Hello Mai, Sorry noone responded to your post - I guess that means the rest of us lack any experience in that area. I've been to Alaska but that was in July and I was without my cello. I imagine January will be very dangerous for the cello...If I were you I would probably rent one there.

Please let us know how your trip goes and how your cello survives!

Take your cello! I have had many trips up north, Canada, Russia, Upstate NY, which was actually the coldest, -15 deg. If you follow a few rules you should be fine. The two main atmospheric conditions you need to worry about are temp and humidity. Humidity is easy with a dampit or other such device. Every time you're putting your cello back in its case give the dampit a little squeeze. If it is stiff (as it will tend to get if it has given away all it's moisture) then soak it again. If it is still squishy then you're fine to keep using it as is. This method will keep you safe from the extreems of humidity which you need to be most concerned with. N.B. your cello will sound better the dryer it is (less mass, more rigid structure etc). If I have a big acoustic performance I will let her dry out a bit before the show. If you've had your cello for a while, you will be able to gage its tolerances and know when it is happy. Now the hard part, temp. Start with a good case. The new carbon fiber cases form a pretty good seal around the instrument. This will help you maintain a body of warm air around your cello when you are moving it. People up north really have staying warm figured out. Therefore in the car, plane, concert hall, hotel, you should be fine. The trick is moving to and from the car to these various locations. First of all make sure the distances you are walking the cello are minimal. If you are moving the cello from your hotel room to the car, just have the car running, warm, and parked as close as possible to the room. This method will work in most situations. Now if it is "burn your face off cold" I would suggest running or at least moving as fast as possible. Once you have the cello inside the venue and away from the cold, open the case to release any cold air that might have gotten inside and start getting the cello used to it's new environment. Keep this stuff in mind and you should be fine. Best of Luck. Alfred p.s. check out the new carbon fiber Luis and Clark cellos they are built like tanks and sound great. www.alfredjamesband.com