What to Wear on the Ice
What to wear for a glacier helicopter landing near Anchorage: layers by season, which tours provide gear, and the footwear that gets refused at check-in.
The single most common mistake on a glacier day is dressing for the valley you drove up rather than the ice you are about to stand on. It is a July morning at the lodge and a different climate thirty minutes later.
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The one rule
A glacier makes its own weather. Twenty-five miles of ice cools the air sitting on it, and that cold air drains downhill as a breeze that blows even on still days. Add a helicopter’s rotor wash on landing and take-off, and the surface is meaningfully colder and windier than the car park you left.
Dress for the ice, carry the layers you do not need, and accept that you will look overdressed for the drive. Everyone does.
The base list, any season
- A warm mid-layer — fleece or a light insulated jacket. This is the layer people forget in July.
- A windproof outer shell. Wind matters more than temperature on a glacier.
- Closed-toe shoes with grip. Not optional — see below.
- Sunglasses. Glare off clean ice or a snowfield is severe, and it is worse under a high overcast than people expect.
- Sunscreen. You are reflecting light from below as well as taking it from above.
- A hat and gloves on anything longer than a landing tour, and on everything from September to May.
Leave behind: open-toed shoes, cotton as a base layer, and a backpack if you are on one of the tours that refuses them.
Footwear, because this one gets people turned away
Two of the tours on this site list open-toed shoes among the things not permitted. That is a check-in refusal, not a suggestion — sandals are not a legal thing to wear on an aircraft that is going to put you down on ice.
What you want is a closed shoe with a real sole. Trainers with a soft, smooth sole are the marginal case: they will pass, but they will be poor on the ice, and if the tour issues microspikes — the Palmer flight does — they will not seat properly on a soft sole. A light hiking shoe or boot is the right answer.
What each tour gives you, and what it does not
Overboots provided: the Knik valley dogsled tour hands out overboots for walking in snow.
Full outer layers and boots provided: the Girdwood dogsledding tour provides outer layers and boots at the hangar, so you can arrive dressed for town and be re-kitted for a snowfield. This is the reason it is the easiest of the tours to do with children.
Microspikes provided: the Palmer flight and the paddleboarding tour.
A dry suit provided: the paddleboarding tour, along with a flotation device, leash and throw rope. A dry suit keeps water out; it does not insulate. Wear thermal base layers and wool socks underneath, or you will be cold in expensive equipment.
Nothing clothing-related provided: the ice-climbing tour explicitly excludes warm and waterproof clothing while providing every piece of technical gear — axes, crampons, harness, helmet, ropes. That listing also warns you to be prepared for cold wind and possible rain. Two pairs of gloves is the practical advice here: one pair gets wet handling ice and rope, and standing around between climbs is when people get cold.
By season
June to August. A long-sleeved base layer, a fleece, a windproof shell, hiking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen. You will carry the fleece on the walk to the aircraft and want it the moment the rotor stops.
May and September. The same, plus a hat and gloves, and a warmer mid-layer. Shoulder-season mornings at a lodge an hour north of Anchorage are cold before the sun clears the ridge.
October to April. Full winter kit: thermal base layers, an insulated mid-layer, a proper shell, insulated gloves, a warm hat, and boots that will handle a snowy car park as well as the glacier. The ice-climbing tour is the winter one worth doing — it adds ice cave exploration once the meltwater channels freeze solid — and it is also the one that gives you no clothing at all.
The things that get refused at the aircraft
Worth knowing before you pack a day bag:
- Backpacks are not permitted on two of the tours. Take a phone and a camera in a pocket.
- Drones are refused on three of them.
- Weapons and sharp objects, and on the paddleboarding tour, alcohol and drugs.
- Pets and smoking, everywhere.
Anything not on your person goes back in the car, so do not plan a day around what is in your bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear on a glacier helicopter tour in summer?
A base layer, a fleece or light insulated jacket, a windproof shell, closed-toe shoes with grip, sunglasses and sunscreen. The temperature at the lodge is not the temperature on the ice — a glacier cools the air above it and that air moves, so the surface is colder and windier than the valley even in July.
What should I wear dog sledding in Alaska in summer?
The same layering, plus a hat and gloves, because you are sitting still on a snowfield rather than walking. The Girdwood dogsledding tour provides outer layers and boots at the hangar; the Knik valley tour provides overboots but expects you to bring your own warm clothing.
Do I need hiking boots?
Not necessarily boots, but you do need a closed shoe with a real sole. Open-toed shoes are refused at check-in on two of these tours, and soft-soled trainers will not hold a microspike properly. A light hiking shoe covers every tour on this site.
Is any clothing provided?
It varies, and it is worth checking before you pack. Two tours provide overboots or full outer layers and boots; two provide microspikes; the paddleboarding tour provides a dry suit and all safety gear. The ice-climbing tour provides every piece of technical equipment and explicitly no clothing at all.
Can I bring a backpack?
Not on every tour. Two of them list backpacks among the items not permitted, along with drones, weapons and sharp objects. Plan to carry a phone and a camera in your pockets and leave everything else in the car.
Stand on Knik Glacier This Week
A thirty-minute flight over the Chugach, thirty minutes on the ice, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before you fly. Check live dates and prices.
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