Working the Slope? How to send gifts home while you're gone
Two weeks on means missing some birthdays. Here's how to plan gifts around a hitch, so the people at home still feel it on the day.
By Jenn Scheller, ArtisticVisionAK. . 4 minute read.
A lot of my orders come from somewhere else: the Slope, a platform in the Inlet, a mine or a boat. You're gone half the month, and a birthday doesn't wait for a hitch to end. Here's how I'd plan it.
You're far from the only one working away
| The Kenai Peninsula and work away | Number | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Kenai Peninsula residents in North Slope oil and gas jobs | 978 | 2020 |
| Their share of Alaska-resident Slope oil workers | 23.6% | 2020 |
| Borough resident workers who commuted elsewhere in Alaska | 17.7% of 24,511 | 2021 |
| Alaska metal mining and support jobs | 3,533 | 2024 |
| Offshore oil platforms in Cook Inlet | 17 | 2024 |
Most Slope jobs run two weeks on and two weeks off, and a hitch usually means 12-hour days, every day. On that rotation you're gone about 26 weeks a year, so odds are good a birthday or anniversary lands while you're up north.
Plan around your rotation, not the calendar
- Before you fly out, look at the next two weeks and write down every birthday, anniversary and school event you'll miss.
- Order before your hitch starts, and put the day it should land in the delivery date at checkout. I text you within a day to confirm.
- Give me the card message and any allergies up front. A 12-hour shift doesn't leave much time to trade texts.
- Pick their home or their workplace. I deliver to either and send you a photo when it lands.
What to put in it
Build it around them. Their favorite color, the candy they sneak, tea or coffee, the scent they like. That's what says you were paying attention from the other end of the state.
For the guys, the men's line is packed for it: beard care, a flashlight, a fire starter and jerky, in wood or steel. For everyone else, the ready-made baskets start at $50.
If you're sending something north yourself
My baskets go to homes and workplaces here on the Kenai, not to camp. If you're mailing something up to the Slope on your own, skip the bottle. Slope worksites are alcohol-free by company policy, and most workers fly up on company planes out of Anchorage.
Quick answers
Can I order from the Slope and have it delivered at home?
Yes. Order on your phone, pick the delivery town and the day it should land at checkout, and I deliver it by hand. You get a photo when it lands.
How far ahead should I order?
Before your hitch starts, if you can, so the date is set before you're on shift. If it's last minute, message me and I'll tell you what's possible.
Do you ship to the North Slope?
No. I hand-deliver on the central Kenai: Sterling, Soldotna, Kenai, Kasilof, Nikiski, Cooper Landing and Ninilchik.
What if I work on a boat or at a mine?
Same plan. Order before you leave, set the date, and I take it from there.