Things You Will Need If You Move To A Village In Alaska

I have talked to several colleagues here in Alaska and together we have comprised a list of things you need and some things you should prepare yourself for if you are preparing to move to a village in Alaska.

1. Pack Warm Clothes

   - This seems obvious but you would be surprised how many times I ended up with numb hands and feet going outside. You have to be prepared for temperatures that can reach -40 to -60 degrees. Although, you typically won't venture too far from your home during these conditions. You will definitely want a warm pair of gloves and a warm hat. You will probably need some sort of protection for your face as well. Sometimes a scarf will do the trick but often a scarf will be blown around by the wind and will not cover your face well enough. Personally, I bought a face cover from Carhartt that basically makes me look like I'm about to rob a bank. Lucky for me, there aren't any banks in the villages to rob. If you plan to ride on any snow mobiles (Snow-Go's), you will need a good pair of snow pants, a heavy duty set of gloves, your warmest hat, and will probably need a pair of goggles as well. I highly recommend buying a quilted bib. These are heavy duty and keep the cold away from your body. On weekend walks, I can wear shorts under the bib and put on a coat and will often be too warm. This is a good thing in Alaska!

2. Warm Boots

   - You will need warm boots and you will probably want them to go most of the way up your calf. This helps keep snow and ice from falling into your boot. When new snow comes, you can step into the wrong spot and sink 8 inches down into fresh snow. A pair of good, high boots will keep that snow from freezing your feet. Another recommendation is wool socks to keep your feet warm. If you plan to wear wool socks, be sure to get a boot with plenty of room inside because wool socks are rather thick.

3. Chapstick

   - This is a necessity. The winds up here can be brutal and the cold weather makes things really tough on your lips. Some villages have worse winds than others. I got lucky with a village far inland. We have lots of trees and mountains to break the ferocity of the wind. Even so, some days the wind can be quite gusty. If you are in a village by the coast line, good luck. The wind off the coast continues to pick up steam until it blasts you right in the face. I spent some time in Kotzebue and the wind was absolutely horrible. Just laying in the room I could hear the wind howling outside my window.

4. A Humidifier

   -This is not an absolute need but most people will want one. If you are staying in Alaska for any extended period of time, your skin will dry out due to the dry cold and heavy winds. Personally, I had not had any extended bouts with dry skin until moving up here. Eventually, I broke down and bought a humidifier. The good news is that they are relatively inexpensive especially if you use an account like Amazon.

5. Amazon Prime

   - This is pretty much a must unless you are made of money and enjoy throwing all of your money at businesses like UPS and FedEx. Due to the location of the villages, shipping rates and other fees can get to be pretty outrageous. Lucky for us, there is Amazon Prime. As long as the item you buy is a prime item, it will be shipped to you free of charge. This is a lifesaver! For some reason, the Prime Pantry does not ship to the villages. However, I have heard that if you buy in bulk that amazon will ship to you. If your family, close friends, or significant other ever wanted to send you something, have them use priority mail. Priority mail is a flat rate shipping service that allows up to 70 pounds (woah!). My family used this a lot to send canned fruits and pre-packaged soups to me while I was in Kobuk.

Heres a picture of me in my warm gear enjoying the snow!