please help my dear wife is driving me nuts

[77westhill]

WE are going to alaska July 3-17 2014 my dear wife is going crazy does she need boots,should she pack for winter weather of 40 below, does she need heavy heavy sweaters and when we go ontours how heavy should her layers be and what can she store them if she gets hot. We are both senior citizens.

Thank you

[VicMackey]

No, it won't be 40 below :) I was there the same week in 2013 that you are describing and the weather was mild (50s-60s). When we were at the glaciers, it was obviously colder. I saw people with heavy winter coats on the decks during glacier days but outside of that, most of the time people wore a hooded sweatshirt or a jacket. There are also times where you might not need the jacket at all. I hope that helps.

Edited December 28, 2013 by VicMackey

[77westhill]

that is extremely helpful but what about boots canshe wear her expensive boots or cheapies or do you need them

[Kamloops50]

WE are going to alaska July 3-17 2014 my dear wife is going crazy does she need boots,should she pack for winter weather of 40 below, does she need heavy heavy sweaters and when we go ontours how heavy should her layers be and what can she store them if she gets hot. We are both senior citizens.

Thank you

 

Most of time time temperatures will be in the 50 to 60 degree range.

Layers is the way to dress in Alaska. It can go from rain to sunshine and back to rain in a very short time.A light jacket over a sweater is the best , especially if you can pack the jacket in a pocket. Temps could also go as high as 80 degrees in some of the ports.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Kamloops50

[Northern Aurora]

that is extremely helpful but what about boots canshe wear her expensive boots or cheapies or do you need them

 

What she will need for footwear will depend on your plans at the ports. Folks who will be actually hiking will need hiking boots, but if her most strenuous activity will be shopping, then a waterproof shoe will suffice.

 

Some folks have posted their packing lists on this board. Just use the search function to find them.

 

Enjoy your visit!

[travelbug11]

I always wear tennis shoes when I'm off the ship. I spray them with waterproofing. I'm not a hiker but certainly wouldn't wear any type of boot that you wouldn't want ruined - it rains a lot up there.

 

I layer my clothes - a long sleeve turtleneck tee under a sweat shirt and a hooded windbreaker. I do not take another coat. Also a hat or earmuffs and gloves and scarf. I also do not take an umbrella as the wind will make them fly up!

 

You never know what the weather will be like. This past May it was 85 in Skagway..

[Ashland]

Alaska is a cruise that you don't need to overpack or overthink..Layers work the best and I also wear leather type (Keds or Nike) tennis shoes..On my first trip I took boots and it was a waste of weight/space. I have learned I don't need to have multiple changes of clothes/shoes...very casual...layout what you want to take and then take 1/2 or less.

[Coral]

I have only brought tennis shoes to Alaska.

 

The heaviest jacket I have brought is a fleece jacket. Some weeks, I have gotten a sun burn.

 

I do wear sweaters to dinner at night.

 

The best thing to do is dress in layers. Tshirt, sweatshirt, jacket, etc... I bring a backpack with me which also carries my camera, water bottle, etc..

Edited December 28, 2013 by Coral

[JJinAK]

Well, in July I can be wearing anything from Xtra Tuff boots, to Dansko shoes, or my running shoes. People even wear flip flops:D

I like to wear Keen shoes most of the summer as they keep my feet dry but not too hot.

Bring a light raincoat no matter what. I wear my same raincoat all year long. I just layer some light packable down under it on the cooler days. A light fleece pullover in the summer is great and I will often wear that under my raincoat on wetter days.

The weather can change in a second and I almost never leave home without my raincoat. If it is nice, I just take it off and tie it around my waist.

 

Jules

[Cy'all@C]

Alaska is a cruise that you don't need to overpack or overthink..Layers work the best and I also wear leather type (Keds or Nike) tennis shoes..On my first trip I took boots and it was a waste of weight/space. I have learned I don't need to have multiple changes of clothes/shoes...very casual...layout what you want to take and then take 1/2 or less.

Take half the amount of clothes you think you need but twice the amount of money! :D

Trudy

[mapleleaves]

unless you're hiking, a pair of sneakers or comfortable walking shoes will suffice. Spray with waterproofing.

For clothing, I take long sleeve Tshirts, a fleece pullover, sweatshirt, fleece vest, and a waterproof jacket with a hood. There's no need to bring a zillion T's and sweatshirts .... no one will see the under layers and will know that you already wore that black Tshirt on Tue.

Bring a daypack with you ... if the day warms up you'll have someplace to put your jacket, conversely if the day turns nasty you'll have a jacket in your pack.

[vbmom87]

Your wife does not need boots, unless you are doing some serious hiking and then she would need hiking boots. Comfortable waterproof footwear is what she needs to be thinking.

 

I suggest she bring two pairs of athletic type shoes that are either the waterproof variety, or buy a can of waterproofing spray, and apply several coats onto clean shoes. If she does not like athletic shoes, then I simply recommend the kinds of shoes she would wear if she were going to be out and about for a day near your home. Just be sure to waterproof them.

 

I like to wear merino wool socks when in Alaska.

 

Besides a waterproof jacket, I like to bring waterproof pants. On our last cruise it rained the entire time we were cruising Hubbard Glacier. It was nice to be able to be outside on the bow and still stay dry.

 

I also like earmuffs, but that is because I have super sensitive ears. I even brought them to Hawaaii and used them. Truly an individual thing.

 

She should not need her heavy winter coat. I suggest some silk long underwear for one layer (or her favorite type of long underwear), in case you do hit some unusually cool weather.

 

She could bring a heavy sweater for a layer, but I prefer some nice fleece, hooded jackets, because they typically take up less packing room than a heavy sweater does. Look for 300 weight fleece. She could also use a sweatshirt if she does not like fleece. For cooler days, I recommend these layers: Silk underwear, long sleeved shirt ( I brought some turtlenecks), fleece/sweater/sweatshirt, waterproof jacket.

 

As far as storing the items, at least one of us brings a backpack whenever we are leaving the ship. Look for a lightweight backpack.

 

If you could give us your itinerary and what tours you are planning on doing, we might be able to give you some better/different suggestions. Just be prepared for rain when you are planning.

Edited December 29, 2013 by vbmom87

[77westhill]

Thank you very much everybody We havee now eliminated one suitcase of extra warm clothes later today my dear wife will be posting the ports and tours we are planning on believe when I say that I am eternally grateful for all the advice and my wife is breathing easier knowing that she doesn't need 4 suitcases for us now can you please see if you can get her down to three suitcases for us

[poolwife]

We have been to Alaska 5 times. I am not a big hiker at all. But, with the rain which it usually does in Ketchikan or elsewhere, I have been very glad that I invested in low cut waterproof (gore-tex) hikers. Even if you are fortunate enough to not hit rain, the gore-tex keeps your feet warm when out viewing glaciers, etc.

 

In taking the walk to the waterfall at Mendenall glacier, it is nice to have some sturdy shoes for the trail. Low cut hikers are all that is really needed.

I always take my smartwool socks to wear in them also. The combination work great for keeping my feet warm and dry.

 

Besides thinking I would never go without my low cut waterproof hikers, I think a waterproof hooded parka is essential. Our last trip in June, 2012 it poured in Ketchikan but we went out and about anyway. Just pulled my hood up and off we went.

 

We never needed longjohns. Personally my husband and I wear a down vest underneath our parkas and we are just fine then.

 

I would not consider going to Alaska without those 2 items: waterproof low cut hikers and a waterproof parka.

 

These are just my thoughts............

[travelbug11]

If you find you need another sweatshirt, tees or jackets, every port has tons of shops where you can get them for really cheap prices.

[p_mori7]

1- WaterProof / WindProof jacket & pants. Lookup WETSKINS.

2- 1 PullOver type sweater

3- 1 Polar Fleece style zip-up or pull-over.

4- Decent pair of walking shoes, that can be sprayed with water repellant. (do not recommend tennis shoes with mesh type fabric).

5- Gloves & Warm hat (like a tuque).

 

When we went to Alaska, we had beautiful weather every day. Jeans / undershirt / long sleeved shirt.

 

In the mornings (when departing for excursions) it can be quite cool (thus the sweater and/or polar fleece).

 

When on deck while viewing glaciers / whales, the wind can be frigid (especially at the bow) thus the windproof/waterproof pants & jacket along with the gloves/hat. We transited the entire Tracy Arm section standing at the bow with camera in hand (2+ hours). Many others came up for the view, but could only stay a dew minutes because they got cold quickly.

 

When ashore, I always had a small backpack with the Wetskins & polar fleece packed inside just in case.

 

The Skagway train ride rises quite high into the mountains, and you can stand on the platforms between cars...so the polar fleece & wetskin jacket were very handy there despite the sunny weather.

 

The whale watching excursions in Juneau are on smaller boats, and the best viewing is outside on the top deck...the sweater / fleece / wetskin / gloves / hat combination worked well there also despite the sunny day we had.

 

Enjoy your cruise ! Alaska is spectacular !

 

:D

Edited December 29, 2013 by p_mori7

[UPGrandma]

May have missed someone else mentioning, but certainly take some gloves. When whale or glacier watching, hands will get cold. I'm play. I g to take the kind that will fold back so finger tips are free to change settings on cameras.

[cruising grandma]

We took cotton lined nylon "jog suits"(pants and hooded jacket), and wore tshirts, or long sleeved shirts under them. We also took jeans and a cotton sweater, gloves and hat. We did buy sweatshirts in a couple of towns, so have them as souvenirs. We wore tennis shoes during the day and normal cruise clothes/shoes at night. I seriously doubt the two of you will need more than a large suitcase and a rolling carry on each.

 

My husband and I just did a two week "cold weather" cruise, and we each packed way too many warm clothes. We only had each one piece of luggage and a rolling carry on and my husband a backpack. I had five or six pairs of shoes, three formal dresses and dresses and pants for other nights, four pairs of jeans, sweats, sweaters, the nylon jog suit, one shorts outfit and one swimsuit and coverup for daywear. I would take MUCH less if doing that trip again, and I'm usually good at not taking too much. I just planned on more cold days than we had. That was for two weeks, so I know you won't need more luggage than we took. I do also suggest a lightweight backpack for storing water bottles, jackets, gloves, hats, cameras, extra batteries, etc.

[vbmom87]

Thank you very much everybody We havee now eliminated one suitcase of extra warm clothes later today my dear wife will be posting the ports and tours we are planning on believe when I say that I am eternally grateful for all the advice and my wife is breathing easier knowing that she doesn't need 4 suitcases for us now can you please see if you can get her down to three suitcases for us

 

First time we went to Alaska we took two 26" suitcases, one carry on and one back pack. Trip was a total of 18 days with a 7 day cruise. Our cruise ship had a launderette and we washed clothes before disembarking.

 

Second cruise to Alaska was a 14 day cruise with four days on land prior. We each had one 26" suitcase and one backpack. We decided we didn't like having a carryon to deal with as well. This cruise we just paid for the ship to do our laundry and that worked out great. Back in 2011 on HAL we paid $99 for unlimited laundry. It was a wonderful service. We sent out at least one bag of a laundry a day. This really helped in letting us pack less. Laundry was back the following day. If we got the bag to the room steward early, sometimes it even came back that evening.

 

Good luck!!!!

Edited December 29, 2013 by vbmom87

[77westhill]

I doubt we could fit those same clothes in those number of sutcases. I am 6"5" tall and my wife is 5"9" tall. You must be petite.

[vbmom87]

I would not consider going to Alaska without those 2 items: waterproof low cut hikers and a waterproof parka.

 

These are just my thoughts............

 

I also invested in waterproof low cut hikers and that his what I wore on both of my cruises. It seems many others find waterproofing their atheletic shoes works out well, if they don't want to invest in a new pair of shoes. However, I agree with you. When we were on a small boat tour in Tracy Arm, the captain took us right up to some waterfalls and the falls splashed onto the deck right where I was standing. The water went over my shoes, but I stayed nice and dry. :)

 

I also would not go without a waterproof jacket or waterproof pants. It does depend on the people. Like you, my DH and I did not let the rain ruin our cruise. We did everything we planned on and were well protected. My DH did not have waterproof pants the first trip, but agreed to get them for our second trip. He was so glad he had them, even though we only needed them for the Hubbard Glacier transit. If he had not had them, he would have forced to go inside to view the glacier, or would have gotten quite damp. All very personal, but I am so glad we had our waterproof pants. I was fortunate to find them for a great price at LLBEAN a few months before our cruise.

[JJinAK]

I always admire the cruise passengers that don't let the rain stop them. I deal with the weather everyday (and yes, I like it:)) but I know many people don't have the same amount of rain that we can get in a few days in their entire year.

I love the jackets from Marmot, Outdoor Research, and North Face. You just have to find one that feels comfortable and is not going to restrict your movement.

For anyone coming to Juneau, they have completely re-done the path that leads out to the Nugget Falls from the visitor center. It is really nice and my 11 year old was able to get all the way out there and back with crutches last year.

Jules

[77westhill]

We spent a good part of today shopping for items for our trip. At Eastern Mountain Sports, the General Manager told us that she was in Denali last summer and highly recommends that we purchase a mosquito head net. You wear it over a hat or visor. She said there were lots of mosquitos there and wearing that net was a life saver. So we each bought one. Did anyone every experience problems with mosquitos? She also said to bring Deet. I bought some warm gloves which I always wanted and we bought wool socks for the two of us. Then we went to LL Bean and I did more damage buying a long sleeve tee shirt, long johns and a backpack. Yet, we feel good about getting these items now since we won't find many warm clothes to buy in Florida. We leave next week for Florida for 7 weeks.

 

As my husband promised, here are the tours we signed up for:

 

Denali National Park-Music of Denali Dinner Theater

Skagway-Gold Panning, Sled Dogs & 40 Degrees Below Zero Experience

Juneau-Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Hatchery & Salmon Bake

Ketchikan-Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack Show

 

Linda

[Sharkb8]

We did a land tour on our own, inside Denali and north. The mosquitoes were amazingly large and pretty intense, so even if you don't need the nets, they are a good bet to take with you. Deet was a good gambit, but we were also walking, and removing layers, and applying more Deet, etc. I Love wool socks, so comfortable to walk in. Most of our trip in Alaska was in warm conditions (this past July), but there were times that we needed to start out in warm clothes and shed. I wish I had packed a pair of capris, though!

 

 

 

We spent a good part of today shopping for items for our trip. At Eastern Mountain Sports, the General Manager told us that she was in Denali last summer and highly recommends that we purchase a mosquito head net. You wear it over a hat or visor. She said there were lots of mosquitos there and wearing that net was a life saver. So we each bought one. Did anyone every experience problems with mosquitos? She also said to bring Deet. I bought some warm gloves which I always wanted and we bought wool socks for the two of us. Then we went to LL Bean and I did more damage buying a long sleeve tee shirt, long johns and a backpack. Yet, we feel good about getting these items now since we won't find many warm clothes to buy in Florida. We leave next week for Florida for 7 weeks.

 

As my husband promised, here are the tours we signed up for:

 

Denali National Park-Music of Denali Dinner Theater

Skagway-Gold Panning, Sled Dogs & 40 Degrees Below Zero Experience

Juneau-Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Hatchery & Salmon Bake

Ketchikan-Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack Show

 

Linda

[Ashland]

We spent a good part of today shopping for items for our trip. At Eastern Mountain Sports, the General Manager told us that she was in Denali last summer and highly recommends that we purchase a mosquito head net. You wear it over a hat or visor. She said there were lots of mosquitos there and wearing that net was a life saver. So we each bought one. Did anyone every experience problems with mosquitos? She also said to bring Deet. I bought some warm gloves which I always wanted and we bought wool socks for the two of us. Then we went to LL Bean and I did more damage buying a long sleeve tee shirt, long johns and a backpack. Yet, we feel good about getting these items now since we won't find many warm clothes to buy in Florida. We leave next week for Florida for 7 weeks.

 

As my husband promised, here are the tours we signed up for:

 

Denali National Park-Music of Denali Dinner Theater

Skagway-Gold Panning, Sled Dogs & 40 Degrees Below Zero Experience

Juneau-Mendenhall Glacier, Salmon Hatchery & Salmon Bake

Ketchikan-Totem Bight State Park & Lumberjack Show

 

Linda

Sounds like you are going to be "well covered" but doubt that you'll need those mosquito nets..As for the "Deet" just buy (Walmart) a package of "Off" disposable towelette type wipes individually wrapped..much easier to travel with...if you need them at all.