1. It’s Should Be Called A Snow Machine Not A Snowmobile
While the bottom 48 insist on calling it a snowmobile implying some sort of recreational value, Alaskans know that these motorized snow-sleds are true tools required for living in the state.
When the snow starts coming down cold and heavy, Alaskans will often be forced to leave even the most rugged four-wheel drivers at home and grab their snow machines for a quick trip into town. But let’s be honest, most of the time it’d just be easier to own you’re a personal SnoGo.
2. Alaskan Super Mosquitos Would Make For A Great SyFy Movie Monster
When Alaska starts to warm up a little the spring and summer months bring with them a whole new slew of challenges: The giant mosquito swarms.
A flat tire can quickly convince the unlucky few they’ve been caught in some sort of plague, as there’s almost no way to prevent getting bit if one of these blood thirsty groups finds you. There’s a reason these creatures have been referred to several times as the “unofficial state bird.”
3. That Cleats Are For Moving Vertically
Another recreational tool most Americans take for granted, shoes with spikes aren’t just for running faster in the gridiron. Any Alaskan that’s been around long enough has a great pair of ice cleats they can wear when they’re out and about and the snow starts melting a bit.
Obviously it goes without saying, but snowshoes are just as necessary, and an Alaskan knows when to use each properly.
4. The Days Of Buying Cheap Frozen Food Are Over
It becomes obvious fairly new Alaskan transplant that everything is a bit pricier in America’s “Last Frontier.”
High import prices can make favorites in the frozen food aisle cost up to twice as much as they would anywhere else in the country, sometimes even more. Long gone are the days in Alaska where a college kid can survive on frozen Lean Cuisines alone.
5. Fortunately, Alaska Puts East Coast Seafood To Shame
What Alaska loses in the highly processed, frozen foods department, it makes up for in the amazing selection of fresh seafood. Sending out brave workers into the true wild to hunt native creatures like salmon, halibut, and Alaskan king crab, these boats get some of largest hauls in the country.
The good news for Alaskans is that before it’s frozen and shipped out to the rest of the world, they get first dibs.
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6. Reindeer Are Real, And They Taste Great
When an Alaskan isn’t chowing down on fresh grabs from the sea, there’s a good chance they’re ordering some sort of meat that most Americans would place in the “foreign things I’m not brave enough to try” category.
Animals like reindeer and elk are often preferred over burgers and chicken simply because they’re easier to get and because they taste roughly 10 times better.
7. Warming Up Isn’t As Simple As Turning Up The Thermostat
In a place where special tools, like oil pan heaters, are required to coax a vehicle to start and temperatures can dip far into the double-digit negatives for days on end, Alaskans have to get a little creative when it comes to getting cozy.
With most places having no access to a gas pipeline and fuel often costing well over $4 a gallon, anything that uses renewable resources, like an outdoor wood boiler, is a must.
8. Forget Texas, Everything Is Way Bigger In Alaska
Not only is Alaska roughly a fifth of the size of the lower 48, able to house over 400 Rhode Islands or all of the smallest 21 states combined, it’s also twice as large as the state known for doing it big.
And “big” doesn’t just stop at geography in Alaska. Everything from the animals native to the area, to the plants people grow, to the natural formations seem to exist on an immensely more massive space than anywhere else in the country.
What can I say, Alaska is epic. Deal with it.
9. Don’t Mess With The Moose
While many Americans would stop to take pictures or comment on how cute these beasts are, Alaskans know them as two things: a danger on the road or a great bite to eat.
With some moose weighing up to 1,600 pounds and standing over 6 feet tall, their natural aggressive territorial nature coupled with their boldness on stretches of roads, make the moose something ever Alaskan knows to watch out for, as deadly accidents are far from unheard of.
10. Living in Alaska Ain’t For Sissies
Every Alaskan has mastered survivalist skills and aren’t caught off guard if their day suddenly turns into a scene from “Home Improvement.” Duct Tape and do-it-yourself projects become an Alaskan’s best friends, especially during the rougher winter months.
11. But Most Of All, Every Alaskan Understands Why They Would Never Dream Of Living Anywhere Else
Sure, there are a few challenges that being in Alaska inherently poses: the long winters, the extra hours of sunlight, the often unnavigable roads, but for the residents these are trivial tradeoffs for being in the state they’ve grown to love.
With the incomparable beauty of the landscape, the most amazing fresh meats in the world, the never-ending opportunities to get active outside, and the strong sense of community, living in what may truly be America’s last wild frontier can provide a unique set of experiences that simply can’t be topped in any other part of the world.
Did we miss anything? Tell us what you think is unique about Alaska in the comments below!
