5 Unexpected Things You’ll Need in Alaska

So you’ve already packed a warm jacket, some XtraTuffs (AKA Alaska sneakers) and enough memory cards to take a lifetime’s worth of photos. But wait: There are five more things you’ll need in Alaska, and to many people they come as a surprise.

Sunblock

All that midnight sun can really get to your skin. And just like anywhere else in the word, when that sun bounces off a body of water and back into your face or onto your body, it can create a ferocious burn.

But believe it or not, anyone who spends much time outside on the snow or ice during Alaska’s short winter days should consider sunblock too. It’s the same principle as just mentioned above: When the sun bounces off the snow or ice and back at you, it can burn you in surprisingly little time.

While you’re at it, bring some sunglasses to protect your eyes from that sun. Both sunglasses and sunblock will be widely available in Alaska during the summer, although in small communities your choice of brands and sizes might be very limited.

You can get both items during the winter, too, but the selection might be even more limited then.

A Sleep Mask (or a Headlamp)

Those of us who’ve lived in Alaska for a long time have made peace with sleeping under the midnight sun during the summer. But for first-time visitors, the idea of going to sleep while it’s still bright as day can be unnerving, or even downright impossible.

The best accommodations provide blackout blinds — insulated blinds that completely block out light when you pull them closed — so that you can go to sleep at night. But not every place has them, and I’ve met a few sensitive sleepers who are disturbed by the sometimes harsh brightness that can creep in around the edges of those blinds if you don’t position them just so.

The solution? Put an eye mask on when you sleep. Hey, presto — you’ve created your own instant darkness. Just make sure you try the eye mask first to mask sure it’s comfortable enough to sleep in.

If you’re visiting during the winter, this item flips to the other end of a spectrum: When it’s dark for most or all of the day, it’s great to have a small, lightweight headlamp in your purse or pocket.

That headlamp doesn’t have to be anything particularly special, although I’m fond of the Black Diamond Spot. It’s very bright, but has a red-light mode that won’t spoil everybody’s night vision when you’re out aurora watching.

An Extra SIM Card

This won’t apply to everybody, because most of Alaska’s urban centers have decent cell phone service from any major US carrier. But if you’re traveling to more remote communities, service gets patchy. Usually, it’s best to grin and bear it; you probably won’t be out there long, and sometimes it’s nice to disconnect from the outside world.

But if you really must stay in touch, call the convention and visitors bureau of the community you’re planning to visit and ask which cell carriers provide service there. If the community is small enough not to have a CVB, call the local chamber of commerce or city/tribal offices.

In some rural communities, Alaska telecommunications company GCI may be the only company that provides cell service. There are also at least one or two places where Verizon is the only cell company that offers service, with the tiny town of McCarthy being one of them.

In some very small, remote communities there won’t be cell service at all. In that case there may be a landline you can borrow, but depending on where you’re calling you may need an old-fashioned calling card — the sort you pre-pay and then keep in your wallet — to dial out.

If you’re going to such remote communities it’ll probably be as part of an organized tour, so check with your tour company about which resources will be available to you. In a worst-case scenario, you can always rent a satellite phone.

Summer Clothes

For many, packing for a trip to Alaska brings up thoughts of winter jackets and wool sweaters — not lightweight summer garb.

But climate change is felt strongly here. Unless you’re going north to the far Arctic, you have reasonable odds of experiencing temperatures in the 70s or 80s for at least a couple days of your trip.

With that in mind, if you’re visiting during the summer it’s well worth bringing at least one set of casual summer clothing — a T-shirt and shorts, a sundress, or the like — to keep comfortable on those warm days.

Your Passport

Alaskans are sick and tired of telling out-of-state retailers that yes, truly, Alaska is part of the United States. So, just to be absolutely clear, U.S. citizens don’t need a passport to get into Alaska from one of the other states.

But you do need a passport to go into Canada, and that can happen more easily than you might expect — especially if you’re planning to drive to Haines or Skagway. Check out these three other ways you might head north to Alaska and find yourself in Canada by mistake.