Packing for Antarctica

I'm not going to lie, packing for Antarctica was way more daunting than it should have been. Without the safety net of going to a store around the corner for something I forgot I felt a little overwhelmed. Not to mention that the multiple layers and bulky clothes made fitting everything in the suitcase a bit of a challenge! I picked up a few tips and tricks and no I feel ready to pack for my adventure! (After arriving home two weeks ago)

You'll get a recommended packing list - use it
This one is obvious but I forgot all about it so I suppose it bears mentioning. Your cruise will have a recommended packing list - pull that baby out and you'll be 10 steps ahead of me. That said I did struggle over how much of everything to pack. This is what I went with (and what I didn't need):
- 2 sets of thermal layers (top and bottom). I wore these on every excursion but two sets was enough for the 4 days of activities. I reserved these for only excursions and did not wear them on board at all which I think helped a lot
- Waterproof pants and parka. Many cruises provide your parka but if they don't you definitely want something heavy duty and waterproof. There wasn't a lot of splashback on the zodiacs (our drivers were amazing) but when we did catch a wave just right I was really glad for waterproof layers. Waterproof pants are especially important since you are doing wet landings everytime you are off the ship. I DIDN'T need full on ski pants - if you don't have them already I don't think its necessary to buy them. I opted for a cheap pair of waterproof pants with enough room for a pair of sweats underneath which worked just fine
- A camera that isn't a touch screen. My iPhone takes incredible pictures but I was glad to have my larger push button camera just because my hands got SO COLD! Especially when zodiac cruising I couldn't bear to have hands out of gloves for more than a few minutes at a time - gloves that work with a touch screen would have been valuable here too. Not having to fumble in and out of my gloves multiple times made sure I was always ready to catch an amazing shot.
- Comfortable clothes for around the ship. Antarctica is one of the few destinations where you spend about an equal amount of time on and off the ship. For hanging out on the ship you definitely don't need to be formal, just have some comfortable clothes with you to hang out, go to dinner and listen to lectures in. I probably should have opted for more leggings/joggers as I really didn't feel the need for jeans or anything dressy at all on board.
- Binoculars. Truthfully they didn't come out of my bag once. The wildlife was so up close and personal that I never even considered wanting my binocs. If you're a birding enthusiast you might want them but otherwise I didn't see the need to weigh myself down with extras like this
- Entertainment. Books, downloaded movies or podcasts, cards or smaller games - its definitely worth making a little room in the suitcase for these items for those long Drake Passage days.
- Vacuum Bags. These saved my space in the suitcase so much I was actually shocked at what a difference this made. It was my first time using vacuum bags and it definitely won't be the last. Mine came with a small pump so you could reseal during travel!
- Lighter layers for Buenos Aires. If you're spending a day or two in BA prior to your cruise - which you definitely should! - don't forget that it is summer in the southern hemisphere and BA can get hot! Pack a few t-shirts and shorts for these couple days.

Don't be overwhlemed like me, you can do it!