Antarctica Packing Checklist
I’ve now been to Antarctica twice, first with Nationwide Geographic Expeditions with my 8-year-old, and most just lately with Adventures By Disney with my 12-year-old. I initially included this packing listing in my second weblog publish, nevertheless it makes extra sense to make it a separate publish so I can increase on a number of issues.
On the constitution flights to/from Ushuaia, every individual can have one checked bag not more than 50 kilos (23kg) and one carry-on not more than 17.6 kilos (8kg). We introduced two Patagonia rolling duffels with further house, every of which was round 40 kilos, and two carry-on backpacks. I’m positive my backpack was over 30 kilos, nevertheless it was by no means weighed. It’s arduous to carry a laptop computer and digital camera gear and be underneath 18 kilos. In case you carry climbing poles, examine them! I noticed a number of individuals who have been despatched again to the check-in desks as a result of they have been making an attempt to take their steel-tipped poles by way of safety.
It’s usually 30-40F (0-5C) in Antarctica in the course of the summer time. I used to be briefly sleeves on the ship and my daughter was sometimes in a hoodie or sweatshirt, and on shore excursions we normally needed to shed layers after 20 minutes. We didn’t take something formal or good with us. The ultimate evening on the ship the captain and crew have been dressed up and all of us seemed like adventurers. Not an enormous deal.
Generally, assume waterproof and assume layers. You possibly can pack gentle by bringing base layers for the highest and backside, waterproof pants, and a pair fleece/wool higher layers for beneath your expedition jacket. I’ve overpacked on each journeys. That is what I’ll pack after I return – no extra and no much less!
My optimum Antarctica packing listing:
- Shorts, a t-shirt and a collared shirt for Buenos Aires (it was within the 90s)
- Two pairs denims
- Waterproof pants or waterproof ski pants. Mine have been waterproof they usually have been soaked after our closing Zodiac journey within the pouring rain. In case you simply have skinny waterproof pants, possibly take sweat pants or one thing else to go underneath them.
- Heat, waterproof gloves. I additionally had medium-weight gloves that weren’t waterproof they usually have been nugatory.
- A heat beanie
- A gaiter
- Two long-sleeve merino wool t-shirts (Unbound Merino)
- Lengthy underwear
- A merino wool sweatshirt (Unbound Merino)
- A fleece
- Underwear
- Ten pairs merino wool socks
- A heat, waterproof jacket (for Tierra del Fuego Nationwide Park)
- Pajamas (there have been a number of pajama gown days on our ship)
- A swimsuit
- Strolling sneakers
- Slippers (they have been the one footwear I wore on the ship)
- Mountain climbing poles
- A dry bag (for my digital camera on the Zodiacs)
- Sun shades
- Sunscreen. Adventures By Disney had sunscreen on board, so that is most likely non-obligatory when you’re touring with them.
- Snacks – a number of M&Ms for cabin snacks and granola bars for journey days. We additionally introduced ginger chews.
- Energy banks for the journey days particularly
- Props. We introduced Santa hats. Others had Hawaiian shirts and penguin costumes. Carry one thing enjoyable for pictures!
- Plug adaptors. I repeatedly used each European and Argentinian adaptors – within the resort, on the ship and on the airport. There was virtually at all times a US outlet accessible as effectively.
- A digital camera, though the iPhone can seize a number of scenes in addition to any digital camera. I took my Canon 6D MII with a 24-105 lens, a 70-200 lens, and a 1.4 extender. My daughter used my lengthy lens on her Canon most of the time and I primarily shot with the 24-105 lens. FYI, I took 3,825 pictures in Antarctica. Over 2/3 of them have been with my iPhone.
- A laptop computer and an exterior arduous drive. I used down time on the ship to edit pictures.
- Regular toiletries. There’s lotion, shampoo and conditioner on most ships so that you don’t have to carry these.
- Drugs. We didn’t want to make use of something from our medical/antibiotics kit. We went by way of 24 Dramamine tablets between the 2 of us, simply to stop nausea when the boat was rocking slightly. We had extra severe nausea meds within the medical package if we would have liked them.
My daughter took comparable issues, however primarily wore leggings underneath her waterproof pants as an alternative of lengthy underwear. She wore flannel pajama bottoms a number of the time on board. She introduced extra sweatshirts, hoodies and sweaters than I did.
Issues we took to Antarctica however didn’t want:
- Books – we introduced three books and a Kindle and didn’t open any of them
- A Bluetooth speaker – we used it a pair instances however may have gotten by with out it, and most cabins got here with audio system
- Flip-flops. My slippers have been ok, even for the pool.
- Laundry cleaning soap – we lived in merino wool, which may simply go 7-10 days with out being washed
- A separate day pack – it’s simpler to go on shore with out a backpack in any respect
- A sweater – the ship was at all times heat, and I had different layers for excursions
- A second digital camera. My first journey I at all times took two digital camera our bodies on shore to have the ability to seize every thing. With present cellphone digital camera high quality, that’s not mandatory.
- Mountain climbing pants. Unsure what I used to be considering.
Antarctica Packing Checklist – Your Flip
Have you ever been to Antarctica? Is there something I’m lacking in my listing that you just discovered it worthwhile to pack?
