Shopping & Shipping Tips for
Rural Alaska – 2022

This is the place to find favorite shopping tips, and
strategies. Most of these have come from discussions and
experiences reported in the ATP Forum over the years. Each
of us have our favorite little things we have discovered
over the years, and new options are popping up all the time.
None of the links here are “endorsed”.

Some of these are common knowledge in rural teaching
circles. All are proven time and money savers, and should
help make your adjustment to rural Alaska a great deal
easier.

This is simply a starter list of tips and tricks for
shopping in rural Alaska.

Important Basics

1. Use the ATP Forum and the ATP
   Facebook page to search for the latest tips and to
   ask questions!
2. Research your community and shipping alternatives before
   you make major purchases. There will be many options, but
   in general US Mail is the least expensive, and very
   reliable.
3. You need to think of your baggage as “shipping” when you
   fly in and out of the village. Many use their carry on or
   other bags as a way to bring in fresh meat and / or
   produce. No matter your preferred airline, you must know
   your airline luggage limits, as excess baggage fees can
   really add up!
4. Alaska Airlines has among the most reasonable baggage
   rates, including 3
   free bags on their flights within Alaska to
   regional hubs.
5. If flying Alaska Airlines, join “Club

   49” using your new village address for two free bags
   into and out of Alaska, and check their special rates for
   sporting equipment and firearms. In addition, they have a
   program for reduced freight shipping for Club 49 residents
   in the Bush.

Alaska Airlines Baggage Policy, & Fees:
https://www.alaskaair.com/content/travel-info/baggage/baggage-overview.aspx

You REALLY want your free Club

49 card, and use it to fly Alaska Airlines on the way
up to Alaska!  Why? The baggage rules and rates are far
better on Alaska Air for in-state residents to and from
Alaska.  So, you can ask your district for an address
to mail your things after you sign your contract, and use
that school or district office address to create a Club 49
account prior to your move. Then, simply update your address
when you get your own PO box or physical mailing
address.  This will save you quite a bit of money, and
especially so if you have a family in tow. 

But, even if you don’t join Club 49 right away, the rules
and rates are better on Alaska Air for in-state travel to
the regional hubs (verified as still current as of October
12, 2022), which are the endpoints of Alaska Air ticketing.
Smaller villages will involve a flight from that “hub” to a
local airstrip in your new community.

In addition, Club 49 members get “Freight for Less”
shipping, which is a fixed rate of $49 for up to 100 pounds
in two 35-gallon totes (or shipping containers).

To compare, Alaska Airlines charges non-Club 49
members per bag into and out of Alaska (to or from the Lower
48) the following bag fees:

If the bag is overweight (51-100lbs), it’s $100. If you bag is
over 115″ linear inches, it’s $100.  Of course, this
doesn’t apply beyond your Alaska Airlines “hub” city (Bethel,
Nome, Barrow, etc.). If you change to a smaller “bush”
airline, they treat the “excess” bag(s) differently.

For flights within Alaska itself, the limit is three bags
for free.  This would mean for flights from Anchorage
to Nome, or for example, or Anchorage to Kotzebue and
Barrow. There may be seasonal restrictions at peak travel
times, such as Christmas or commercial fishing seasons.

This leads us to another important topic if you are moving
to a village for the school year. Shipping things from the
Lower 48 for your first year should be avoided. The short
version is that most experienced teachers know what they
need to mail or ship from Anchorage, what to order online
instead, and what to carry with you as “baggage” (this can
have a variety of definitions) to the village.  You
often will have a day or more in Anchorage on your way up
to the village, so that is when many new teachers do their
shopping and shipping.

For flights within Alaska itself, the limit is three bags for free. This would mean for flights from Anchorage to Nome, or for example, or Anchorage to Kotzebue and Barrow. There may be seasonal restrictions at peak travel times, such as Christmas or commercial fishing seasons.This leads us to another important topic if you are moving to a village for the school year. Shipping things from the Lower 48 for your first year should be avoided. The short version is that most experienced teachers know what they need to mail or ship from Anchorage, what to order online instead, and what to carry with you as “baggage” (this can have a variety of definitions) to the village. You often will have a day or more in Anchorage on your way up to the village, so that is when many new teachers do their shopping and shipping.

1. You may want to mail your suitcases from Anchorage, and
   travel with boxes or coolers of meat and/or other
   perishables, as you never know how long the mailed boxes
   will be sitting in frigid airline cargo spaces or
   overheated storage units.
2. Know how to calculate your packages to meet the current
   U.S. Postal shipping requirements.
   Be aware that shipping regulations change, and sometimes
   increase for seasonal peak periods. Some recent changes
   are being discussed in this thread on the ATP Forum.
3. The Airport Post Office in Anchorage is no longer open
   24 hours – Now closed from midnight – 6:00 a.m. and
   holidays!
4. Once in your community, you can often learn which online
   services (Amazon Prime, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Costco, etc.)
   are best for basic necessity orders. You can also research
   this on the ATP Forum,
   and by watching ATP’s
   archived

   (or live) Virtual Job Fairs where district staff
   answer questions about these topics.

5. Also, once in your village, you can sometimes combine
   your orders with other teachers. Before ordering large
   quantities food and other merchandise from outside the
   village check around and find others that need some like
   items. Today there is lot of merchandise that you can
   purchase from the warehouse stores that comes in packages
   (example canned fruit and vegetables in 12 packs) that can
   be shared among several people saving
   all of you some hard earned money.

Bypass Shipping: Speaking of going together on large
orders, did you know that a large majority of the rural
schools and grocery stores ship using the USPS “Bypass Mail
Service” to send their frozen meat and vegetables, chilled and
dry groceries? It’s cheaper then air freight, usually faster
and all the merchandise gets delivered to your home or school.
Bypass mail saves you money. It is a Federally subsidized mail
program that exists SPECIFCIALLY to help reduce costs for
rural Alaska residents. All you need to do is have a mininum
amount of 1100 lbs, (the average families order from Costco is
usually around 325 lbs) use a approved bypass mail contractor.
This service is availble to almost every village in Alaska. Go
to

Bush Shopping Strategies

If the bag is overweight (51-100lbs), it’s $100. If you bag is over 115″ linear inches, it’s $100. Of course, this doesn’t apply beyond your Alaska Airlines “hub” city (Bethel, Nome, Barrow, etc.). If you change to a smaller “bush” airline, they treat the “excess” bag(s) differently.Speaking of going together on large orders, did you know that a large majority of the rural schools and grocery stores ship using the USPS “Bypass Mail Service” to send their frozen meat and vegetables, chilled and dry groceries? It’s cheaper then air freight, usually faster and all the merchandise gets delivered to your home or school. Bypass mail saves you money. It is a Federally subsidized mail program that exists SPECIFCIALLY to help reduce costs for rural Alaska residents. All you need to do is have a mininum amount of 1100 lbs, (the average families order from Costco is usually around 325 lbs) use a approved bypass mail contractor. This service is availble to almost every village in Alaska. Go to USPS Bypass Mail for further information or contact your local post office.

Although things have improved dramatically in terms of
rural Alaska shopping options since the 1980’s and early
1990’s, your first year or two in the Bush is still going to
go more smoothly if you plan ahead!

There are several basic approaches you can follow to
prepare for you first year. Which one is right for you
depends partially on what village you are headed to, the
size and composition of your family, and your consumption
habits and patterns.

You have three basic choices for how you order your basic
items: traditional grocery shippers; on-line retailers, or
do-it-yourself shopping trips to Anchorage or Fairbanks.

As you decide which of these methods to choose, remember
that Anchorage and Fairbanks are both very expensive places
to stay during the summer tourist season. During June
through August, make sure you calculate a value into your
cost equation that includes at least $175 per night for a
hotel, the cost of a car or van rental at about $75 or more
per day, postage, tape and mailing boxes or tubs.

No matter what option you use, check what your vendor
charges to ship your purchases to your village. Shipping can
range from the actual cost by mail with no handling fee to
handling and air freight charges that total several times
the actual purchase cost of what you are buying! Always
compare costs on shipping carefully between stores or
websites.

Option 1: Order Your Staples &
Supplement!

Pros:

• Relatively easy
• Reliable
• No shortage of choices
• Cheapest overall option
• Safest if you don’t know area

Cons:

• Significant initial purchase cost
• Trial & error until you learn
• Planning efficiently takes practice
• Shipping options confusing

 

Some teachers place a large order of basics before coming
to Alaska, usually through one of the major bulk Bush
grocery shippers like Span-Elite
Alaska, which has been serving village residents since 1972.
Mail order prices are high, but barge orders are reasonable
but only sail in the summer, and then buy things to
supplement as needed. This can be used in combination with
the Guerilla Shopping Experience below.

Smart teachers want to shop at the Anchorage Costco,
Walmart, Carr’s / Safeway so they can see what selection and
brands they carry. By shopping their own orders they save
money and get more of what they want. They then leave the
purchased merchandise at the warehouse store and leave
instructions to have one of the local expeditors package and
send their merchandise out to them. Always ask the store
supervisors which expeditor they would suggest to use.

Prices are generally not bad if you order in bulk. If you
order from a catalog or one of the on-line services, you
might be able to save more money than those who buy only
from the local store or a regional hub.

Helpful Videos About Shopping in Anchorage:

Here are some videos that might give you an idea of what to
expect in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Some have example prices
for comparison and reality check. Remember that these prices
are not representative of what you would see in a
regional hub store.  If you check some of these
Vloggers, such as the SomersinAlaska folks, have rural
shopping trips they have recorded too.  It’s apparently
a popular topic for YouTube videos, so do some searches. 😉

The trade off for new teachers on their way to the Bush is
you need to spend some time figuring what you really use and
need that will not spoil in transit. (Check on bypass mail
rates for 1000 lbs or more) You can only carry frozen meat
or other perishables a few times a year, but you can order
the non-perishable staples (rice, pasta, canned goods, boxed
prepared foods, Halloween candy, etc.) ahead of time at
great savings.

Option 2: The Guerilla Shopping Experience

Pros:

• Personal selection of items and
  brands
• Save shipping expenses (see caveat
  below)
• Bush shopping options abound in
  Anchorage!
• Quick delivery if you take to P.O.
  or carrier
• Can carry fresh produce & meat

Cons:

• Physically & emotionally
  draining on newbies!
• Still a significant initial purchase
  cost
• Summer hotels prices in Anchorage
• Need to rent a car or van, get
  boxes, tape, etc.

 

Some long time teachers in the Bush swear by Guerilla
Shopping, and I have personally spent many an hour engaged
in this rather unique activity. Even if you do order the
basics ahead of time, you’ll want to know the rough Guerilla
Shopping techniques, as you will find yourself in Anchorage
or Fairbanks or another regional hub at one time or another.

Seasoned Bush residents always travel with tape, markers
and perhaps even labels to make sure that no opportunity to
fill a box or cooler goes wasted!

The Usual Scenario

You are either on an overnight layover in Anchorage or
Fairbanks, and have only a few hours to buy as much as
possible. You know you will return to the village for a
couple months, maybe longer, without another chance to get
fresh stuff or necessities at prices like this. What’s a guy
or gal to do?

Well, here is a very quick list of tips that nearly all ATP
Forum threads on the subject share:

• Shop with a plan or a list, or you’ll be ineffective!
• Rubbermaid tubs, zip ties for lids, packing tape and
  Sharpie markers – have them with you.
• Keep packing and/or shipping limits in mind at all
  times. Pack as you shop if possible.
• Mail suitcases – you need fresh produce and fresh meat
  more! Make your mailing labels before you leave home, have
  tape!
• Coolers are useful as luggage both in the summer to
  chill, and in the winter to protect produce from cold. No
  ice allowed, but frozen veggies work.

John’s Shopping Tips

These are our family’s tips for shopping while in Anchorage
or a hub city for an hour, a day or a week. We always
travelled prepared to shop, and preferred to guerilla shop,
pack and ship things ourselves most of the time as compared
to have a vendor do it for us. I can only think of perhaps a
handful of times we used the third party shippers at Costco,
Fred Meyer’s or had Walmart ship our things. Those were
cases where slogging it out packing in the parking garage,
or out at the airport was simply not possible due to a close
connection or something. Not everybody wants to do this, and
our tips may not work for you. But, it’s a process and a
toolkit that most rural Alaskans we knew either did parts
of, or had their own strategy to accomplish. You will see
people doing this all over Anchorage or Fairbanks – outside
stores, in the parking lots, at the post office. Here is a
short overview of what we recommend to newbies who ask.

• Have one or two sharpie permanent markers in your carry
  on bag
• A few sheets of blank paper or pre-printed labels with
  your address are a godsend when in a hurry.
• Always over label bags with contact info &
  warnings. If fresh produce, mark “Chill”, or if meat /
  fish, mark “Freeze”. This is in case one of your bags
  doesn’t make flight.
• Travel with a portable luggage scale. Over limit fees
  are horrible!
• A rolling cooler is always one of our pieces of
  luggage. We prefer the Igloo Cube.
• Always have a roll of good clear tape, and a roll of
  duct tape. Do not leave tape in the car when it’s cold.
• Have some kind of tote. The Rubbermaid Roughnecks &
  Home Depot Tough Box (27 gallon size) are our favorites,
  but we still often just ask for free apple boxes from
  Carr’s each trip.
• Apple boxes are best for soda, as they are sturdy, wax
  impregnated against moisture, and just the right weight
  with 4 12-packs of soda & four 2-liter bottles.
• Pack as you go, but stick with your list!
• If using totes, have the holes pre-drilled before you
  go. Carry good zip ties to close them.
• Non-perishables are cheapest to mail. We used the
  Airport Post Office. Never used air freight for dry goods.
• Nearly always mailed our luggage and/or clothes back
  from “Town”, and used our baggage allowance for fresh
  stuff & things we needed.
• Always bring a treat for whoever you left behind. I
  always, always, always brought a dozen roses, and a
  takeout dinner every time I returned.

Shopping On-line

On-line shopping is probably the method most Bush teachers
use to buy things. Don’t buy stuff guerilla shopping that
you are better off getting from Amazon or Walmart.

Amazon Prime is your best friend, but as it is so commonly
used in 2022, we won’t list it here except to update to
their latest speed estimate chart.  For a while they
didn’t offer free shipping to rural Alaska, but they do now.
Remember that Prime means free 2-day shipping in the Lower
48. Up here, it means “fast as humanly possible”, so don’t
expect it after two solar cycles. Let’s just say that 3-7
business days may be a hope, not a promise. Free is good,
though!  Some things may be free from one Amazon
vendor, but not others, so always be careful.

Walmart online ships most things free if it’s over $49.
There are also Bush shipping departments for the all major
grocery and dry goods chains in Alaska (Fred Meyers /
Walmart, etc.), as as some specialty grocers that serve the
Bush. And there are shopping services in Anchorage which
will walk the isles for you, or pick up your orders at
Costco or Fred Meyer’s and ship them out.

Walmart Bush Orders

The following Walmart stores have Bush Shipping departments:

• Store

  2722 in Fairbanks

• Store

  2071 in Anchorage (Dimond Center location)

• Store

  2710 in Ketchikan

It’s important to shop carefully to make sure you don’t end
up paying hidden shipping fees when shopping with on-line
vendors. Sometimes you will find a great special on-line,
only to be told upon checkout that shipping “outside the
United States”, or “outside the Continental United States”
is not possible.

Although everyone has their favorites, some of the best
on-line sources for rural Alaskan are those that
periodically offer free or reduced shipping.

The list of recommended sources at the bottom of the page
will have many more shopping resources that Bush residents
use.

Please try to make in state purchases when ever possible.
It’s good for the state economy and it shows the community
that you as a teacher care for Alaska and support the people
that live here.

Other Bush Grocery Shippers

We don’t have first hand experience with all of these
options, but have seen them recommended by others. Bush
grocery services out of Anchorage, Fairganks and other
regional hubs do change periodically, so your mileage may
vary!

Already linked above are two long-time Bush shopping
services with online interfaces:

• Span-Elite
  (Formerly Span Alaska Sales) – Based out Seattle and
  Anchorage. Been in Bush shopping business since 1972 with
  catalog, and later online sales interfaces.
• Fred
  Meyer Bush Order – Another long-time favorite of
  rural residents

Greatland Grocery & Supply

This Anchorage-based option started 2018 as an online
shopping portal for rural village residents. Their grocery
interface seems well-designed, and can be filtered by
organic, or other options. They offer free USPS shipping on
all items, as well as discounted bypass / bulk shipping to
villages.   

Other Alaska-based shopping services with online ordering:

Buying Bulk Groceries

Many people buy their bulk groceries just a few times a
year. A common approach in coastal villages, or along major
rivers is to order a few large shipments by barge from
Seattle or Anchorage.

There are some communities, however, where placing a major
order for the year results in significant savings, so check
with your district before you go.

On Atka Island in the Aleutians, for instance, there used
to be just one or two barges a year. There was no dock
(there is a dock now), and if you missed that arrangement,
you were limited in what you could have sent on the one mail
flight a week.

It was essential for teachers on Atka to coordinate grocery
shipments well in advance. There are fewer communities with
these limits than there used to be, but make sure you ask
your district before you make assumptions. Some other
communities in the Aleutians get weekly barges all winter,
and you can even order fresh produce all winter. So, it
really is essential to ask questions before you shop.

Shopping for a big order once, twice or three times a year
is a bit of an art. Maybe someone will post tips to this
page on the best way to estimate quantities. You will make
mistakes. Count on it, and just assume there will be a
margin of error to your calculations the first year.

There are several alternatives for bulk items that depend
on what strategy you are using – the three basic approaches
are traditional grocery shippers, on-line retailers, or
spending the time and money to shop for a few days in
Anchorage or Fairbanks. Some teachers pool their orders and
use US Mail’s Bypass
Mail program.  Some of the Alaska-based shippers,
and Span-Elite also leverage Bypass Mail savings for
shipping to the Bush.

For buying your staples, or the things you know you are
going to need over the year, it is wise to think big. The
bigger the quantity you order, the lower you cost.

One of the most common misconceptions about the cost of
living in Alaska is based on the idea that the local store
price of core grocery items are what teachers actually
pay. They usually don’t pay those prices, except when
they run out of something, or want to splurge.

Most teachers don’t buy a jar of Ragu at the local Alaska
Commercial store, but order a couple of cases of Ragu from a
catalog, on-line, or when they are in “town” and can pack
and ship themselves.

Getting Fresh Produce – Specialists

You can use the fresh produce “specialty” shippers. Some
are subscription services where you sign up for weekly or
bimonthly boxes of whatever is available fresh. Some are
more of a locally fresh experience. Some organic. Some sort
of organic. Or, you can use any of the major shopping sites
in Alaska listed below (Fred Meyers, etc.) to shop for
groceries and fresh veggies. Or, you can use the expeditor /
shopping services listed on this page. Whatever you think,
though, it is no longer necessary for you and your family to
do without. Get your fresh produce. It’s worth every penny,
and is getting fresher and less expensive to obtain.

Surprisingly, many Alaskans use coolers to travel with
fresh produce, but not to keep them cold. Quite the
opposite! The coolers protect lettuce and other fragile
produce items for a short while from the extreme cold in the
plane’s hold, belly pod or wing locker and when the winter
temperatures arrive.

Check with people at your site if they have Full Circle
Farms, Meyers Farms, or other produce “box service”
subscription deliveries, and how they like them. Full Circle
and their compeitors ship in produce weekly on different
schedules depending on what you ask for.

Fresh Produce Specialist Examples

Full Circle Farms, based out of the Seattle area since 2006,
has a well established monthly organic grocery subscription
service where boxes of items – some selected seasonally by
them, others selected by you – are shipped on a schedule to
villages in Alaska.  The list seems to change quite a
bit,and some areas also offer “home delivery”. It’s best to
check with their site directly to see if you can receive
their service, and in what format. Each village has to have
volunteers to meet and coordinate deliveries, check your new
or potential zip code directly with their location

page to see about availability and pricing.

The monthly subscription example below is using a sample
zip code. The prices are the actual “landed” or delivered
price in the village. Each location has a few folks who
track shipments, meet the plane and take the boxes to a
central distribution point – often the school.

The way it works is that you sign up online for a box size
level from trendy sounding names (Seed, Sprout, Garden or
Harvest) and their staff determine what is freshest and
makes a nice selection for you each week they ship. You do
get an email telling you what is going to be coming up, and
you can use your online account to make adjustments. You
also have some options that you can set as “never send me”.
If you want additional items, they have an online store, and
you add a fee per pound shipping for those you combine with
your regular order.

Some teachers swear by Full Circle, and the weekly
shipments are the buzz in the teacher lounge at the school.
Others I know have found them a bit expensive, and instead
use Fred Meyers for organic shipments within Alaska, or
other grocery services, such as Greatland where you can
filter for organic produces. Each to their own. Regardless,
Full Circle seemed to me like a good company to deal with,
and they had pretty decent customer service. Worth noting is
that signing up for their Facebook page sometimes will
result in discount coupons for your first order. Other
discounts for new customers are frequently found online with
a quick search.

There is another “subscription
box” service for fresh and organic produce for Alaska
Bush residents. Although they don’t serve the entire state,
Meyers Farm has a fascinating

back

story, a growing number of press articles,
an excellent reputation for reasonable pricing, good
service, and a focus on using Alaska-grown products. Myers
has many teacher customers in villages throughout the Y-K
Delta area.  The owners use advanced cold frame and
other technologies to raise veggies all year in
Bethel.  They also now (October, 2022) offer bulk
shipping to the Nome and Kotzebue
areas.

Here is a quick list of villages that likely fall into the
Meyers Farm delivery area:

Akiachak

Hooper Bay

Nunam Iqua

Akiak

Kalskag

Nunapitchuk

Alakanuk

Kipnuk

Pilot Station

Aniak

Kongiganak

Quinhagak

Anvik

Kotlik

Red Devil

Atmauthluak

Kwethluk

Russian Mission

Bethel (Meyers Farm)

Kwigillingok

St. Mary’s

Chefornak

Lower Kalskag

Scammon Bay

Chevak

Marshall

Shageluk

Chuathbaluk

Mekoryuk

Sleetmute

Crooked Creek

Mt. Village

Toksook Bay

Eek

Napakiak

Tuluksak

Emmonak

Napaskiak

Tuntutuliak

Grayling

Newtok

Tununak

Holy Cross

Nightmute

They ship to villages on the Yukon River,  those on the
Kuskokwim River, and those coastal villages that are part of
the Y-K Delta area.   I generated the list above
because that means Lower Kuskokwim School District (LKSD),
Yupiit School District, Kuspuk School District, and Lower
Yukon School District (LYSD) villages.  If in doubt,
you can reach Tim and Lisa Meyers by email and find out
for sure ([email protected]).

Dairy Products

Back in the old days, we had to use powdered milk most of
the time. The most common brand, still commonly used in the
Bush, was called “Milkman”. Things changed with the
introduction of sterilized, shelf safe milk in the early
90’s.

Real Milk

If you order several cases of sterilized, shelf safe “Real
Milk” in pint containers, the cost is not all that
outrageous. It will be more expensive than a grocery store
in Pittsburgh or Minneapolis, but the net cost is not all
that much higher than in Anchorage or Fairbanks.

Whole Milk

Whole milk is far easier to get than it once was, but is
still quite expensive by Lower 48 standards. A gallon of
milk in some village stores can be over $12, and you need to
watch those expiration dates.

Gallons of milk are treated like perishable produce for
shipping purposes.

And, contrary to what my mother told me, yes, you can
freeze milk!  However, milk should be put into an
air-tight, freezer-safe container prior to freezing.
Many types of milk will also separate and become grainy
after being frozen, but that can be fixed with a blender

Powdered Milk

When I first moved up to Alaska, my family could only get
“Milkman”, a powdered milk substitute that you mix with
water. There really is no need to do this to yourself any
longer, and I don’t recommend it. Some friends of mine STILL
order it. Go figure.

Wine, Beer, Liquor & Marijuana

Alcohol shipping can very tricky, this is one item that is
important to get right, as making a mistake can land you in
serious legal trouble!

Under the “Local Option” rules of the Alaska Alcohol and
Marijuana Control Office (ABC), many Alaskan communities are “dry” or “damp”. They also vary in
rules for marijuana posession and use.

In “dry” villages alcohol sale or posession is illegal. In
“damp” villages the sale alcohol is illegal, but residents
can possess it. Anchorage and Fairbanks liquor stores have
to follow the AMCO rules for creating an account
, and track shipments to local residents. You usually
have to set up an account in person with an Alaska state
driver’s license showing address, or they will not ship any
to you. In addition, some villages that do allow alchol
possession have very specific limits on how much you can
bring in each month, or other controls on possession and
consumption. A “wet” village has no legislated restrictions
on alcohol sale or consumption.

* Alaska Alcohol Local Option List –
Download the 2/25/22 list here

Cannabis became legal for recreational use in spring of
2016, but in general marijuana is legal statewide in Alaska.
Except where it isn’t. 😉 Much like alcohol, some local
communities have added restrictions for local
options regarding use and posession. However, teachers
work for school districts that in some cases have drug
testing rules in their negotiated agreement, and do not
allow teachers to use marijuana due to federal regulations.
I would tread very carefully, and seek clarification from
district staff prior to use, no matter whether your new
community is on the Local Option list below or not.

* Alaska Marijuana Local Option List –
Download the latest here.

Do villages take these rules seriously? Very much so. Some
search all visitors on arrival at the air strip. Others do
not search arrivals. But, even if others in a “dry” village
drink, as a school employee your behavior is scrutinized
very carefully in the community.

Fair Warning!

Alcohol abuse in rural Alaska is a significant problem, and
you need to be sensitive to this when considering a move.
Drinking alcohol where it’s illegal, or smuggling alcohol
into a village will at a minimum reduce your effectiveness
in that community, and could create re-certification
problems. It will probably cost you your job. Oh, and you
could also be arrested and fined. Don’t even think about it.
If alcohol or nightlife are really important to you, please
think about going somewhere else.

Don’t buy from bootleggers, or make “homebrew” from yeast
in a dry village. And, never, ever, ever send alcohol
through the mail to a village! This will get you arrested.
Make sure that your friends and relatives back home don’t
decide to send you any wine or spirits as a gift!

Are There Options in Damp Communities?

Yes! If it’s legal to drink alcohol in the community you
move to, you do indeed have some options. Shipping glass is
expensive by air freight, so some prefer to buy cans of beer
rather than bottles, or boxed wine instead of bottled.

It’s easiest to order while you are in town, but if you
have an account set up in advance – and in person – liquor
stores can ship to you by air freight. It must be marked as
alcohol, and the stores are very careful, and require an
account on file, photo identification, and original
signatures on all orders that must match the ID for you they
have on file. Faxed orders are not possible.

Once you have an account established with a liquor store
(see link above), there is still a monthly maximum on the
amount they will send to you that depends on which community
you live in.

Why is it so difficult? The potential for abuse is high. A
single illegal bottle of cheap vodka, for example can sell
for $100 or more profit in some villages.

Hazardous Materials Shipping

Many people don’t realize how some common household
chemicals and products can be considered hazardous, but they
are by air carriers. These items can almost only be obtained
locally in the village store, or have to arrive by barge.

Some villages, of course, don’t have barge service, and
most do not have this option in the winter months.

Examples of difficult things to ship out to the
Bush:

• Household bleach
• Household cleansers (some kinds)
• Paint
• Propane
• PAM cooking spray
• Alcohol (see section above)

Shopping & Shipping Services

There are several small companies in Anchorage that serve
Bush residents by offering shopping and shipping services. A
couple of the ones we used to list have closed or changed
hands. This one is still in operation, but you may need to
Google for other current listings.

Express Yourself Expeditors (www.expressyourselfexpeditors.com) –
Having served both organizations and individuals in rural
for over 25 years, Express Yourself provides shopping,
packaging and shipping services. Specializing in Costco
Wholesale merchandise, they offer three different service
levels: Self-shops (you shop yourself), Express Yourself
Shops for you or you have Costco do the shopping for you.
They offer shipping by parcel post (cheapest method for
non-perishables), air freight (for perishables and oversize
items) and Bypass Mail for larger or group orders. If you
will be shopping at Costco Wholesale and would like them to
ship your merchandise then when you go to pay for your
merchandise, just ask the cashier for an Express Yourself
order form. You will need to fill it out and leave it with
your merchandise. Express Yourself will then pick it up,
inventory the order, package and then deliver to the carrier
of your choice. Fees vary depending on service requested.
Questions, call 1-800-248-4419, Mon-Fri (9am-5pm). Pay by
major credit/debt card or bank transfer. They are a
USPS-approved Bypass Mail Contractor.

Anchorage: Shopping In Person & Shipping Stuff Out

Carr’s, of course, the Safeway of Alaska. All over
Anchorage.

Carr’s – There are Carr’s supermarkets all around
Anchorage, and they are part of the Safeway chain. Your
Safeway discount card from the Pacific Northwest or
California will work fine at Carr’s. Because our topic is
intendded for teachers either flying out, or shipping
groceries, I’ll only list the Aurora Village location here.
This is the cloest to the airport, a clean, well stocked
store, and has a back route out Northern Lights to the air
cargo places, and the Airport Post Office.

Carr’s Aurora Village
1650 W Northern Lights Blvd
Anchorage, AK 99517
Hours: 24 hours

New Sagaya Markets

New Sagaya is home to a fantastic selection of Asian
grocery needs. Also perhaps the best store in the state for
buying really good, fresh seafood. Located just south of Old
Seward and 36th and also on the corner of Minnesota and
13th, I think. Not a store you’d expect to find in Alaska.
More of a Seattle or Bay Area feel.

New Sagaya Website: https://www.newsagaya.com/

New Sagaya Midtown Market
3700 Old Seward Highway
Anchorage, AK 99503

New Sagaya City Market Downtown
900 West 13th Avenue
Anchorage, AK 99501

Anchorage: Meats & Seafood

3700 Old Seward HighwayAnchorage, AK 99503900 West 13th AvenueAnchorage, AK 99501

Mr. Prime Beef
7521 Old Seward Highway
Anchorage, Alaska 99518
907-344-4066

Simply the best butcher shop in Anchorage. Many Bush
teachers will order from nowhere else, inlcuding the
webmaster at ATP. These guys will pack your order (with a
day or two notice) to travel as baggage, or ship out to the
Bush. Great weekly
specials you can swing by and grab for pickup on your
way to the airport. They also have preset selections or “packs”
of meats for shipping out.  Excellent quality meats,
poultry and seafood. Recommended.

Anchorage: General Merchandise

Costco Membership Warehouse

Although there are multiple locations for both these chains in
Anchorage, I am only listing the ones closest to Midtown and
airport.

• Costco Dimond location – South
  Anchorage, very near Dimond Center Mall

Although there are multiple locations for both these chains in Anchorage, I am only listing the ones closest to Midtown and airport.

Walmart Stores

In addition to Walmart’s excellent online ordering and
shipping options (orders over $50 ship free?), one of the
two in Anchorage also does Bush orders. There are two
Walmart stores in Anchorage, but the one near Dimond Center
Mall also has a Bush Order department. They indeed also have
a Bush Order Pharmacy at this location.

Prices and selection at Alaska’s Walmart stores are mostly
the same as other Pacific Northwest Walmart stores. There
may be minor price difference, but for the most part, you
can shop at the Walmart back home to get product part
numbers and prices, and then submit your order to the
Anchorage store on your way through town to have things
shipped via their Bush Order department. This is very useful
if you are only going to be in Anchorage overnight, or for a
short time.

Wal-Mart South charges you a set percentage fee (plus
shipping) if you have them pack and ship your order. Don’t
forget that Walmart online has free shipping on most orders
of $49.

Wal-Mart South Anchorage (Near Dimond
Center Mall)
8900 Old Seward Hwy
Anchorage AK 99515
(907) 344-5300
(800) 833-2874
Email: [email protected]

Wal-Mart Mid Town (Near Sears Mall) – Does
not do bush orders.
3101 A Street
Anchorage AK 99503
(907) 563-5900

Anchorage: Fast Food Fixes

Some takeout pizza, Chinese food, or Subway sandwiches are
a real treat thing to hand carry back on the plane, or have
delivered for a mid-winter pick-me-up. Here are some of our
favorites:

Moose’s
Tooth Pizza
3300 Old Seward Highway
Anchorage, Alaska
907-258-2537 – Allow an hour for orders!

Very, very popular California style pizza & brew pub
with a much better new website. They have great pizza, and a
funky atmosphere. Recommended. Huge lines, but worth the
wait!

Pizza
Olympia
2809 Spenard Rd.
Anchorage, AK 99503
(907) 561-5264

Run by the Maroudas family since 1984. Great pizzas &
Greek food! Located right across from REI, and not far from
the airport. Their complete menu is online. This was the
go-to pizza your webmaster would regularly carry onto the
airplane to feed the family when I arrived back in the
village.

Bush Tip:  You can duct tape two
large pizzas together, and make a handle out of tape. This,
or almost any fast food fix, can be a “carry on” for your
flight to the village.

Anchorage: Liquor Stores

Brown Jug Warehouse
4140 Old Seward Highway
Anchorage, Alaska
907-563-3008
800-478-2413

Fairbanks: General Merchandise

Walmart Stores

Prices and selection at Alaska’s Walmart stores are mostly
the same as other Pacific Northwest Walmart stores. There
may be minor price difference, but for the most part, you
can shop at the Walmart back home to get product part
numbers and prices, and then submit your order to the
Anchorage store on your way through town to have things
shipped via their Bush Order department. This is very useful
if you are only going to be in Anchorage overnight, or for a
short time.

Wal-Mart Fairbanks – Bush Order
537 Johansen Expressway
Toll Free: 877-451-9921
Fairbanks, AK 99701
Fax: 907-451-9930

On-line: Pet Supplies

There are a couple of PETCO stores in Anchorage, but their
website does also ship to Alaska. I personally didn’t use
them, though, as I typically shipped dog food out using
these guys:

Alaska Mill and Feed – This
pet supply store has a good variety of dog and pet food, and
low shipping costs.

On-line: Winter Clothing

We get many questions about outdoor and winter clothing.
This is natural, as many mentally picture Alaska as a winter
wonderland, and teachers moving up are frequently from all
parts of the United States. You will need something to first
arrive in, and then choose winter clothing. It seems that
consensus of educators already here is mostly to wait until
you arrive to get the “real” winter clothing you will need.

Here some general moving and shopping information from
Yupiit School District  that talks a little about
clothing:

•   Yupiit School District Moving Guide
  – This is just a sample of a district moving guide. We
  used to feature the BSSD one, but it is offline.

As someone who bought a bunch of gear that I could not
afford before I came up, and then saw that cold weather gear
rot in storage for years, I’d agree. Alaska has several very
distinct climate zones, and you will need local knowledge to
buy appropriately.

I’d recommend the following Alaska Starter Kit
for arrival, and get what else you need when you are here.
No matter where you go, this will get you there and probably
through the first two months of school easy:

• Parka shell – Uninsulated, waterproof ($150 – $300)
• Polarplus or wool sweater – Soft, polypro material ($35
  – $150)
• Lightweight glove liners – Polypro, or “Mechanix” gloves
  ($10 – $30)
• Light polypro stocking cap or waterproof hat ($10 – $30)

Tip: It’s wet most places in July &
August. Cheap rain boots are easy to find in Anchorage. Many
prefer Xtratuf Neoprene boots. Lightweight
polypro underwear is another good thing to consider for the
first couple of months.

In fact, I wore a similar setup most of the year up here in
the Bering Strait region for day-to-day moving around the
village, with the addition of Patagonia midweight polypro
underwear in winter. I only worethe real winter gear, and
pac boots from late November until about end of February or
early March, or when travelling by small plane.

If you are doing outdoor activities during the main thrust
of winter, such as snowmobiling, skiing, ice fishing or
snowshoing, all of these activities usually have fairly
specialized clothing. Your fellow teachers will fill you in.

If you are determined to buy before you come up, here are
several online companies that I see lots of boxes from at
the post office…and that I’ve dealt with:

• Cabela’s

  Outfitters – Good selection, good
  shipping. Regular clothes, too.

• REI
  – Another favorite up here. Lots of choices, good
  shipping. Store in Anchorage if you want to touch before
  you buy. Regular clothes, too.

Here are some personal recommendations of vendors I’ve used
over the years for winter clothing:

• Sierra Trading Post
  – Great prices, closeouts and bargains. Can’t recommend
  these guys enough.
• L.L.Bean
  – Good winter gear, but especially so on sale. I got a
  down parka here for under $100, and it kept me warm all
  winter. If you get their credit card, shipping is always
  free.
• Campmor
  – Oodles of quality gear, good prices, ships US Mail(!)
  and has great phone support.
• Weaver

  &

  Devore – Excellent “Canada Goose”
  connection for serious winter! Prices are in Canadian
  dollars. Cheaper than Anchorage when shipped by Canadian
  Postal Service. I bought the “Snow Mantra” from them, and
  put a thick wolf ruff on it, as is common here. I will
  never need another winter coat.

Alaska stores that ship outdoor gear to the Bush, and that
I’ve used successfully many times:

• Big

  Ray’s – Fairbanks store with good gear,
  ships US Mail. Their lines included Alaska favorites like
  Carhardt insulated coveralls, bunny boots, and a “made for
  Alaska” value line for kids called “Activ 8”.

• 6th Avenue Outfitters
  – Anchorage outfitter with great gear. Got my Carhardt
  Extreme overalls embroidered for $10 extra. Ships US Mail.
  This store also carries the Alaska Activ 8 line my own
  kids grew up in.

Hope this helps! If you find suggestions or corrections,
please let us
know with a quick note.