Antarctica 33 packing tips

Antarctica the place where have been a few travellers. Mart Eslem visited it twice. On an icebreaker like a commercial tourist and then on a board of the adventurous yacht. Besides the catchy interview, there is a sheet of 33 useful packing tips.

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VIDEO: Antarctica and Eco Nelson polar base

Mission Antarctica – what to pack?

Antarctica is various looking. From stone fields with sealions, through ice walls to neverending snow fields. To make a packing list is a more or less individual case. There are different stuff you need to have on icebreaker trip with a short jump off to the land and equipment is usually onboard. Quite different could be a packing list if you explore Antarctica from a small yacht or sea kayak or zodiac. The following list is a good core for your safe and adventurous trip.

Clothes (1. 2. a 3. layers)

• 3x pairs of cotton socks (1st layer – Merino is a good choice)
• 2x polar termal socks
• 1x knee socks

• 2x termal underwear – good option is Merino Icebreaker
• 2x t-shirt – 1st layer

• 2x long sleeve t-shirt (2nd layer)
• 1x fleesové pants (2nd layer take on underwear)

• 1x jumper or sweatshirt with hut (useful on zodiac)
• 1x jumper – softer for good movement if you plan the sea kayak

• 1x waterproof trek pants / ocean goretex
• 1x waterproof jacket / wind stopper
• 1x polar jacket / parka* (ask the trip organiser if is included in a price), if is not a two layered then worth to take fiber soft jacket

• 1x tall waterproof (rubber) boots – necessary for zodiac trips (ask the organiser if is included in price)
• 1x winter trek boots for land tours
• 1x knee snow protectors – in case of snow trek

• 2x soft wool gloves
• 2x waterproof polar gloves (goretex/flees layers)
• 1x polar scarf
• 2x cap
• 2x sun glasses (1+1backup :))

Indoor clothes

• 1x indor shoes
• 1x jumper
• 1x comfortable pants (you probably don’t wanna sit in polar ones :))

Equipment tips:

• sun cream
• hand cream
• lips cream (helps in wind and frost)
• small bag for transports
• waterproof bag used on zodiac or kayak (good not only for camera)
• binocular / if you don’t wanna share the view through camera lens 🙂
• 1+2x backup camera batteries – if you can use the extreme edition (Hahnel Extreme) worth to buy
• at least 4x backup SD cards
• backup camera (even small one) frost and humidity could be tricky…
• pencil, notepad, recorder for notes

* What Parka is

Parka is a kind of clothes – longer jacket, protecting against strong frost, wind and air humidity. It comes from nations living around the polar circuit – Eskymos. Original was made of seal or reindeer leather, filled up with fat for protection. The modern one is a combination of micro fibre, nylon, polyester goose feather and wool.

Mart Eslem the traveller with a motto “Once, at the end of my life, there will be screening of a life movie, let it be interesting!”