The Alaska Packing Tip Nobody Tells You

Alaska weather has a mind of its own. You can leave the ship with blue skies and find yourself walking through wind and rain before lunch.

Here's one of those little travel tips I learned from actually being there:

Pack a billed baseball cap and wear it underneath the hood of your rain jacket.

It sounds almost too simple, but that bill helps hold the hood away from your face when the wind picks up. Instead of your hood constantly falling forward into your eyes, you can actually see where you're going — and enjoy what's around you.

When you're spending the day exploring places like Juneau, Skagway or Ketchikan, little things like that can make a surprisingly big difference.

One More Cruise Cabin Tip

I also never cruise without strong magnetic hooks.

Cruise cabin walls are typically metal, so magnetic hooks give you extra places to hang jackets, hats, bags and other things that would otherwise end up piled on the limited furniture.

After a wet Alaska port day, they're especially handy. Hang up your rain jacket and baseball cap when you get back to the cabin and let everything dry before tomorrow's adventure.

Baseball cap. Rain jacket. Magnetic hooks.

Three simple things that have earned a permanent place on my Alaska packing list.

Because sometimes the best travel advice isn't complicated.

It's the little thing somebody tells you because they've actually been there.

Until our next story,
— Gina Renee