Alaska Winter Packing List

When a friend asked whether I’d be up for visiting Alaska in the middle of winter to photograph the northern lights, I of course said *YES!* without thinking. Then I panicked for a solid 5 minutes because I realized I had no idea how to survive in extreme sub-0° winter conditions. With a lot of research and about a month to plan the trip, I was able to create an Alaska winter packing list that worked so well I’m going to use it every time I visit extremely cold climates.

*Photo Credit: Lindsay from Bee The Light Imagery*

Alaska Winter Packing List — *Photo Credit: Lindsay from Bee The Light Imagery*

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I prefer packing light, but I quickly realized there was no way that was going to be possible for this trip. I had to assume I’d be out all night in -20° while chasing the Aurora, and I wanted to be comfortable in those temperatures.

If you don’t plan to bring DSLR camera equipment, you might be able to get away with a carry-on and backpack. Otherwise, assume you will need to check a bag.

Preparing for the Alaskan Winter

Monitor the weather before you go, but a good rule of thumb is knowing it is going to be *really* cold, especially at night.

I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I already had most of what I needed for this trip. If you don’t already own cold-weather clothing, consider shopping the used gear at REI and Eddie Bauer online. Costco has great deals on merino wool clothing and other items. I also highly recommend checking second-hand stores and asking if anyone has gear you can borrow. There’s no need to spend a ton of money on gear.

I’m borderline certifiable, so I create a spreadsheet broken down into different categories for every trip I plan. These are the categories I have on my Alaska winter packing list.

Packing for Cold Weather… Clothing You Should Bring

Merino wool long-sleeved shirts or warm moisture-wicking tech tops – Merino wool is naturally antimicrobial, so you can actually wear these more than once without worrying about them getting stinky if you don’t have access to a washer. I’ve had good luck with the Smartwool Merino 250 base layer crew tops.
Merino wool base layer leggings or moisture-wicking tech layer – I brought two pairs for my trip. I’m used to backpacking and don’t have a problem with re-wearing clothing. But also, see my note above about merino wool. Here’s a pair I love.
Fleece-lined hiking pants – I have a pair from Eddie Bauer that I wore over my base layer nearly every day.
Ski or snow pants – These were essential. I wore them every day.
Soft base layer for underneath wool tops – You can skip this if you don’t have sensitive skin, but sometimes my skin needs a break from direct contact with wool.
Cozy sweater – A fleece or other warm sweater will be your best friend indoors. It’s also great if you need another layer when you’re outdoors.
Long pajama pants and top – I prefer to sleep in a short-sleeved nightshirt, but I was so glad I brought a long-sleeved top and leggings.

Thick wool ski socks – These ones made by Smartwool were my favorite.
Silk glove liners – These made a HUGE difference for me. It’s amazing how warm a super thin layer can be.
Silk sock liners – I thought I wasn’t going to wear them. The joke was on me because I brought only one pair and ended up wearing them every day.
Swimsuit – If you plan to visit hot springs, you will need one.

Outerwear You Need On Your Alaska Winter Packing List

Long waterproof down coat rated -40° or more – I actually brought two different coats. One that was mid-thigh length that I could use during activities, and one that was calf-length for shooting the Aurora in the coldest nighttime temperatures. I ended up using both every day.
Fleece sweater or hoodie – I brought an alpaca sweater by Appalachian Gear Company that was perfect for layering.
Fleece or down vest – I found a long down vest on Lands’ End that I wore daily. It was the perfect layer under my jackets. Although I debated bringing a vest, I was really glad I had it.
Warm neck gaiter – I wore this one by Appalachian Gear Company. I like how thick it is, and it was perfect for pulling up over my nose when my face needed a break from the biting cold.
Warm beanie or hat – Keeping your head warm is extremely important. Bring one long enough to cover your ears.
Headband ear warmer – While this might seem redundant, it was actually really nice having a layer under a beanie.
Balaclava or ski mask – A balaclava ended up being perfect for dog sledding and late-night aurora shooting.
Heavy mittens – The nice thing about mittens is that you can easily add hand warmers to them. I wore silk liners under them.
Thick gloves – I needed gloves I could use with my camera, and these ones were great.

Headband by Smartwool, Neck Gaiter and solid-color sweater by Appalachian Gear Company,
Beanie by Sweet Turns, Snowflake top by Kari Traa

Shoes for Cold Weather

Snow boots rated for extremely cold weather are essential. I really love my Sorel Caribou boots. These were the only shoes I needed. I also brought a pair of waterproof Blundstone boots, but I didn’t even remove them from my luggage… they just wouldn’t have been warm enough.
Flip flops or sandals for the hot springs are helpful to have.
Slipper socks for indoors… I thought they might be overkill, but I wore these slipper socks every day.

Random Stuff for Your Alaska Winter Packing List

Toiletries – Because obviously.
Headlamp – This ended up being super important to have since the winter daylight hours are limited. It was especially helpful for setting up my camera for Aurora shots.
Sunglasses – You might not need these, but you may want them if the sun is reflecting off the snow.
Phone charger
Watch charger
Reuseable shopping bag – It’s not exactly necessary, but it’s nice to have.
Book or Kindle and charger – Look… the Language Arts teacher in me needs to emphasize the importance of reading.
Hydroflask coffee mug – It was really nice to have hot coffee in the middle of the freezing cold while we were out adventuring, and my Hydroflask totally delivered. I was impressed.
Prescription medications
Foot warmers – These seriously saved my toes. Even with all the right foot gear, I needed these.
Hand warmers – I kept these in my pockets everywhere I went.
Brush or comb and hair products
Face masks – Some transportation requires them.
Headphones or Earbuds

Camera Gear

An Alaska winter packing list wouldn’t be complete without mentioning camera gear.

If you aren’t a photographer, your phone camera will be sufficient for your trip to Alaska. You may want to consider bringing a mini tripod for your phone so you can set up fun videos, get selfies, and do time lapses of the Aurora.

However, if you are a photographer, you might find this list helpful.

Here’s the camera gear I that I actually used:

Nikon D850
Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8 lens – This lens was perfect for shooting the Aurora. If you’re planning to capture the Aurora, you need the widest angle lens with the lowest aperture you can find.
Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens – This is my go-to and favorite all-around lens for travel and landscape.
Tripod – You will absolutely need a steady tripod in the low light conditions.
Gallon ziplock bag with silica gel packet – This sounds weird, I know, but you have to be careful with your camera in sub-0° temperatures. If you bring your camera directly inside after shooting in the extreme cold, the inside of your camera will fog up. This can damage your equipment. I learned this the hard way; luckily, my camera and lens ended up being okay. To avoid this, simply place your camera and lens in the ziplock bag and close it while you’re still outside, then bring it indoors and let it sit near the door or other cool area to allow it to slowly warm up.
GoPro Hero 8 with handheld tripod – I used this to capture video and images in the hot springs and while dog sledding.
iPhone 14 Pro – My phone camera always comes in handy. It was also great for catching videos of the Aurora.
iPad Pro – I like to use my iPad for editing photos.
Extra camera batteries – The cold drains the batteries quickly.
Camera battery charger
GoPro battery charger
Extra memory card

Camera gear I brought but didn’t use:

Nikkor 80-400 f/4.5-5.6mm lens – This is a beast of a lens, and I brought it in the event I saw moose and wanted close-up shots. I didn’t use it a single time.
Nikon 2.0x Teleconverter – I clearly had high hopes of photographing meese. Yes, I said meese and not moose. I am now convinced they are actually, in fact, mythical creatures because everyone talks about them and everyone else sees them, but all I saw were meese tracks in the snow.
Nikkor 85mm f/1.8 lens – I had planned on doing portraits of sled dogs and other wildlife (*cough*moose*cough*), but yeah… that didn’t happen.
Camera lens heater – Brought it, didn’t need it. It was so dry that my camera didn’t fog up outdoors while I was using it.
Remote button – I used the 2-second shutter delay instead of the remote button.

Don’t have the lenses or all the gear you want to bring? Consider renting from lensrentals.com!

Side note: If you want to get some photos of the Aurora, I highly recommend booking a photography class with Aurora Bear in Fairbanks, Alaska. I give more details about that tour experience in my previous blog post.

If you have questions about packing for a winter trip to Alaska, feel free to ask!