Winter driving in Alaska

Studded tires

Studded tires are seasonal in Alaska and the permitted window differs by latitude — Anchorage sits north of 60°N, which is the longer one. Telephone us for this winter's dates rather than trusting a date printed from memory.

Which vehicles carry studs or winter tires is on each vehicle's page.

The block heater and the plug-in

Most vehicles here have an engine block heater with a cord behind the grille. On a cold night you plug it into an ordinary outlet — hotels, houses and many car parks in Anchorage have them — and the engine starts in the morning instead of turning over slowly. We show you where the cord is when you collect the vehicle.

Moose

The most common serious accident here is not ice, it is a moose. They move at dusk and dawn, they stand taller than your headlights, and they step out of the trees without warning. Slow down at first and last light, scan the verges rather than the road, and if one is in the carriageway, stop and wait — they cross when they are ready.

What to carry

A charged telephone and a charger, warm layers and boots you can walk in, water, a shovel and a torch. There is no mobile signal on most of the gravel, which is why we rent satellite messengers.