alaksanfaeries-blog

[alaksanfaeries-blog]

Prepare for the Alaskan Cold

Before you book

Plan to go during peak season and at least for 3 continuous nights excluding the night of arrival and return. There would be a high chance of catching the lights if it’s a week long trip.

What to Wear

Have you been to Chicago? New York? Boston? If yes, you already know what would keep you warm – layers, layers and more layers! But also bear in mind that you would be out in the -40 F cold for a long time trying to catch these lights. So your standard would not work here. 

Upper Body

Follow this pattern for upper body

1)      Thermal layer/Long Johns over your basic underwear

2)      Non-cotton tee shirt

3)      Any fleece jacket (Pick any that is comfy and feels cozy)

4)      Over this is your parka (preferably with a hood)

Lower Body

1)      Thermal long underwear over your regular underwear

2)      Fleece tights for women or fleece pants for men

3)      Snow pants that have extra lining would work best over this

Head

1)      Neck gaiter (fleece)

2)      Balaclava (fleece)

3)      Add a beanie that fits your head (wool would fit over your balaclava easily)

4)      Pair of Ear muffs

Hands and Feet

Hands, legs and face take the most beating! How many layers can one wear to keep your hands warm and toasty after all?

1)      Snug well fitted gloves for base layer

2)      Thick outer gloves or Mittens (mittens are preferred because they keep the fingers together and thus trap the heat in)

3)      Socks liners for base layer for the feet

4)      Woollen socks over them (Don’t spend a ridiculous amount over these)

5)      *** Hand Warmers would do all the work here! So take along a big box of these. (You can use two of these for legs and one in the hands)

We bought only the thermals and took only all the cold weather fleece and jackets we had but mostly ended up renting the gear that we would never ever use again from Alaska Outdoor Gear Outfitter & Rentals.

What to expect when you are at the Hotel/Airbnb?

The insides are warm and cozy (Duh! Everyone would most definitely be equipped with a really good heating system) 

1)    You should definitely bring those cute shorts sleep wear with that sexy tank!

2)    Get your cozy fleece slippers with you! Or any slippers for that matter

3)    When staying at an Airbnb, don’t expect the shampoo and the conditioner. Bring it along!

 Tips 

Carry a backpack with you at all times and toss the layers that you might remove when you are indoors.

Once you are inside restaurants and vehicles, the heat will get too much and you will start shedding the layers almost immediately. You don’t want to lose anything and spend time searching for lost stuff or even having to buy ridiculously expensive stuff there.

 As the date is approaching!

As you get closer to the arrival date you can check the aurora borealis prediction here (this was most accurate on our visit) or here or here.

 When you get there

If you rent your vehicle get a truck with 4 wheel drive. It’s very easy to handle and if you love driving you can even have fun with it!

Pictures (Can’t do selfies here - Leave the selfie stick behind!)

You would not be able to imagine how numb your face would get when you take off the parka hood, balaclava and the beanie for less than 30 secs! Believe me, it’s not fun! But we all want the picture proof for FB? Or just for your personal collection? Then you have to suck it up and bear the cold.

1.       If you have hired a tour guide with pictures you are all set! Just have to strike a pose! Say cheeseeee!

2.       But if you are doing your own thing and taking a DSLR that most of us seem to possess now a days –

Make sure you know your DSLR well before you even attempt to take decent pictures of the borealis.

You need to know all about aperture and manual settings.

A tripod is a definite!

Remember - borrowing your friend’s camera just won’t do it!

3.       You might be able to get decent pictures with your phone too. Not great, but decent enough. Check out the app: Northern Lights Photo Taker

[alaksanfaeries-blog]

Alaska - My thoughts

What’s all the fuss over colored gases in the air? Is it really such a big deal one might ask? People have traveled far and wide to catch a glimpse of the whimsical air that borders the northern hemisphere of earth. What makes them so enticing? Well, I can’t add much to the scientific explanation except say that it’s magical and breathtaking!

The dancing ones are my personal favorite! Just the way we all spent time making up figures in the cloud as little kids, you can let your imagination wild by conjuring all sorts of mystical creatures among these lights.

I for one vouch my life that I witnessed a dancing faery swirling and twirling her way through the northern hemisphere! It was a sight I most likely would not forget in my lifetime!

I saw a bunny hopping through the “cloud holes” trying to find a carrot! :)

I even swear to have witnessed a wee little doe doing hops alongside the lights!

If you look around you you can see a canopy of snow laden trees that just take your breath away! The purity of the white just makes you feel like there is no darkness in this world. Surrounded by the peace and quiet it’s easy to loose oneself for an eternity.