It’s your first Alaskan cruise! You’re excited, anxious, and have your clothes picked out weeks before you go. But what should you really be packing? Is it a snowsuit, rain gear, shorts, or all of the above? Well don’t worry, I’ve been there, done that, and can help you figure it out!
Alaska’s weather can be pretty unpredictable, so it’s best to be prepared for a little bit of everything, which means dressing in layers. We’ll start from the top and work our way down through all the layers you’ll need to have a comfortable and fun adventure!
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Hats
This Carhartt beanie is great for a variety of Alaskan outings. They come in a variety of colors, are inexpensive, keep your noggin nice and warm, and won’t fly off your head when you’re out on the water.
Gloves
When standing outside to view orcas, puffins, and other amazing wildlife, your hands may get chilled, but the issue is you’re probably wanting to photograph all these critters as well. Don’t fret, you can stay warm and still get those great shots with The North Face Etip gloves.
Base Layers
Unless you tend to run very cold, or are not used to colder weather, I don’t believe you need to be wearing any baselayers for this excursion. But if you do think you’ll get cold, I suggest something along the lines of this top and even matching pants to keep the chill out.
Mid Layers
Since any shirt you’re comfortable in is good for a base layer, we can skip that and go onto the mid layer. The North Face Denali jacket is a great mid layer for men and women to wear on a cruise. It’s warm, you can wear it with anything, and looks great as well. I also like Mountain Hardware’s half zip, too.
Outer Layers
It gets pretty windy standing outside to watch the animals, so it’s best to have a windbreaker for your outer layer. The North Face makes great ones, and that’s what I brought with on our trip. Nomar is another great option. They make their gear right here in Alaska, so you know it’s made for our wild weather! I have their pullover and it’s incredibly windproof and warm.
Pants
Just wearing regular old jeans, or whatever pants you would normally wear, will work fine for this trip unless you think you may get chilled. In that case I’d suggest looking into light baselayers, as mentioned above, to stay warm.
Socks
To keep your tootsies toasty I’d suggest Fox River socks like these ones, which will be a little heavier and warmer than your everyday socks. Darn Tough is another fantastic brand of socks that will keep you warm and comfortable on the chillier days of your vacation.
Shoes
As for shoes, I wore my everyday sneakers, just make sure whatever you wear won’t be to slick if the deck gets wet while you’re outside viewing wildlife.
Once you have all that, all you have to do is grab your camera (I got a Canon Rebel shortly after our trip, and its amazing), and you can be on your way to more glacier and wildlife viewing you can imagine!
If you have questions about traveling to Alaska feel free to leave a comment below, or sign up for the Everyday Alaska newsletter, and send me an email. You can also join the Everyday Alaska Travel Tips, Information, and Advice group, and/or our New to Alaska Tips, Information, and Advice group to ask any questions you may have. I’m happy to help you get the most out of your time in our beautiful Last Frontier!
Thank you so much for your suggestions. I live in a hot climate (outback Australia) so I’ll be wearing base layers, top and bottom. I’ve shopped for jacket and base layers at Kathmandu. We’re going in September. Combining cruise with a Canadian railway trip. Really looking forward to it.
Thank you for reading the post, Robin! It sounds like you will be well prepared. That will be a wonderful trip; Canada is very beautiful, too! I think you will really enjoy it. I am hoping to visit Australia sometime, it looks like an amazing place.