OK fellow travelers. Here’s the challenge.

What do you pack for a family of 4 (w/2 boys 10 & 14) for a three-week trip in August to the Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver) where you will be in cities, small towns, mountains, and then board a cruise ship for a trip up to Alaska? After the trip, you will rent an RV for a week and tour around the Alaskan wilderness.
Sounds like a great trip, right? But what kinds of clothes (and how many?!) do you need?
I’m sure there will be a Laundromat along the way, so things will get washed at some point. Ideas are very welcome!

P.S. Since we’ve never driven an RV, how difficult are they to maneuver? What kinds of provisions do you recommend for a week in Alaska?

If you go to the European board there are a number of threads on packing light. Just do a search on Packing. To their list I'd add sweaters and formal wear for the cruise. That's about it. You should be able to get along on one large suitcase per person. (They say to stick with a 21" carry-on but that's simply not realistic with your itinerary.) Sounds like a great itinerary. Have fun.

That does sound like a fun trip! I have 3 kids between 10 and 13. It seems that wherever we travel it is always 20 to 30 degrees cooler than it normally is there that time of year. It will often snow way after snow season is over if our family is there. I should post warnings on the internet about where we intend to travel so others can be prepared for the unexpected cold front!! After trying to buy coats and hats out of season at WalMarts (hint:they don't have any)I've learned to pack layers (short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, sweatshirt and raincoat/light coat) hat and gloves and no matter what the weather, know we can handle it. They can always wear jeans, whether it's 0 degrees or 80 degrees so you probably won't need shorts. Have fun!

My boys love the nylon pants that zip off into shorts. They are light-weight and dry fast after a quick hand wash(also good, because as you know, boys always manage to find puddles). Also, good wind protection. They come in lots of colors and stay looking nice and neat. they have them at most department stores. You can find them online. I think Penney's carries them.

I also like the GAP windbreaker that fold into their own little pouch. They're good to keep out the rain and wind (and cold if you layer). They have a little hook that you can attach to their belt loops so you don't have to carry them.

Sounds like a wonderful trip. You may want to check out cruise boards on this forum and others to see if your boys need to wear jacket on the formal nights or if they can get away with decent pants and a dress shirt.

We are going on a Mediterranean cruise with boys of similar agea and I still haven't decided on that burning question.

I second the choice of the zip off pants as they are very versatile. It is proving a little bit harder to find them now, than it was a couple of months ago.If you cannot find them int he dept stores now, try online catalogues like travelsmith llbean etc

Check out sites like www.geocities.com/Calgon1/UPL which has a great packing list or www.cruisediva.

Please post a trip report when you are back. I would love to hear all the details especially the RV part.

Wow! wow! and more Wow>

Lisa,
Thanks for the cruisediva link. It's a great source.

Just got back from Old Navy -- they still have lots of pants that zip off into shorts. I agree they'd be perfect for your boys for this trip, very
versatile and much easier to deal with than jeans. Have fun!

Re: pants that zip off

My husband has a pair with two zipoffs! We are leaving from Florida and going on an Alaska cruise. He has an elaborate plan: leave Tampa with shorts, add a layer in our layover city (Detroit) and add the final layer upon arrival in Alaska. How's that for wardrobe versatility!!!!

we did the exact trip, except we stopped at a horse ranch for a week outside of vancouver before driving 4 hours and jumping on to the cruise. The good news is the ships (or at least Holland America) have washing machines. We took jeans, shorts tee shirts swimsuits, sweaters, medium weight windbreakers, rain ponchos and 2 nice outfits for dinners on the ship. the sweaters were decent looking so they could be worn over the dining outfits, or layered under the windbreaker and ponch when it got really chilly on the ship. Husband took a blazer for the cruise. I took slinky, no wrinkle dresses and dressy slippers for my nice stuff. it packed well. Don't forget hats and sunscreen and mosquito spray! We didn't rent an RV, instead we stayed in motels in Alaska. i think the RV would have been fun though, as you can park them almost anywhere. Every house seems to have RV campsites!

Thanks for the tips. The zipoffs sound like a great idea. I'll look into them for the boys. I think they'll be more comfortable and versatile (a dry quicker!) than jeans. One of the boys hates jeans, so this will be a good alternative.
To answer some questions: We are going on RCCL Rhapsody -- no washers & dryers. However, the TA checked with RCCL who said that dress shirts/ties and nice slacks are OK for the kids on "formal" nights. I think we have a blazer from an occasion that might fit. If so, I'll consider taking it for the older one, although the thought of carrying one around for him pre- and post-cruise doesn't sound inviting.