While thousands of people make the move to Alaska every year, there are many challenges in moving stuff from a location in the lower 48 to Alaska—especially if you're moving to an isolated area. While there are many obstacles to moving to the Last Frontier, an honest look at what you need can go a long way to making an Alaska move much less painful.
Planning should begin as far ahead of time as possible. First, shipping a large amount of stuff will cost a fortune. There are options for freight shipping, but shipping to Alaska is expensive, and in no way cost-effective. Other options include renting a large rental truck (keep in mind that the drive from Seattle to Anchorage is more than 2,300 miles), or hiring a van moving service. There are services that specialize in handling the details of moving to and from Alaska. All of these methods are going to be expensive, however.
Even if you think you have the perfect plan to get all of your stuff up to Alaska, the cost can run into the many thousands of dollars. A move to Alaska is particularly arduous if there is freight and shipping involved. In many situations, it will be less expensive to buy a new couch and bed, or even furnish an entire house, than it will be to move everything. Try to reduce the load of moving as much as possible. This will not only save money, but selling off possessions could help you fund your trip and force you to get out and find local businesses and check out your new town once you get to where you're moving.
If you don't hire a van moving service, you will need to prepare yourself mentally for the trip, especially if you're driving a car or moving van. Seattle to Anchorage is more than 48 hours of driving—and that's just driving between Alaska and one of the nearest cities in the lower 48. In addition to the long periods of driving mountain roads and normal travel wear, moving is exhausting and stressful even under normal circumstances. Add in adjustment to a new place such as Alaska, and the combination can be very rough. Make sure to prepare yourself mentally for the trip, because it is not an easy drive.
