Following on from yesterday's blog, hopefully it gave you an idea of what essentials you should pack to ensure you're well prepared for life onboard ship and out on the Antarctic continent and its islands. Here are a few retailers that you might like to try:
MILLETS - Found on most good High Streets in the UK. Great for well-priced fleeces and jumpers, socks and hiking boots (I bought mine in the sale a few years ago and they are well-loved!), possibly thicker jackets, and useful little things such as hand warmers and walking poles (the latter can be good for steadying yourself if you're a little nervous of your step on ice).
BLACKS - Again, found in quite a few shopping centres - tend to stock a lot of ski gear so look here for salopettes and ski trousers. I found these to be the best things, as they protect your delicate kidney area. Longer ski jackets are useful as they keep your posterior warm, good if you're sitting in the zodiacs enjoying an iceberg cruise, or are not moving about so much as a particular penguin has caught your attention and you're sitting enthralled by it on a cold rock - ah the memories!
FIELD & TREK - Comparable to the above two - I've found their staff in particular to be helpful and knowledgeable in the past.
SNOW AND ROCK- A bit pricier, but a good range of ski gear, gloves, high UV protection wrap-around sunglasses (essential to avoid the glare off the snow).
ROHAN - Again, on the more expensive end of the scale, but they do have some lovely kit!
If you live in the London area, then Southampton Street (near Covent Garden) is a good one-stop shopping area for clothing, as this is home to the following large stores: Field & Trek, the North Face and Mountain Warehouse.
For brands of clothing, I've personally found Peter Storm, Columbia Sportswear, Northface, Lowe Alpine, Patagonia and Berghaus to be good quality and durable. It's a good idea to trial run your kit in the UK, before putting it to the test in Antarctica! However if you do find that you've forgotten something, there is a limited range of outdoor clothing ships in Ushuaia itself.
The above are just suggestions - do make sure the gear you purchase is right for you - happy shopping!
Just thought you could add Chocolate Fish to your list of companies (www.chocolatefishmerino.co.uk). I know they sell a lot to Antarctica Scientists, including supplying BAS with socks. I've worn their merino gear in the Arctic and it's excellent.
Posted by: Jude Bland | January 07, 2008 at 07:35 PM
Another good outdoor clothing manufacturer is Taiga Works
http://www.taigaworks.ca
Posted by: Taiga Works | December 28, 2007 at 06:01 PM