What should I stock up on?

[mockturtle]

Alaska-bound later this month and wonder what household/grocery items to stock up on before I cross the Canadian border from NE WA. I will be driving up the AlCan and down the Cassiar. In other words, what, if any, items might be difficult to find on my journey. Obviously, I am space-challenged in my small rig so there's a limit to stocking up.

[MORSNOW]

joe b. wrote:
When you get to Alaska, you will find the roads referred to by name, not a number. Names such as, the Glenn Hwy, the Parks, the Richardson, the Seward, the Denali, should be called the Denali dirt road, the Tok Cut Off, still part of the Glenn, etc.

That's a fact! I have lived up here over 20 years and couldn't tell you a single road number. Intersections are also labled by road name or an arrow pointing which way to a town. We also have major roads that change names at curves within Anchorage (Muldoon Rd/Tudor Rd, L Street/Minnesota Dr/O'Malley Dr, Dimond Ave/Abott Loop Rd, etc).

If you use a compass for hiking, make sure you take the magnetic declination into account (magnetic north vs true north). Anchorage is around +17 degrees. It is shifting some, so many runways around the state have been remarked with a 1 degree change.

....and the higher prices up here are due to the Alaskan currency exchange. The exchange from your wallet to the stores register 🙂

[mayo30]

AKSuperDually wrote:
Bring spares of anything that might break, and any special tool required to fix it. Bring cash. Cash talks big time in canada and Alaska both.

Other than that....you can buy anything you need, pretty much most of the way. Maybe bring some ammunition, it's hard to find in Alaska. bringing up your limit of 22LR could probably make you enough profit to pay for a tank of gas.

Gotta love it,we know you know better looking at your profile.

[tonymull]

Yeah, I lived in Alaska for many years and didn't recognize any of the Hwy #'s. I guess I knew in the back of my mind that they existed, but you'll never here them up there.

[mockturtle]

I'm aware that the Denali Highway is a dirt road but, unless conditions are particularly bad, I believe my Tiger can handle it. And I do know it will take longer and plan to stop a couple of nights along the way.

[PA12DRVR]

joe b. wrote:
When you get to Alaska, you will find the roads referred to by name, not a number. Names such as, the Glenn Hwy, the Parks, the Richardson, the Seward, the Denali, should be called the Denali dirt road, the Tok Cut Off, still part of the Glenn, etc.

....and the Denali Dirt Road is one of the most spectacular drives (IMNSHO) in the state, but it is not a good road for a big trailer or MH. Inverse relationship between the size of the RV and the speed at which it can be traversed

[joe_b_]

When you get to Alaska, you will find the roads referred to by name, not a number. Names such as, the Glenn Hwy, the Parks, the Richardson, the Seward, the Denali, should be called the Denali dirt road, the Tok Cut Off, still part of the Glenn, etc.

[enblethen]

AK 8 maybe shorter but is going to take longer. I do not remember what the road was like (AK 8). Didn't think it was very good.

[mockturtle]

I'm not planning to visit Fairbanks but plan to take A1 to A4, north from Gulkana then west on the Denali Highway, SR8. It's a little shorter than going through Delta Jct. On my way back from the Kenai, I will likely take A1 from Palmer to Tok.

[Sourdough_Biscu]

Mockturtle - If you do the "big loop" around the state, you'll almost have to pass through. It's between Tok & Fairbanks.

[mockturtle]

Gee, I wasn't planning on going through Delta Junction but may have to reconsider. 😉

[sue_t]

There can be some fresh meat at that IGA too, although this wasn't for sale. :B

The "owner" was proudly showing her recent catch from the Taylor Highway...

[Sourdough_Biscu]

x2 on Delta Junction IGA & fresh produce. Even most Alaskans don't know that little "secret".

(The story I heard was that the owner owns a truck and brings his own produce up. Maybe even sells it along to the way in Tok and/or Glennallen?)

[AKsilvereagle]

If you are a fruit toad like I am, I would stock up on FRESH fruit available in Prince George or Prince Rupert, as I am pretty sure Ksmloops, Terrace, or the rest of southern BC or southern Canada has real fresh stuff, but just enough estimated supply before crossing into Alaska or it will potentially be confiscated even if declared or you will be fined if not declared when asked.

As others noted, beyond Prince George or so the fruit is not so fresh as I do not recall buying fresh fruit in Grande Prairie or Dawson Creek.

In Fairbanks I only buy fruit at Fred Meyer where you have the best selection of fruit, mainly "fresh enough" but not overly great sometimes... as in comparison to the other chain supply stores that supply partially rotted or short shelf life stuff - the exact same condition as you will see throughout Whitehorse, Watson Lake, Fort Nelson, etc.

However the one exception of fresh real good produce and fruit remote wise within Alaska is available at the IGA store in Delta Junction, don't know where they get their supply but it's fresher than any store stocked in Fairbanks.

If one does not carry a cell phone like me, while in any Canada Walmart stores, stock up on the Datawave phone cards that are a great bargain to call anywhere within Canada or the US, the only catch is once activated they must be used within 6 months, so it's use it or lose it for remaining minutes....they still have payphones in Canada, more so than in the US or Alaska for that matter.

Other than that, many have posted consumer goods are pretty much widely available almost anywhere along the major small and large towns, just stock up on essential goods that you feel will not be available abroad.

[jnharley]

I am just saying, the same size bottle of laundry soap at the Safeway in Homer was $9 more than the Commisary in Fairbanks so I left it on the shelf. There are some things that are always more/the same at the Commisary but some good deals can be found. We were not overly concerned about prices but did note that they were considerably higher. If there is something you routinely eat that you may not be able to find, I would stock up on that. We thought our trip last summer would be a once in a lifetime trip but we are already planning our return trip. By the way, there is a very nice antique car/clothing museum (Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum) in Fairbanks that is perfect for a rainy day.