Antarctic summer is milder than most people expect: on the Peninsula the air temperature stays close to freezing. What makes it feel cold is wind, spray and standing still on deck watching whales for an hour. Packing well is about staying dry and layering, not about owning the thickest jacket.
The principle: three layers
- Base layer. Merino wool or a good synthetic, top and bottom, two or three sets. No cotton — once it is damp it stays damp.
- Mid layer. A fleece and a light down or synthetic jacket. You will put them on and take them off many times a day.
- Shell. A fully waterproof jacket and trousers. Sailing foul-weather gear is ideal; a mountain hardshell works as well.
Feet and hands
Knee-high rubber boots with a solid tread are the single most important item. Almost every landing is a wet one: you step from the dinghy into shallow water, then walk on snow, rock and, inevitably, penguin guano. Bring warm insoles and thick socks to wear inside them.
For hands, take two systems: thin liner gloves that let you operate a camera, and waterproof insulated gloves or mittens over them. Bring a spare pair of each — gloves are what gets wet and lost.
Head and eyes
A warm hat that covers the ears, a neck gaiter, and good sunglasses. The sun reflects off snow, ice and water at once, and the ultraviolet is strong at these latitudes. Sunscreen and lip balm with a high protection factor are not optional.
On board
- Soft-soled shoes or slippers for inside the yacht.
- A head torch with a red light for night watches.
- Earplugs: a boat at sea is never silent.
- A soft bag rather than a hard suitcase — there is nowhere to stow a rigid case.
- Personal medication for the whole voyage plus a reserve, and the seasickness remedy your doctor recommends.
Camera kit
Cold drains batteries quickly, so bring spares and keep them in an inside pocket. A dry bag protects the camera in the dinghy. A zoom lens is more useful than a bag of primes: the wildlife guidelines keep you at a respectful distance, and changing lenses in spray is a bad idea.
Biosecurity: clean before you pack
Antarctica has almost no introduced species, and visitors are the main risk. Before you leave home, wash your boots, vacuum pockets, cuffs and hook-and-loop fasteners, and check bags for seeds and soil. We clean boots again before and after every landing.
What to leave at home
Hard suitcases, cotton jeans, umbrellas — and drones, which may not be flown in Antarctica without a specific permit.
A complete kit list with quantities comes with your booking confirmation. If you are unsure about anything you already own, send us a photograph and we will tell you whether it will do.