The Final Information to CAMPING IN ANTARCTICA [2024]

Should you’re after an actual journey (and supreme bragging rights), then it’s best to add tenting in Antarctica to your bucket listing!

Once we booked our journey to Antarctica with One Ocean Expeditions, there have been two experiences that we had been determined to check out – sea kayaking and tenting in Antarctica.

Having camped in lots of of various locations around the globe, having the ability to sleep below the celebs on the white continent is one thing we knew can be an actual journey.

And similar to any actual journey, there was no assure of success.

Earlier than signing up for the 11-day Antarctic Peninsula Journey we chatted with the gross sales group and came upon that departing on the finish of February meant the climate can be beginning to get colder, they usually couldn’t promise that the tenting mission would go forward.

This didn’t deter us although and we knew that whether or not we slept on the continent or not, it might nonetheless be one thing we’d always remember.

Once we boarded the Akademik Ioffe in Ushuaia, our expedition chief Boris introduced that it appeared situations could possibly be deteriorating, and for security causes they must wait to see what occurred.

We crossed the Drake Passage throughout a storm and thought our possibilities had been gone with the wind. That was till we awoke on the primary morning within the Antarctic Peninsula.

Blue skies greeted us and there was no wind! We couldn’t consider our luck and we spent the primary day happening zodiac and island excursions.

After lunch rumours began to go across the ship that maybe tonight the climate would keep clear, and situations would permit us to camp on the continent. Pleasure ranges had been at an actual excessive.

Certain sufficient once we returned from our second tour for the day the announcement went over the PA system – the ship’s captain, and expedition chief, had authorised this journey.

Try loads of different wonderful issues to do in Antarctica in our newest article.

Tenting in Antarctica – Preparation and Journey

It was time to be taught extra about how we’d pull this off!

The Security Briefing

Tenting in Antarctica is an optionally available exercise that’s included on a few of One Ocean Expedition’s journeys, and about half of the company had been ecstatic to strive it out.

Everybody who’s needed to meet on the bow for a compulsory security briefing, the place Ben, the assistant expedition chief, went over what was the be anticipated and the gear that will be used.

The forecast for the night was a balmy -5°C, pretty heat contemplating we had been in Antarctica. This meant that the actual threat of anybody affected by the chilly was virtually non-existent with the excessive tech tenting tools.

Fairly than sleeping in tents the One Ocean Expeditions group use bivy sacks for his or her tenting actions. These waterproof, windproof sacks are excellent for cold-weather tenting and in addition permit a transparent view of the sky above.

We had been proven the best way to put the thermal mat contained in the bivy sack, adopted by the heavy responsibility sleeping luggage. The baggage are rated to -15°C consolation, so everybody was going to be heat sufficient.

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In addition to going over the tools we had been all reminded of the strict quarantine legal guidelines on Antarctica, which meant we may take nothing onto the continent with us apart from contemporary water, clothes and our digicam gear.

Going to the lavatory can be strictly prohibited. A bucket and tarpaulin cowl can be introduced onto land for these needing to go quantity ones, but when at any level somebody wanted to do their enterprise in the midst of the evening they might be taken again to the ship to take action.

With every thing defined and understood we headed again to the cabins to prepare for this epic journey.

Try our final vacation spot information all about journey to Antarctica!

Heading to Hovgaard Island

After dinner we brushed our enamel, went to the lavatory, loaded up with all of the warmest garments we owned and headed to the zodiacs.

The placement for our evening tenting in Antarctica was going to be Hovgaard Island, a small island off of the Antarctic Peninsula. Penguins and seals have full management of the place, and we beloved the concept of hanging out with these curious neighbours.

We walked down the gangway, whereas the passengers who had opted to remain on the ship stood exterior, drinks in hand, singing us songs and cheering.

The ambiance on the zodiac was buzzing, and the solar began to dip decrease within the sky. We couldn’t wait to lastly contact down on Hovgaard Island!

Setting Up Our Camp in Antarctica

We landed on Hovgaard and instantly collected our tenting gear. We walked as much as a big, snowy slope that had been allotted by the One Ocean Expeditions group because the official Antarctica Campground, and started working establishing our bivy sacks.

The very first thing to do was dig out a flat platform within the snow, and the entire crew started working with the shovels.

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Quickly everybody had managed to construct a pleasant campsite, and as soon as we bought the bivy sacks arrange we headed all the way down to the water’s edge to catch the sundown.

We couldn’t have deliberate it any higher. As soon as the solar dropped behind the mountains the sky lit up in violent tinges of reds and purples. The colors had been so vibrant all of us put our cameras down to easily admire it. Images couldn’t do it justice.

As to be anticipated, now that we had been within the shade the temperature began to drop quickly. All of us made our manner again to the bivy sacks, took off our boots, snow pants and snow jackets, and crawled inside.

It took a couple of minutes to heat up, however as soon as we did the bivy sack and sleeping bag grew to become fairly cosy.

We caught our digicam gear inside with us to verify it didn’t freeze, and slowly drifted off as the celebs began to got here out.

The snow platform was surprisingly snug, and with the thermal mat, sack and sleeping luggage between our our bodies and the snow we had been protected against the weather.

At about 1am I felt a mild shake and awoke. Alesha rolled over in the direction of me and whispered, “Take a look at the celebs.” I turned my eyes up and couldn’t consider what I noticed.

Billions of stars glowed brightly in the dead of night sky, glistening like glitter beneath a strobe mild. The Milky Manner rose above the snow-capped peaks in an imposing arc.

“Take a photograph,” Alesha mumbled, earlier than rolling over to return to sleep. As heat as I used to be, I needed to attempt to seize what I used to be seeing. Defying the chilly I sat up, caught my arms out and arrange the tripod and digicam.

For five minutes I snapped a couple of pictures, spending the time whereas the shutter was open to gaze in the direction of the heavens and watch the celebs shine. After I had captured a couple of I packed every thing up and fell again asleep, making an attempt to get heat once more.

We stirred awake round 6am with the solar already excessive within the sky. A number of the different campers had been already up and strolling round, and we rapidly joined them.

Crawling out of the bivy sack was fairly tough with the chilly temperatures exterior, however we did it as rapidly as doable, bouncing round as soon as we had been out to get the blood flowing.

Inside a couple of minutes we had put all our garments again on, packed up the sacks, sleeping luggage and mats, and made our manner again in the direction of the ready zodiacs.

The One Ocean Expeditions crew did a closing sweep of Hovgaard Island to verify no overseas objects had been left behind, then we made our manner again to the Akademik Ioffe.

Craig, the restaurant supervisor and Beckie the bartender had been ready for the completely happy campers with contemporary espresso and tea out on the deck, and to say it was appreciated can be an enormous understatement.

All of us gathered round, sipped on our scorching brew and let loose an enormous cheers. We had managed to outlive an evening tenting in Antarctica, and the expertise is just not one thing we’ll ever neglect.

Suggestions for Tenting in Antarctica?

The primary to remember when tenting in Antarctica is that it’s only doable in summer time when there may be ample daytime and temperatures are a lot hotter.

That being stated that is nonetheless thought of cold-weather tenting, and subsequently you want specialist tools to do it. 3-season tents gained’t lower it right here.

We visited Antarctica with One Ocean Expeditions, they usually had prime quality winter-grade bivy sacks, sleeping luggage and thermal mats for all their passengers to make use of on the continent.

With a very powerful gear taken care of, the following factor to take with you in your Antarctica tenting journey is heat garments.

We suggest carrying thermal pants and thermal tops (merino wool is our private selection), in addition to two pairs of heat socks, a sweater, gloves and beanie. Additionally deliver a torch, headlamp or your cellphone with a light-weight.

The outerwear and snow boots will probably be equipped by One Ocean Expeditions, so you possibly can go away the massive, cumbersome jackets and pants at residence.

Take a bottle of consuming water with you, however that’s all you possibly can take. No meals or different sorts of drinks are allowed on the continent for environmental causes.

A big waste bucket is supplied, together with a tent-style cowl to go round it for people who wanted to go to the bathroom whereas on the island. That is solely out there for quantity ones although, so be sure to go to the bathroom earlier than leaving the ship.

If at any time you are feeling uncomfortable or need to return to the ship you possibly can ask one of many One Ocean Expeditions crew members and they’re going to return you on a zodiac instantly. However when you return to the ship, you aren’t allowed to return.

A very powerful factor to recollect is that whereas that is an thrilling exercise, and one thing that you simply’ll be telling your mates about for years to come back, it’s not precisely ‘harmful’.

If there’s any probability of a storm rolling in or the temperatures dropping considerably, the expedition chief will cancel the evening’s exercise. It is a bummer, however they actually do have everybody’s security as their predominant concern.

The largest tip we may give for tenting in Antarctica is to simply give it a go! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime alternative, and is likely one of the most wonderful issues you might ever tick off your bucket listing.

[box] Our evening spent tenting in Antarctica was finished as a part of our partnership with One Ocean Expeditions. All ideas, opinions and stars we tried to depend whereas mendacity in our bivy sacks are, as all the time, our personal.[/box]