What to wear in Alaska

We're thinking about going to Alaska from NH for a 2 month trip in June and July. We'll be in a truck camper so storage space is very limited. My question is what should we plan on bringing for clothes. Shorts and sandals or long pants and winter coats?  I did build a cloths pole to hang in the back seat of the truck so I know that will help immensely.  We've also purchased some bins to store clothes in. We're going to keep them in the overhead where the small bed folds down. I've taken the mattress out for that bed. There was a pole used to hold a safety net to keep kids from rolling out of the bed. That pole will keep the bins in place.

How far into Alaska are you going? It's a big place. In the southern part I would wear light summer pants, a light long sleeve shirt and BUG DOPE, lots of it. A bug suit which includes a hat with a mesh face and neck shield and mesh shirt will keep you from going crazy, the black flies have landing lights and take on two drums of fuel. ;D A lined jacket should be enough for chilly evenings. If you plan to go to the north slope or Bering sea a warm mid length coat would be a good idea, the wind coming off the water will be dang cold.

Shorts and sandals or long pants and winter coats?

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You will want much more of the latter than the former. Jeans, light & heavy shirts, and sweat shirts will be your most used items. As a Florida boy I found a winter-weight jacket comfy at times, but a New England guy is probably more acclimated to chilly weather.

Bug repellent.

We almost migrated north...the bugs were one reason we didn't.. hope it is not an issue..

"Alaska has 35 species of mosquito, and all but a few will be more than happy to nibble on humans. But mosquitoes are only really an issue for Alaska visitors from the second week in June to the last week in July....."

Alaska Mosquito Tips

If you do find yourself in a heavy congregation (mosquitoes seem to be most active at dawn and twilight), there are easy steps you can take to block out the nuisance:

    Tight-weave cotton shirts and pants work better than more porous synthetics.
    Wear khaki or neutral colors. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors, especially blue.
    Don't use scented soaps, lotions, or shampoos.
    If you're taking a multi-day backpacking or float trip, bring a headnet for backup.
    Use repellent

Don't forget rain gear!  Dressing in layers helps also.

I can tell you what NOT to take!  In Dawson Creek we encountered an older couple in a truck camper.  It had been raining and there was mud everywhere.  That poor lady was dressed in white summer clothes.  I'm sure she was chilly and she was trying desperately to keep her light colored clothes clean.  What you need are jeans, turtlenecks, flannel shirts, warm windbreaker jacket, warm cap, and even gloves in some places.  If you go out on the water such as at Prince William Sound you'll want to dress warmly.  You probably won't wear much in the way of shorts and sandals, although Fairbanks was around 90 degrees when we visited so you'll want some clothes for warmer weather but concentrate on cooler weather clothing.  Rain gear is essential.  You want clothes that will cover your arms and legs to keep off the mosquitoes.  Seriously, if you take the bus tour into Denali have a hat with netting to keep them off your face.  I got ours at an army surplus store.  In addition to bug spray take something like Benedryl in case you do get bitten and it's driving you nuts.

Now don't let all this turn you off because going to Alaska is a wonderful experience.  We've been twice and loved it both times.  Wonder Lake at Denali is beautiful.  The critters are fabulous.  Taking a river boat cruise in Fairbanks is fun and educational.  Most towns along the Alcan Highway have museums and they're all different.  I enjoyed reading a sourdough's diary about getting to the goldfields.  The Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre in Whitehorse is fascinating; it's about when the land bridge existed between Asia and North America.  Oh yes, if you like fish you'll be in heaven with the fresh salmon, halibut, and shrimp.

I hope you have a good amount of time for your trip because there's a lot to see and do all the way up and back.  BC had/has? all kinds of factory tours related to the lumber industry.  One made Oriented Strand Board.  Another was Home Depot's biggest supplier of finished lumber.  We took a month just going from the San Francisco area to Alaska and then spent another six weeks within Alaska.  Hope you have a wonderful trip!

ArdraF

The drive to Alaska from the lower 48 is great, but there is snow on the ground all year long in some places. We wore winter coats in June and, by the way, get ready for almost 24 hours of daylight that time of the year. The Alaska Highway is rough, like a washboard in some places, and it can get pretty cold any time of the year. Take long pants, some sweaters and a few winter coats. You'll need it. Have a great trip.

I agree with the mosquito spray, but don't let the talk of mosquitoes discourage you from going to Alaska. We met a camper in BC that had 24 cans of spray and they were asking if we thought that they should get another 12 cans of spray. We brought 2 lite weight, lined, hooded, rain repellant jackets that were life savers. Did not find the need of a heavy jacket, but we did dress in layers and used the light jacket.

TWO cases of spray and asked about a third??? Where did he think he was going?

DW and I got a good laugh from that. We took 2 cans and brought 1 1/2 cans back home with us.