Alaska Packing List for Summer
In summer 2025, Korri and I flew to Alaska to celebrate a milestone birthday of his. Alaska is one of his favorite places in the entire world, so even though it was a fairly last-minute trip, we made the most of it! We were so fortunate to have really great weather during our trip. The summer weather in and around Anchorage can be quite erratic at times.
We visited Alaska in early July, including over the 4th of July holiday. Below, I shared my full Alaska packing list for summer along with most of the outfits I wore during our 5-day trip (plus travel) to this beautiful state! Be sure to use this packing list as a starting point for your own trip to Alaska.
READ NEXT: Alaska Itinerary: 5 Days in the Summer
Alaska Packing List for Summer
If you’re trying to figure out what to pack for your trip to Alaska in the summer, you’ve come to the right place! First, let’s chat about what type of weather you can expect in and around Anchorage, Alaska, in the summer months, and then read about the types of items you should consider for your own packing list (and what I included in mine).
Next, I share a bulleted list of my entire sartorial packing list to inspire your own packing list for Alaska. Need some outfit ideas? I included those, too! My own outfits weren’t terribly exciting, but they got the job done and it was easy to mix-and-match everything.
Alaska Summer Weather
Alaska summer weather will vary depending on where you are in the state. Remember, Alaska is the largest U.S. state! We called Anchorage our home base and did a few day trips from there.
If you’re also visiting Anchorage in the summer, you need to prepare for basically anything. Temperatures generally range from the 60s to 70s and maybe even into the 80s. Rain showers are common in the summer, but you might get lucky and have warm and sunny conditions. We even had a thunderstorm! Don’t forget to wear sunscreen—you’ll still get burned even if there’s cloud cover.
Also, the days will be very long with the summer sun. It’s trippy to see the sun set just before midnight! You’ll likely see so many people out and about late at night simply because it’s still light out. Then, you’ll see more people out again in the early morning!
What to Pack for Alaska in Summer
Tank Tops and Tees in Varying Sleeve Lengths
I packed three tank tops and one long-sleeve tee plus one sleeveless and one long-sleeved Heattech tee by Uniqlo. The tank tops were easy layers under my sweatshirts, and I was glad to have the long-sleeved tees to wear under sweatshirts for the chill (especially the Heattech tee, which I wish I would have worn for our Kenai Fjords day cruise). I highly recommend packing tops that resist or hide wrinkles!
Dressy Blouse
I included this dressy blouse into my packing list again for this trip because it was nice to have the option (and because we did celebrate two birthdays during our time in Alaska). It’s definitely not necessary for your own trip if you’re not planning to dress up for a nice meal out or other celebration. Like Haida Gwaii, style in Alaska is very casual and utilitarian!
Sweatshirts and/or Sweaters
No matter the season you visit Alaska, I would recommend packing at least two sweatshirts or sweaters (or one sweatshirt and one sweater). You can vary the heaviness of your sweatshirts and/or sweaters based on the season, but in general, you’ll need the extra layer at some point during each day. You’ll be glad you have them for the chillier summer days. I brought two sweatshirts and wore one on the plane.
Jeans
I’m normally not a fan of packing hard pants for trips if I can help it, but I did pack two pairs of jeans for Alaska. Both were comfy enough to sit in for long periods of time while driving to destinations outside of Anchorage. I probably could have been fine with just one pair of jeans, but I did wear both pairs twice. I did not pack shorts and didn’t think I needed them.
Joggers
Like with any trip, I can’t travel and not bring a pair of joggers with me. I like having them for travel days and to change into when I get back to the hotel but before I go to bed. I wore mine for a couple of days we were out and about. I brought Zella joggers and Vuori joggers along with me.
Leggings
I also like bringing a pair of leggings when I travel; I usually end up wearing them on travel days in particular, and for Alaska, they worked perfectly for our Kenai Fjords day cruise and would have also worked for hikes had we done any. They’re a good throw-on-and-go pant that is more streamlined than joggers. I brought my Lululemon Aligns and they were perfect!
Hiking or Rain Pants
If you plan to do a lot of hiking or other general outdoor activities (fishing, camping, etc.) on your trip to Alaska, I would consider packing a pair or two of proper hiking pants or rain pants. I don’t own any, which is why I didn’t pack any, but we also didn’t have any long or heavy-duty hikes or other outdoor activities planned, and it didn’t rain enough to warrant rain pants.
Regular Sneakers
Since carry-on suitcases have limited space, that meant I couldn’t go crazy with shoes. I wore a pair of regular Allbirds sneakers for travel and then packed a pair of hiking sneakers and a pair of slippers, but that’s it! I wore my regular sneakers for the majority of the trip, including when we rode bikes to downtown Anchorage.
Hiking Sneakers or Boots
I definitely thought we’d do more hiking in Alaska than we ended up doing, which is why I brought a pair of hiking sneakers along. I didn’t end up really using them for hiking. It was nice to have them for the Kenai Fjords day cruise, but I could have worn a different pair of shoes for that if needed (my regular sneakers would not have been warm enough).
I own a pair of hiking sneakers and a pair of hiking boots, and I opted for the hiking sneakers for this trip because they take up less space and they went with my color palette.
Rain Boots
Luckily, I did not need to pack a pair of rain boots for our trip to Alaska. (If I had, I would have worn them on our travel days so I didn’t have to pack them.) I definitely recommend packing a pair of footwear that can handle getting wet, whether they are obvious rain boots (like from Hunter or Sperry) or a pair of boots (such as Blondo or Blundstone) or sneakers (such as Vessi) that don’t look so much like wet weather footwear.
Slippers
I’ve recently started packing an old pair of slippers for trips when I have room in my luggage because it’s so nice to have them when walking around inside your accommodation, wherever that may be. We stayed with Korri’s grandparents, and my slippers kept me comfy and cozy.
Fanny Pack or Crossbody Bag
I brought my trusty black crossbody bag from Madewell to Alaska. It’s been a staple in my wardrobe ever since I purchased it prior to our trip to Germany in fall 2023. You could opt for a fanny pack instead of a crossbody bag if that’s more your vibe. Mine fits my wallet, phone, snacks, chapstick, sunglasses, and small point-and-shoot camera. Sometimes I can shove my Kindle in there too if needed.
Small Backpack
If you are planning to do any hiking in Alaska, I recommend packing a smaller backpack that you can wear for that purpose. (If you will be going on much longer hikes or adventures, go with something bigger.) I brought mine for our Kenai Fjords day cruise because we didn’t do any hiking. I kept my national parks passport book, wallet, motion sickness meds, snacks, and water in mine. Make sure it can tolerate getting wet in case it rains!
Insulated Rain Jacket or Lightweight Puffer Coat
The only item I KNEW I would be packing as soon as we booked our trip was my insulated rain jacket by The North Face. I purchased it a few years ago for our spontaneous trip to the Oregon Coast, and since then it’s been my go-to for those 45-60°F rainy days. It was the only jacket I brought on this trip, and I felt pretty good about my decision. You could also bring a puffer coat if you have room; the rain jacket felt a little thin during our time at the glacier. Just make sure your coat(s) can repel water so you stay dry!
Variety of Hats (Baseball Caps, Beanies), Gloves
I brought two baseball caps and a beanie with me to Alaska. I wear hats all the time in everyday life and love wearing them to keep the sun off my face, especially when hiking or spending time outside. I knew that we’d be visiting a glacier during our Kenai Fjords day cruise, so I was very happy to have the beanie (and a pair of gloves) to keep warm.
Pajamas, Socks, Undergarments
In addition to everything above, I also packed two sets of pajamas, one beige bra, a whole handful of undies (plus some pairs of period undies just in case), and multiple pairs of socks (Bombas ankle socks, quarter socks, and longer merino wool socks).
Packing List for Alaska
I packed 20 clothing items from my Stylebook closet plus seven other items that I don’t keep in my Stylebook closet for our 5-full-day, 4-night trip (plus two travel days). Everything fit into my Quince carry-on suitcase and Dagne Dover large Dakota backpack.
Here are all of the items I packed:
Three tank tops (one with built-in bra)
One Heattech tank top
One long-sleeved tee
One long-sleeved Heattech tee
One dressier blouse
Two sweatshirts
Two pairs of joggers
One pair of leggings
Two pairs of jeans
One pair of slippers
One pair of regular sneakers
One pair of hiking sneakers
One insulated rain jacket
Two baseball caps
One beanie
One pair of gloves
One crossbody bag
One small backpack
Two sets of pajamas
Socks (ankle socks, quarter socks, and longer merino wool socks)
Undergarments (undies, period undies, and one regular bra)
This packing list ended up being almost a repeat of my Haida Gwaii packing list; I only varied the tank tops that I layered under my sweatshirts and everything else was the same. I wished that I had a beanie and gloves for Haida Gwaii, and I’m very happy I brought them along to Alaska! They were quite necessary on our Kenai Fjords day cruise.
Luckily, we didn’t have the rain in the forecast to warrant bringing rain boots, which saved space in my luggage (I would have worn the boots and packed my sneakers). Rain pants might also be something you consider if it’s going to be quite wet during your trip.
If you are exploring Alaska for longer than one week, I recommend packing enough for 5-7 days and then doing laundry halfway through your trip! (Or, do laundry as needed in sinks, bathtubs, or showers.) I promise that you’ll need fewer items that you think you will.
What to Wear in Alaska in Summer
My outfits for our trip to Alaska in July were essentially just variations of each other, as you can tell based on the collages above. I packed small for this trip and got a lot of use out of mixing and matching my pieces based on the weather and the activities we had planned! It was also nice to have a car so I could bring my coat along to wear (or shed it if it was too warm).
For our day trip to Talkeetna, I wore a tank top layered under a sweatshirt, skinny jeans, socks to cover my legs, sneakers, and a hat. It warmed up so much that I had to shed my sweatshirt while we wandered through town!
In contrast, our day cruising around Kenai Fjords National Park was overcast and chilly the whole day, and of course, there was lots of wind as we moved from spot to spot. I wore lots of layers (but admittedly could have used one more long-sleeve layer) along with a beanie and gloves to keep warm, especially when we hung out near the glacier!
There are a lot of mosquitoes in Alaska in summer (I’ve heard a few too many horror stories about them!). Luckily, Korri and I both made it out unscathed, but I recommend packing mosquito repellent wipes with deet (or grabbing mosquito repellent spray at the store when you arrive).
The current trend of loose pants and jeans is not great when it comes to mosquitoes. I definitely recommend wearing garments that fit close to your skin and wearing long socks underneath so that they don’t sneak attack from the bottom!