What to Pack for Alaska this Summer

Jennie shares her packing tips for not getting overwhelmed, overpacking or having your phone go dead this summer.

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Transcript

 Welcome to the Alaska Uncovered Podcast with me, your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, my occasional co-host and full-time husband, Jay, and I bring you accurate, helpful, and entertaining information about Alaska Travel and life in Alaska.



The Alaska Uncovered Podcast is supported by our Patreon members. We are so grateful for our Patreon members who keep us going. You can join them at patreon.com/alaska uncovered, and as a monthly member of the planning club, you can get your questions answered by me every single week.

It's a weekly ask me anything, and there's an extra episode with answering everyone's questions. It's fun. So find us over there.





Hey everyone, I'm Jennie here. Today we're talking about packing, which I know is something people have a lot of questions and concerns about. So hopefully after this episode, you'll feel confident about your plans for what you're bringing. Um, before. We get into that. I just wanna let you know that this is the last time for this season that I am going to bring up my planning sessions because I am only offering them on five more days.

Uh, Saturday morning. Pacific time. Um, not necessarily morning for you. Uh, April 25th is the last day that I'm offering it, and then I will start up again in September or October. Not sure exactly when yet, but this is it. So it's not too late to plan your trip this summer. Uh, it is almost too late, but not quite.

Um, and it is. Not too late to get my help. If you need help with packing or one piece of your itinerary or anything like that. I have definitely had people book a session and then show me what they were packing and talk about it. So you could do that. It's kind of fun. Anyway, um, so the link is in the show notes to book a time if you wanna do that.

Okay. Packing so. It's interesting to me how much of a source of stress this is. I think I have done it so many times that um, you know, that's a huge advantage. I know what will work for me, but I want to pass. This knowledge along to you. So another thing is, if you are not on my email list yet, my email newsletter by the way, is every week.

It's every Wednesday. It's not the same content that's in the podcast. It's um, it's something. Timely, or it's almost always something different, maybe twice a year. It's the same kind of information. Um, and that's where I try to drop, um, kind of surprising information that comes up over the summer. I do trip reports there, talk about different parts of the state, all kinds of stuff.

So if you're not getting my emails, I really wanna encourage you to sign up for my email list. Those, like the podcast will continue every week, all summer, even while I'm out working. As a guide again and researching and finishing up the book I'm writing. So, uh, definitely sign up for that. That link is also in the show notes, and I wanted to particularly mention it today because when you sign up for my email list.

You get my full packing list. Um, and so that is kind of a cool bonus. So, uh, and you know, you can always unsubscribe if you're like, oh, this isn't for me anyway, so just wanted to talk about that before we dive in here. Okay. So I'm gonna share kind of two big principles of packing, then we'll get into more details.

So the first thing is there are four things that you need to pack. Truly everything else, you can wing it, but there's four things that are. Important. They're hard to get or impossible to get on the road. They're really important. If you have those, you're gonna be just fine. So let's start with what those are.

First one is any medications that you take. Um, I'm sure for those of you who are experienced travelers or like duh Johnny, um, but it is, it's gonna be very difficult to fill a prescription, um, no matter how you're. Going to Alaska, whether you're on a cruise or a cruise tour, or driving around the state on your own.

Um, you'll be in many places where there aren't stores. You know, in Denali, for example, except for three Bears in Healy, there's nowhere to buy aspirin or toothpaste. Some hotels have a little bit of that stuff, but not as much as you'd think. So make sure that you have those things. Um. And yeah, so that's the first thing.

The second thing is ID and a credit card, again, if you're like. Jenny. Um, you really do need that. You need to bring that with you. The third thing is a rain jacket. So today we're focusing on kind of the main summer tourist season, which is May through September. Uh, September is fall. Most of August is fall also, but it's still doesn't matter.

It's kind of the same. Uh, basic packing list. I'll talk about a few variations in a minute. Um, but uh, you need a rain jacket. It doesn't matter what the forecast is. It doesn't matter. What month you come, it makes no difference. You need to have a rain jacket with a hood. Don't count on, on an umbrella, don't count on a poncho.

Um, those things don't really work in the wind and they don't help you for bug protection. So this is not just about the rain, uh, it is also about bug and win protection. Big deal. There's nothing better than rain gear, um, for bugs. So what kind of rain jacket? You know, honestly, it doesn't matter that much if you live in a rainy place like I do.

I have three rain jackets at the moment. Um. And they're all good for a particular purpose. There's only one of them that I ever take to Alaska, but so if you live in a rainy place, whatever you already have will be great. If you don't, if you live like in Arizona and you're like, I'm buying a rain jacket for this, you don't need to spend a fortune on it because the real difference between a less expensive rain jacket and a more expensive one is really how long it's.

Gonna last and just, so if you only need it to last for two weeks, it doesn't need to be anything, anything special. But, um, yeah, so have a rain jacket and then the fourth thing. Is a backup battery for your phone. This is super important. Don't sleep on this. Every single member of your traveling party, including anyone who has a phone, so teenagers, uh, grandparents, everyone needs their own backup phone charger and their own.

Charging cable. Both of those things are super important. If you're thinking like, how can that be more important than underwear? Well, I know you're gonna remember underwear, so I'm not worried about that. And. Honestly, um, a backup battery for your phone is more important than underwear, in my opinion. Um, you're gonna be in lots of places without cell service.

You're gonna be using your phone a lot, even if it's just for pho, for photos and videos, and you're not. Using it at all for entertainment that will kill your battery really fast if you're on a tour all day. For example, the tour that goes into Denali National Park, there are no chargers. Um, that's true on lots of tours.

So make sure that you have this backup battery. Um, the one that I have is an anchor. Brand A-N-K-E-R. Um, I don't, I don't know that the brand matters too much. You could use the reviews. Mine holds about four charges for my phone, which is an iPhone 15. Um, and I've had this battery through three phones, by the way.

I've had it for close to 10 years and it's amazing and I use it all the time and it. It wasn't expensive. I don't remember how much it was. It might've been $40. Um, so this is an item that every member of your family or travel group who has a phone needs to have. Okay. So just to review toiletries and medications, I.

ID and credit card number three, rain jacket number four, backup battery for your phone plus charger. If you've got that, you're truly gonna be fine. Everything else doesn't matter that much. Now that said, let's talk a little bit more 'cause you're probably a little dissatisfied with that answer, but I want to help you prioritize what's really gonna matter.

Um, the other stuff is not okay. It might a little bit, but it's not a big deal. The other big principle I wanted to talk about is packing light. And most people don't do this for Alaska. They're like, well, it could be 80 degrees or it could be 30 degrees and it could be raining and it could be sunny. And I'm going on a cruise, so I, I wanna have some dressier outfits, and so I'm gonna need two checked bags.

You don't, I promise you, I, um, I just take a carry-on bag even for a three week trip when I have to wear dress clothes every day and go hiking. In between, I do bring a checked bag if I'm bringing skis or rubber boots or snow boots, unless I feel like I can tolerate wearing the rubber boots or snow boots on the plane, which.

Honestly, I usually can't. Um, but that puts me over into needing a checked bag. Otherwise, uh, now I'm not saying you can't check a bag. Jay always checks a bag. He is six foot four, so one pair of his shoes will fill up an entire, uh. Carry on bag. So I'm not saying don't check a bag, but the point is you want to pack as light as you can.

So why, why does that matter? It's not just to feel like a good person. Um, there's no like inherent value in packing light or heavy. It doesn't really matter. But I do wanna tell you why it matters for Alaska because it does matter. So. In Alaska, hotel rooms are small cruise ship. Um, state rooms are really small.

Um, you are going to be tripping over your bag constantly if it's big or you have more than one. That's probably the biggest reason. The second business. Biggest reason is that most people, unless they're doing. A cruise and or cruise tour. And even if you're doing a cruise tour, you'll still be doing this, um, packing your bag and unpacking your bag pretty often.

And it takes much less time if you don't have as much stuff. So that's another big reason. Um. Then I think the final reason that I would say is, um, if you, if you are checking a bag, it's really important not to switch airlines on your way to Alaska. That's a really good way to get your luggage lost. Um, on every tour that I do, there is at least one person who's bag doesn't arrive.

So, um. That's just, we all know that that's a thing that can happen, but um, you need to make sure that you have those four things that I mentioned in your carry on no matter what. Really, really important. Okay. One other thing about packing light is if you're renting a car, unless you have gotten a big enough car to accommodate a lot of extra luggage, if it's like an FSUV and there's four of you, um, and people have more than one bag.

There won't be room for everything. Uh, so keep that in mind as well. So I would say at the very, very most, you wanna bring a carry-on and a checked bag. Even if you're doing a cruise, you know the cruise will let you bring something like three bags, but that doesn't mean you're gonna have room for them in your cabin.

And I'll tell you that when I am, um, working as a tour director and I am working with art. Our drivers to keep track of everybody's luggage loaded onto the coach, unload it, all of that. Um, so usually the hotel staff are taking bags back and forth to the room and we're just kind of managing, making sure they're all there and getting them on and off.

Our coach, even then, people always wish they brought less, even when they are not having to move their bags themselves. So if you are gonna be moving your bag yourself, then that's especially important. So, um, that is why I am always going on about packing light. Okay, so let's get into a little bit more detail about packing here.

So, one thing to know is you are just not gonna have the perfect gear. It's just not gonna work out. You're gonna bring something that you never wear, and that's fine. You're gonna bring something that you'll probably wear every day and be like, well, this is dumb. I brought these. Four outfits and this is the only one I ever wore that that's just kind of the way it works.

And you know, if you don't have the perfect footwear, you don't have the perfect coat, you don't have the perfect hat or whatever, it's going to be just fine. You know, I myself have worn lots of different things. I have guests on my tour who have everything from parkas to hoodies and the same weather, and they do just fine.

So try not to waste a lot of time and energy on this. Um, just do the best you can. Get my packing list and just move on. I do wanna talk about footwear a little bit. So a lot of this depends on what you're going to be doing. So I think for most trips to Alaska having one pair of sturdy. Um, shoes or boots.

You don't have to have boots. Um, shoes that are waterproof, uh, they don't have to be waterproof, but if they are really helps. Uh, if you don't have waterproof footwear, you don't need to buy it for Alaska. Unless you're doing like a multiple day camping and backpacking trip, just bring, um, twice as many socks as you normally would 'cause if your shoes are wet.

You could change your socks and then make sure you have an extra pair of shoes, which I think is a good idea anyway, to have kind of what your, um. To have something to give your feet a break. Um, I normally, as far as footwear, what I bring to Alaska for all my trips is a pair of black ankle boots. Um, they're bloodstone boots.

They're amazing. They're great for my job. I can go for a hike in them if I need to. So I bring those and waterproof, hiking shoes and either, um, flip flops or something like that. Us, usually it's the bloodstone boots. Um, my hiking shoes, I don't wear boots to hike. Um, but lots of people do. That's great. I just don't.

And then flip flops, that's what I usually bring. So as far as other things, um, as far as are you gonna be cold or not, there's no real way to know because you don't know what the weather is gonna be and. I am sorry to break this to you, but it doesn't matter when you are going. It is possible that, and likely that it will rain at some point on your trip.

It's likely that you will have at least one day where it does not rain. Um, it is likely that if you are from a hot place, that you will feel cold in Alaska. But not necessarily, you know, in Denali and in Fairbanks, it can be very hot in June and July, uncomfortably hot, and there's no air conditioning or very little air conditioning.

So even people from hot places sometimes are like, I just wish I brought a sleeveless shirt to wear indoors. So, um, if you are, if you're exclusively gonna be along the coast, it's unlikely that you're gonna see, uh, temperatures above. 75, but it's possible. Um, so keep that in mind. In May and September it's quite a bit cooler.

Um, some places can be freezing at night in September, especially Denali and the interior. It may not be, but it might be. Um, so it's not just the month of the year you're there. But also where you're going. So Fairbanks, for example, in the middle of summer, it's not uncommon for it to be in the eighties or even the nineties there.

Um, it's almost always, at least in the seventies, unless it just happens to be a random rainy day, um, in southeast Alaska, it's often in the fifties and rainy, and in the middle of summer sometimes it's sunny and 70, right? So if you're doing a cruise and you're. Going to Fairbanks, you could very easily have rainy temperatures in the forties and, uh, hot weather in the eighties in Fairbanks, totally possible, right?

So having layers is a good idea. All that means is just having options. 'cause the weather also can change a lot throughout the day. So you need to have your rain jacket with you every day. Uh, even if it's not raining, 'cause it can change other, same thing other way around. Make sure you've got sun protection.

'cause it could be foggy and raining in the morning and then kind of boiling in the afternoon. That happens a lot. So you need to be prepared for. Different weather and the yes, the month matters. Like September is colder pretty much everywhere. August is wetter pretty much everywhere. But you still have to be prepared for warm and chilly and wet and dry weather no matter when you go.

And again, resist the temptation to pack based on the forecast. 'cause it's useless more than about two days out. Some places it's pretty useless all the time. But, uh, yeah, so. Just plan, you know, my packing list accounts for all of those things. Um, so again, sign up for my email list and you'll get that. Um, and then you'll also get my other emails as well.

Okay. Um, a couple other things I wanted to mention. Um, all of these things I, I'm talking about, it doesn't really matter whether you're going on a cruise. Whether you're planning a road trip around Alaska by yourself, um, whether you're visiting national parks, what month, these things are all pretty much true.

There are situations where you may need additional gear and who, whatever you're doing, they will advise you about that. So like for example, if you're booking a fishing tour. Generally they're, they'll provide the gear that you need, but you can always check with them. Same thing for kayaking, um, or landing on a glacier in a helicopter.

If you are going to need, um, something to wear on your feet, um, either because of ice or snow, they will give that to you. So you wanna have something kind of sturdy. You, you don't really wanna wear, like flip flops inside of the glacier boots that they give you for a helicopter tour. Um, but those things, you don't need anything special.

So yes, if you're getting going on a helicopter to a glacier, you're gonna get out in the snow, but you're gonna be out of the helicopter for like 15 minutes. So it's not like you need to bring a ton of clothes for that. You do need sunglasses for that though. Oh man. Especially if it's raining and you're like, oh, I won't need sunglasses.

Yeah, you will. Okay. Um, I think we've covered that pretty well. I also wanted to talk a little bit about bugs, because this is really important in packing, and I have it in my packing list. It's important that everyone has long sleeved, long pants. Loose fitting clothes, um, at least, you know, one pair of pants and a shirt like that.

There's a lot of variety in what that can look like. If you are taking a cruise or you're doing a road trip and you're not planning on fishing, hiking, or camping, then you don't have to worry about bugs as much. Um, but if you are doing any fishing, hiking, or camping. You, you do need to be prepared for bugs.

You might not see any. They might be horrendous. No way to know in advance. Might be fine one day and terrible the next. It's just the way it goes. So the biggest things, um, don't worry too much about bug spray. I don't use bug spray most of the time myself. Um. Because if the bugs are bad enough, I'm gonna put bug spray on, then I'm gonna be wearing a hoodie.

Now, you, I'm not saying don't bring bug spray. You can buy it everywhere in Alaska. You can get it more easily than toothpaste. So, um, don't obsess over what kind of bug spray you're bringing. Um, what is important for bugs is having that rain jacket. And then the loose fitting, um, clothing. So like if you're wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt and then put bug spray on, that doesn't really do anything.

Um, so make sure everybody, so, and also like leggings bugs will bite right through them. Um. So those don't work really well, don't work well. Um, to protect you from bugs, you might as well just wear shorts or a skirt if you're gonna do that. Um, so what does work? Well, jeans are great. Hiking pants are great.

Uh, sweats are great. Those things all make for terrific. Leg options for bugs. And then as far as tops go, the rain jacket is the best thing. Um, a hoodie is a really good thing. Anything long, long sleeve that's not tight against your skin. I get really hot when I hike, so when I hike in Alaska, I usually wear.

A sleeveless shirt with like a button up shirt over the top and then I just leave it unbuttoned. Um, that's not the right answer for any, everyone. That's just what I do. And then I have my rain jacket. I can't really hike in a rain jacket. It's just so hot. Um, but I have it so if I stop to eat a sandwich or whatever, then I can put it on to protect myself from bugs.

Um, let's see. I think we've covered most of the things there. Um, I used to do a packing video that I would put on my YouTube channel, which is just packing videos and highway time lapses. I'll put it in the show notes if you haven't found it yet, but that's all I do on YouTube. Um. And then I would also put that on Instagram.

And I haven't done it for a while, but I need to start doing it again. I think that was a good activity. And so I'm gonna, I am committing to, um, taking, making videos of my packing again this season. I didn't do it when I went to Alaska this winter, but I'll be going back to Fairbanks in October, so that'll be a little more wintry.

Um, last thing is I'm a big believer in the air tag or whatever other, uh, system like that you want to use for keeping track of your luggage. You know, I work in this industry and it is pretty great when people have air tags and we don't know where their bags are. Even if we can't fix it, we can kind of figure out.

What's going on and where it is. And that really helps with making a plan. So don't obsess over it. But an air tag or air tag in friends is a great plan. Okay, well that's all I wanted to share with you today. Um, like I said, sign up for my email list, then you can get my packing list. Um, if you want to check out my packing videos, I have lots of them on my YouTube channel.

I'll put that in the show notes and if you want to do any planning for your trip this summer or next winter with me before the fall, um, get that booked right now 'cause there's only a few days left. Okay. I hope you enjoy your packing and I'll see you next week 📍 





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