Alaskan duds

[tjcletsgo]

Hi, all. We sail Alaska next May and I’m starting to look at gathering cold weather essentials. I’m sure I’ll be asking many questions of you all, so please be patient with me!

I’m a California girl, and have absolutely no “cold” weather duds. Can anyone tell me what the best kind of?

Gloves-warm and lightweight, not bulky-what should they be made of?

Hat-I’ll have several hooded jackets, what kind of hat will I need to go under the hood? What should it be made of?

I have a “weatherproof” jacket with a hood that I got several Christmas’s ago and have worn it for a total of 2 hours. Will this suffice for a warmer layer? I already know to get a hooded wind jacket from Land’s End (thank you all for this info!). Will I be okay with several fleece tops in addition to this jacket? I hate to feel confined, and I feel like I’m gotta be so padded I’m going to waddle everywhere.

Our excursions are a whale watching tour and the Skagway White Pass train (3 ½ hour tour). We’re just going to walk around Ketchikan. Also, like everyone else, we will spend a lot of time on our balcony watching for critters, so we need to be dressed for that, too.

I really appreciate your info. Several people talked about how cheap stuff is in Juneau, but that’s going to be 2 days freezing our rumps off if we have to wait until then.

Thanks so much for this info, we are soooo excited about this trip!

[mytime53]

I see you're from Temecula...we love visiting there, although the last time we were there we found the growth to be a little overwhelming. It was on one of our trips to Temecula that I first said, "Starter home from the mid 300,000? Who can afford that?" Didn't take a genius to see this financial situation coming. Anyway, we won't be able to make it to Temecula next month when we're in Calif., and I'm sorry about that because we always bring back a case or 2 of wine. We've finished off all our Thornton Old Vine...

Anyway, sorry about the tangent...and now a hint...it is really difficult to read your font/color/size...just my age and eyesight, I know, but...

 

I suggest fleece for gloves and hat...a good quality fleece sheds water well and is lightweight. If you plan to wear your hooded items, you might get by with just a fleece headband. Whatever you get for a head covering, make sure it will comfortably cover your ears.

 

Not knowing what your "weatherproof" jacket is made of, it's difficult to answer your question about it being warm enough. If it's truly weatherproof, you don't need to get a windproof jacket.

I always travel with a good fleece jacket and a water/windproof shell. I say good because there's cheap fleece that is loosely woven (I know it's not woven, but I'm not sure what other term to use) that isn't much good for inclement weather, and there's heavy, dense fleece. If you go to a clothing store that carries North Face and/or Columbia brand items, you'll see the difference between the different weight fleeces they use and your typical fleece used by fashion brands. Since you have so much time, you can get high quality items when they go on sale after Christmas, and again in early spring. We know you have stores available near you...we frequently find our apparel on sale at outlet stores and sporting good stores in Calif. So don't feel a need to order sight unseen until you've done a little local shopping and gotten a feel for what is available and what is comfortable to wear (I don't like that waddle feeling, either).

Have fun shopping for your trip!

[Cruising Carol]

Just returned from last September cruise. I took a heavy dense fleece jacket and wore it once! I usually wore my waterproof jacket with a hood over a light turtleneck or long sleeved shirt. I took two fleece pullovers and needed only one. I did buy and use a fleece headband that covered the ears. Good alone or under the hood. My waterproof jacket would go over the heavy fleece jacket, but I never needed anything that warm. I took knit gloves and did not wear them. I just put my hands in my pockets! I took an acrylic muffler and used it at Hubbard glacier. Some advise silk long johns - I did not need them. Yes my legs got a little cold, but they warmed up fast when I went inside.

[dustyroad]

congrats on your alaskan cruise. you are going to love this cruise. are you going all the way to anchorage? if so it will be colder than just doing the inside passage. so my tips might not help you if you are doing a one way trip. but i hope this helps you.

 

i am going the 10th of may to the inside passage .this will be a couple of weeks earlier than you so it will probably be a bit more chilly than your cruise. i am from the midwest so this will be a decent climate for me. but this is what i take when i go to alaska and some of it might help you too not take a ton of heavy clothes you dont need. especially if you plan on being in your cabin on the glacier day.

 

for my hands i buy the lightweight gloves you can get at walmart for about $1.50 a pair. i can handle my camera with these on also.

 

1 hooded sweatshirt with a pouch in the front in case i do need to put my hands in it for warmth or to store things in while on deck or on land. go to a sports store and buy some of the hand warmers. they really do work great.

 

a lightweight nylon hooded jacket from walmart i found in the sports dept for $10. it is easy to pack and takes up no room in my carry-on.

 

i take a winter headband for my ears. i have never needed it but you never know.

 

sweatpants or nylon jogger pants. anything with a pocket and elastic band is the best thing to take for comfort. you will really appriciate this on the last couple of days after all the eating you will do.

 

for the deck and on land i only wear my tennies. i wear them in the snow here at home so they are perfect for me in alaska. i have done this cruise in the middle of may before and have never had wet feet. probably i am really lucky in that, but i dont want to lug around a pair of heavy boots. and if your tennies do get wet they will dry in the cabin or use the blow dryer on them to speed up the process. oh, dont forget to take heavy, comfy socks. they do help alot.

 

i am more acclamated to the cold weather than you but i have never been that cold on deck on glacier day because i layer with a turtleneck under my sweatshirt.

 

it is fun to plan for the cruise and get your wardrobe in order. please dont go out and buy a ton of new clothes if it isnt in your budget. most cruisers already have the right clothes to wear in their closet.

 

have a great time on your cruise and i hope i have helped you a little.:)