Alaska packing -- pls help me cut down the clothes!!!

[CowPrincess]

Help!! Leaving soon on a 7-day Alaska cruise, hence the "heavy" clothing:) Please be as ruthless as you wish :)

 

So far, I have

 

casual pants

-- 3 pr nylon hiking/wind/rain/"technical" pants (dk blue, black, sand)

-- 5 pr docker-type (camel, navy, black, cream, white)

-- 1 pr jeans

-- 1 pr black shorts (just in case!!!)

 

Warmth

-- 3 fleecy tops (cream, green, white, to wear with all the pants)

-- top & bottom base layer

-- several pairs wool/silk hiking socks

-- hooded jacket with zip-out fleece lining

-- hooded rain poncho

 

Dress pants for "Smart Casual"

-- 2 pair (black and brown)

 

Tops/shirts for "Smart Casual"

-- 1 silk blouse in brown, purple, cream (with brown pants)

-- 1 sleeveless ivory shell to wear with BOTH black and brown pants

-- 1 sleeveless ivory & black shell to wear with black pants

-- 1 beaded black sweater in case DR is cold

 

T-shirts/tops

-- camel & white striped

-- white, navy, dark blue

-- olive green

-- white cotton shirt

-- light blue cotton shirt

-- white, black, camel

 

Formal wear

-- black floor length dress

-- can't decide on 2nd dress

 

Shoes

-- hiking boots

-- Merrell sandals

-- black sandals (not dressy) for Smart Casual

-- gold sandals for formal

-- cream nubuck walking shoes

 

Just looking at the list makes me sigh. If anyone has the patience to go through it and make suggestions, I'll be ever so grateful!!

[98Charlie]

Not sure what cruiseline or ship you are sailing but I can tell you right off that you can decrease the number of slacks and tops you are packing by taking advantage of a ship's self-service laundry (where available) or the ship's own laundry service (cost for laundry, pressing or dry cleaning is normally very nominal compared to prices at home-based laundry/dry cleaning services.)

 

Reduce the # of slacks for smart casual to 1. Wear a different top with the chosen pair and no one is going to be the wiser.

Reduce the # of sandals to one pair that will go with all dress outfits.

 

Take another look at the items you have listed and ditch a few of those tops. You'd ge surprised at how many different outfits you can make with an assortment of 3 - 5 tops and a good selection of dressy and casual pants.

 

Dianne

[Lois R]

Help!! Leaving soon on a 7-day Alaska cruise, hence the "heavy" clothing:) Please be as ruthless as you wish :)

 

So far, I have

 

casual pants

-- 3 pr nylon hiking/wind/rain/"technical" pants (dk blue, black, sand)

-- 5 pr docker-type (camel, navy, black, cream, white)

-- 1 pr jeans

-- 1 pr black shorts (just in case!!!)

 

Warmth

-- 3 fleecy tops (cream, green, white, to wear with all the pants)

-- top & bottom base layer

-- several pairs wool/silk hiking socks

-- hooded jacket with zip-out fleece lining

-- hooded rain poncho

 

Dress pants for "Smart Casual"

-- 2 pair (black and brown)

 

Tops/shirts for "Smart Casual"

-- 1 silk blouse in brown, purple, cream (with brown pants)

-- 1 sleeveless ivory shell to wear with BOTH black and brown pants

-- 1 sleeveless ivory & black shell to wear with black pants

-- 1 beaded black sweater in case DR is cold

 

T-shirts/tops

-- camel & white striped

-- white, navy, dark blue

-- olive green

-- white cotton shirt

-- light blue cotton shirt

-- white, black, camel

 

Formal wear

-- black floor length dress

-- can't decide on 2nd dress

 

Shoes

-- hiking boots

-- Merrell sandals

-- black sandals (not dressy) for Smart Casual

-- gold sandals for formal

-- cream nubuck walking shoes

 

Just looking at the list makes me sigh. If anyone has the patience to go through it and make suggestions, I'll be ever so grateful!!

 

Hi, I went to Alaska in 2006 and will be going again this

September:)

Your t-shirts, are #2 and #4 all different ones?

Trying to get a count....is that a total of 10 t-shirts?

I am trying to get a feel for your stuff. I brought

turtlenecks with me and less t-shirts. But that is just me.

I can't remember exactly how many but I didn't bring a whole lot of

short sleeved tops for daytime.

 

I also brought 2 formals so we are the same there;)

 

Your docker type pants are for daytime? Not sure I would bring

5 of them since you are bringing jeans too.

 

 

Your smart casual sounds good though.

 

Not a whole lot of changes for me....

 

Sounds like you have a good idea for the week:)

[Cruising Carol]

I would not take the cream and white docker type pants. You have listed 9 pants for 6 days. The light colors show dirt quickly. Also why 10 T-shirts for 7 days? When not in port, clothes do not get so soiled especially pants. So can easily be worn twice (sometimes three times). Also your fleece tops could be worn more than one time. I find it helpful to list the port days, sea days, and travel days and decide on an outfit for the day. I may not wear it on that exact day, but I do not take "just in case" extras. I also make a list of dinner clothes. Often a sea day outfit does just fine for smart casual with a change of shoes or accessory. I also wear to the ship the same clothes I plan to wear home. They are my very comfortable ones to allow for the cramped seating on an airplane. I do laundry on the ship or have the ship launder them for me.

[6rugrats]

I can be ruthless!

 

You do not need nine pairs of casual pants! They take up a lot of room. I would wear the jeans (and hiking boots) on the plane and only bring 2 pairs of the "technical" pants (o.k., honestly I'd only bring one, but that's me!).

Leave out the camel and white docker type pants, they get dirty so fast. You may want to cut out at least one other pair of these pants, and just bring the camel and navy if you must have two pairs of pants (or black - whatever matches your tops better).

 

Keep the shorts if you think you may wear them.

 

Nine T-shirts/tops are way too many. You can have them laundered if they get dirty. I'd cut this down by at least four.

 

Your formal and smart casual list look fine and if you can pare down the rest of your clothing, no problem with those items.

 

Where would you wear the Merrell sandals? Could you cut those out? Cream nubuck shoes? Are these to wear only on the ship?

 

I'd leave the rain poncho, but look where I live; we are used to being wet. I assume it's one of those that fold up into a very small package? If not, look for one that does.

 

I don't know what excursions you are doing, but will you need gloves?

[Lois R]

Hi,:) I always bring a poncho with me. It folds up very small and

when you go to Alaska it really is a necessity;)

[CowPrincess]

Wow, you ladies are awesome!!!!

 

No, that isn't 10 t-shirts, it is 6 -- even **I** am not that bad :) However, I am a TOTAL slob with my food, and usually half-way thru a meal, I'm wearing some of my food. So 6 shirts is only 3 days' worth, at best. :) And I am of course worried I'll dump dinner in my lap, so really need to have 2 pairs of smart casual pants :)

 

Where would you wear the Merrell sandals? Could you cut those out? Cream nubuck shoes? Are these to wear only on the ship?

 

I can cut the cream nubucks -- between the Merrells if it is reasonably warm and the boots if it is cold/wet, I really don't need them. I'll dump the cream and the white docker-type pants. And one pair of technical pants (the sand ones). So that reduces my casual pants to 6.

 

We have 3 port days, with good possibility of getting soaked on each excursion, and I will need dry clothes to change into when back on board, so that probably is helping me feel the need for "more clothes, more clothes" :)

 

I'll sub a darker shirt in place of the white shirt (food, again :) ) The rain poncho is a fold-up one, won't take much room. I don't want to be wet.

 

Phew, I'm feeling better. Will pile everything up now and see how HUGE a hill it is!

 

Again, thank you!!!!

[lovesublime]

I was in Alaska last year and will be returning in June. I thought I packed a lot....

 

You don't need 3 fleeces-take the cream one

 

You don't need that many nylon pants-take one pair

 

You don't need top and base layers

 

You have too many pants-don't take the light colored ones

 

You don't need the Merrill sandals-I guarantee that you won't wear them

 

The cream colored walking shoes should be left behind as well

 

I would take ALL the t-shirts-use those as your base layer if needed

 

Take one pair of pants for smart casual and two blouses that will go with them

 

Do take the rain poncho-you'll probably need it

 

Leave the shorts behind-I took shorts with me last year and never had a chance to wear them.

 

Also, don't you need room for sleepwear and other lingerie?

 

The hiking boots? Are you really planning on doing any strenuous hiking? If not, I would leave those out and just take a pair of sneakers or walking shoes. I did all my excursions in Skechers.

 

Also, I agree with the other post about the gloves-take them

 

Was that ruthless enough for ya? ;)

[RLBlack]

Also- stick in a warm hat- small warm knit- that you can stick in your pocket "just in case"- for your day at Glacier Bay- or near any Glaciers- they are always cold- :) Ruth

[Cruising Carol]

"No, that isn't 10 t-shirts, it is 6 -- even **I** am not that bad However, I am a TOTAL slob with my food, and usually half-way thru a meal, I'm wearing some of my food. So 6 shirts is only 3 days' worth, at best. And I am of course worried I'll dump dinner in my lap, so really need to have 2 pairs of smart casual pants "

 

Ah........the food on the clothes! I used to chide my mother for that---now I am doing it LOL. What works for me is Shout wipes. They are stain treater towelettes in little foil packs. I buy these in travel item sections of stores. They work well and I have even been able to rescue my husband when he has dropped food on his tie!