What to pack for a trip to Antarctica

For most travellers, a holiday to Antarctica is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as well as the most extreme environment they will ever have visited. Packing appropriately is vital - beyond whatever’s on offer in your ship’s boutique, there’s no hope of picking up last-minute essentials here.

Following my own recent visit to Antarctica with Eyos Expeditions, here are some tried-and-tested products to consider for your own expedition, alongside the core essentials that every visitor should ensure they bring.

Muck Boots

Before departure we were told it was essential we packed a pair of muck boots, and during the journey it emerged that almost all of us had acquired a pair from The Original Muck Boot Company.

That’s perhaps a result of their search-engine dominance, but we largely found the brand’s range hardy enough to cope with our Antarctic requirements. The model I chose - the Men’s Arctic Ice AG Short Boots (￡160) - is entirely waterproof, lined with fleece and features Vibram Arctic Grip, an outsole which helps wearers keep a sturdy foothold even when crossing over ice terrain.

Binoculars

A pair of high-quality binoculars is an essential piece of kit - you never know when you might be alerted to a distant pod of dolphins, frolicking seals or a colony of penguins jumping from churning sea to glistening iceberg, and with so much of the region forever inaccessible this is the most realistic way you have of getting close to distant peaks and plateaus.

I used Canon 10x32 IS binoculars (from ￡1,299.99), one of three models to launch in November 2017 with what Canon calls a “groundbreaking” image stabiliser system.

Activated at a touch of a button, the IS system supposedly reduces handshake while the user is scanning the horizon for a subject and maintains a particularly sharp focus thereafter. It works reasonably well, although whether it’s worth a hefty premium is debatable.

The binoculars themselves are of obviously excellent quality - images are sharp, colours pronounced and the range impressive. At 780g, the weight of the apparatus felt fully tolerable (rather than unnoticeable) during shore excursions too.

Camera equipment

Attire that ensures guests are protected from the element is the most vital Antarctica packing consideration, but the object we all considered most essential was our camera - every passenger took many hundreds of photos during their week away.

A novice photographer usually dependent on my smartphone for pictures, I wanted a ‘proper’ camera for this once-in-a-lifetime trip and followed a recommendation for the Leica Q (￡3,700), a robust edition considered hardy enough for the extreme environment I was to visit. Unfortunately its interface and settings proved cumbersome and unintuitive for me. While I took a few shots I was satisfied with, overall I was very disappointed with the equipment and its usability, and would suggest it is appropriate only for semi-professionals or professionals.

Released in late 2017, an alternative option comes in the shape of the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III (￡1,089.99), a lightweight alternative to a DSLR. A "wearable action camera", Nikon’s Key Mission 170 (￡149) is also particularly suited to this extreme environment.

The tiny piece of kit is freeze-proof, shockproof and waterproof to 10 metres - that latter feature would have been particularly useful on the day we happened upon a pod of perhaps 16 killer whales.

The only passenger who had thought to bring a camera capable of shooting underwater was able to catch superb images and videos of the orcas as they dipped beneath our Zodiacs.

A Parka

A well-insulated parka is an obvious packing essential, the last protective layer you'll wear on every excursion and on most occasions you'll feel the need to run onto the deck - perhaps because some humpback whales are breaching beside the boat or a particularly immense iceberg suddenly comes into sight. 

One option is the Men’s Gian Jacket (￡799) by Swiss brand Kjus. Comfortable and flexible, it stretches easily to tolerate the differing number of layers that may need to worn beneath it (though in practice I found it very well insulated and didn’t need to pad up significantly when going to shore or taking in the view from the prow).

In bright blue and navy, colour combinations are tasteful and complement the surrounding landscape so should look good in photos. Additional features, such as a removable hood and adjustable waist, mean the cut can be modified further still.

The product teamed well with the brand’s lightweight and slim-fit Midlayer Jacket (￡269), which is one of a number of pieces that utilises the brand’s 7SPHERE layering system.

The claim is that these products can modify the level of insulation they provide in different environments so the garments remain comfortable and provide appropriate insulation even when temperatures fluctuate.

A lightweight hoody

This lightweight, easily compressed Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody (￡250) packs easily, while its padded exterior obscures any crumpling or creasing suffered en route. Though cosy enough to comfortably wear as an uppermost layer on Antarctica’s warmer summer days, it will more likely be of use when worn beneath more robust and heavily insulated coats. The design is slimline and stylish enough to work as an activewear jacket when back home or on skiing trips too.

Waterproof trousers

You will get wet in Antarctica - we were repeatedly splashed with freezing water when on Zodiac boats to landing sites. An essential piece of protective kit is a pair of waterproof trousers loose enough to fit comfortably over layers of clothing.

Another addition to the 7SPHERE range, this pair of rainproof trousers from Kjus (￡589) were comfortable and well insulated. The sombre colour options - black or blue - are a welcome alternative to the more garish possibilities offered by some other brands.

Other packing considerations

• Layering is key. Thermal or silk long underwear is a necessary everyday dressing starting point.

• Long, thick socks, ideally woolen, are essential.

• Don’t forget that much of your time will be spent aboard a vessel heated to comfortable temperatures - remember to bring sufficient clothing and appropriate footwear for the many hours you’ll spend on board in pleasant conditions.

• Some cruise ships and yachts have pools or invite braver passengers to try a “polar plunge” - a shocking dive into the sea. Pack swimwear, just in case.

• Gloves should be waterproof; balaclavas are useful when facing freezing winds on speedboat journeys.

• Ensure you have sufficient memory cards or film - visitors to Antarctica invariably take more pictures than they anticipate.

• During clear summer days the light can be blinding and surprisingly warm. Bring sunglasses with UV protection, sun cream and lip balm.

• With so much to see you’ll have less time to read than you might expect. But if you’ve ever considered writing a travel journal or diary, a trip to Antarctica might be just the right time to get started.