A Minimalist Packing List for Antarctica

I stressed for weeks leading up to my Antarctica trip about how many base layers I needed to survive the frozen continent.  As a non-skier or camper, I didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on gear I would only use once.  

Even though I was under the checked baggage weight restriction of 50 pounds (it’s lower on some trips, check your details!), I still overpacked.

Not a huge problem because there’s very little shopping in Antarctica.  Our ship didn’t even have a gift shop.  But, your tour operator is going to provide you a giant, warm parka and assuming you want to keep it, you will need some room in your checked luggage.  And if you have to run through the Buenos Aires airport to catch your connecting flight, traveling lighter is always better!

Our trip was 11 nights over New Years Eve and we had a laundry room on board that was free and included detergent. I did laundry once.

Outer layers

1. Pair of ski pants - I found Columbia Bugaboo Omni-Heat Insulated Ski Pants on Poshmark for $40 and they were perfect.

2. Fleece neck gaiter (or similar) - I carried this on every landing and used it once or twice.  Nice option because it can be used over ears or neck/face.  I would also pack this over a scarf which I used once then never again because it was more difficult with the jacket and other layers.

3. Ski cap - I carried it with me every time but only used it once.

4. Waterproof, warm gloves - especially for the zodiac cruises.  I use Rossignol not super thick ski gloves, and highly recommend them.  **These are gloves I use regularly for winter in DC, so didn’t purchase them specifically for this trip.

5. Goodr ski goggles - my eyes are so sensitive to cold and wind, this ended up being the most critical item I brought.  Very thankful to the friend who sent me these.  Regular sunglasses are fine if your eyes don’t water nonstop from cold/wind.

Muck boots are provided for you to wear at every excursion so you do not need snow boots or thick shoes of any kind.  A parka is provided for you on board and you get to keep it.  

Fully bundled up before the zodiac cruise.

Base layers

1. 2 bottom - My Alo airbrush leggings did fine as a base layer as well as traditional base layer leggings I borrowed from a friend

2. 2 top - Smartwool from Poshmark was great, also borrowed Athleta from a friend

3. 1 pair glove liners if you want to take a lot of pictures with cell phone

4. 2 pairs of wool socks

5. Sports bra

On one excursion I did sweat quite a bit, so having a second set of base layers is nice, but not required.  You could get away with only one.  Our parka had an inner jacket you could zip out and a vest that you could zip out of that.  I didn’t even need the REI vest I bought!  Inquire with your tour operator to see if you will get the same.

I brought Hot Hands hand warmers but did not need them.  For walking excursions I usually ended up with my gloves completely off.  I also did not use the ones for your feet; I was fine with wool socks.

Shedding layers after a walk in the snow.

Shoes

1. Tennis shoes (worn on plane, so technically not packed)

I also brought a pair of fuzzy house shoes, but the ship provided slippers so I ended up using those most of the time.

Ship clothes

1. One set pjs

2. Jeans

3. 2 t-shirts

4. 1 zip up hoodie

5. Swimsuit - for use of facilities or polar plunge (which you should do!)

6. 3 pairs regular socks

7. Underwear divided by how many times you’re willing to use laundry room or wash in sink

8. Type of bra you prefer lounging in

9. Leggings (for flights and could double as base layer)

I brought 1 sweater and 1 sweatshirt I never wore because it was warm on the ship and the zip up hoodie was easier to add/remove.  I did not bring an over jacket since they provided a parka.  Ushuaia I was fine in a zip up hoodie and jeans.

Gym clothes

I intended to use the ship’s gym, but even the “Drake lake” swaying was more than I was comfortable with for trying to walk on a treadmill.  On exploration days we were busy with excursions.  The clothes I packed for this ended up being a waste.

Other

1. Books, card games, etc. - there is a lot of down time in the Drake Passage and when it’s not your turn for an excursion; I traded books with other passengers and left some behind

2. Face lotion 

3. Body lotion

4. Chapstick or vaseline

5. Eye drops

6. Motion sickness patches or pills (the patches worked well for me)

7. Advil or Tylenol

8. Other medications you might need; there is a clinic on board 

9. Journal to capture your itinerary and reflections

The above list are things I would include because it’s Antarctica.  Obviously you still need a toothbrush, etc. so do whatever you normally do for toiletries.  I didn’t bother with cosmetics or hair products.

Your ship should provide a dry bag for zodiac cruises and landings.  Ours was a large, not super functional backpack that I did not like enough to bring home.  But it got the job done and my camera made it safely through the journey.  I did enjoy having my DSLR, but you can also get excellent cell phone photos if you want to keep it lighter.

A Day in the Life 

On exploration days (i.e. when we actually got to Antarctica, weren’t just at sea) our schedule was something like this:

-7am: wakeup and go to breakfast

-10am: go on excursion

-Noon: eat lunch

-4pm: go on excursion #2

-7pm: eat dinner

-9pm: do evening social stuff or go to sleep

You spend about 3 hours total per excursion.  There’s 30-45 minutes to get into your excursion gear, get life jacket checks, board zodiacs, and travel to your excursion location.  You spend about 1 to 1.5 hours on the zodiac cruise or walking around land.  My longest outing was kayaking where we spent 2 hours on the water.  Then you have another 15-30 minutes of transport back to ship, cleaning shoes, taking off excursion gear, etc.

Once that is done, you can change back into ship lounging clothing, which for me was usually a t-shirt and vest and jeans because it was toasty warm on board.  You’re not actually in expedition clothing that long at a time, and on the zodiac cruises you’re just sitting there, so the base layers don’t get the kind of use you think they will.

Vibes on board are completely casual.  We cruised over New Years and dressing up was not expected.  Most of New Year's Eve I spent on deck watching us cruise through an ice field.

Let the trip to Antarctica be what breaks the bank, not the packing!

Our final landing at Whaler's Bay.