Clothes for Alaska weather

[Stevero2]

What kind of clothing will we need for the Inside Passage Alaska. We live in Florida and don't have very warm clothing. We don't want to buy a lot of clothes that we will never wear after the cruise and also don't want to have to pack a lot. I have been told to dress in layers. Would a long sleeved flanel shirt and sweat shirt be enough?

[mamaofami]

Can you put a t shirt under the flannel shirt and maybe add a water proof jacket? You can look up the weather for your ports beforr you go and pack accordingly.

[Shmoo here]

What kind of clothing will we need for the Inside Passage Alaska. We live in Florida and don't have very warm clothing. We don't want to buy a lot of clothes that we will never wear after the cruise and also don't want to have to pack a lot. I have been told to dress in layers. Would a long sleeved flanel shirt and sweat shirt be enough?

 

Layers. I wore (on the colder days) either a thermal top or long-sleeved turtleneck/t-shirt, long sleeved shirt, light sweater/jacket. And a waterproof rain jacket (with hood) on rainy days. Wear things that you can take off or add to as necessary.

 

The rain gear is important, as it can rain any day, at any time.

[startwin]

What kind of clothing will we need for the Inside Passage Alaska. We live in Florida and don't have very warm clothing. We don't want to buy a lot of clothes that we will never wear after the cruise and also don't want to have to pack a lot. I have been told to dress in layers. Would a long sleeved flanel shirt and sweat shirt be enough?

 

There was another recent thread on this, but I'm no good with finding links:( However, you need to take clothes for pretty much all weathers but especially rain. Yes, dress in layers. A t-shirt under the sweat shirt so you can take it off if it gets too warm:) A good rain jacket, too. And pack a pair of shorts, just in case - we have had warm and sunny weather in September. And we've had gale force winds and torrential rain too!

[mexico8]

What kind of clothing will we need for the Inside Passage Alaska. We live in Florida and don't have very warm clothing. We don't want to buy a lot of clothes that we will never wear after the cruise and also don't want to have to pack a lot. I have been told to dress in layers. Would a long sleeved flanel shirt and sweat shirt be enough?

A good place to look for this kind of information is under the Ports section (on the main page - click on Alaska - and you will find lots of good info.

 

Wendy

[Roz]

The amount of moisture in Alaska was a real eye opener, and something a lot of people weren't prepared for. Depending on what you're doing and the outside temps, a shirt and sweatshirt may not be enough, and a sweatshirt will absorb the moisture and not dry out for days. Need a rain slicker or parka over it.

 

Roz

[serendipity1499]

What kind of clothing will we need for the Inside Passage Alaska. We live in Florida and don't have very warm clothing. We don't want to buy a lot of clothes that we will never wear after the cruise and also don't want to have to pack a lot. I have been told to dress in layers. Would a long sleeved flanel shirt and sweat shirt be enough?

 

There was another recent thread on this, but I'm no good with finding links:( However, you need to take clothes for pretty much all weathers but especially rain. Yes, dress in layers. A t-shirt under the sweat shirt so you can take it off if it gets too warm:) A good rain jacket, too. And pack a pair of shorts, just in case - we have had warm and sunny weather in September. And we've had gale force winds and torrential rain too!

 

I don't think that will be enough warmth for you...We live in Southwest Fla & when the temp drops I have to put on a sweatshirt...I've accumulated several sweatshirts & kept some of the warmer Jackets which we used when we sailed our boat down from L.I...

The one thing I did not have was a rain jacket, but found one in the Petite section of Burlington Coat Factory Outlet in Ft. Myers at a reasonable price (under $50) ..When we went to South America last year I took the same jacket & several long sleeve tops, a vest which I purchased on-line & several sweatshirts as I tend to get cold out doors..When I was on the ship in Alaska & Antarctica I wore a fur trimmed wool hat pulled down over my ears, & had on a scarf & a pair of gloves..Even bought a pair of gloves for DH..DH had on a fairly heavy jacket..

Look at the pic I posted of our group in Denali on Post No. 9 in this thread re daytime clothes in Alaska: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1897110

If you click on the Picture you will be able to see the type of clothes worn by our group in Denali on a beautiful sunny day..

Enjoy your cruise..

Cheers...Betty

 

P.S. I also purchased & wore long silk underwear both under my jeans & on top under my long sleeve shirts..Would rather be warm than cold.. http://wintersilks.blair.com/section/Silk-Long-Underwear/195.uts?src_code=G91SEMGL&cid=ps_ws_google_nbr&device=c&network=s&matchtype=b

[serendipity1499]

Re my above post..You might want to read the entire thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1897110

 

As Sail7Seas mentioned you can get some of the things on sale now from Walmart, J.C. Penny etc..

 

Realize living in Fla you may never wear these clothes here, but you might eventually take more cruises to South America, Antarctica & maybe even Alaska again..We live in a Condo & I just store these things in our guest bedroom closet..I've worn them for three different cruises..

Forgot to mention, when we went to Antarctica our Friends loaned DH a down jacket for him to wear..It kept him nice & warm..

Cheers...Betty

[trackies]

We live in Victoria BC, but I still found cruising around Glacier Bay chilly. I brought a light fleece jacket which I could wear under a rain jacket and then I wore a tuque and gloves. I was perfectly warm for all my excursions. I agree that layers are great. I also brought rain pants which I only wore once - for my Tracy Arm excursion on the catamaran. We found the fleeces and rain jackets very handy for the train trip in Skagway as we could bundle up and enjoy the dramatic scenery from the standing platform between the trains when everyone else was huddled inside. Have a great cruise! Liz & Bob

[ColoradoCherry]

Prepare for more sunny days than you'd expect. From Jul 28 - Aug 11 we had one foggy day (at sea), one rainy day (Juneau), and the rest were sunny.

 

It can get cool and windy on deck. Bring a rain jacket and plan to layer, as everyone has recommended.

 

Don't forget sunscreen, especially when in Glacier bay since you'll be outdoors for a longer period of time.

[mamaofami]

When we went there was a heat spell and it was 90degrees every day for 2 weeks. I still needed a fleece on top of the glacier.

[jschm27]

Yes, do layer and do take rain gear. I've been up there twice and we had some pleasant days, some cool days, and rainy cold days. If you are going to be on deck when you visit a glacier, consider taking gloves and a sock hat. I know it sounds extreme for a late summer cruise, but it can get darn cold sitting next to 10 zillion tons of ice with the wind blowing! Don't forget about your shoes, if it rains, they too will get wet.

 

We went whale watching out of Juneau on one trip. We were on a relatively small catamaran and I stayed on deck almost the whole trip. It was raining on and off and cold. I was layered and had on a rain suit (lightweight). I stayed generally warm and dry throughout the entire trip.

 

If you take a camera on deck, consider how you are going to protect it from the weather.

 

I hope this helps. The weather shouldn't dampen your trip if you bring the appropriate clothes.

 

John

[legalslave]

I bought a very light weight rain suit on sale through Cabella's catalogue for about $35. Bought a size large enough that it would go comfortably over my clothes if needed. Very improtant to bring a hat that covers your ears, such as a stocking cap, a pair of warm gloves and a warm neck scarf. I wore tights under my jeans and the helped a lot. You could make your own neck scarf out of fleece if you wanted. A pair of waterproof boots is a must in my opinion. You don't need to spend a lot of money on them. I have purchased Totes brand and been very satiffied with them. Some people believe in bringing an umbrella and others don't want to be bothered. I bring one of those that fit nicely in a back pack and will extend if you need to use it.

 

We found that a back pack is something we use more than we ever thought we would. It's where we throw all of those clothes we may no longer need if the weather warms up. It's also where we can put the rain suit and umbrella in case we need them. A water bottle or two is always in the back pack.

 

Diane

[Krazy Kruizers]

Layers -- that is the key.

You do need some kind of jacket where you can layer clothes under it.

Long slacks.

Water proof shoes -- small portable umbrellas -- maybe even ponchos.

Take a hat and gloves for glaciers if you intend to do a tour on one of them.

[summersigh]

On our Alaska trip we had both rain and sun -

Sunny days easily could need long sleeves for U.S. southerners. The sun was warm but the breeze was like air conditioning. We layered long sleeves over t-shirts.

 

Rainy days were very cool. We travel with windproof/heavily water resistant jackets with a hood that can be unfolded if needed. We took earmuffs and gloves and did use them in College Fiords, out on deck in the morning at Glacier Bay, and out on deck Whale Watching in Juneau.

 

Rather than taking sweat shirts with us - as souvenirs, we each bought an Alaska sweat shirt and long sleeved T-shirt. We wore them during the trip and they were good conversation starters back at home and on future cruises we took.:)