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Part 3: Must-Have Gear for Your Alaskan Aurora Borealis Adventure

  • Dawn Shaikh
  • Mar 22, 2024
  • 7 min read

Updated: Apr 4, 2024

We usually pack light, but Alaska in the winter demanded a different strategy! We boarded our flight with two carry-on suitcases, our trusted backpacks, and my ever-present CPAP machine. We also checked a duffel and a larger suitcase - yep, we packed heavy for this adventure! In the sections below, we share must-haves for a wonderful Alaskan winter adventure in these groups:


Keep the body warm

We are from western Washington and are acclimated to a very mild temperature, meaning we have little gear or tolerance for anything outside the 40°F to 78°F range we live in. When we landed in Alaska it was -42°F! The high while we were there was 2°F. To photograph the Aurora, you must be outside. So our biggest tip is to keep the body warm. M found out just how fast frostbite occurs at -42°F when he decided to unload all the luggage before putting on his gloves which were packed away in a carry-on!


Base and mid layers. In the Pacific Northwest, two layers are sufficient. But for Alaska winters, we needed three layers - base, mid, and outer. For your base layers, prioritize 100% wool (no blends). It is well worth the investment - 100% wool breathes, wicks moisture, and resists odor, earning its top spot in the Fabric Kingdom. Wool comes in various weights indicated by a GSM rating (grams per meter) where the lower numbers provide less warmth. M and I wore Icebreaker 260 GSM most of the time. As the temps climbed above freezing, I switched to 200 GSM. As with much of gear, REI was a great resource and offered sizes that fit me.


On top of our wool base layers, we wore a fleecy mid-layer to trap all that warmth from the base layer. My go-to brand is REI for mid-layers because they offer high quality options in a decent size range for larger bodies. In addition to my fleecy mid-layer, I packed my REI rain pants because they provide excellent wind protection. M wore similar items in heavier versions -- this is a recurring theme!



Outer layers. Our outer layers were rated for -20°F or better, and we were comfortable for the most part. During the activities at Borealis Basecamp, they offered us extra gear. We both accepted this gear (Carhartt Yukon Coveralls and NEOS overshoes) for the dogsledding adventure; M added these over all of his layers, and I wore all my base layers but no coat under mine.


M borrowed all of his gear. I was not able to find loaners or used gear in the size I wanted. If you fit in the XS to L range and can get to Seattle, check out Wonderland Gear Exchange. For outer layers, I prefer to size up at least one size, which puts me in the 2X+ range. I caught a great sale at Columbia online where I bought my insulated, waterproof Rosewood™ Parka coat and Women's Bugaboo™ Omni-Heat™ Insulated Ski Pants in plus size and short length which was perfect for me. Columbia has excellent plus size options to fit all those wobbly bits!



Boots & socks. In addition to outwear with extreme warmth ratings, make sure your footwear is rated for extreme temperatures. M took his well-worn LL Bean Snow Sneakers with velcro closures (so easy to get off and on!) and I wore my trusty Merrell Optiwarm 200g snow boots that are no longer sold. We both took a few pairs of ultra-thick 100% wool Darn Tough socks and a pair of electric socks. He loved the electric socks and wore them every day, but I found them too hot and only wore them for the dogsledding activity.



Head and Hands. Are you a mittens person or a gloves person? M and I constantly debate the merits of both since he is firmly on Team Mittens and I am on Team Gloves. M opted for electric mittens wearing them daily and raving about their warmth. I took a pair along as well, but never wore them. Since I do most of the photography, I wore the Seirus Soundtouch Xtreme All Weather gloves with etips and had no complaints.


Moving onto headwear, ours varied day-to-day, but included layers. We both wore a base layer that covered the ears completely. M likes his fluorescent orange Carhartt beanie, and I prefer my vintage North Face ear flap beanie (similar OR one). On super cold days, M also sported a balaclava with a breathable face cover. Before pulling up the hoods on our outermost layer, we both wore a snow hoodie. I made these using the Snow Hoodie pattern from Menta and High Loft Polartec Fleece from Discovery Fabrics and they were surprisingly versatile and warm. We used them every day!




Be considerate

Headlamps with red light mode and small flashlight
Headlamps with red light mode and small flashlight

I am going to be direct - don't be that person with your lights on (car, igloos, etc) and don't wear a headlamp that blinds other folks! The best light gear for Aurora chasing is a headlamp with a red light mode. We usually travel with a headlamp and/or a small flashlight. I saw other folks using red light mode and pulled up the instructions for our older model headlamps and found out they had a red light mode! We could see all that we needed to see using the red light mode and a very small flashlight.


Take good photos

To photograph or not is always the question when we travel - we like to be in the moment but also want to photo-document our experiences. Neither M nor I excel at photography, despite my many attempts to master our DSLR. These days, we leave the "big" camera at home and rely on our iPhones. I was very nervous about this approach for our Alaska trip, but I stayed the course and left the DSLR at home. I was tempted to upgrade my iPhone 13 pro to the latest model, but decided to skip the hassle. (Newer iPhones do have better night mode features.)


While we hoped the Aurora would be visible to the naked eye, conversations with experienced travelers suggested a camera was required to reveal the aurora's full-color spectrum. [They were correct!] If you want photos of the Northern Lights, create a photography strategy before your trip.


I heavily relied upon this article from Iceland Air when planning our iPhone photography strategy, because it provided instructions for setting up your iPhone for night shots and recommended smartphone apps designed specifically for photographing the Aurora.


Based on recommendations in the Iceland Air article, I purchased the NightCap Camera app ($2.99) and the Northern Lights Photo Taker app ($0.99). Every night, I experimented with all three options when taking photographs. This guide explains how to use the NightCap Camera app for photographing the Aurora Borealis - read it (it took me a couple of reads) to avoid total frustration with the crappy user interface in the app.

Basic photographs. I used the night mode on the native camera app on the iPhone and adjusted the exposure setting through trial and error each night. The native camera app on the iPhone was reliable and consistent in producing "good enough" photos of the Aurora in all situations. (One of our mantras for life is Do not let perfect be the enemy of good enough. Thank you IA). When we were in North Pole, AK, on our own, I rotated between the native camera app, the Northern Lights Photo Taker app, and the NightCap app for photos. They all worked pretty well with the Northern Lights Photo Taker coming out a bit ahead, since it is so easy to set up! However, at Borealis Basecamp where light pollution was an ongoing challenge from our pesky neighboring igloos, the iPhone native camera app excelled and the Northern Lights Photo Taker app flopped. So the upshot... the native app is sufficient, but go ahead and get these apps or similar apps to optimize your chance of capturing the best photos.





Time-lapse photography. For time-lapse shots of the Aurora, the NightCap Camera app was the best (instructions). In the -40°F to -20°F weather, my iPhone got so cold it shut down when trying to do longer time-lapse photos. So mine are all pretty short, but I love seeing the movement of the lights.





Additional photography equipment. For spectacular Aurora photos, the tripod is the secret weapon. When shooting with an iPhone, I recommend a full-size, lightweight tripod and smartphone adapter.


My iPhone shut down multiple times because it got too cold. In hindsight, I should have thought about a warmer. If you have suggestions, drop them in the comments! Next time I chase the Aurora, I will consider taking a simple selfie stick for better selfies with panoramic views and a GoPro-style action camera for the dog sledding!


Photo of tripod and smartphone adapter
Amazon basic, lightweight tripod + smartphone adapter (came with a remote, but I did not use it)


Prepare for downtime

Happily, we expected some downtime and took along some entertainment and lounging items.


Trekking through snow and slush leaves boots cold, wet, and messy. That's why house shoes are our number one recommendation for lounging! Especially in Alaska, where those floors can be bone-chilling! As we've gotten older, we've found that house shoes are essential to keep our feet happy all the time – a two-for-one deal: happy and warm! My personal favorites are a pair of "indoor" Birkenstocks, perfect with thick wool socks. M prefers his comfy Oofos house shoes. Additionally, we suggest taking along some non-internet-bound entertainment to make sure you are able to relax even when the wifi is weak or slow. We took along decks of cards and played Hand and Foot at Basecamp and during our very long wait at the airport. We also took along a couple of our favorite two-player games like Love Letter, Hive, and Iota. We both had audiobooks downloaded on the Libby app through our wonderful King County Public Library System. I also took along my knitting which meant I took my ipad along so I could use my KnitCompanion app which meant we had some downloaded New York Times crossword puzzles.

Finally, a bathing suit is a great addition to your luggage. There are spas, hot springs, and other places where a bathing suit would be useful! We did not explore any of these options on this trip.



Just in case

The best places to view the Northern Lights are a drive away from Fairbanks. We overpacked for this trip, but here are the things we were happy to have taken along:




Our favorite travel items for any trip

Now that we've covered the Alaskan essentials, here are a few things we typically pack, no matter the destination:




Adventure awaits, regardless of wrinkles and wobbly bits, and no matter the pace!










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