What to Pack When Visiting Alaska in Winter

Imagine this. You book the trip of a lifetime to Fairbanks, Alaska, to see the Northern Lights. You find flights, and a cute Airbnb, and begin booking tours like dog sledding and seeing the ice museum. Everything is falling into place, and then you look up the weather forecast….-40 Degrees. You panic a little, try to reason, and then stare blankly at your closet, trying to identify every warm article of clothing that you have available. Or at least that’s what I experienced. Well, I got it all together to figure out what to pack when visiting Alaska in Winter.

This article has everything I brought on my four-day Northern Lights Trip to Alaska, as well as some helpful information about renting winter gear. Some of my clothes are no longer in production or have since been updated, so I am linking to the closest match if that is the case! 

So, let’s get to my packing list for visiting Alaska in Winter!

Just a heads up! This post contains affiliate links, which means I could earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks for your support!

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Everything I Packed for Four Days in Fairbanks, Alaska to See the Northern Lights

If you’re traveling to Alaska in Winter, chances are you’re trying to find the warmest gear possible. But an important thing to note is that it is also about having the proper layers. 

Winter layering includes:

• Base Layer: A wool base layer wicks sweat to keep your body dry and warm. 
• Mid-Layer: Your mid-layer should be your insulating layer. In Alaska, you will wear multiple mid-layers. 
• Outer Layer: Your first line of defense against the weather is your outer layer. It should be rain-proof and wind-proof. It does not need to be insulating.

In this guide, I will share some things to consider when creating your own packing list for Alaska in Winter, a list of clothing items grouped by purpose, and some gear. If you don’t own all of your own gear, which can get expensive, there are some options for renting winter gear in Alaska that I will share as well!

Winter Packing Considerations

When packing for your trip to Alaska in winter, there are a couple of things to consider when gathering your clothes: current temperature, weather, and planned Activities. While you will want your warmest clothes, knowing what you’ll be doing and the expected weather conditions will be helpful.

Average Temperature in Winter

The temperature in Fairbanks, Alaska, which is a popular destination for seeing the Aurora Borealis, has an average temperature range in the winter months from the positive single digits during the day and the negative single digits at night. To view the current conditions, click here.

The temperature during the day is going to help you determine which layers you’re going to need for insulating purposes.

Average Precipitation in Winter

Checking the weather will help determine which outer layers you will need. When I visited, the average temperature during the day was -20 degrees, and at night it was -40 degrees before the wind chill. There was no precipitation, which was nice!

With Fairbanks averaging about a foot of snow each winter month, a shell or wind/waterproof outer layer will keep your clothes and you from getting wet.

Alaska’s winter is known to bring heavy snow, strong winds, and sub-zero temperatures. Pack with that in mind!

Winter Activities

The activities you choose to do for your winter adventure in Alaska will largely determine what layers you’ll want to bring. Do you need to be in layers that allow for a lot of movement, like cross-country skiing? Or do you just need warm enough layers to stay out into the late evening for aurora lights viewing? 

When you put on all of your layers, make sure there is some air circulation between your shell and your body. This will help keep you significantly warmer. It is also why your feet will get cold if there isn’t enough space in your boots.

Clothes for Winter in Alaska

When I said that I packed just about all of the warm clothes I had, I was not joking. I included my warmest base layers, mid-layers, and outer layers on my packing list for Alaska in Winter. For each item I packed, I described it below and included it in the printable packing list at the end of the post.

Base Layers

Base layers, aka long underwear, are one of the most important articles of clothing that you can wear in the winter. If you do not have a good base layer, I cannot stress enough how important they are for keeping you warm and dry. 

The base layer will wick sweat, because, yes, even in negative-degree temperatures, you will sweat. Sweating in this cold weather is extremely dangerous because it can bring your body’s temperature down to extremely cold temperatures. What you want your first layers to keep you warm and pull that moisture away from your body. 

Merino Wool is one of the best materials for this task. This fabric is a natural fiber, but you can also opt for a synthetic fibers, like the REI Co-op base layer. Just remember the term “cotton kills” and stay clear of it.

If you have questions about moisture-wicking base layers, feel free to drop me a question in the comments.

Mid-Layers

Mid-Layers act as your insulating layers for winter clothing. If you need help with winter layering for hiking, check out this blog post. 

With the singular purpose of insulating you, there are so many options for the middle layer, from a pullover fleece to a down jacket or a synthetic puffy.

With puffy jackets, down or synthetic, it is important that the fill does not become compressed during the layering process. It is the air between the fill to help with insulating. Your body heat will get trapped in the air space of the puffy layers.

Outer Layers

Outer Layers should protect you from the weather. They should protect against wind chill and damp conditions, whether rain or snow. Even on a blistering, cold day, your outer shell should protect you from the wind chill.

If you prefer snow pants, they’re typically insulating and waterproof, so they combine your midlayer and outer layer. The most important thing is that you’re comfortable and warm.

Shoes

Shoes might be the toughest item to pack of a winter trip to Alaska. There are very few shoe options that were built for the extreme cold. These are the shoes that I brought, but you can also rent boots from Alaska Element that were built to keep your feet warm in these conditions. I’ll talk about this rental place in a different section.

Extras

Here are the extra clothing items I packed for my four-day trip to Alaska. 

1. Swimsuit (Loudre & Left on Friday): I booked a single-night stay at the Chemus River Hot Springs Hotel. I brought two suits just in case. No one wants to put on a wet swimsuit. 
2. Smartwool Thermal Merino Gloves: These gloves were perfect under the Ctr Max Gloves. They’re soft and warm and gave me enough extra warmth! 
3. Outdoor Research Trail Mix Gloves: These were the casual gloves I wore around town and when I needed to use my hands for taking photos or drinking my beverage in the Ice Museum.
4. CTR Max Gloves: The perfect warm glove for the trip! They go up pretty high on your hand, so you don’t have to worry about snow getting in them.
5. Sherpa Hood: A sherpa hood was so cozy. It was great to look at the elusive northern lights at night.
6. Beanie: My favorite beanies are the REI Ribbed Watch Cap and the Fjalleraven Tab Beanie. A warm hat is a must for an Alaska winter trip.
7. Neck Gaiter: I use the Smartwool Thermal Merino Neck Gaiter to keep my nose and neck warm!
8. Mountaineer Socks: Thick, wool socks are a must. I love these mountaineer socks from Smartwool. They are super thick and keep my toes from falling off in the cold. These are a thicker pair of socks compared to typical hiking socks.
9. Sunglasses: It is almost impossible to see when the glare from the sun on the snow hits your eye. Don’t forget your sunglasses on the trip!

Gear for Winter in Alaska

Here are a couple of gear items that I found really helpful for my trip to Alaska in winter. I packed these items in consideration of the activities I would be doing on my winter trip to Alaska. Your packing list for Alaska will likely differ!

1. Microspikes: I brought the Kahtoola MICROspikes with me since we would be on some compact snow throughout the trip. Whichever ice cleats you pack, they will likely work just fine.
2. Handwarmers: I brought both handwarmers and foot warmers on this trip, and they were absolutely vital, especially during the Northern Lights Tour and Dog Sledding.
3. Shower Roll: My go-to toiletry bag has been the REI Co-op shower roll for years. It goes everywhere with me.
4. Tripod: For really crisp images of the Northern Lights, you’ll want to bring a tripod!
5. Extra Battery Pack: In freezing temperatures, your cell phone battery is prone to losing juice quickly. I brought an external battery to keep things charged.

Packing List for Visiting Alaska in Winter

Here is the complete packing list of what you will need for a four-day trip to Alaska in winter. The numbers next to the item indicate how many of each item I brought. Use this packing list for Alaska in winter to create your own!

Adjust your packing list based on what you will be doing on your trip to Alaska in winter.

Renting Gear for Winter in Alaska

The packing list for visiting Alaska in winter has some specialized gear that not everyone owns. While my trip to Alaska was relatively cheap, check out how much my trip cost here; it would have been really expensive if I didn’t already own the gear. 

If you do not have the gear and don’t have a use for it outside this trip, I recommend renting winter gear when you get to your destination. People in my group rented their boots, pants, and gloves from Alaska Element.

Alaska Element

With Alaska Element you can reserve the gear you need for your specific trip! Here is how you do it: 

1. Pick the dates of your trip
2. Identify the gear you’ll need
3. Choose how you want to receive and return your gear: pick up or hotel delivery(which is so cool) 

You can rent anything from a full gear package which includes boots, parkas, and gloves. Or you can pick and choose exactly what you want. 

They also sell hand warmers, neck gaiters, and socks! 

Since we stayed at a rental property for our trip, we opted to pick up the gear in North Pole since the premium delivery fee was $75. 

You can check out renting your own gear here.

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You might also like…

• Guide to the Best Breweries in Fairbanks
• When is the Best Time to see the Northern Lights
• Best Winter Hotels in Fairbanks, Alaska
• Fun Things to do in Fairbanks, Alaska in Winter
• How much is a trip to Fairbanks in Winter

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Pack It Up

Now that you know what to pack for visiting Alaska in winter, I hope you have some peace of mind regarding the frigid temperatures that you will experience! A winter trip to Alaska is a bucket list experience and you’re bound to have a wonderful time. 

Remember that you should make use of the layer system. The base layer is for wicking sweat, the mid-layer is for insulating, and the outer layer is for protecting. 

You can shop all of the gear I brought on this trip below in my RockPorch Locker!