Alaska Packing List
Updated Feb. 4, 2013
Other than the stuff I usually take on a cruise, I thought it might be helpful to know what I recommend bringing for this trip, now that I’ve actually been. Please be aware that weather varies from month to month and even day-to-day but this was our experience for our July 2010 Alaskan cruise.
In general for clothing, I highly recommend these brands: Columbia, LL Bean, Eddie Bauer, North Face, Mountainwear, and REI. If you are looking for a deal on outerwear, I recommend checking out the Outwear section on BradsDeals and subscribe to their daily deal alerts. I’ve seen great deals on jackets and cold-weather apparel every week, if not most days! Most sporting good stores have an end-of-season clearance sale near the end of winter (February/March) so if you know you’re going to Alaska during the summer, shop early!
WOMEN’S CLOTHING
- 3-in-1 windproof, waterproof jacket
: I have LL Bean’s Storm Chaser Jacket
- Merrell water-resistant, low-top hiking shoes
- Thermal Underwear
- Convertible Pants
- Rain Pants
- North Face Power Stretch Gloves
- Fleece hat
- 1-2 Fleece Pullovers
- Bathing suit: There’s nothing like sitting in a jacuzzi or heated pool on glacier cruising days!
- Flip flops: I didn’t pack these and wish I did to walk around the ship on sea days
- Crossbody or backpack purse that can be easily cleaned and waterproofed for ports: My favorites are Baggallini Messenger Bagg and Sherpani Tre
- Socks that can be worn with pants or shorts
- 3-4 short-sleeved shirts and the rest long-sleeved shirts (if you plan to do laundry onboard, you can pack less tops)
MEN’S CLOTHING
- 3-in-1 windproof, waterproof jacket
- Merrell water-resistant, low-top hiking shoes
- Thermal Underwear
- Convertible Pants
- Rain Pants
- North Face Power Stretch Gloves
- Fleece hat
- 1-2 Fleece Pullovers
- Socks that can be worn with shorts or pants
- Swimming trunks
- 3-4 short-sleeved shirts and the rest long-sleeved shirts: Some of these shirts should be nice enough to wear to dinner so you can wear them in the day or evening. If you plan to do laundry onboard, you can pack less shirts.
- Kipling Hiker Expandable Backpack
I want to stress how awesome convertible pants and a good waterproof jacket are. The convertible pants were really lightweight, water resistant, and converted to shorts when it got warm so not only did we not have to pack shorts but we already had them on!! Forget bringing jeans or sweatshirts. They soak up water and are heavy. Stick with a waterproof, windproof, and breathable jacket with a hood that is light enough to pack into your backpack. I also recommend packable rain pants, especially if you’re the type to brave the elements out on deck to see glaciers and wildlife, regardless of the weather.
We packed but did not use scarves and ponchos. Chris did not need long underwear tops or his fleece cap. We could have done without the gloves too. We only found them useful during our glacier dog sledding. All other times, we just put our hands in our jacket pockets and it was fine. I wore my fleece cap once while we were cruising Glacier Bay and wasn’t wearing my jacket but I guess I could have done without them also. You’re much more likely to use your jacket hood to protect you from wind (and it protects you from rain too). Our jackets are 3-in-1 jackets and we mostly used the outer shell alone. We wore the thick jacket liner once by itself in Glacier Bay but it is not waterproof alone. We never wore the shell and liner together because it never got that cold. We probably could have done with just waterproof jackets with hoods and not gone with the 3-in-1 jackets.
As for non-clothing items, here are items we packed and used:
NON-CLOTHING ITEMS
- Bear Bell
- Bushnell 8×42 H2O waterproof binoculars – one pair turned out to be fine for both of us because we would switch off between looking through the binoculars and taking pictures but make sure it is at least this strength. We brought a smaller pair (10×21) and never used them because they weren’t good enough. Also glad we bought waterproof & fog proof binoculars because we needed it during our Prince William Sound cruise!
- Defog sponge
- Insect repellent (our favorite is Off! Deep Woods Towelettes)
- Collapsible, insulated lunch bag – used to store snacks and packed lunches. We have 2 small ones that we found at the Dollar Store and they fold completely flat when not in use.
- Sunscreen
- Travel sized toilet paper & toilet seat covers
- Reusable shopping bag – Princess gives you one at Denali Princess and on the cruise
- Alaskan TourSaver coupon book
These are things we brought but did not use:
- Alaska Cruise Companion book – Princess had someone reading from the book on the TV
- Denali Mile-by-mile guide – I forgot I get carsick when I read while in motion so I couldn’t read the book while on the shuttle bus
- Hand/toe warmers
- Ponchos – They flap around and get blown up by wind. Waterproof jacket with hood worked much better and easier to wear
- Umbrella – Same as a poncho, plus we wanted our hands free
- Waterproof pouch for camera – We brought this for our Denali rafting trip but we were worried that we might lose it and we had to hang on to the safety line the whole time so we didn’t use the camera at all. Instead, we bought the photos that the rafting company took of us.
- Scarf – Our jackets covered our neck when fully zipped up
- Thick/wool socks – Not cold enough to need them, not even on the glacier
+ Read more about my Island Princess Alaska Cruise