Antarctica What to Pack

  ready to go
by liquidkitty1
 
  • ready to go
      ready to go
    by liquidkitty1
  • Ship's Shop
      Ship's Shop
    by LynCod
  • Many items available
      Many items available
    by LynCod
  • My Sara with Daniela - a most helpful person.
      My Sara with Daniela - a most helpful...
    by 850prc
  • Bonnie and Sara all decked out in the rental gear
      Bonnie and Sara all decked out in the...
    by 850prc
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

It's not as cold as you imagine.

by 850prc

I'd suggest taking duffel-bag style luggage - very easy to stuff away into the ship's storage areas. Most boats have Wellington waterproof boots for the passengers. Otherwise, you really only need a pair of decent tennis shoes, and maybe some lounging around shoes or sandals for on-board. Don't overpack. You don't need snow boots and such.You'll need a waterproof jacket/parka and waterproof pants, something long that can go over the outside of your Wellies. Bring layers - simple fleece shells, long-sleeve knit shirts, etc. And of course, for going outside, you're going to want long underwear. I'd suggest bringing two pair of polyproylene tops and bottoms each. They dry fast, and that will keep you good to go if you need a little time to dry one pair ahead of another landing. Also get a couple of pair of polypropylene sock liners.When you wear your Wellingtons (Wellies), put on the...

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You can always rent your gear

by 850prc

One option for those visiting from warmer climates (we came from Florida, for example) is to rent colder weather gear. I mean, sure... you can spend $400 on a parka and some waterproof cold-weather pants, but what the heck are you going to do with it back home? We rented parkas and waterproof pants from a place called Antarctic Equipment, located in Ushuaia, Argentina. You could probably find a similar place in Punta Arenas, Chile. (You could find other places in Ushuaia, but I will recommend Antarctic Equipment because of their quality service and attention to detail - thanks, Daniela)To get a feel for the cost savings, we all three rented cold weather gear for the trip and spent a total of $300. Buying for all three of us would have been about $1200. Saved a bundle.Our boat - and most boats - do have a supply of Wellington waterproof boots. But if you have really hard to fit feet or...

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Warmer than I expected

by JessieLang

Small day pack or fanny pack. You can't take a lot of stuff ashore with you, so you don't need a huge backpack. I just carried my camera, extra batteries, tiny notebook and pen. I brought clothing for extreme weather, and didn't use all of it. We were ashore for an hour at a time; it would be different if you were outside all day. I didn't need the long underwear or the expensive bulky gloves. (I wore the knit gloves I had expected to use as liners for the other ones.)What you do need:Waterproof pants, cap, gloves, heavy socks, sweaters and/or fleece jacket with windbreaker over it (or just a windproof warm jacket), knee high rubber boots, sunglasses. Check with your tour company, because some of them provide the boots. Mine also provided an expedition jacket (lined windbreaker.) Hand cream! (The air is amazingly dry) Seasick remedy of choiceAdequate supply of any meds you use...

antarctic packing essentials

by liquidkitty1

one suitcase and water resistant backpack. pack light since you will be charged by the airline if overweight. we kept our cases under the bed and there was lots of room in the cabin-closet/hooks. dress in layers, it's not as cold as you might think! down parka with pockets.thin fleeces, long underwear, wool socks, couple t shirts long/short, a few sweaters (light warm cashmere or wool).comfortable shoes for the ship. i wore uggs since they were light, quick to pull on and toasty! (not much traction on a wet deck though)tight hat, scarf, two pairs gloves, and possibly a larger thin wp mitt to put over for wet zodiac rides. select a ship which provides wellington boots;you have to go through a foot bath coming and going and regular hiking boots will not be up to it. you will also be getting in/out of a zodiac so will need higher boots. toward the end of the trip there will be a...

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Camera gear: part 2

by leigh767

I didn't see a need to bring a tripod, and was perfectly fine lugging around 2-3 heavy lenses without using one to take photos. I did see a guy using a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS using it though (understandly so!). But out of 114 people, only 2 brought a tripod, and another a monopod. So if you want to pack light, a tripod is not necessary.

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Strong sun!

by leigh767

The UV rays are VERY strong in Antarctica because of the thin ozone layer. So please bring sunblock (SPF 45 recommended) and sunglasses. I had a friend who actually got a headache after standing out in the sun for a while.

Camera gear

by leigh767

Waterproof camera bag will be important as the weather changes quickly and it could rain. Also, you could get wet in the zodiacs. For those who plan to bring an SLR (that is, not a small point and shoot consumer camera) I recommend two lenses. The Sigma 10-20mm is unbelievable when it comes to taking wide angle shots. I can't imagine my photos without that. Also, my Canon 70-200mm f/4 IS L was great for the nature shots. You could bring a faster lens like the f/2.8 version, but I never had trouble shooting in the summer conditions with the f/4 (plus, it's much lighter!) Zoom is so important because the birds, whales, glaciers and sometimes even penguins are far away. I brought the Canon 1.4x extender, which was quite good too. For a sample of what these lens can do, visit my Antarctica galleries: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2156262&l=dcfb6&id=202900103...

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How to keep warm and dry

by leigh767

I went to Antarctica from Jan 5-15. Honestly, aside from the strong winds in the Drake Passage, it was never that cold. Temperatures were about zero degrees celsius. Here's what you will find useful: Double layered hat/beanie, a turtleneck or a neck gator, a good waterproof jacket (or just buy a can of waterproofing spray from a drug store), waterproof pants, and a pair of gloves (ordinary ones are fine). For the more adventurous, pack swim suit for the polar plunge. Boots are not necessary as the cruise provides you with it (at least Quark does).

Seasickness

by leigh767

The Drake Passage is the terrible part about travelling to Antarctica. I have never been seasick but I lost to the Drake Passage with its terrible waves. (Also, ship didn't have a stabilizer) Remember: BRING SEASICK PILLS/EAR PATCHES!

Antarctica- many items/services provided by ship

by Ski_Entropy

Pack an additional soft duffel to take all the extra items home with you. You will probably receive a parka and other goodies as part of the excursion, leave room. Many of our travel mates had to purchase additional luggage, which is not cheap in Ushuaia. Slippers and town walking shoes will suffice. Shore boots (check with your company) are provided on the ship. Even if you have your own boots it is best to wear the provided shore boots, because you scrub them every time you enter the ship, thus not transporting stuff (microbes, feces, etc.) from site to site. All toiletries, except toothpaste was provided. The photo gear aboard the ship was unreal. Everyone had the latest and greatest. I bought my wife a 500mm lenses for Safari's, which was nice to have and took some excellent shots, but everyone else had big cannon's as well. Shot composition is most important, having a great all...

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Reviews and photos of Antarctica attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Antarctica sightseeing.

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Questions and Answers

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Q:  Hello, I'm so excited about my trip to Antarctica on 2/19 on Quark. Questions for those who've been there - 1. packing -... 

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A: There is a tiny place on Deception Island, where the ground is so hot that you can dig out a hole and let the sea-water in that will allow you to take a bath in hot... 

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