Personal gear and clothing for the Inside Passage


You need less than you imagine for a trip of a week or two or three.You might want to have a set of town clothes for ports of call, but on the boat you don’t need all that much in the way of changes of clothes.  What you need is layers, wind resistance, and rain resistance.  All the criteria for good backpacking gear apply -- including minimizing weight and volume.

 My kit will be something along these lines:

 Foul weather gear:
  • hooded shell parka, waterproof, sized to go over lots of other layers
  • bib overalls or ski pants, waterproof
  • waterproof gloves (I have various aboard)
  • you may also want to pick up a pair of the cheapest leather gardening gloves that you can find, and cut the fingers off them for use as sailing gloves
  • comfy cashmere scarf
  • I have an extra set of foulies that belong to my brother (tall person) for those who may fit into them.

 Sweaters:
  • if you have a cashmere TURTLENECK sweater, you will be happy to have it.
  • bulky wool sweater (or pile equivalents, though they have low wind resistance)

 Long underwear:
  • smartwool or silk is recommended if you can wear them.  Synthetics smell pretty quickly, and you’ll probably have these on most of the time.
  • long sleeve wool undershirt
  • short sleeve wool undershirt

 Pants:
  • tightly woven wool is ideal.  Jeans will do in a pinch, but they suck when wet.  The navy 13 button pants available in surplus stores are ideal.  I got some here nearly new for $30, and they are  the equivalent of $200 a pair outdoor pants from outfitters.
  • It is conceivable that you will enjoy having a pair of shorts… but by no means a certainty.
  • jeans for ports of call
  • swimming trunks for the hot springs (if we’re lucky)
Shirts:
  • wool flannel shirt or something like it
  • casual cotton or wool shirt
  • a couple of tee shirts
Socks
  • wool is a must unless you just can’t wear wool next to the skin. Wear them for days and they don’t stink, and still useful when wet. 2 or 3 pair should be adequate
Footgear :
  • sneakers for casual boat wear and town use.
  • something waterproof for bad weather.  The ExtraTuff rubber boots are known widely as ‘Alaska sneakers’ for good reason! see https://www.xtratuf.com/Xtratuf-Performance-Rubber-Ankle-Deck-Boot-xt.html/
Headgear:
  • baseball cap for good weather
  • balaclava or wool watch cap for bad
Other Protection:
  • sunscreen/skin lotion of your choice
  • chapstick
Sleeping gear:
  • I have two sleeping bags on the boat as well as some auxiliary blankets
  • bring a sleeping bag liner if you have one - REI sells very compact and comfortable silk liners for $ 50 or so.
Other:
  • personal flashlight or camping head-lamp (not strictly necessary, but possibly useful)
  • reading material
  • Hand towel
  • Bath towel
  • insulated go-cup if you have a favorite… I have extras of these, so not really necessary

Packing: All of your stuff should fit in two parcels: a carry-on sized soft zippered utility bag, 20” x 12” x 16” (roughly -- I won’t be measuring), and a small utility pouch, day-pack sort of bag.

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