socalhiker

Hi! I just came back from a 12 day Alaskan Land and Sea Tour with Holland America, Noordam, which was awesome! I thought I would post what I packed in my 1 carry on luggage and my Osprey Tempest 20 backpack. Since I thought packing for this trip was hard and kind of confusing, I hope this helps those who are getting ready to pack for their own fun, upcoming trips! (this list is especially for those trying to pack light). I went in July, and temps were 50-70 (with a couple of days in the 80s!)

Quick Tips for Packing Light: Dress in layers, bring clothes that mix and match and are quick drying, be prepared to do laundry, and be OK with wearing clothes more than once. Noordam doesn't have self-service laundry, so I paid $20 for the laundry service and then washed a few items in the sink using Sea to Summit Trek and Travel Laundry wash.

Clothes and Shoes

1 formal outfit (lace short sleeved blouse and black maxi skirt)

5 quick dry short sleeved t-shirts

5 short sleeved blouses (lightweight, rayon/polyester type shirts)

1 long sleeved blouse

1 long sleeved cardigan

1 long underwear top

1 lightweight hoodie

1 Pullover fleece

1 Rain jacket

1 pair of running shorts

1 black knee length skirt

1 pair of black dress pants (could have left at home)

1 pair of yoga pants

1 pair of hiking pants

1 pair of jeans

1 pair of pajamas

1 swim suit (didn't use it)

a beanie

a sun hat

a pair of light weight gloves

rain pants (didn't wear them)

1 pair of hiking shoes (we did a lot of hiking; otherwise, it's not really necessary)

1 pair of sketchers

1 pair of black heels

1 pair of flip flops

underwear and socks for 6 days

Toiletries:

o Toothpaste/Toothbrush/floss

oBrush/hair bands

oSunscreen

o Avon's So Soft Bug Wipes and deet cream (wasn't necessary to bring both)

oMake-up (lipstick, chapstick, mascara, face cream)

oMedications (Benadryl, motion sickness, advil) and band aids

oExtra contact lenses

oSunglasses

oGlasses and glasses case

oContacts and contact solution

oHand sanitizer (only used outside the ship)

oDeodorant

oRazor

oBug head net (wasn't necessary)

General

Cruise Documents and Passport

binoculars

electronics and chargers: kindle, camera, cell phone, ipod, headphones, watch

reusable water bottle

small purse

zip loc bags for dirty clothes

two packing cubes

2 pairs of earrings and small case for jewelry

I probably packed more shirts than I really needed, although I did wear them all. Overall, though, I thought what I packed worked well. Hope this helps!

I'd leave out the mid weight fleece, insulated jacket, and a couple short sleeve shirts and probably add another light weight fleece and long sleeved shirt. But, it really depends on your tolerance for temps. Pick up a compressor bag for the fleece items to squeeze out the air and save some space. I'd also suggest picking up a fleece vest in port. Then you'll have a nice souvenir and a very useful piece of clothing.(the one's I've seen on offer are usually embroidered with the Alaska flag/a bear/etc) I always travel with a fleece vest and a goretex jacket, no matter the destination or time of year. I'll second the suggestion of waterproof/breathable pants. Get some with full side zippers. They will be much easier to get on and off. I'd also suggest waterproof/breathable hiking boots. Some don't think they're necessary, but I can't imagine going without them. Nothing makes me more miserable than cold wet feet. On our last Alaska cruise, I forgot to grab my waterproof pants for our whale watch/Mendenhall Glacier excursion. It poured down rain sideways on the whale watch and I spent the rest of the excursion in soaking wet jeans. But my feet and upper body were dry and warm thanks to the fleece vest, goretex jacket and boots. Yes, I know jeans aren't great for travel, and I wear travel khakis everywhere else, but for me, Alaska means jeans, hiking boots, and goretex. YMMV

Your gala night outfit sounds fine.

Thanks for the advice! So, the temps that are listed for July in Alaska are pretty much the same temps we have in San Diego during our winter--and I've worn the insulated jacket at night then! Would the only time I might need a heavier jacket be glacier bay? If so, I'll probably just leave the insulated jacket at home and hope the fleece and rain jacket will be enough.

Yes, my hiking pants are zip off

Thanks for the advice about bringing a power strip without a surge protector! Also, I'll look into waterproof pants. Do you think waterproof hiking shoes are important? Mine aren't.

Also, we are going on holland america - is a nice skirt and lace top going to be dressy enough for gala night? Thank you so much for your help!

I have been reading and searching about information on packing for a cruise to Alaska in July for a 4 day Land Tour + 7 day cruise (13 day total trip), and I have come across a ton of information. I’ve got the memo on the layers, but I’m still having a hard time deciding what is necessary and what I can leave home. Our activities during the day will include mostly hiking in Denali, Juneau, and Haines. We plan to do laundry once we get on the ship.

My question is, what is missing and what is too much? Are the mosquitoes really that bad? I am trying to pack everything into 1 carry-on bag plus 1 small backpack. Thanks! :)

Clothes

o Short Sleeve Shirts (4)

o Quick Dry Short Sleeve T-Shirts (2)

o Long Sleeved Cardigan (1)

o Long Sleeved Blouse (2)

o Outfit for 2 Formal Nights (1)

o Jeans (2)

o Yoga Pants (1)

o Hiking Pants (1)

o Running Shorts (1)

o Black Dress Pants (1)

o Swimsuit (1)

o Long Underwear Set (1)

o Lightweight Fleece (1)

o Bugs Away Hoodie (1)

o Midweight Fleece (1)

o Midweight Insulated Jacket (1)

o Waterproof Rain Jacket (1)

o Hiking Shoes (1)

o Sketchers (1)

o Heels (1)

o Flip Flops (1)

o Gloves (1)

o Sun Hat (1)

o Beanie (1)

o Underwear (10)

o Bras (3)

o Socks (5)

Toiletries:

Toothpaste/Toothbrush

Brush

Hair bands and clips

Sunscreen

Bug Wipes

Make-up

Medications

Sunglasses

Glasses

Contacts and contact solution

Sleeping Mask

Small first aid kit

Hand sanitizer

Deodorant

Razor

General

Small backpack (1)

Binoculars (1)

Cruise documents

Digital Camera (1)

Kindle (1)

Passports (1)

Cell Phone (1)

Power strip (1)

Reusable water bottles (1)

Purse/Wristlet (1)

Gallon Size Zip loc bags for garbage/laundry bags (2)