Alaska Coat

[steves100]

Well, most people don't wear heavy coats in Southern California, either. But I do (those football games at night can get really cold). So this is what I got for our Alaskan cruises:
View attachment 137715

And, yes, I wore it most every day we were off the ship. As well as Glacier Bay day and Tracy Arm day.

OVER KILL!!!!!

At least on our trip

 

[codex57]

Definitely layers.

Yes, a 3-in-1 works ok, but they can get bulky and the outer layer typically isn't very comfortable. For example, I have a North Face Triclimate 3-in-1. However, I'm in search of a "better" one because the exterior shell is too hard, crinkly, noisy, etc. My brother-in-law has what I consider to be the perfect light jacket (from North Face). It's not a 3-in-1 I think. It's slightly thicker than a rain shell, with mesh inside so it's more comfortable if you're just wearing a t-shirt, with an attached hood. That said, the North Face rain shells (or anything similar) are a good option for Alaska.

I typically pack sweatshirts/hoodies for warmth. Than something light and thin to go over it in case it rains. I don't like umbrellas. I usually check the weather before a cruise in that region. If it's good weather with little chance of heavy rains, I might just bring a soft shell jacket over a hoody and just bring a hat to deal with any light rain that surprises me. Otherwise, just a thin jacket with a hood more to protect against wind. There have been days where it goes from long pants and sweater/jackets to shorts weather in the same day. I had a Sitka day where it was pretty cool in the morning, but by around noon, everyone was in shorts and a t-shirt. So it's definitely all about layers. Plus, big puffy jackets are really hard to pack.

 

[kamik86]

I went to alaska over memorial day weekend and never actually needed my coat. We got as far as sweatshirts a few days but it was pretty warm. The coldest was actually on the boat during Tracy Arm day but even then my sweatshirt was enough.

If your going in July I would think a sweatshirt with or a light waterproof jacket would be enough

 

[poison ivy]

I had a tough time deciding on what was needed and packed a few things. Here's some pics from one of our excursions I posted on a previous thread which shows what we packed and wore along with those around us that day. You can see how mild the weather can be which is why layers really do work best.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/anyone-back-from-alaska-yet.3414870/page-5#post-53829461