Now that you have picked your Antarctica voyage you will have to figure out what to pack. If you are from an area that sees snow and cold, you already have a good idea of layers. Layers are very important in Antarctica as the weather changes quite frequently and each landing site is different. Wind and wet are key factors here. The zodiac cruises can get very wet from water splashing and most ships require waterproof pants. I will link some here. https://www.marmot.com/women/bottoms/rainwear/womens-precip-eco-pants/AFS_889169479557.html Our cruise ship provided parkas but if yours does not, you will want a warm parka preferrable one rated to 0 degrees F or 30 degrees C. Under these outer layers a base layer and a fleece sweater/sweatshirt is ideal. https://www.patagonia.com/product/womens-los-gatos-quarter-zip-fleece-pullover/25236.html?dwvar_25236_color=BCW Base layer pants under sports jogger type pants will suffice for the legs. Wool socks such as Smart Wool or Darn Tough pair great with the warm boots the ship supplies. For your hands, a lot of people like to wear disposable gloves under waterproof outer layers. Another great option is fleece under outer layer gloves that are water proof. If you can find outer gloves that you can attach to your jacket so they can be easily removed but won’t fall onto the ground as seen in the image below, even better.
Mittens clipped to jacket and waterproof pants, preferrable in black as my white pants highlighted the pink penguin poo - Photo courtesy of Tammy MacKenzie Photo our ship photographer
The smaller ships seem to have a casual clothing atmosphere onboard. Most people we encountered and talked to packed very light with just a few change of clothes. Everyone washed their clothes in the sink and hung to dry in the showers. The ship air was dry and clothing dried off quickly. One thing that was really nice to have was warm slippers with grip on the bottom. I will link the slippers we used and highly recommend. https://www.thenorthface.com/en-us/womens/womens-footwear/womens-slippers-c695281/womens-thermoball-traction-booties-pNF0A331H?color=KY4&utm_content=ecomm&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=US%20%7C%20all%20%7C%20Hybrid%20%7C%20SHOP%20-%20AUT%20~%20All%20-%20Low,Med,High%20%28FORMERLY%20Med,High%29%20-%20Footwear%20-%20General%20-%20PMax%20Shopping&utm_term&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA_NC9BhCkARIsABSnSTZ6i3rFupV3lY5uGv88WZ35ZPV3VaFl7_9yAsdhSneL60BUrA72d6saAqOmEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
Warm enough to take off gloves for a few minutes but chilly enough to keep head covered - Photo courtesy of Tammy MacKenzie Photo our ship photographer
Cameras and recording devices
Your iphone or a point and shoot camera is plenty for the landscapes and capturing videos. A camera with a zoom is recommended for wildlife. It is pretty difficult to use fixed lenses so a versatile lens is best. Changing lenses out in snowy weather, splashing salt water or wind is never a good idea so if possible bringing 2 camera bodies is ideal, one for landscape one for wildlife. Lenses I recommend are 24-70 mm and 150 mm-+ for wildlife. Bring extra batteries as the cold does drain batteries quickly. Also be prepared with extra sd cards. on your person every day. One afternoon when the whales showed up, everyone filled up their sd cards in 1 hour. Excitement happens fast and with little to no warning. A go pro or similar is also a fun option to record some underwater footage. Drones are not allowed so no point in packing that along. A waterproof bag was also mandatory for all excursions. It should also be noted that whatever you bring with you on excursions must be carried at all times. At no time are you allowed to set anything down on the ground. You also aren’t allowed to squat down or lay on the ground to take photos. Monopods were allowed.
There are rental options in Ushuaia, Buenos Aires and Santiago, Chile, though the prices are very steep. Some ships also have rental options. I would advise checking ahead for these options. Our ship had very little in the gift shop as well. I highly recommend stocking up on motion sickness pills for the voyage. There are 2 kinds, dramamine and Meclizine. It is recommended to ask your doctor about which option is best for you. Most people had patches from their home doctor that they wore. The ship doctor has some on board too. We stocked up in town before our voyage. Even if you aren’t usually prone to sea sickness, if the stabilizer breaks, you will want something. The Drake Passage is no joke.
I personally hope this blog helps anyone planning a trip to Antarctica or for anyone who just dreams of going there someday. It truly is a very magical place.