Clothes & Gear in Antarctica: Packing for the Unknown
In the months leading up to Antarctica, I amassed a ridiculous amount of clothing and equipment in preparation for our trip. Keep in mind – my single snow experience occurred in 1995, when we got 6 inches of snow in Bakersfield during La Nina. So basically, I had no idea what to really expect.
I performed many a Google search for things like “what to wear in Antarctica” and “clothes to pack for Antarctica”. More often than not, the results weren’t too helpful – advice ranged from the expedition-level (no, I am not hiking 50 miles at 9000 ft elevation) to the outdated.
Below, I’ve listed everything I brought, with comments on what was/wasn’t necessary. Our trip was towards the beginning of the Antarctic summer, so temperatures were mild at about 30F degrees (give or take a few degrees due to wind chill factor). Additionally, what was originally a 6 day trip was unexpectedly extended to 9 days, which I was not entirely prepared for. We had a 25kg weight limit on our Antarctica luggage, so we had to carefully choose what to bring.
The Packing List
- 1 North Face snowboarding jacket
You’ll want something that is water resistant (if not waterproof) with detachable layers for space efficiency - 3 midweight base layers
I wore these on top of a tank top, underneath my jacket, and was good to go for any kind of weather. My Antarctica shopping coincided with the annual REI sale, so I raided the SmartWool section for their midweight zip bases - 1 pair of waterproof pants
My pants consisted of a light durable shell, which I could layer with… - 3 pairs of midweight long underwear
Stylish, I know. Some passengers wore snowboarding pants, which works well, too. I wanted to avoid bulkiness, so I opted for a waterproof layer + long johns - 6 pairs of heavyweight socks
Wool is great, if you don’t mind splurging. Knee-high socks to provide extra insulation and comfort in the rainboots you’ll be trekking in - 1 wool beanie
- 1 wool neck gaiter
To protect the exposed bits of your neck and pull up to cover the lower half of your face. I also brought along a regular scarf, but found the gaiter more useful on those chilly, windy Zodiac rides - 1 pair of heavy duty, insulated gloves
Important: your fingers are the first to succumb to the cold, and it’s surprisingly miserable when you can’t feel your fingers while trying to maintain a good grip on the edge of a Zodiac - 1 pair of glove liners
Layered with the big bulky gloves above, so you can slip them off to access camera controls and buttons - 2 pairs of sunglasses
Very important! With a thin ozone and sun reflecting off all the snow and ice, eye protection was crucial. In fact, we weren’t allowed to go on zodiac / foot expeditions without them - Sneakers
For walking around the ship. I know this will vary from company to company, but Antarctica XXI provided rubber boots for us to wear, so we didn’t have to bring anything special - Miscellaneous
This includes normal clothing, like tank tops, t-shirts, jeans, sweatpants, etc. for lounging on the ship. I also brought some nicer/dressier tops for Christmas (and surprisingly, New Years) celebration.
The above list worked fairly well for me, despite our extended stay. Disclaimer: I like the cold, so warmth was not too much of an issue for me. However, I know that many don’t have the same ah, affinity for cold as I do, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt :)
If I had to repack, I would have brought a few extra pairs of socks, but that’s about it. It’s likely that your clothes will get soaked with the snow and sleet – we had radiators in our cabins, which made it easy to quickly dry small items like gloves and neck gaiters.