the Denali tour portion of the trip before the cruise portion but we will be walking around seeing the sights.  We understand that the temperature will be around 65-70 so we're seeking advice on what to pack and take along to be comfortable not only on the tour but on the cruise portion.  I've read some articles that suggest packing long underwear, flannel shirts, fleece jackets, stocking caps and wool socks but to me given the average temperature for July this seems a bit excessive so I'm looking for some realistic suggestions for this particular timeframe.  Any and all suggestions are welcome.

[adstz]

The weather and temperature can be quite changeable. Early mornings could be cold. That said I have been to Denali twice. I would suggest a good sweatshirt and a windbreaker that has been sprayed with water repellent. We are heading to Alaska soon for our 7th trip there and that is what I always bring.  Have an umbrella in your backpack as it could rain briefly at any point. If you tend to get cold easily then stick a knit hat in your backpack too.

I always check the weather forecast for my destinations a few days before I leave home.

[sandyoftheseas]

I don't think you will need the wool socks but I recommend to bring a variety of clothing options.  Short sleeve and long sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, pants or jeans, waterproof/windproof jacket and waterproof sturdy shoes. I also like to take a buff it can be uses in many ways. 

[Potstech]

Alaska weather can change drastically from one day to the next.  Be prepared by dressing in layers so that you can cover anything from 70 degrees down to the thirties. Also it can rain any day and for any length of time.  Enjoy your trip.

[Seaspartan]

I used a fleece lined waterproof jacket with a hood. It was a lifesaver and I wore it every day. 

[beg3yrs]

Just returned last night from a Cruisetour that started on May 25th. It was the ten-day Connoisseur escorted tour that went to all five lodges (RIP Copper River - for now).

 

For us the weather was unseasonable warm, as low as low 40s in the morning and then up to high 70s in the day. Local residents couldn't believe it either. The streams and rivers were almost overflowing due to the high rate of snow melt.

 

Anyway, many in our group were unprepared for such warm weather and the gift shops did a good business selling some t-shirts.

 

Knowing this and that as other posters have commented, the weather can change fast, we observed:

1) Didn't need three pairs of jeans. Two at the maximum. The lodges have good laundry facilities and there's enough time to do a load or two on the non-travel days.

2) Bringing layers is a good idea. I had a waterproof shell that was almost enough for the coldest mornings and would have been useful if we did have rain. A single sweatshirt, a couple of long sleeve shirts (thin ones with sleeves that can roll up would be good) were sufficient for cooler times. I had only one short-sleeved polo - wish I had at least one more. I never used my nordic jacket with a hood.

3) Yes, a cap of some kind whether it be for sun of shading your eyes would be useful. I had a cheap Costco sun hat and it was perfect, a little goofy-looking but perfect for me. You can even throw it in the wash.

4) Sturdy shoes are a must. Not necessarily full-on hiking boots but a good pair of walking shoes worked great. I didn't need anything else for the land segment. For the ship you can take typical "ship shoes" as you please.

5) You don't dress for dinner on the land segment unless you want to. We didn't typically change unless we were highly active during the day or got muddy (which can happen).

6) The land portion of the tour was much warmer than the sea portion. The cold sea water really kept the temps down while on the ship. We also had some rain during the sea portion whereas the land portion was totally but ... YMMV.

7) Take some mosquito repellent. You can find it at the gift shops but you'll pay more. BTW, did you know that in Alaska, it's against the law to be more than 100 yards from a gift shop? Seems like that anyway...

 

All in all, these are my experiences. I hope they help.

[pootsien2]

I took mosquito repellent but didn't need it when on the connoisseur trip at the end of August 3 years ago. The only time that I saw mosquitos was when we were around a dog pen and I walked away! I think that I did wear one of those repellent bracelets. It was a dry week and no rain until we returned to Seattle.

[Cabunit]

IMHO the single most important word regarding clothing for Alaska is layers - the topmost of which should be a hooded weatherproof shell.  We too have experienced 40 degree swings in 8 hours and even snow one time at Denali in July.

 

One other thought to add to beg3yrs excellent post:  Think about what will be hardest to obtain during the trip and focus on that.  You can get t-shirts and sweatshirts to add layers everywhere.  Will you be able to get a good pair of "mudder" shoes in the gift shop?

 

Finally, if you are going Northbound then don't despair if you forget something.  The ports have stores with outdoor gear.  Ketchikan has an excellent outdoor store right on the main pier. 

[Moondoggy51]

Thanks for the reply.  We've heard about the layering and the hooded weatherproof shell.  We heard that it was up in the 70's and most recently in the 40's so I think we'll be good to go.  Both of us actually went out and got insulated waterproof boots for the trip as that's an item not usually worn in sunny Florida .  The only outstanding issue for us is the damn Covid test.  The good news is that instead of requiring the test be taken within 3 days of the cruise portion they are requiring those taking the Denali first is the have the test within 3 days of the start of the tour.  I also found that they will accept a rapid PCR test as long as it's a supervised test and since the results come back in 2 hours we can get the test performed here in Pensacola.  

 

[hapster85]

Our two mornings at the Denali Princess Lodge this week started out in upper 40s. By afternoon, it was in the upper 70s. Same at the Mt McKinley Lodge. Not quite as cool as Denali, and then near 80 by afternoon. Fairbanks was well into the 80s by the afternoon. Currently 75 at our hotel in Anchorage.

 

These highs are well above what we experienced last time we were here, in 2015. Even so, much cooler than the mid to upper 90s temps we had at home. Plus the humidity is much lower here.