Antarctica clothing

[Crocodile89]

Trying to get my clothes ready for the SS Antarctica cruise Jan 5.  I have waterproof single layer pants and also the puffy ski type pants which give extra warmth.  Do I need the puffy ski style pants or will the Columbia storm surge waterproof pants be enough with warm underwear?  Have silk long underwear and bought Merino wool long underwear.  Trying to be conscious of what I am packing.  Will the waterproof keep me warm enough or do I need the ski pants?  Thanks for any comments and advice.  

[alithecat]

We wore two base layers under our thin waterproof pants. Long underpants -- we had both thin silk underwear and thicker Uniqlo Heattech underwear, depending on the weather, plus Smartwool pants.

 

I wouldn't expect the thin waterproof pants to fit over puffy ski pants, and you definitely need the top layer to be completely waterproof. It can get very wet in the zodiacs.

[taxatty]

1 hour ago, Crocodile89 said:

Trying to get my clothes ready for the SS Antarctica cruise Jan 5.  I have waterproof single layer pants and also the puffy ski type pants which give extra warmth.  Do I need the puffy ski style pants or will the Columbia storm surge waterproof pants be enough with warm underwear?  Have silk long underwear and bought Merino wool long underwear.  Trying to be conscious of what I am packing.  Will the waterproof keep me warm enough or do I need the ski pants?  Thanks for any comments and advice.  

We brought the ski pants and were very happy we did. But we're from Miami...😄

[Tex1]

Remember the temps will be between 30-35 degrees, so no need for extra layers.  The vast majority of people wear a base layer, some type of pants and then the waterproof layer and are perfectly comfortable.  Going thicker will also back it harder to walk in the snow.

[jjs217]

I found a pair of long silky knit underwear, a pair of pants, and then the waterproof pants worked great.  There may be times when you want to remove the outer layer in the gear-up room before going about your business on the ship, so having on a pair of pants underneath (not just long johns) is a good idea.  We did all of the longer hikes on shore, and always came back to the ship kind of sweaty. 

[caradara]

I wore ski pants over long underwear and jjs217 is correct in that I couldn't take off my ski pants until I got to my cabin.  My husband wore long underwear, sweatpants, thin waterproof pants.  Truly waterproof is the most important thing.

[WanderingTravels]

Are goggles necessary?

[jjs217]

3 hours ago, WanderingTravels said:

Are goggles necessary?

No - not necessary.  Sunglasses - YES.  Some people did wear ski goggles though.  If that is what you would prefer - that would be fine. 

[alithecat]

Sunglasses are necessary, not goggles. Bring eyeglass holder straps that go around your neck. You don't want to lose your glasses/sunglasses if it's windy on the zodiacs. This happened to some people.

[toseaornottosea]

9 hours ago, WanderingTravels said:

Are goggles necessary?

We found googles very useful when running in the zodiacs.  Had sunglasses too.

[Crocodile89]

Another question.  We have two days in Santiago Chile.  Any tours to recommend?  We were thinking of the tour to Valparaiso with a stop at a winery but would like one more activity for the second day.  Thanks in advance.  

[NZbelle]

We enjoyed the Valparaiso day tour - street art amazing and great guide

[jjs217]

19 hours ago, Crocodile89 said:

Another question.  We have two days in Santiago Chile.  Any tours to recommend?  We were thinking of the tour to Valparaiso with a stop at a winery but would like one more activity for the second day.  Thanks in advance.  

If you look on line there are tours that go up into the Andes (to the north-north-east) of Santiago.  Most even pick-up at your hotel.  The big draw for that area is the Los Caracoles - the snail road.

[southerngoose]

Are the pants for rent really Columbia Storm Surge waterproof pants?   Curious because I bought 2 pairs of those on Amazon for some other trips and I'm trying to figure out how much clothing I really need to "rent".   In 35F weather, I've been wearing a base layer and these Columbia pants and have been quite comfortable.  Is it particularly windy in Antarctica or is there some other reason for 2 items under the waterproof layer?    I went to Northern Finland and it was below 0F and I did wear 3 layers, but when it was closer to 30-35, I only needed 2 layers.   So I'm wondering what I'm missing here...

[alithecat]

Antarctica wasn't that cold but I found that you need the extra layer for the long zodiac cruises. You can get very cold and wet sitting in the zodiac for an hour.

[bethtex]

went in Dec 2019.  Waterproof pants and long underwear were enough.  Light weight long underwear for hiking, and heavier/warmer when on a zodiac cruise.

definitely was glad had my wide brimmed hat with a chinstrap - kept the sun off.  Also a good warm beanie hat.  Sunglasses were necessary but not ski goggles.  I had both ski gloves and lighter weight gloves that could also serve as a liner.

I usually wore a light weight wicking/dri-fit longsleeve shirt, a turtleneck and a light fleece or sweatshirt with my parka.  Often shed layers while we hiked - 32 and sunny was plenty warm.

one pair of waterproof pants enough.  Easy to do laundry on board and pack less.  We bought our own pants and muck boots (Hisea on Amazon).  Will now have them for Arctic this summer and Antarctica again in 2025.