With the start of the season for Antarctic expedition cruising imminent, we're bracing ourselves for numerous telephone calls from anxious travellers, all pondering the all-important question of WHAT TO PACK!?! There really are no secrets here - we ensure that all travellers are issued with the essential pre-travel documentation and clothing lists that they need. Despite this, it's just human nature to ensure that you have the necessary items for warmth and comfort in a cold climate!
In light of the above, here are my own personal Antarctic Clothing tips:
1. Pack your case, then take it all out and pack it again, removing half of the stuff you really won't need. It's a challenge, but with Aerolineas Argentinas economy class flights limiting checked-in luggage to around 15kg per person (between Buenos Aires and Ushuaia and vice-versa), it's good to be ruthless! There is a laundry service onboard all vessels (payable locally) and storage space is not inexhaustible, so pack carefully.
2. Bring your swimsuit. The volcanic beach at Pendulum Cove (Deception Island, in the South Shetland Islands) is the perfect spot for an Antarctic dip. If you're lucky then your crew may dig out a special hot tub in the steaming sand, for you to wallow in and ponder the meaning of life. If you're not brave enough then most vessels have a sauna onboard - brilliant for toasting yourself after a day out in the ice and snow.
3. Layer, layer, layer - trapping warm air between them is the key..... Pack thermals (longjohns and long sleeved tops), some good thickness socks (I found that a lighter hiking sock and a pair of ski socks did the trick), fleecey jumpers, a couple of long-sleeved shirts or roll-necks, a warm woolly jumper, a pair of inner gloves and thicker outer pair (I found ski mittens were perfect) as well as a spare pair, a snood/cowl neck scarf or balaclava for keeping your neck and lower face covered, a warm hat which covers your ears, sunglasses with good UV protection, sunscreen (remember there's a hole in the ozone!), lipbalm and moisturiser for chapped skin, ski trousers or something for your bottom half that is waterproof, windproof and toasty, and a good thick thermal parka/jacket (I found that a warm ski jacket was adequate as I layered up underneath). If you can, then ensure you have a jacket with a thicker hood (rather than one of those thin flimy ones). Also pack a couple of T-shirts - it can be pleasantly warm in the sunshine!
4. Wellington boots are ESSENTIAL there are no piers or docks in Antarctica, so the zodiacs will 'land' on the beaches and the crew will pull them as far ashore as possible, for passengers to then step ashore. Usually the water will then come up your leg a little way, so wellies are absolutely necessary. I wouldn't spend a fortune on high-tech boots - just the usual communal garden ones will do (with a good 'grip' on the bottom). Personally I found that the standard boots that you wear for gardening were fine. You might like to consider buying fleece insoles to put in them, as they provide a nice toasty extra layer for your feet! Hiking boots are good for getting out on deck (if it's slippy) or if you're on a zodiac cruise (rather than doing an actual landing).
Life onboard is casual and friendly, therefore leave your ballgowns and DJ's at home, pack your best comfortable and practical outdoor gear, and prepare to be wowed by the white continent!
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