Packing List - Polar Clothes & Personal Gear

General Clothing Advice

• Advice
  • Use a layering system that offers flexibility to keep you warm, but also the ability to wick away sweat and remove layers when you are active.
  • Clothing should be somewhat loose to provide good circulation, mobility, and trap warm air. Tight clothing can restrict circulation which is dangerous.
  • Make sure you try all your layers on at the same time to ensure they fit well together.
  • Double check if there is any chance that there can be rain or wet precipitation where you are going, especially if near the coast. If temperatures get above freezing bring a waterproof shell layer.
  • If you will be snowmobiling make sure you can cover any exposed skin on your face and neck.
  • There is a lot of high quality used gear for low prices online. Just make sure you know what size you need or can return the gear if buying used clothing.
  • ECW - Stands for Extreme Cold Weather clothing.
• Layering System
  1. Base (wool, synthetic) — Wicks sweat away from your skin and adds some warm but insulation is not its primary purpose. I prefer light or mid-weight base layers,
  2. Breathable Insulating (wool, fleece, active fleece) — Provides insulation while also being breathable, allowing you to wear them during high energy output activities.
  3. Puffy Insulating (down, synthetic down) — Provides insulation and traps lots of warm air while being lightweight. Also provides some wind protection.
  4. Shell (soft shell, hard shell) — Provides wind and abrasion resistance. Soft shells are breathable and stretchy while providing some water resistance. Hard shells are water proof but less breathable.
  5. Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) / Parka — Outer layer worn when it is very cold as well as while snowmobiling. Designed to provide the most possible warmth, but can get too warm during high energy output activities.
• Antarctic Program Clothing Lists
  • British Antarctic Survey: https://www.bas.ac.uk/polar-operations/life-in-the-polar-regions/clothing/
  • US Antarctic Program: https://www.usap.gov/USAPgov/travelAndDeployment/documents/16%20TL-FRM-0089%20ecw.pdf, https://www.usap.gov/USAPgov/travelAndDeployment/documents/6%20TL-GDE-0011%20ecw%20poster.pdf
• Mountaineering Clothing Lists (not exactly the same but similar to what is needed in Antarctica / the Arcitc)
  • RMI - Denali Gear List
  • Apline Ascents - Denali Gear List
  • Alpine Institute - Denali Gear List

Clothing Packing List

Note: This is the clothing I would take but many people have different pereferences. If you are deploying with an Antarctic / Arctic organization they will likely provide some amount of gear but it can vary significantly between groups. Also, the nature of your work and specific location you are going to will significantly impact you packing list. I have provided examples of specific items but a variety of brands and items can work.

• Feet
  • Shoes
    • Running / Trail Running Shoes - 1x - Hoka Stinson ATR - for wearing in airport, at base, etc.
    • Winter / Mountaineering Boots - 1x - Scarpa Charmoz - for wearing on the ice when temperatures are not too low
    • ECW boots - 1x - Baffin Derrick - for wearing on the ice when temperatures are low
    • Sandal (optional) - 1x - Crocs Bistro Clog - for wearing at base or in tents, crocs do relatively well over socks when the snow is dry and you are walking from tent to tent
    • Micro spikes (optional) - 1x - Kahtoola microspikes - for added traction
  • Socks
    • Socks, Thick - 2-3x - Smartwool Mountaineering Extra Heavy Crew
    • Socks, Medium - 2-3x - Smartwool Trekking Heavy Crew or Smartwool Hike Medium Crew
    • Socks, Normal - 2-3x - Standard Athletic Socks
    • Socks, Liner (optional) - 1-2x - Fox River Liner Socks
• Lower Body Clothing
  • Bottom - Base
    • Undearwear, Wool or Synthetic - 5-7x
    • Leggings, Wool or Synthetic - 3-4x - Icebreaker Everyday 175, Patagonia Capilene Midweight
  • Bottom - Breathable Insulating
    • Fleece Pants - 1x - Patagonia R1 Fleece Pants
  • Bottom - Puffy Insulating (these are not essential if you have an insulated ECW bib)
    • Puffy Pants (optional) - 1x - Mountain Hardwear Compressor, Patagonia, RAB
  • Bottom - Pants
    • Light-Weight Mountain Pants - 1x - Kathmand Flinders Pants
    • Mid-Weight Mountain Pants - 1x - Kuhl Klash Pants
    • Work Pants - 1x - Carhartt
    • Stretch Pants - 1-2x - Prana Brion Pants
  • Bottom - ECW
    • Bibs / Salopettes - 1x - Carhartt Insulated Bib, Earth Sea Sky Salopettes
  • Bottom - Misc
    • Belt - x2
• Upper Body Clothing
  • Top - Base
    • Long Sleeve Shirt or Base Layer, Wool or Synthetic - 3-4x - Icebreaker Everyday Day, Patagonia Capilene Midweight
    • Short Sleeve Shirt, Wool or Synthetic - 3-4x - Icebreaker, Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily Shirt
  • Top - Breathable Insulating
    • Sun Hoodie / Light Quarter Zip, Wool or Synthetic (optional) - 1x - Ridge Merino Solstice Hoody
    • Light Fleece Top - 1x - Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Hoodie, Patagonia R1 Air
    • Heavy Fleece Top - 1x - Patagonia Nano-Air Jacket
  • Top - Puffy Insulating
    • Puffy Jacket - 1x - Patagonia Down Sweater Hoody
    • Extra Puffy Jacket (optional) - 1x - Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer Hoody
  • Top - Shell
    • Stretch Shell - 1x - Outdoor Research Ferrosi Hoodie
    • Hard Shell (optional) - 1x - Arcteryx Beta, Carharrt Storm Defender, Patagonia
  • Top - Parka / ECW
    • Parka - 1x - Canada Goose, Feathered Friends
• Extremities
  • Hands
    • Liner Gloves - 1-2x - Outdoor Research Vigor
    • Insulated Leather Work Gloves - 1x - Outdoor Research Direct Contact Gloves, Refrigiwear, Kinco
    • Insulated Waterproof Stretchy Gloves (optional) - 1x - Showa Best 282 Atlas Temres Insulated Gloves
    • ECW Gloves - 1x - Outdoor Research Alti Gloves
  • Neck
    • Light-Weight Neck Gaiter - 1-2x - Original Buff
    • Mid-Weight Neck Gaiter - 1x - Polar Buff (half fleece, half thin)
    • Heavy-Weight Fleece Neck Gaiter - 1x - Carhartt Fleece Neck Gaiter (important for snowmobiling)
  • Head & Face
    • Face / Cheak Cover - 1x - Seirus Magnemask Bandit Combo Scarf, Outdoor Research Gorilla
    • Light Beanie - 1x
    • Heavy Beanie - 1x
    • Baseball / Sun Hat - 1x
  • Eyes
    • Sunglasses / Glacier Glasses - 1x - Julbo
    • Ski Goggles - 2x - Smith (I prefer ski goggles to sunglasses because they also keep your face warm. Also I find that lower cost goggles work just fine. Make sure they have a strong tint to reduce your sunlight exposure.)
• Station / Base Clothes
  • Gym Shorts - for using the gym and general use
  • Casual Clothes - for general use
  • Nice Clothes - for holidays etc.
  • Fun Clothes - for haloween etc.

Personal Gear Packing List

Note: This is the gear I would take but many people have different pereferences, and the nature of your work and specific location you are going to will significantly impact you packing list.

• Bags
  • Larger Roller Bag - 1x - Osprey Shuttle 100L
  • Large Duffel Bag - 1x - Gregory Mountain 120L
  • Collapsable Duffel Bag - 1x - Patagonia Black Hole 70L, Gonex Collapsable Duffel
  • Computer Backpack - 1x - Osprey Nebula 32
  • Stuff Sacks - several - Sea to Summit, Osprey, Eagle Creek
  • Divided Stuff Sack - 1-2x - Gobi Gear SegSac Original (good for organization of gloves etc.)
• Electronics
  • Computer - 1x - MacBook
  • Phone - 1x - iPhone
  • Watch - 2x - Timex Ironman
  • Headphones - 1x - Shokz Headphones
  • Satellite Communication - 1x - InReach
  • External Hard Drive - 1x
  • USB THumb Drive - 1-2x - (USB-A & USB-C)
  • USB Adapter - 1x - USB-A to USB-C
  • Power Brick - 1x - make sure it is under 100 watt hours in order to fly, if it has usb-c out it may also be used to charge your computer
  • Headlamp - 1x - Petzl Tika + Batteries, it may be light 24-7 but this can still be useful for looking into fuel tanks etc.
  • Electric Lighter - 1x - Explorer
  • Chargers & Charging Cables - for all electronics
  • Plug & Power Adapters - if working with non-US group)
• Mechanical Tools
  • Multitool - x2 - Leatherman Surge
  • Sewing Kit - for clothes and / or tent
  • Tape - electrical tape, duct tape
  • Rope - paracord
  • Carabiners - locking and non-locking, for bags etc.
• Stationary
  • Notepad - Rite in the Rain
  • Pen, Pencil, Sharpie - several
  • Document Organizer - Sea to Summit Document Pouch
  • Post Cards + Address list of friends & family
• Documents
  • ID - Passport Drivers Liscence
  • Money - Cash, Credit Cards
  • International Calling Card - may be needed to call out of base
  • Travel Documents - Travel Visa (if leaving US), Letter with university letterhead explaining travel (useful for gear), Airlines document explaining battery rules (useful for gear), Carnet or other import / export documentation, Hazardous Materials SDS
  • Reservations - Plane Tickets, Hotel Reservations
  • Medical Documents - Insurance Card, Vacination Records, Medical / PQ Forms
  • Field Documents - Permits, Maps, Medical Info, Safety/Emergency Plans, Emergency Contacts
• Personal Care
  • Sunscreen - Dermatone
  • Lip balm - Dermatone
  • Skin Balm or Moisturizer
  • Vitamins
  • Wet wipes
  • Hand Sanatizer
  • Travel Towel
  • Tweezers, Nail Cips
  • Bug Spray (not need in Antarctica)
  • Perscriptions
• Toiletries
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Floss
  • Deodorant
  • Shaving cream
  • Shaving razor
  • Q-Tips
• Personal First Aid Kit
  • Medication
    • Ibuprofen (Advil)
    • Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
    • Antihistamine (Benadryl)
    • Loperamide (Imodium)
    • Antacid (Tums)
    • Decongestant (Mucinex)
    • Fiber Pills
    • Cough Drops
  • Wound Care
    • Anti-Bacterial (Neosporin)
    • Wound Care (Bandaids, Quick Clot)
    • Blister Care (Moleskin)
    • Medical Tape (Leukotape, Athletic Tape, Gauze)
• Kitchen Ware
  • Insulated Thermos - Yeti, Hydroflask
  • Insulated Water Bottle - Polar Bottle
  • Coffee mug (optional) - Yeti, Hydroflask
  • Lunch Tupperware (optional) - prevents food from getting squashed during snowmobile rides etc.
  • Spork (optional) - Toaks
  • Aeropress (optional)
  • Special snacks (optional)
• Comfort / Sleep (all optional)
  • Travel Neck Pillow
  • Eye mask
  • Ear muffs for plane
  • Camera
  • Books or Kindle
  • Cards or Games
  • Towel / Pillow Case / Sleeping Bag Liner / Sheets - sometimes the base ones can be pretty old
• Apps & Digital Downloaded Documents
  • Phone Apps - Phone aps associated with any communication device such Garmin InReach or Iridium Go.
  • Useful field guides - USAP field guide, BAS field guide, etc.
  • Useful technical information repositories - Icefin documentation, Instrumnent Manuals & Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Python manual and packages manuals, Wikipedia, etc.

Packing Advice

• Gear Tips:
  • Sew or tie small rope loops to gloves and beanies etc. so you can carabiner them if you are not wearing them.
  • Bring a backpack with room for extra computers, electronics, batteries. You may have to carry team electronics and these could be given to you somewhat last minute.
  • Pack an extra (expandable) duffel in case you need to bring more stuff or one of your bags breaks. (Such as items from a base gift shop).
  • Have a number of stuff sacks to organize your belongings within the larger bag.
  • Have carabiners for each bag so you can easily secure them to something heavy on the ice.
  • Bring double of anything small and important (watch, leatherman, etc.) so you have a backup in case the primary one is lost or breaks.
  • Bring a small paper organizer or a few folders to keep important documents organized.
  • Check if the program will store bags while you are on the ice, if so you can leave a bag of fresh clothes for when you fly back into New Zealand / South America / South Africa.
  • Bring down postcards with you to send to family and friends from Antarctica. The base may have postcards but sometimes these are limited. At McMurdo you can send and receive mail.
  • Clean your boots and other gear so they do not get stopped by biosecurity when traveling internationally (especially for New Zealand).
• Clothing Brands:
  • General Outdoor: Patagonia, Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardware, Northface, Kuhl, Soloman, Prana, Spyder, Buff
  • Polar / ECW: Feathered Friends, Canada Goose, Mountain Hardware, Earth Sea Sky, Baffin, Helly Hansen, Klattermussen
  • Wool: Smartwool, Icebreaker, Ridge Merino
  • Work: Carhartt, Cactus
  • Eyewear: Julbo, Smith, Zeal
  • Shoes / Boots: Baffin, La Sportiva, Scarpa
  • International: Nikwax, Haglofs, Klattermussen, Fjallraven, Berghaus, Mammut, Kathmandu, MacPac, Montbell, Rab Equipment
  • Performance Materials & Fabrics: Down, Primaloft, Thinsulate, Cordura, Gortex, Schoeller, Vibram
• Gear Websites
  • Gear Reviews: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com, https://www.switchbacktravel.com/
  • Used Gear: https://www.poshmark.com, https://www.ebay.com, https://www.geartrade.com, https://outandbackoutdoor.com, https://wornwear.patagonia.com, https://www.regear.arcteryx.com/
• Home Preparation:
  • Two Factor Authentication (for bank, email, etc.) — Your cell phone will not work so ensure you or someone else can get into your accounts if needed without requiring a text message. Usually you can download backup codes as a means for two factor authentication without a cell phone.
  • Bills — Make sure your bills (rent, car, internet, phone, etc.) are getting paid.
  • Phone plan — If you cancel your plan or put it on hold double check that your phone number will not be given away (this happened to me and was a major hassle).
  • Physical Mail - Have it held or forwarded to a different address.
  • Email - Setup auto response that you are out of contact.
  • Voting — If you will be gone during an election cycle submit your ballot early.
  • Home — It is a good idea to have someone check on your house while you are gone. And to pack up your things nicely. (One season my roof collapsed while I was gone).
  • Plants & Animals — Make a plan for taking care of them.
  • Return From Ice — Your departure date from Antarctic is likely to change so do not make any firm plans within several weeks of your scheduled return from the ice.