From Layoff to 7 Continents Week 8: My Antarctica Packing List - What I'm Bringing to My Seventh Continent
My Antarctica Packing List: What I'm Bringing to My Seventh Continent
From Layoff to 7 Continents — Week 8
Three years ago, I was laid off.
In eight weeks, I'll be stepping onto Antarctica, the seventh and final continent on a list I started when I had no job and no plan.
This week the trip stopped being an idea and became a pile of gear in my living room.
If you've ever wondered what you actually need for Antarctica, or what a trip like this really requires, this is the honest version.
The Antarctica packing list so far
Antarctica Packing List #1: Expedition coat
This was the first real purchase for my Antarctica packing list, and the one that made everything feel official.
Check your operator's packing list before you buy, because many expedition companies loan a parka or let you keep one as part of the fare.
What I like about this coat is the removable head cover, which allows me to wear while traveling on zodiacs and trekking through snow and remove while inside the climate controlled ship.
Mine needed to work for Ushuaia and ship decks, so I wanted my own.
Antarctica Packing List #2: Winter boots
These are my ship-and-city boots important for my Antarctica packing list.
Insulated, easy to zip, warm enough for Patagonia in shoulder season.
They are not the boots I'll wear ashore, which brings me to the most useful thing I learned this week.
Antarctica Packing List #3: Merino wool socks
Ordered and on the way are merino wool socks.
Wool, not cotton.
Cotton holds moisture against your skin and turns cold the moment you stop moving, which is exactly the wrong quality in a place where your feet will be damp.
Merino stays warm even when it's wet and doesn't hold odor, which matters on a long trip with limited laundry.
I bought multiple pairs than felt reasonable.
Everyone who has done this trip says the same thing: dry feet are the difference between an incredible landing and a miserable one.
Antarctica Packing List #4: Waterproof trousers
Another essential on the way for my Antarctica packing list are waterproof trousers.
Waterproof, not water-resistant.
There's a real difference, and you find out which one you bought while sitting on the wet edge of a zodiac with spray coming over the side.
Since these are going over my thermals, I elected to purchase men's pants.
These go over your thermals as a shell, so one good pair covers the whole trip.
Antarctica Packing List #5: Thermal layers
An absolute necessity for all Antarctica packing lists.
The base of the whole system.
Multiple sets so there's always a dry one.
Antarctica Packing List #6: Waterproof gloves and ear muffs
Cold hands and ears end a landing early.
I wanted waterproof gloves that have touchscreen ability and has a good grasp so my camera and cellphone doesn't fall out my hands.
Also, I can lift fingertips if needed as well I can pull off the outer pair to work the camera without exposing bare skin.
Ear muffs are great while visiting Ushuaia to withstand cool wind breezes and while abroad the ship.
My expedition coat has an removable insulated cover to wear abroad zodiacs and onshore adventures.
Antarctica Packing List #7: Universal travel adapter
Another important Antarctica packing list item that's currently being prepared to ship is an universal travel adapter.
Given how regularly I travel, I decided to get an universal travel adapter so I don't need to continue purchasing travel adapters when I go somewhere new.
Argentina uses different outlets than the US, so this one's essential for the land portion.
What I like about this adapter its compatible with Argentina and US outlets.
In addition, I plan to bring multiple charging cords to ensure my devices stay charged.
Useful detail if you're sailing: my ship runs 110V in the cabins, the same as home, with Argentine outlets in some public areas.
If you're planning an Antarctic cruise, check your own ship's specs, because they vary.
Antarctica Packing List #8: Waterproof action camera
Purchased and still on the way.
I did quite a lot of research on best waterproof action cameras.
Akaso has high reviews from multiple sources so I decided to choose this brand.
I'm also planning to get an additional battery and memory card to ensure I have plenty of room for photos and videos.
I want to document this trip properly, not just remember it.
What I didn't buy, and why it saved me money and packing space
The most common piece of Antarctica advice online is to get tall rubber boots for wet landings, where the zodiac pulls up to shore and you step out into shallow surf.
Before I started looking at items I needed to purchase, I contacted my tour operator for what items I needed to bring and what was available aboard the ship.
When I received and read my operator's documents properly, I was informed rubber boots will be supplied.
Most expedition companies do.
They'll ask for your size in advance, and the boots are waiting in your cabin or the mudroom when you board.
That's one bulky, heavy, expensive item you don't need to buy or carry across two continents.
Before you buy anything for an Antarctic trip, contact your operator for a packing list.
Read the FAQ.
Read the pre-departure packet.
The answers are usually in there, and the gear you skip is money back in your pocket.
What preparing to pack taught me about starting over
I didn't expect a packing list to make me think about my career.
But here's what I noticed while laying everything out.
Almost nothing I bought is exciting on its own.
Wool socks.
Waterproof trousers.
An universal travel adapter.
None of it is the reason anyone goes to Antarctica.
All of it is the reason people make it through the days there in one piece.
When I was laid off, I was determined to make my dreams reality.
A new title, a big move, a thing I could announce.
What actually got me from that week to this one was unglamorous and cumulative: the small decisions, the preparation, the steady adding of one more piece.
You don't prepare for the cold once you're already in it.
You prepare while it still feels far away and slightly ridiculous.
Every item I've added over the past several weeks has been a reminder that this stopped being a distant dream and became an official date on the calendar.
Eight weeks out
If you're navigating a layoff...
A career change...
A midlife reset...
Or simply looking for life inspiration...
This series documents real experience of going through life's adversities to making ambitious, crazy dreams reality.
The whole journey in real time — the preparation, the cost, and the mindset it takes to keep going when the goal is still far off.
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Travel as Transformation.
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