Choice of vehicle
Doing this road trip in a RV should be the most comfortable choice. Some people fly to Anchorage and rent a RV from there, which would require less time. We chose to go camping with a small car, which was quite flexible and cheap but we had to pack smart. There are also plenty of organized tours for an affordable price but that’s not our style.
Passport, cash, ATM and credit card
We’d say 95% of the times, we could use credit card. However, at the self register government campgrounds, we had to pay cash (some accept personal check). To get cash from ATMs, it is best to withdraw the maximum amount allowed unless we are getting it from our own bank’s machine. Otherwise, the ATM charges add up fast, especially in Canada.
Spare tire
Bring a full size spare, especially if you plan to drive on unpaved road. We didn’t want to buy a full size spare, therefore only drove on paved road. However, we did bring along a tire repair kit. We don’t know how well that may work. We did find it handy for a low pressure tire in the middle of nowhere.
Roadside Assistance
Upgrade your AAA or CAA membership. If you need a tow, the nearest auto shop can be 100 mile away.
Electronic gadgets
MP3/iPod is good for the road. Camera is a must. Lap top is useful too since a lot of private campgrounds have WIFI. If you don’t have room for a computer, most visitor centers and local libraries will give you free internet access. You can also use the computer in bigger hotels; they usually don’t need password nor keep an eye on who is using what. We bought a converter to use with the cigarette lighter in the car for recharging all our gadgets. It was money well spent.
Camping gear
Other than the usual stuff, we recommend a best quality 3-season (4-season is okay too) tent one can afford. A good tent can breathe, therefore reducing condensation. We had a backpacking type of tent which was light and compact but its height did not allow us to stand up inside. That made camping in rainy weather a pain because we could only stay inside for so long. Solutions: 1) use a bigger tent (but that means colder inside and flaps more in the wind); or 2) stretch a blue trap above the picnic table as a rain fly, therefore creating a roomy space to hang out in the rain until the wind picks up .
Clothes
Bring clothes in layers. The warmest day in this trip was close to 100F, and the coldest was just below freezing. Convertible pants, breathable waterproof outer layer and quick drying materials are good to have. Leave the jeans and the cotton stuff at home.
Prescription medicine
The small towns we passed by, on both sides of the border, had most of the over the counter medicine. However, finding a doctor to write a prescription is problematic.
Cooking and Eating
To save money, we brought two stoves; one used propane for camping, the other used electricity for motel room. When we eat out, we ate out during lunch but cooked our own dinner. This was another one of our budgeting strategies.
Backcountry Safety
We did not do any extensive hiking. Those that we did were popular trails. Nonetheless, we carried pepper spray in case of close encounter with bears. We saw locals carried guns when they went berries picking. Oh, and the wild berries were goooood!!