packing for Alaska

A friend of mine will be traveling with his wife on the Diamond Princess early June. They don't want to overpack so what are the "must haves" for this colder cruise? Thanks

Think layers and rain gear - be able to add and take off as the locations and times change. We cruised there in June into July 04 and it ranged from shorts and a tee shirt, to gloves, hats, and sweats with jackets over them (sometimes in the same day!). On our cruise of Glacier Bay (July 1) it was in the low 30's and pouring rain part of the time. In a few hours we were in short sleeves.... Just figure on layers - a down vest came in handy - that over a sweat shirt was good for layering - we used space bags to pack the fluffy stuff - vests, gloves, hats, etc. to reduce luggage space.

Ed

Binoculars are a must for Alaska. I bought us heavy duty ponchos. They were great for the drizzly day we had in Juneau. Also, my shoes were waterproof. They were Timberlands--nice enough for casual nights. I always buy waterproof shoes because of the distance I have to walk from my parking space to my office. Some other brands I've had include Rockports and Bass. Don't forget your swimsuits. The pools and hot tubs are great. We especially enjoyed being in the hot tub in Skagway late one afternoon. The sun was just setting behind one of the glaciers.

Definitely packing in layers is the key................start with many layers and then you can peal them off as needed.

We also brought along a supply of disposable rain ponchos (2 for $1 at most dollar general stores). That way we did not have to deal with wet rain jackets but could just dispose of them if they were wet when we returned to the ship.

You have to take a little of everything. It was 95 when we were in Dawson City on June 15 but a week later we were in snow at Denali. In Sitka it was a foggy rain and in Skagway a balmy spring day. Be prepared for anything!

Layering works very well for us.

Always handy to have a cardigan sweater for the cool dining rooms and show lounges. My wife prefers a shawl or similar style cover-up.

Water-repellent wind-breakers very handy for out on deck/on shore excursions.

You don't really the need the fluffy, bulky type winter clothing. What really seems to work well are the hiker/winter sports type long-sleeve undershirts. They are very thin and light and provide a lot of warmth, but aren't uncomfortable if the weather warms a little. If you are prone to cold and plan several off-ship excursions, long underwear for your lower half is also a good idea. Helly-Hansen is a good brand for this stuff, but it's on the pricey side. A wool cap or similar headgear is needed since you lose most of your warmth through your head. Heavy winter gear is kind of overkill and not necessary for most excursions. A jacket with removable lining would probably fit the bill nicely.

Cactus is right, it's all about layers and a raincoat. I took a fairly light-weight raincoat, and I could wear it over a fleece, or over a t-shirt, depending on the weather and what activity you're doing. If you're getting near a glacier, it's going to be cold. If you're just wandering around town, it could be very warm. A warm-ish shawl or sweater for evening is important too. The only time I've needed extra-warm clothes was in Yakutat Bay on the Regal in 2001. The wind of the glacier was very cold and I eventually decided to go sit inside and watch the glacier from the casino, with a nice cup of hot cocoa.

A small daypack that you can put your sweatshirt in if you get too warm wandering around town is a great idea. Binoculars are also a very good idea, especially if you have a balcony.

We had an outside (no balcony) on the Diamond and found we had plenty of room for luggage, especially because there was room under the bed to store stuff. So, overpacking isn't such a disaster.

The others are right -- layer, layer, layer. I wouldn't bring anything bulky. Fleece works well and packs "small." I wore t-shirts layered under a collared shirt under a lightweight fleece sweater and brought a windbreaker. I really didn't need anything heavier. (Of course, being in the Boston area, you don't feel the cold in June as much as you would if you were from a warmer climate.)

Though I think everyone has pretty much covered things, you still may want to visit the Alaska site. This question gets kicked around there from time to time.

Layers, and less than you thought you needed.

Belive it or not we went last year in June and my wife was glad I made her pack shorts. It was in the high 80's and 90's all but one day, and we wore shorts every day. Layers work great if it is cold but you still need shorts if it gets hot.

Something tells me this trip is going to take an awful lot of suitcases!!;)

As if planning an Alaskan trip isn't "daunting" enough....packing sure is going to be!

Deb