In the event you’re after an actual journey (and supreme bragging rights), then you need to add tenting in Antarctica to your bucket listing!
After 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 a whole bunch of various locations around the globe, with the ability to sleep underneath the celebs on the white continent is one thing we knew could be an actual journey.
And identical 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 workforce and discovered that departing on the finish of February meant the climate could 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 will nonetheless be one thing we’d always remember.
After we boarded the Akademik Ioffe in Ushuaia, our expedition chief Boris introduced that it appeared situations might 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 awakened 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 occurring 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 accredited this journey.
Take a look at loads of different superb issues to do in Antarctica in our newest article.
Tenting in Antarctica – Preparation and Journey
It was time to study extra about how we might pull this off!
The Security Briefing
Tenting in Antarctica is an non-compulsory exercise that’s included on a few of One Ocean Expedition’s journeys, and about half of the friends had been ecstatic to attempt 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 might 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 nearly non-existent with the excessive tech tenting gear.
Somewhat than sleeping in tents the One Ocean Expeditions workforce use bivy sacks for his or her tenting actions. These waterproof, windproof sacks are good for cold-weather tenting and in addition permit a transparent view of the sky above.
We had been proven methods to put the thermal mat contained in the bivy sack, adopted by the heavy responsibility sleeping baggage. The baggage are rated to -15°C consolation, so everybody was going to be heat sufficient.
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Apart from going over the gear 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 recent water, clothes and our digicam gear.
Going to the lavatory can also be strictly prohibited. A bucket and tarpaulin cowl could be introduced onto land for these needing to go quantity ones, but when at any level somebody wanted to do their enterprise in the course of the night time they might be taken again to the ship to take action.
With every little thing defined and understood we headed again to the cabins to prepare for this epic journey.
Take a look at 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 night time 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 outdoors, drinks in hand, singing us songs and cheering.
The environment 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 workforce because the official Antarctica Campground, and started working organising 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 obtained the bivy sacks arrange we headed right 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 means 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 turned 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 baggage between our our bodies and the snow we had been protected against the weather.
At about 1am I felt a mild shake and awakened. Alesha rolled over in the direction of me and whispered, “Have a look at the celebs.” I turned my eyes up and couldn’t consider what I noticed.
Billions of stars glowed brightly at nighttime sky, glistening like glitter beneath a strobe gentle. The Milky Method rose above the snow-capped peaks in an impressive arc.
“Take a photograph,” Alesha mumbled, earlier than rolling over to return to sleep. As heat as I used to be, I wished to try 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 photographs, spending the time whereas the shutter was open to gaze in the direction of the heavens and watch the celebs shine. Once I had captured a couple of I packed every little 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 few of the different campers had been already up and strolling round, and we rapidly joined them.
Crawling out of the bivy sack was fairly troublesome with the chilly temperatures outdoors, however we did it as rapidly as potential, 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 baggage and mats, and made our means 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 means again to the Akademik Ioffe.
Craig, the restaurant supervisor and Beckie the bartender had been ready for the comfortable campers with recent espresso and tea out on the deck, and to say it was appreciated could 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 isn’t one thing we’ll ever overlook.
Ideas for Tenting in Antarctica?
The primary to bear in mind when tenting in Antarctica is that it is just potential in summer time when there’s ample daytime and temperatures are a lot hotter.
That being mentioned that is nonetheless thought-about cold-weather tenting, and subsequently you want specialist gear to do it. 3-season tents received’t lower it right here.
We visited Antarctica with One Ocean Expeditions, they usually had prime quality winter-grade bivy sacks, sleeping baggage and thermal mats for all their passengers to make use of on the continent.
With an important gear taken care of, the subsequent 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 alternative), in addition to two pairs of heat socks, a sweater, gloves and beanie. Additionally deliver a torch, headlamp or your cellphone with a lightweight.
The outerwear and snow boots can be provided by One Ocean Expeditions, so you possibly can depart the large, 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 forms of drinks are allowed on the continent for environmental causes.
A big waste bucket is offered, together with a tent-style cowl to go round it for those who wanted to go to the bathroom whereas on the island. That is solely accessible for quantity ones although, so be sure you go to the bathroom earlier than leaving the ship.
If at any time you’re 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.
An important factor to recollect is that whereas that is an thrilling exercise, and one thing that you just’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 night time’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 superb issues you possibly can ever tick off your bucket listing.
[box] Our night time spent tenting in Antarctica was completed 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 at all times, our personal.[/box]