Jackets and Shoes for Alaska

[tangerinebunny]

If everyone in Alaska's as nice as you ladies, we are so going to have a good time!

 

But I can't help wondering if there's a bounty on mouse ears.

[NHCruisr]

Hi Alaskamt, you sound like a kindred spirit. I would add to your cotton thoughts...jeans! yes, jeans. We in the White Mountains of NH know about jeans. Every year we have tourists who don't do well because their jeans get wet and they get get cold. Denim is cotton. It dries slowly and hold cold and moisture. Not a good choice for the woods.

[Randi S.]

What great advice on this thread. We are going on the Infinity May 20th. I'm from Arizona, so I own lots and lots of shorts and capris. I am uncertain if it would be foolish to pack a couple of pairs. Guess running/jogging outfits would be a good idea.

Thanks to all of you!

[sayhello]

So, if cotton is Bad, what is good? What kind of socks should I be buying? If jeans are a bad choice, what sort of pants *should* I wear?

 

Thanks!

 

sayhello

[deevmo]

Ok, now packing just got a lot harder! :cool: I am probably the one woman in this world that doesn't like shopping, but it looks like I need to go shop.

Shopping List

Fleece

Wool socks

Windbreaker

Pants - NO COTTON

This should be easy to find in the Spring right? lol

[Scrumpy]

 

...........and yes, I know all to well about horse kisses.......er...slobber. Remember, it's the thought that counts, although sometimes I could swear my gelding just loves to slobber me on purpose! :p

 

I especially love it when they come up from drinking with a mouth full of water and empty it while kissing me, don't you? They are too much fun; anyone who thinks a horse doesn't have a sense of humor hasn't met mine. I read you show your horses in halter and don't get to ride much. I know the feeling; I don't show, but have a couple of 3 yr olds and a 4 yr old who ALL need some more training. Hoping to get the 4 yr old under saddle this year; he needs a JOB - like yesterday!

 

Back on topic -

Randi S, deevmo & sayhello -

about the socks/pants/cotton issue. Personally, I like plain old wool socks, medium-weight not the really thick ones. If you have water-proof shoes, GoreTex, etc., your feet will probably stay warm and dry. Synthetic fabric pants will dry quicker; I think mine are either nylon or polyster - or a blend. I don't remember them being some high-tech fiber or anything, but they do have some new stuff out there. Maybe someone has a link. They have some with built-in water resistance I've seen in catalogs and LL Bean has rain pants. If you're doing sustained outdoor activities, you might try those. (I suspect you'd get some limited, short-term protection from the clothes that are stain-resistant; small amounts of moisture seem to sheet off them - anyone know if that works)?

 

If you like jeans, bring them and wear them on the ship, but don't wear them outside if the weather is wet. I'll probably wear my favorite stretch jeans when I'm on the airplane and when we embark because they are the most comfortable pants I own; I get cranky enough without wearing uncomfortable pants! Whether I get to wear them again before we leave is unknown, but I think they are worth the space they take. I am debating taking my lined jeans in case it is COLD or windy but still dry; they take up more space and I'll probably decide at the last minute. Another thing I do is always have an XL or XXL fleece. I can easily wear 4 layers underneath it, more if needed. For me, the key is to choose the appropriate sizes to wear; I like loose-fitting clothing, but you have to allow for the fact that you're piling on layers, so don't try the looser stuff on your bottom layers or you'll be uncomfortable from the bulk. Nice, close-fitting first layer, then regular-fitting second layer, and progressively looser seems to be comfortable and warm without feeling like the Michelin man.

 

I am probably bringing one pair of capris; if nothing else, I could wear them for a casual dinner. Shorts can't hurt. I wear the zip-off pants and am not bringing extra shorts, but I know DH will have running shorts because he can't leave home without them, LOL!

 

I don't know where Pacifica is located, but they have lightweight fleece jackets in San Francisco down by the pier. We picked up a couple for less than $20 apiece and my husband also got a lightweight, lined rain jacket there that was very inexpensive. We bought ours in late May; I imagine they sell them year-round because of their weather. I am totally sold on fleece. Wear it probably 9 months out of the year. Wearing fleece pants right now.:)

[6Arabianhorses]

I especially love it when they come up from drinking with a mouth full of water and empty it while kissing me, don't you?

 

......it's the slobbery kiss with a mouth-full of sweet feed that really gets me! You are so right about their sense of humor! BTW, my avitar is a pic of my gelding, Gabriel.

 

 

Wearing fleece pants right now.:)

 

I have some wonderful fleece leggings that I bought from Lands End a few years ago. They are great worn alone or as a layer. Also, LL Bean has some great Cool Max socks that I just ordered. YIKES! I'm seriously spending almost as much on all the shopping and preparation for our Alaska cruise on the O'dam in July, as we spent on the cruise itself!! :eek: DH wants a new digital camera (Nikon D70s) and new binoc's too! ...............better get back to work!

[vfb2girls]

I actually am going to invest in a pair of gortex lightweight pants from Cabelas, they are not cheap but being from ND I will get a lot of use out of them since not only is it windy here alot but the springtime can be quite rainy and cold. I happen to have bought some fleece tops on my last vacation to Vancouver so I am set on the fleece tops, my main concern right now is finding the right gortex shoes. I really like the merrel brand that are slip ons just waiting for a better price on them. And the nice thing for us is since we are not going until June 2007 we still have plenty of time to pick up clothes that go on sale after our winters here. And one last thing my husband has encouraged me to invest in a gortex jacket so that is another on my list, we will be doing some fishing in Homer and the charters do not provide the rain gear for you so I need to pack clothes that not only can be used for fishing but also throughout our land tour and cruise. And as much as I don't want to do laundry I think we will have to, we plan on spending 17 days on our vacation so packing for that many days is out of the question.

[NHCruisr]

So many good suggestions. I do plan on bringing one pair of jeans which I'll probably wear on the plane. I also will bring a pair of stretchy chinos and light nylon/running pants. If it's cool but not rainy, the chinos and jeans will be fine. If it's cold, I slip a pair of silk long underwear on under the jeans or chinos. If it's raining or I'm out in a small boat, I'll put on my golf rain pants (they fold down to nothing and are very light).

 

Before buying anything, ask

 

Is it light weight?

Does it breathe?

Does it go with everthing else I'm bringing?

[tapia]

Right next to the zoo at a place called www.horsetrekkinalaska.com I ride in a nice 400 acre park and except for a plane overhead here and there, you would never know your actually in a city. I see moose almost everytime. They are open year around and also have wagon and sleigh rides and a really big house as a B&B. They are listed in the toursaver book as a 2 for 1 :)

 

Ohhh and look at what they are wearing...heehee

 

Which B&B is by there? And is that in Anchorage? *thought you were in Seward*

 

Love the shoes you posted--LOL!

 

 

 

Also, here in New York, people wear something that looks like a headband. (about 2" wide) that goes around your head. It expands to about 4" wide around your ears. They are GREAT--much better than earmuffs or anything like that, keep the hair out of my face, and keep me very warm. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

 

 

I just read through this entire thread--it's great!

 

So, question. You're saying bring 2 pair of 'shoes' so they don't get wet. Do you actually need boots in July up there? (One pair of shoes and one pair of boots.) I don't have any waterproof shoes......

[cruisingnana]

I have read all of this thread and haven't seen anyone mention the one time fashionable "windsuits". Jacket and pants (usually lined) that match. They were really popular a few years back and I still have one that looks quite nice in a dark green. It is made out of some kind of nylon or polyster. With a t-shirt under the jacket, would this be a good outfit to pack for maybe glacier viewing at Glacier Bay?

[hopelea]

I have three or four of those "windsuits" I am taking. I figure if I take clean shirts & underwear, I can get two days wear out of one of those. They are easy packing and comfortable. I actually bought my husband two of them to take. :)

[cruisingnana]

Hopelea: When are you going to Alaska and what ship?

 

My husband also has 2 windsuits and I wondered if he could take them and not look too "nerdy". He says he doesn't care what he looks like, so we may pack those for him to wear also. We are sailing on May l4, on the Norwegian Star, so we may have some quite cool days still. Don't really know what to pack yet. I'm going to look at the forecast about ten days out and make my packing list at that time.

[hopelea]

NCL Sun May 27. My husband doesn't care what he looks like!! I bought him three windsuits while they were on sale. ($90 for $15!!, he is tall so the regular ones don't fit) He said those will last him six days. They are nice looking ones. They are in his closet with the tags still on them.

 

Comfortable is what I am going for!!!

[Cruise_More_Often]

As I don't want to suffer "death by cotton," I just just ordered these cool rain pants from LL Bean, which will go perfectly with my 3-in-1 jacket. Now all I have to do is spray my hiking boots with water repellent and carry an extra pair of shoes in my backpack. You all had me so scared that I was going to switch from hiking to shopping, for pete's sake!

 

Hopelea, have you booked that terrific Tracy Arm Fjord and Glacier Explorer excursion through NCL? We have a bunch of people on our roll call doing it, and it looks wonderful.

[Majesty Fan]

I live in the South and I rarely wear jeans. I just don't like them. I am more of a capri or shorts person. Since we are not doing the glacier thing I think there are several ways I will dress.

 

I will wear capri's with a T shirt and Sweat shirt or Sweat pants not the fleece kind. I will also have a vest and a polar fleece jacket if necessary. some tennis shoes and some hiking shoes. plus a rain jacket. For the ship I have more capri's shorts plus long pants for dinner and mix and match shirts with essential a few pairs of pants/capris.

Lexi

[hopelea]

No we didn't book the Tracy Arm excursion. We are going Whale watching with Capt. Larry instead. It was a hard decision to make. I can't do both because of money!

[GlacierLady]

Which B&B is by there? And is that in Anchorage? *thought you were in Seward*

 

Love the shoes you posted--LOL!

 

 

 

Also, here in New York, people wear something that looks like a headband. (about 2" wide) that goes around your head. It expands to about 4" wide around your ears. They are GREAT--much better than earmuffs or anything like that, keep the hair out of my face, and keep me very warm. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

 

 

I just read through this entire thread--it's great!

 

So, question. You're saying bring 2 pair of 'shoes' so they don't get wet. Do you actually need boots in July up there? (One pair of shoes and one pair of boots.) I don't have any waterproof shoes......

 

 

I live in Seward but go to Anch ALOT for various reasons... horses, bingo, Walmart and Taco Bell top the list. :) I drive 5 hours to go riding for 2.

 

Horse Trekkin has a big fancy house with 2 private bedrooms, kitchenette, indoor steam room, outdoor hotub, full breakfast etc, starting at $150 for 2 people. They have special packages like The Great Alaskan Fondue Date, 5 course meals etc. You can contact Steve through the Horse Trekkin site for the B&B, as he's working on a new site for the B&B. I highly recommend him for both!

 

Back to the clothing...You people just crack me up! I wear tennis shoes year around and buy them at Walmart for under $20. I own one pair of heavy duty winter boots for the blizzards (nasty weather with lots of snow..lol), and a pair of hiking boots that I find uncomfortable, never wear and don't need them so they live in the closet. I wear my flip-flop??? sandals during summer along with capris and a t-shirt. Can you tell I hate shoes and would rather be barefoot??

 

Fleece is very popular and there are alot of nice jackets with Alaska themes/wildlife. Windsuits are good esp if you can layer underneath if needed.

 

Here's something to think about while your shopping and packing....Where do Alaskans buy our clothes??? There are going to be stores at every port you stop at. We have a Helly Hanson but no Burger King or McDonald's...go figure...lol If the weather isn't cooperating you can go buy an Alaskan fleece jacket, rain poncho or whatever is needed(ok, shoes might be harder to find..OMG 9 pairs!!) and have a great souvenir too. Help keep Alaska green and support the locals. :)

[Scrumpy]

I really like the merrel brand that are slip ons just waiting for a better price on them. .

 

I use the slip-on Merrells for muck shoes. Have had the same pair for over 3 years and they're still going strong. There's also a cheaper brand, GBX, that is almost as good - not quite as waterproof and a smidge less comfortable. They are still pretty comfortable; I like the Merrells a little better because they are holding up better than the cheap ones, but I need several pairs in case they get wet. These are the only kinds of shoes I wear unless it's a special occasion or I need taller boots.

[Scrumpy]

I really like the merrel brand that are slip ons just waiting for a better price on them. .

P.S.

I am lucky enough to wear the largest kid size - either 5 or 6, can't recall. If you are a 7-7 1/2 and have wide feet, the kid sizes may fit a lot better and are usually at least $10-15 less than adult shoes.

[Scrumpy]

Back to the clothing...You people just crack me up! I wear tennis shoes year around and buy them at Walmart for under $20. I own one pair of heavy duty winter boots for the blizzards (nasty weather with lots of snow..lol), and a pair of hiking boots that I find uncomfortable, never wear and don't need them so they live in the closet. I wear my flip-flop??? sandals during summer along with capris and a t-shirt. Can you tell I hate shoes and would rather be barefoot??

 

It's a different world living in colder weather, LOL! I've been out in my sandals when there was snow on the ground just because I couldn't be bothered to put on socks :) (I am too lazy to lace up tennis shoes - hee hee hee; I wear almost exclusively slip-ons). I have a huge pair of hunter's boots that are very warm - wore them once or twice this year and only because I had to stay out extended periods in negative windchill with a colicky horse. Otherwise, way too big and clunky. Nice to have, but I sure wouldn't bring them on a cruise. Have a couple pairs of hiking boots (1 waterproof leather w/Gore-tex, 1 nylon and suede that aren't) - haven't worn them in at least a year, possibly 2 yrs. And, I am outside every day all year in temps that (so far) have gone as low as -35 with snow measured in feet, not inches.

 

I wouldn't get over-excited or do too much shopping. You can get packs of wool socks at Sam's Club cheap. I'm not a Wal-Mart fan, but Kohl's, Target, etc. also have most of this stuff. My regular snow boots were less than $20 at Target - just an example; I'm not bringing them either. Don't get sucked into thinking you have to spend a lot of money. We have a very few expensive, high-tech pieces we rarely need, and the vast majority of our things come from less expensive stores. Unless there's a complete catastrophe and you are stranded outside in brutal weather, you won't need survivalist or mountain climbing caliber gear. REI, LL Bean, etc. are good for finding stuff when your local stores have pulled all their winter gear, but I'd limit my purchases there to anything you can't find elsewhere - and the majority of this stuff can be found other places for a fraction of the cost.

 

Oh - and check out overstock.com because they will have some of the more expensive stuff for less than you'd pay in the store. Got my Helly Hanson ski pants (that have never seen a slope) there at considerable savings over retail, something like 50% if memory serves.

[Set2travel]

I see we have some more Southern friends join the discussion! Boy I had to do some reading to catch up! I ordered a couple pair of rain/wind pants from Sierra Trading Post this morning. They are having a weekend sale. I also ordered some more socks. I quit stressing over the shoes after I read Glacierlady wears tennis shoes year round.I am bringing my two favorite pair of Born Hawkeyes.

My next delimma is how to overcome my fear of flying....I hate it! Last year we went to Europe and two minutes out of JFK our 747 Jumbo was struck by lightening...yes the bright white light flashed down through the plane. I thought a bomb had gone off and so did my boys. The Captain finally came on 5 minutes later (I guess after he changed his underwear) and informed us we took a direct hit of lightening...NO DUH...I thought for sure we were turning around...not...he said there was no problem...well yes there was a problem I was smelling something burning...and my husband kept patting my hand telling me we were fine. As I started to freak I realized my DH had been munching on burned potato chips...hence the smell!:rolleyes:

[Scrumpy]

Also, here in New York, people wear something that looks like a headband. (about 2" wide) that goes around your head. It expands to about 4" wide around your ears. They are GREAT--much better than earmuffs or anything like that, keep the hair out of my face, and keep me very warm. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?

 

Yes, I have one that is kind of similar to this. Mine is wide all the way around, though, and sits right above my eyebrows (because I still wear a hat on top of it). I keep it in the car now in case of breakdowns, but I used to wear it all the time. If your ears get cold easily, these kinds of things are a great idea... There are so many awesome ideas on this thread!

[Set2travel]

Hey Scrumpy what part of Colorado?

[emarismom]

Some how it seems as if this thread has gone full circle, it started off with

whether or not capris, sandals, and tee's were fine. I thought I figured this out a few days ago, and now I'm confused again:confused: .

 

Glacier Lady, for excursions can I plan on wearing what I normally wear-capris, sandals, and a tee with a light jacket? Of course I realize that the day I do the helicopter I should wear warmer clothes. I will definitely be cutting back on the shoes, but in all fairness when I took nine pairs on my last cruise, they were mostly sandals (in various colors), so they were very light. I was cruising out of Miami, where I live, so there was not the added hassles of flying. Just pack up and drive to the port.

 

Scrumpy, I'm with you, it is a different world where it gets cold. I have probably wore closed toe shoes less than ten times this winter!! It is so much easier to pack for one type of temperature. On the days it does get

cold here (around 40-45 degrees), I get annoyed at having to think about

what to put my kids in.