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I'm planning a trip to Alaska in September and I'm wondering which clothes would be right. I've never been to Alaska before, but I have an idea of what it will be like- cold! Many people tell me that it gets pretty hot there, but I always say, "I think we'll be looking at glaciers, and I believe ice is always cold. If we go on the water, the wind will make me cold. I think it will be cold." With that in mind, I am considering taking these outfits:

A Parka: I don't like to be cold, so I bought a parka. It's called a 3-in-1 and has an outer shell with a hood that zips into the collar and a lining, which is really a separate reversible jacket that can be taken out and worn on its own. I've worn the zip-out jacket a couple of times, and it's fleece on one side and nylon on the other. Wearing the fleece part next to my body makes it much warmer, but wearing the fleece side out makes it much more attractive. What a dilemma! If I zip it back into the coat, I'll wear the fleece side in and be warm. I'd rather drag the shell around with me everywhere than be cold one minute.

Ski Pants: I have a pair of black ski pants that I think would be a good idea. They're warm and waterproof, and they match my parka. What more can I say?

Hiking Boots: I got a pair of Sketchers hiking boots, brown suede with furry linings. They're very warm and have good non-slip bottoms, although I've certainly tracked in a lot of dirt wearing them around so far. I love to wear this type of boot, and I think they'll work well for hiking and climbing mountains, etc. The only problem I see with the hiking boots is that they don't match my ski pants and parka.

Layers: I plan to take shirts I can layer, cause I don't like to be cold and I don't like to be hot either. I'm going to take some T-shirts and some long-sleeved shirts to go over them, plus some sweaters. Sometimes there are big mosquitoes in Alaska, and I want to be wearing long sleeves if they come.

Rain Gear: I know it may rain while I'm in Alaska, but I don't want to take a lot of bulky rain gear. I've decided to take several of those dollar ponchos I've seen at the discount stores, the ones that fold up into a tiny square. If it starts raining, I'll whip out the poncho, wear it until the rain stops and then toss it. Next day, I'll have another poncho ready to go.

Gloves: I'll take some gloves so my hands won't freeze. I'm trying to decide between leather and cloth but haven't been able to so far. I'll definitely take gloves though- probably leather.

Jeans: I'll surely take some jeans cause I plan to do a lot of outdoor activities and I think jeans would work best then. I know that jeans do get cold if they get wet and are hard to dry out, but for days when it's not raining jeans should be fine.

A Dressy Outfit: Will I go somewhere that requires dressing up? I don't know, but I would hate to be totally unprepared. I plan to pack something that doesn't take up too much space, like a slinky black pantsuit or dress. I can wear it with my hiking boots.

Dry Socks: I'm going to look for socks that stay dry. Do they make Gore-Tex socks? Probably so, but I don't know. If there are Gore-Tex socks, they're probably so expensive I'll only be able to afford one pair and will have to wear them for the whole trip. And can you even wash waterproof socks? Maybe someone will sell me some on eBay.

With all these bulky clothes, it's going to be hard to pack. I'm a terrible packer anyway; I always want to take too much and then don't wear half of the clothes I take. I'll probably have to wear the parka and hiking boots on the plane to Alaska, and maybe I can get the rest of the stuff in a suitcase. I'm going to have to do some more thinking before September.