GENERAL INFO (HOUSING, PACKING LIST, ETC.)
LOCATION & RECREATION
Anchorage is a beautiful city on the west coast of Alaska. It has a subarctic climate with a maritime influence making it cooler than the contiguous US and slightly more rainy. It’s important that you bring a rain jacket and rain gear for some of our adventures out into the wilderness.
HOUSING
We will all be living in student housing on the University of Alaska Anchorage. We will live 4-6 people per apartment, each with its own kitchen. While space will be tight, but you’ll get to know your friends on project very well!
MEALS
Kitchens are fully equipped and you will be cooking together with the other people in your apartment. FOOD IS NOT PROVIDED IN THE PROJECT COST although we will stock your apartment with groceries for the first week of project orientation to help give you time to find a job. Food will be provided on guided camping/fishing trips as well as weekly Bible Study dinners and a weekly dinner and communion time…but after the first week, groceries are up to you. You may want raise up to $450 extra to reimburse food costs.
CLOTHES
Plan to bring only those clothes and other items that are necessary, as space is tight and airline guidelines can be limiting. In Anchorage, the weather is pretty mild with average temperatures in the 60’s mostly with some days in the 70’s. Bring your regular clothes and also some nice clothes for jobs and for church. Also, the weather can be pretty wet some summers, so we highly suggest some non- cotton products: long-underwear, Merino Wool socks, Nylon or polyester pants, light gloves, good jacket, etc. We find that layers are key. Because we generally follow our outdoor plans and don’t change due to weather, it’s good to come prepared. “There’s no bad weather…just bad gear” is a good philosophy for Alaska. Nothing heavy is usually needed as often the days warm up nicely and we even sneak in a few scorchers every summer.
If you plan to work a retail job (i.e.: Nordstrom etc.), bring appropriate clothes and shoes.
Women: With your appearance, please use wisdom and discretion. In selecting swimwear, choose a modest one-piece bathing suit or a conservative tankini.
Download SUGGESTED ITEMS TO BRING
FISHING PERSPECTIVE & GEAR
People spend millions of dollars from around the world to fish Alaska. You’ll have the opportunity for a world-class fishing experience if you want one. This is obviously one of the biggest draws to Alaska and most of us will enjoy this aspect but it is not our mission nor is it our focus. Come with a mindset of being on mission and you will be pleasantly surprised by enjoying a few excursions to Alaska’s beauty. If you come with a “fishing trip” mindset, you’ll be disappointed with the lack of opportunity.
You can bring some fishing equipment or purchase it once you get to Anchorage. The project will provide some fishing equipment you can check out, mainly heavy tackle for catching salmon, but not enough for everyone to use at once. Costco or Wal-Mart in Anchorage also have inexpensive rod/reel combos for about $45 that will do the job. There is also no shame in borrowing fishing equipment from relatives and friends. If you don’t know how to fish, we’ll train you up.
Our one project wide fishing expedition will be targeting Red Salmon in early June.
Fishing permits
Non-resident fishing permits range from $145 for an annual permit to $20 for a one-day permit and $35 for a three-day permit. Yes, they are a little pricey. King salmon stamps are $100 for a season or $10 per day. You can check out permit costs at:
(The home page for the Alaska Department of Fisheries is: http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/.)
Our philosophy on annual permits is to go ahead and get one and take advantage of what could be a once in a lifetime opportunity to fish in Alaska. If you’re on a tight budget, buy permits on a ‘payment plan,’ purchasing 1- and 3-day permits for $20-$35 each when you know you’re going fishing. You may end up spending almost the same as an annual permit would have cost. Sorry, fishing permits cannot be reimbursed.
One last perspective on fishing: you do not need to fish on this project to have a great summer! It may sound like we’re all about fishing on this project, but that’s not the case. We’re all about trusting God to develop us into the men He wants us to be. Being adept at fishing is not a requirement to be a Godly person.
PERSONAL MAIL & PACKAGES
Your mailing address this summer will be:
UAA Conference Services
Attn: Campus Crusade & Recipient’s Name
3700 Sharon Gagnon Lane
Anchorage, AK 99508
IMPORTANT: Do not have any mail or packages arrive before June 9th.
If you have questions for the Director Team, the best way to contact us is via e-mail. Please direct all questions to kirk.brower@uscm.org (for men) and kristen.hamm@uscm.org (for women) and we will do our best to answer them.