I consider myself to be a pretty light packer, but planning for Antarctica was a bit daunting. Luckily, living in Montana helped prepare me for the trip as I already owned lots of cold-weather clothing. My goal for the more than two-week-long trip was to bring only a carry on suitcase and a small backpack and I successfully achieved this goal! There are no shops in Antarctica, so if you forget something, you can not just make purchases on the go! Ushuaia, however, is a good town to rent things in and I actually rented a parka, gloves and waterproof pants before boarding the ship. Most ships will give you information on where to rent gear in Ushuaia, and most of these outfitters will deliver gear directly to the ship. This certainly helped lighten the load of my suitcase!
Here are some of the things I brought with me, that I think are important for a warm and comfortable trip:
A few pairs of base layers/long underwear are a must-have! You can wear these as layers under your other gear. They also make great pajamas and are quick dry so you can wash them in your sink and re-wear them!
Polar fleece jackets! I brought three, which was probably too many, but a polar fleece added a nice layer underneath the parka for extra warmth. When it was sunny I took off my parka and was super warm in just this jacket.
Wool or synthetic fiber socks to keep your feet warm! The rubber boots provided by the ship are not very well insulated, so socks provide warmth and extra padding.
A bandana or a Buff for your face and head. I used this when we were making landings to cover my face against wind and also my nose against the smell of the penguins!
Ski goggles to keep out the sun and wind. Sunglasses are good but can fly off your face if it is windy or if you are moving around on the zodiac.
A bathing suit for the polar plunge.
A good camera to take plenty of pictures!
Antarctica was not as cold as I expected, but maybe that is because I am used to living in a colder climate!
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!
Susan Campo
2 days ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
3 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.