Here's the deal.... (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Houston: 2015, rental, hotel)

[augleeski]

We have finally received our move dates. We're coming from Houston TX. Packers will be here on the 9th, loading on the 10th and we are hitting the road on the 13th. My husband, mother-in-law, and I will be driving up with our 2 yr old and a 6 yr old in tow! I think we're ready (if you ever REALLY can be, for this trip) to hit the road! We have all the books and all the gear! And somehow, i think I've managed to create a packing system that will ease the stress of being in a different hotel (or campground) every night! I sure hope that works!!

I have three questions Id like to have help with. First, a little background info. We are wanting to purchase a home in the Chugiak area. The problem is we have to wait for our home in Houston to sell first. We have reserved a vacation rental for our first month there, close to the school our 6 yr old will be attending (they are booked after that). The prayer is that our house will have sold and we would be awaiting the closing on our new home. WHAT IF it doesn't! I absolutely dread the idea of our family living out of a hotel while one is in school and the other is at home with me all day, especially in the start of winter. Especially, this being our first ever northern winter. I've never even drove in the snow! I have no idea how we would make a hotel work for us! Thank goodness we found a vacation rental to start us off, I so did not want my baby to start 1st grade out of a hotel room......thank you Lord! So, question 1) Do any of you know a month to month rental in the area, that would be available mid October?

2) We are planning on doing some winter clothes shopping once we get further up north for the whole family. My main concern is our 6yr old and school clothes. Ive got the "dress in layers " thing, but what about real winter gear! What will we need? Snow pants, jackets, shoes, ect? What kinds and brands are recommended? How many of each?

3) Do kids wear their winter gear to school everyday? If they wear their snow boots to school, do they wear them all day, in the building, or just to go outside? Do they change shoes for inside, and if so where do they keep the outside clothes and shoes while not wearing them? Do they bring other shoes in their backpacks or what? How does all this work?!!

If you have taken the time to read all this babble, thank you!!!

Even if you can only answer one of my questions, thankyou! A small amount of information is better than no information! Anything to ease my worries is greatly appreciated!

Last thing! We are so excited about our Alaskan journey! My daughter said, "Mommy, I'll always be a Texan girl because that where I'm from, but I was born for Alaska!"

[Music_Man]

My kids were born here and it was a chore to get them to not wear shorts an sandals in the winter to go to school! The wait for the school bus is the coldest they will get. You won't need the real winter clothes for a while yet so you will have time to see what the other mom's in his class suggest. Kids have sneakers left in school that they wear and separate ones for the gym.

[rhiannon67]

Wow. Your situation is a lot like mine.

We also have a house we're in the process of selling back in WA, and it looks like we've got a buyer who will rent for a year and then go onto buy it. However, because of it, we are renting our house here in anchorage for the first year. We were lucky enough to find one via Zillow before making the drive!

School has already started here (our son is in third grade and we just moved here ourselves in June) and yes, the kids will need a pair of snow pants, snow boots, a pair of good gloves and a warm coat for school. They let the kids play outside during the winter until it hits about 10 below.

The other thing you will have to do is ensure your car is adequately weatherized for the winter here (this means snow tires, etc). It is apparently wise to get it done just as soon as it is legal, which is about mid September. I''ve an appt for getting my own car done on the 25th of this month Like you, I have little experience driving in the snow so I've made a point in being extra prepared for our first winter here rather than make myself look like some sort of lower 48 moron, lol

[pittsflyer]

If you are using studs I would not put them on until its actually icy otherwise you will chew your studs up (pretty sure steel studs cost extra and are getting harder to get because they chew up the roads so most of them are aluminum now). I have separate rims and tires because the winter tire change over in anchorage is a fiasco unless you do it way before the snow but then you chew up your studs which is worse than standing in line for 2 hrs or on the phone half the day trying to find an open shop to do it.

I order most of my winter gear online, though I have bought a few things from REI. If you need something done that everyone else has to have done as well at the same time, strongly consider learning to do it yourself otherwise its not going to be fun.

[rhiannon67]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

If you are using studs I would not put them on until its actually icy otherwise you will chew your studs up (pretty sure steel studs cost extra and are getting harder to get because they chew up the roads so most of them are aluminum now). I have separate rims and tires because the winter tire change over in anchorage is a fiasco unless you do it way before the snow but then you chew up your studs which is worse than standing in line for 2 hrs or on the phone half the day trying to find an open shop to do it.

I order most of my winter gear online, though I have bought a few things from REI. If you need something done that everyone else has to have done as well at the same time, strongly consider learning to do it yourself otherwise its not going to be fun.

The guy at the dealership where I'm having my car done later this month told me that studless snow tires are a better choice unless you're having to drive up some steep driveway every day or you're living in an icy climate. Luckily, we don't have that issue so I'm not getting studded tires. According to him, the legal date to put studded tires on is September 15.

[Music_Man]

There are portions of the Glenn highway that have ruts from heavy trucks and studded tires that you will have to drive over where studded tires would help. 4wheel drive and studded tires are the best for the inexperienced driver, especially their first winter. When the pineapple express goes through 3 or 4 times each winter you will wish you had chosen studded tires. I have lived here for 43 years and each winter is different. Wife runs 4wd and all season tires and I run front wd with steel studs and we have no problem except for a few days each winter, but we are just driving in Anchorage. Time will dictate what you chose in the future. Good luck in your endeavors.

[pittsflyer]

I thought about those but Nokian does not make them as far as I am aware and I really wanted Nokian tires. I am sure the studdless will work great, remember though that its a special rubber that wears out really fast if you put them on when its still warm out or fail to take them off when the ice leaves and the asphalt starts warming up.

There is no legal date for studdless but you have to be really aware of the day time high temperatures and dont put them on until it is consistantly cold out (below freezing). Thats what I would do to get long gevity out of my tires.

Tires by web is great place to go.

Originally Posted by rhiannon67

The guy at the dealership where I'm having my car done later this month told me that studless snow tires are a better choice unless you're having to drive up some steep driveway every day or you're living in an icy climate. Luckily, we don't have that issue so I'm not getting studded tires. According to him, the legal date to put studded tires on is September 15.

[rhiannon67]

Originally Posted by Music_Man

There are portions of the Glenn highway that have ruts from heavy trucks and studded tires that you will have to drive over where studded tires would help. 4wheel drive and studded tires are the best for the inexperienced driver, especially their first winter. When the pineapple express goes through 3 or 4 times each winter you will wish you had chosen studded tires. I have lived here for 43 years and each winter is different. Wife runs 4wd and all season tires and I run front wd with steel studs and we have no problem except for a few days each winter, but we are just driving in Anchorage. Time will dictate what you chose in the future. Good luck in your endeavors.

How about non studded snow tires on an all-wheel drive, 2015 Subaru Forester? The guy at the subaru dealership told me that even as an inexperienced snow driver (I am for sure), the tires and car alone should be plenty safe as long as I don't go driving like a maniac (save that for non-snow/ice conditions lol). We do hope to make a drive to Fairbanks this season..

[pittsflyer]

I cringe when new people say this, does this mean that you wont drive 70 in a blizzard with ice on the ground or does this mean you are going to drive 35 as soon as you see the first snow flake. If it is the later then you could end up finding yourself in an accient because people that know how to drive in the snow are going to be driving normal speeds (unless the conditons are truely delporable which is pretty rare). If you are driving anything less than 40 on most the main arterys or less than 55 or 60 on the highway and taking forever to turn off then you are going to be putting yourself and family at risk.

The subaru drivers are notorious for this, they think they are being safe but other people that know how to drive will not be going 10 mph so you could be creating a hazard. Cops up here will site YOU also if that is what you are doing.

Originally Posted by rhiannon67

How about non studded snow tires on an all-wheel drive, 2015 Subaru Forester? The guy at the subaru dealership told me that even as an inexperienced snow driver (I am for sure), the tires and car alone should be plenty safe as long as I don't go driving like a maniac (save that for non-snow/ice conditions lol). We do hope to make a drive to Fairbanks this season..

[rhiannon67]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

I cringe when new people say this, does this mean that you wont drive 70 in a blizzard with ice on the ground or does this mean you are going to drive 35 as soon as you see the first snow flake. If it is the later then you could end up finding yourself in an accient because people that know how to drive in the snow are going to be driving normal speeds (unless the conditons are truely delporable which is pretty rare). If you are driving anything less than 40 on most the main arterys or less than 55 or 60 on the highway and taking forever to turn off then you are going to be putting yourself and family at risk.

The subaru drivers are notorious for this, they think they are being safe but other people that know how to drive will not be going 10 mph so you could be creating a hazard. Cops up here will site YOU also if that is what you are doing.

I simply meant that I will be cautious as appropriate with the conditions. That doesn't necessarily
mean I'll be snailing it on the roads