Packing for Antarctica

If you’ve been planning to travel to Antarctica, there’s no doubt your social media feeds are filled with packing tips. This was our first cruise and our first time in South America, so we did quite a bit of research to determine what we needed to take with us. We traveled with Atlas Ocean Voyages, and therefore cruise specific information will be about our experience with them. Most of the expedition cruises will be similar although if you’re traveling on more of a ‘luxury’ ship, you may want to modify this list a bit (see below).

The great debate: carry-on or check a bag

We each took our small carry-on suitcase (from this Amazon Basics set) and a small backpack (personal item). Did we regret it…eh? Kinda but not really. First, it’s important to know that we combined our 11-day cruise with 17 additional days across Buenos Aires, Iguazu Falls, and Uruguay.

Antarctic expeditions typically run between November to March and most of you are thinking…pack warm winter stuff, obviously! BUT don’t forget, these months are prime summertime in the Southern Hemisphere. This meant that we were packing for both cold and hot temperatures. I know, you’re thinking…why wouldn’t you use a large, checked bag?!

Well, we knew that we would be changing accommodations 8 times over our trip and that some of our rooms would likely be small since we book mid-range budget lodging. We also had multiple shorter layovers on our flights to and from Seattle to Argentina and were concerned that if there were any delays we may not get our bags in time or at all. We always plan our lodging in a way that allows us to do laundry at a specific point in our trip and pack enough to get us through between. All that being said, we went with our carry-ons and used our new compression packing cubes. Our only regret, not being able to fit our expedition parkas in our bags to take home with us.

You have to go with the option that fits your personality and your trip type, but this would be our recommendation.

• Check a larger bag if:
  • You really want to keep your expedition parka. They are bulky.
    • Technically if we were just going straight home after our cruise we could have fit them in our carry-on. The crew has tricks to help make them pack smaller and you can use compression packing cubes. We just didn’t want to have to struggle to fit them in each of the 6 times we were going to have to pack during the rest of our trip.
  • You are not extending your trip outside of a few days pre/post trip in Buenos Aires.
    • It’s always nice to have options and the cruise line will take care of transporting your bags from your pre-cruise hotel to the ship for you. The staterooms have space under the bed to fit your suitcase as well.
  • You are extending your trip but will not be frequently changing accommodations and/or hate to do laundry while you travel.
    • You’ll find plenty of souvenirs if you like to shop.
• Go with a carry-on if:
  • You don’t mind leaving your parka behind.
    • We were told that the parkas are donated locally in Ushuaia if you do not take them.
  • You have multiple or tight layovers to/from South America.
    • We took a chance with shorter layovers than we are normally comfortable with in order to keep costs low. It’s always a risk, but one we intentionally made. Our first flight out of Seattle was delayed and we ended up running through LAX to get to our gate. Would our bags have made it? Maybe but we were happy to arrive in Buenos Aires with all of our belongings. 

General Packing Items

• Passports
  • Make sure they are valid for the required amount of time after you are scheduled to return home and have required blank pages.
• Credit Cards with no foreign exchange fees
  • See our link below for our favorites.
• USD cash to exchange
  • This was in case we weren’t able to find ATMs, but we didn’t end up using it.
• Printed itinerary and bag tags (supplied by cruise)
  • Yes, we have access to these in the cloud, but we always take a printed copy of itinerary and confirmations in case we don’t have Wi-Fi when we need it.
• Copy of all items in our wallets and passport
  • Keep this separate from the physical copies in case they are lost or stolen.
• Medication
  • Prescriptions if you have any (with clear labels), stomach meds, pain meds, band-aids, etc. Dramamine for general boating activities/non-Drake Passage backup.
• Electrical adapters
  • Our ship had a mix of Type C (22oV) and B (110V). We have yet to buy a converter for our electronics but only charge our cell phones and computers and haven’t had any problems (yet!).
  • Type C & I for South America in general
• SmartTags or AirTags in each of our bags
• Kindle/Book
• Sunglasses
• Neck Pillows/Travel Blanket
• Normal toiletries

Antarctica Cruise specific

• Scopolamine patch (prescription anti-motion sickness patches)
  • We used these on the Drake Passage. We did experience small side effects but felt it was worth it to not be sick. Some people wore them the entire time, but we would not recommend it as the waters are generally calmer around the continent.
• Waterproof pants
  • A must have. We used our Columbia rain pants over layers. Some individuals wore snow pants but if you’re trying to pack light, they aren’t needed. Honestly, I think they would have been too warm in some cases.
• Waterproof gloves
  • Another must have. We took a heavier pair and a more light-weight pair. It is good to have 2 pairs. It’s likely you’ll get wet during excursions (from rain or snow) and it’s nice to have a dry pair waiting for you on the ship if you plan on spending time outside on deck.
• Warm hat
  • Another must have in our opinion. Something warm to cover your head & ears. The parka hood helps with keeping you dry but it is very bulky, and I personally didn’t like to have it up unless we were cruising around on the zodiacs or it was raining.
• Light waterproof jacket
  • We took this originally for the other parts of our trip but ended up wearing our raincoats (with layers) on the ship decks. That way we could leave our parkas in the mudroom to dry. They were also easier to keep handy in the lounge area where we spent most of our time on the ship. If you are kayaking, you’ll definitely want to bring this as it would be difficult to kayak in your parka. No one did on our cruise, and to be honest, we can’t remember if you were allowed to.
• Wool Socks
  • You’ll be provided with waterproof muck boots. If you get your size wrong pre-trip, you’ll have an opportunity to change out for another size. I was in between sizes and ended up wearing two pairs of wool socks.
• Bathing Suits
  • If you plan on doing the Polar Plunge (consult your healthcare provider but we recommend it) or if you want to take advantage of the hot tubs on the ship, don’t forget to pack this. Robes are provided for pre/post plunge and use in your cabin/for the hot tubs.
• Waterproof Phone Case with Lanyard
  • If you’re taking your cellphone with you, we feel like a phone lanyard is a must have. For me, it gave me peace of mind knowing that no matter how excited I got when I saw those humpbacks pop up from on the 7th floor deck or if I was trying to take a picture while bouncing in the zodiac that I wasn’t going to drop my phone into the icy waters. Having a waterproof case lanyard would be optional but was nice for the rainy days and when we went kayaking.
• Sunglass neck strap
  • We bought these on the ship because we thought it would be good to have them. We used them once (hah). Many people used them but for me, it was just not comfortable with the bulkiness of my parka plus life jacket. The parka has a small zipper pocket inside where I kept my sunglasses when I wasn’t wearing them.
• Gators
  • This is optional in our opinion. The parka is so warm and has a tall neck and hood. It’s nice to have as an option and doesn’t take up that much space. If you’re prone to getting cold, you may want it just in case.

General Clothing

The thing we loved about our cruise with Atlas was that it was very laid-back in terms of wardrobe. Instead of providing a generic list, I thought it would be helpful to know what we wore for various scenarios. It was all over the board and everyone wore what they felt comfortable with. Layers are key. Your room can be kept at whatever temperature is comfortable for you.

• Zodiac Cruises
  • Merino wool base layer pants
  • Hiking pants (or pants that are comfortable to maneuver in/out of the boats)
  • Waterproof pants
  • Wool Socks
  • Provided waterproof boots
  • Long sleeve merino wool base layer shirt
  • Short or Long sleeve t-shirt
  • Provided Parka & Vest
  • Waterproof gloves
  • Warm hat
  • Sunglasses w/neck strap
  • Camera (phone) w/Lanyard
• Onboard/Dinner
  • Jeans/Hiking Pants/Leggings
    • with base layer pants if planning to go outside a lot
  • Long sleeve shirt/sweatshirt/sweater
    • with base layer top if planning to go outside a lot
  • Wool socks & comfortable shoes
    • Bring something easy to get on/off with your layers on as you’ll hopefully be going on at least one if not two expeditions a day.
  • If you’re in an area near a deck door it can get cold, so we always kept our puffer vest (zips out of your parka) with us as well as our hat/gloves/raincoat depending on the weather so that we could quickly go outside if there was something to see.
• End of Cruise Celebration
  • There was a party the last evening that some guests and staff dressed up for (ranging from business casual to cocktail party). There wasn’t a mandatory dress code. We wore jeans with a wool sweater (me) and collared shirt (Scott) and felt comfortable.

What NOT to bring

There are a few things we would recommend not bringing:

• Items provided for you/available for use
  • Parka/Puffer Vest
    • As mentioned above, you will receive one that you will use and can take home after the cruise.
  • Snow boots
    • You must wear the boots provided to you on excursions and you don’t need them on the ship.
  • Binoculars
    • There is a decent pair in your room.
  • Hiking poles
    • They are available for use on each excursion.
  • Water bottle
    • A stainless steel one is provided to you as a welcome aboard gift.
  • Small backpack for excursions
    • Unless you have medication that you need to have with you, I would recommend not bringing a backpack on the excursions. There are strict rules in Antarctica to protect the ecosystem and wildlife. You cannot let anything besides your sanitized boots and hiking poles touch the ground. Yes, people fall accidentally but you cannot sit or kneel down on purpose or set your bag down. I was concerned about not taking water with me, but the expeditions are only around an hour long, so I was fine without them.
  • Hairdryer
    • There is one provided as well as shampoo/conditioner/soap.
  • Snacks/Food
    • There is always food available! Whether it is scheduled breakfast/lunch/dinner, the quick grab cafe, tea time snacks, or room service…you won’t go hungry.

Laundry

Laundry services are available on board. Watch your daily newsletter for special offers. We did one bag of laundry while we were on-board to wash our heavier items (jeans, pants, sweatshirts, etc.) and did our own in-room laundry for t-shirts and undergarments using our “Scrubba” (see essential items link below).

The things you forgot

Most guests will spend the night before in Buenos Aires. While you will be able to pick up some items, keep in mind it is summer so it could be a little more challenging to find winter items. You will not have any time in Ushuaia to shop unless you are getting there on your own and joining the cruise from there.  Worst case, there is a small onboard shop that not only has souvenirs but items like t-shirts, jackets, vests, hats, and gloves. Full transparency – the quality is high but so is the price. We would recommend bringing your own items, but this is a good backup option should you need it.

We LOVED our experience with Atlas in Antarctica and hope this helps you prepare for your trip. Have a specific question? Don’t hesitate to reach out. We’d love to help.