Friday, 30 March 2018

Splurging on the Right Things in Tokyo

On my first trip to Japan in 2013, I completely fell in love with the country — but I couldn’t have named a favorite city. I deemed Japan far greater than the sum of its parts.

That may still be true — but this time, I have a favorite. Tokyo, I love you so much.

I’m about to say something a bit taboo in the travel blogging community: you can have fun in Japan on a backpacking budget, but it’s so much better with more financial wiggle room. You don’t have to live lavishly — the only expensive thing I did was the Park Hyatt Tokyo, and that was only the last two nights. Most of what I did was a mid-range trip, taking into mind that Tokyo is an expensive city with prices similar to New York, London, and Paris.

Mid-range travel in Tokyo means you need to take the subway most of the time, but you can afford an occasional cab ride when you arrive late and are too tired to walk 25 minutes to your accommodation. It means you might not be able to get a $300 kaiseki meal, but you can definitely afford $60 Michelin-starred yakitori. It means you can pay for a fun food tour instead of trying to figure out incomprehensible Japanese food stands on your own. It means you can splurge on cute Japanese baby stuff for your expectant friends.

This was the second part of my campaign with ANA — All Nippon Airways to promote Japan’s only five-star airline. For the first part of the trip, I visited the northern island of Hokkaido. While ANA covered only my first three days in Tokyo, I’m including all the experiences I enjoyed in my final two days in Tokyo as well.

The Language of Big Cities

It takes a bit of an adjustment period to get used to Japan, even if you’ve been before. Japan is just so different from every other place in the world. When arriving in Sapporo, I was struck by how long it took me to find an ATM, buy a ticket for the train, figure out which way was out of the train station — even if I knew to make a beeline to the nearest convenience store for some onigiri before passing out in my hotel at 9:30 PM.

Tokyo is different, though. Japan may have its own language and culture and way of doing things, but so do big cities. It’s hard to tell whether Tokyo is more of a Japanese place or more of a big city.

I’m a girl who loves her megacities. I live in New York and some of my favorite cities around the world include the giant metropolises of Paris, Bangkok, Berlin, and Hong Kong. Big cities prioritize speed and anonymity. People give each other space on an individual basis, and in groups, they swoop past each other like schools of fish. The language of a megacity is a language understood throughout the world, and in some ways, Madrid and Seoul are less foreign to me than small town America.

This time was all about getting swept up in the megacity that is Tokyo. Here are the activities I enjoyed the most.

Personal Shopping in Ginza

I think one reason why I loved Tokyo so much this time is because I found my favorite neighborhood — Ginza. Ginza is my zone. It’s famous for being the upscale shopping neighborhood of Tokyo. I was surprised how quickly Ginza became the center of my trip — I couldn’t stop returning!

On Airbnb I found a personal shopping tour in Ginza — you join a professional stylist and he takes you to cool shops, showing you interesting Japanese brands. It ended up being just me and a girl named Nisha from Canada, and our stylist-guide Hiro took us on a fashion journey through the coolest spots! We ogled Japanese sportswear in the Ginza Six complex, admired Comme des Garçons duds at another mall (I was afraid to breathe on them), and Hiro took us to some more moderately priced department stores.

I spotted these earrings and had to buy them. Aren’t they cute?

We finished with a coffee and a chat about our respective homes. Hiro even asked us for input in marketing his other tour, a streetwear tour of Shinjuku. (“What neighborhood is more famous to North Americans, Shinjuku or Harajuku?” he asked. “Definitely Harajuku!” Nisha and I said in unison. “Really!” he exclaimed in surprise.)

Ginza is a fantastic place to explore and I especially loved the department stores. If you go, Tokyu Plaza was my favorite department store for stuff I would actually buy (mid-ranged goods and cute only-in-Japan brands), while Mitsukoshi was my favorite department store for gawking at expensive stuff, as well as its fancy food hall in the basement. Ginza Six is mostly home to expensive brands but it has a cool interior and is well worth a stop as well.

My favorite store of all was Itoya — a world-famous stationery store. Like many stores in Ginza, it’s tall and skinny with many floors — and in this case, it’s 12 floors of beautiful handmade paper goods! I felt blissed out just looking at the different colors of washi paper.

Keep in mind that if you spend more than 5,000 yen ($50) at any one store in Japan, you’re entitled to a tax refund.

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Fish Market is arguably one of the most touristy activities in Japan — but only for now, as the market is planning to move locations in October 2018. I Googled around and booked a tour of the market with Ninja Food Tours.

Tsukiji Fish Market was not what I expected — I thought it would be a more public market, the kind of place where fresh fish are on display and old ladies haggle the vendors down for every last yen. It wasn’t like that at all. Most of the market was where vendors do their work and sell wholesale. Regular consumers do their shopping outside the main market. As a result, I was relieved I had a tour guide for this place — I would have had no idea where to go without him.

We did our eating on the outside of the market, starting with the intriguingly named “parent and child” dish.

Did you know that lots of fishmongers don’t like to eat seafood? It makes sense; if you’re surrounded by fish all day, it’s probably not that appetizing. Yuma introduced us to oyakodon, a savory chicken and egg stew over rice. Oyakodon means “parent and child,” reminding me of I will bathe you in your children memes.

My first thought was, “Wow, those eggs are runny.” Then I took a bite and learned just how delicious those runny eggs were! This dish was fantastic, a gorgeous blend of flavors, far better than it looked, and I can understand why it’s a beloved Japanese comfort food.

Winter is the beginning of strawberry season, and there were so many on offer. In Japanese style, most strawberries were immaculate — an even shade of bright red shaped into a perfect point. But WHITE strawberries were on display as well! We tried some and they don’t have much flavor, but they’re pleasing to the eye. The Japanese like to give them as gifts.

Of course we had to have some fresh tuna! This mini tuna bowl was so good, I could have eaten another one immediately. I’ve never had one so good in my life. The Japanese way is to start with the leaner, redder fish around the edge then move on to the lighter, fattier pieces.

My favorite item of all? Custard-flavored mochi with strawberry. OH, these are the best dessert IN THE WORLD. I’ve been hit-or-miss with the popular Japanese rice-based sweet before, but custard-flavored mochi is the best blend of eastern and western flavors. Guys, I got so addicted to these, I was eating one every day! I even found a seller in Kyoto Station who laughed whenever I showed up at her cart for my next hit.

I so enjoyed this food tour! Yuma is a great guide and lived in the US for awhile, so we had a lot to talk about. He even kindly emailed me food recommendations for Kyoto.

If you do go to Tsukiji Fish Market, with or without a guide, please keep in mind that this is a working market, not a theme park. Be thoughtful in your photography, especially of the fishmongers; don’t treat the market like a human zoo. Keep a respectful distance. Jump out of anyone’s way. You are a guest here and people are just trying to get their work done.

Golden Gai

Golden Gai was one of the highlights of my first trip to Tokyo — it’s a neighborhood filled with tiny hovel bars, many of them themed, stacked on top of each other. Some are members-only; if there’s English signage, you can assume non-members are welcome.

Many of these bars have cover charges. This time, contrary to last time, a cover charge wasn’t a deal-breaker. I stepped into a tiny six-seat bar stacked with vinyl records where two thirty-something locals were already deep into their cocktails. The bartender and locals welcomed me with smiles.

And I stayed. Rather than hopping around the cheapest bars in the neighborhood, I found one moderately priced bar and stayed there for a few beers, enjoying the music, chatting with my new companions. The bartender and customers mostly chatted amongst themselves but would occasionally translate and bring me into the conversation, which I appreciated!

Giant Cotton Candy in Harajuku

Harajuku might be the most famous neighborhood in Tokyo — it’s the center of “kawaii” (cute) culture. This is where you’re likeliest to find outlandish Tokyo fashion and costumed locals, especially on Saturdays. And Instagram has gotten HUGE since my last visit in 2013, so there are lots of places catering to photo seekers with cool backdrops and unusual foods.

I’ll be honest — this time around, Harajuku was a bit much for my taste. Takeshita Street assaulted my senses and the Kawaii Monster Cafe, though so very Japanese, is not something I’d recommend unless you have kids and/or are into kawaii culture.

I did, however, get a giant cotton candy! Instagrammable as hell and surprisingly delicious. Each flavor tastes different — I loved the sour blue cotton candy. Yep, I ate the whole thing. You’ll find vendors selling it on Takeshita Street.

Tokyo Book and Bed

One of my favorite things is when my friends think of things I’d like and offer to take me there. It’s especially nice when my friends acknowledge parts of my personality that have nothing to do with travel. (Like the time my friend Alexa texted me, “Hey, you love The Rock, wanna go see San Andreas in 3D IMAX?” HA.)

My friends Jessica and Hai from Notes of Nomads have been living in Tokyo for years and knowing how much I love to read, they suggested we check out Tokyo’s Book and Bed. This capsule hotel in the Ikebukuro neighborhood is covered with bookshelves and literary chandeliers. Have you ever dreamed of sleeping overnight in a library? I HAVE. This was a super fun place to do a photo shoot!

I swore off hostel dorms for good when I was 30. I just can’t deal with the noise, smells, and inconsiderate roommates who sleep through their alarms. But a capsule hotel like this? With semi-private rooms? In the polite society that is Japan? I’ll give it a hard maybe.

Afterward, we headed to Racines Farm to Park for some blueberry grilled cheeses. (Strange, but I think I’ve gotten more commentary on the blueberry grilled cheeses than anything else I did on this trip!)

Park Hyatt Tokyo

On the way back, I fulfilled a long-held travel dream by staying at the Park Hyatt Tokyo, the Lost in Translation hotel. I partnered with the hotel for this stay — in exchange for coverage, they offered me one comped night and additional remaining nights at a discounted media rate that totaled around $500 with taxes, plus free spa access and breakfast — so I decided to book two nights. $500 for a single night is way beyond my usual price range (even if it was more like $250 per night with the comped night), but for this hotel, it was absolutely worth it.

Honestly, this is the only place I ever want to stay in Tokyo. It was like living in a dream, where every service was brought to me as soon as I thought of it. My room on the 48th floor had an incredible view over Tokyo, especially during a purple sunset. The concierge called all over Ginza to find places where I could bring sealed custard mochi home. The pool was a peaceful place for a morning plunge, and the spa had a Japanese onsen, of course.

And that bar? Oh, that bar. It was exactly like the movie, down to the jazz band and the incredible floor-to-ceiling views over Tokyo. The bar’s full name is the New York Bar and my friend Annette and I indulged in several New York-themed cocktails. My favorite was the Radio City, made with Grey Goose Earl Grey, pink pepper syrup, and soda.

Bird Land

And finally, on Valentine’s Day, I took myself out for the ultimate romantic meal for one. Yakitori is meat on a stick, usually washed down with a beer in a smoky bar. Bird Land made headlines for being the first yakitori restaurant to earn a Michelin star. (Or in my mind, the most affordable way to eat at a place with a Michelin star.)

Bird Land has several tasting menus available. I opted for the smallest tasting menu because I didn’t feel that hungry, but I do feel like I missed out on some interesting dishes. One by one, the skewers were brought out. Chicken with green onions and sea salt — the best chicken ever. Chicken livers. Cabbage with butter and truffle oil. Mushrooms. Spiced ground chicken in egg yolk sauce. Before dessert was served, the waiter offered me a chance to try anything else, and at his recommendation, I ordered some chicken skin. Crispy and delicious!

Note: don’t just type “Bird Land” into Google Maps — they only show one location, in Marounuchi, not the Ginza place where I had booked my reservation. They were very understanding and let me stay.

The Tokyo Takeaway

Tokyo has now earned a place among my favorite cities in the world! Even though I just got back, I would so love to return to Tokyo and just hang out. I feel like I have a bit of ownership of the city now.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t planned a return to Kyoto and Osaka on this trip — I felt like my second visit to those cities was a letdown. But spending a full week in Tokyo wouldn’t have been a waste of time; even after a jam-packed month, you’ve only scraped Tokyo’s surface.

I ended my trip with a lovely surprise — it may have taken 14 hours to fly from JFK to Narita with ANA, but on the way back, the flight was two hours shorter and departing from the much closer Haneda Airport, which saved me about three hours. In short, I went door to door, from the Park Hyatt Tokyo to my apartment in Harlem, including an hourlong shuttle from the hotel to Haneda and an hourlong Uber from JFK to my apartment, in less than 17 hours. If you can fly into Haneda Airport instead of Narita, do it. It saves you so much time!


READ MORE: What’s It Like to Travel in Japan?


Essential Info: In Tokyo I stayed at two different hotels: first the Hotel & Spa J-Mex Tokyo in Shinjuku, which turned out to be a love hotel (!). Of course I accidentally booked myself into a love hotel!! That said, the staff were lovely and gave me privacy, my suite was massive and comfortable, and it was just a short walk from Golden Gai. Rates from $176.

Next up was the Park Hyatt Tokyo, which was fantastic start to finish, a true luxury experience, with some of the most spectacular views in town. I loved my suite, the pool, the spa area, and the incredible service. Rates from $616.

Hiro’s Ginza Personal Shopping Experience costs $72 on Airbnb. Tell him the kind of things you’d like to shop for before your visit and he’ll pick out some special spots for you.

Ninja Food Tours operates a variety of food tours in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. I loved my Tsukiji Market Tour and it costs 8,500 yen + 8% tax ($86 total). There are discounts for booking multiple tours.

The Tokyo Book and Bed has several locations; we visited the one in Ikebukuro. Overnight rates start at 3,800 yen ($36) for compact beds and 4,800 yen ($45) for standard beds; you can also visit during the day like we did for 500 yen ($5) per person per hour.

Bird Land‘s tasting menus start at 6,300 yen ($59), and you can always order dishes a la carte.

Even though Japan is a very safe country, be sure to purchase travel insurance before your trip. I use and recommend World Nomads for trips to Japan.

This campaign was brought to you by ANA — All Nippon Airways, who covered the expenses of three days in Tokyo as well as all my time in Hokkaido. I extended my time in Japan an additional five days at my own expense. I had full freedom to do anything I wanted, and all vendors were all paid in full except the Park Hyatt Tokyo, who offered me one comped night and one night at a media rate of $500 including spa access and breakfast, plus they kindly picked up my and Annette’s bar tab. All opinions, as always, are my own. 

Have you been to Tokyo? How did you like it?

The post Splurging on the Right Things in Tokyo appeared first on Adventurous Kate.



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Tuesday, 27 March 2018

What to Wear in Antarctica: Packing List for Women

I don’t usually stress about packing, but packing for Antarctica was the most nerve-wracking experience I’ve ever had! What if I forgot something critical? You can’t exactly run to Target when you’re at the bottom of the world!

Luckily, I soon learned that Antarctica packing doesn’t have to be complicated. You tend to wear the same key items over and over, and function is much more important than style.

It was also helpful that I traveled with Quark Expeditions, who hosted me on this trip. Quark provides a parka and boots to all passengers, so you don’t have to worry about buying or packing those items. Additionally, Quark has a gear shop on board if you urgently need an item. This saved me when my gloves failed and I needed to buy a pair of mittens. They also stock a wide variety of base layers and outerwear, mostly from premium brands. I was pleasantly surprised that the prices were close to retail value.

Still, the shop is there for emergencies — you should try to pack as best you can before you arrive.

This guide has four sections: The Most Important Items to Pack, What to Wear in Antarctica, the Antarctica Packing List for Women, and What Not to Bring to Antartica. Read on for more.

Surprise — Antarctica isn’t as cold as you think!

Most people think that visiting Antarctica means packing for thirty below zero, but it really isn’t that bad at all. If you are visiting by expedition cruise from November to March, the way the vast majority of people travel to Antarctica, keep in mind it’s technically summer then. Most days the temperature hovers from 25 F to 35 F (-4 C to 2 C).

On your trip to Antarctica, you’ll be spending only a few hours outside at a time (on my Quark expedition, we never exceeded three hours on a single excursion), but the weather will be cold, windy, and often wet. The important thing is to pack clothing that allows you to tolerate the cold for a few hours without having to go inside.

Half the battle is insulating your body with base layers. The other half is covering the outside with waterproof and windproof outerwear. Do those two things and you’ll be fine.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO PACK FOR ANTARCTICA (Male or Female):

No matter who you are, the following items are absolutely essential. Don’t go to Antarctica without any of these!

The Best Pair of Waterproof Mittens (Or Gloves) You Can Find

The easiest way to be miserable in Antarctica is to have cold, wet hands. Don’t scrimp on this one — get the best pair you can find, and don’t leave it to the last minute. I started my trip with a pair of gloves that claimed to be waterproof but left my hands soaked and frozen.

Thankfully I was able to purchase a pair of Outdoor Research waterproof mittens from Quark’s on-board gift shop. They kept my hands warm and dry. Honestly, I hadn’t worn mittens since I was a kid, but I preferred them enormously to gloves on my Antarctica trip because I was able to hold a hand warmer in each hand. Your fingers are the part of your hands that get the coldest, and squeezing the hand warmer will leave your fingers toasty.

Mittens worked just fine for kayaking and I was even able to operate my camera’s dials with them!

Additionally, it’s a good idea to bring a pair of smartphone-friendly running gloves or glove liners underneath. My running gloves worked great, but I found I actually preferred to go gloveless underneath the mittens. You’ll figure out what works for you.

Hot Hands Hand Warmers

I would not have survived Antarctica without hand warmers. They’re little packets that warm up when you open them and they last for up to 10 hours. I ended my first excursion to Stonington Island with frozen hands and toes, but once I started using hand warmers on my toes and in my mittens, I never had that issue again. I tried several brands in Antarctica but I found Hot Hands to be the warmest and last the longest.

Hot Hands also sells toe warmers, which have a sticky backing, but I didn’t think that was necessary — I simply stuck a hand warmer between my sock liners and socks and they stayed in place. You can save money by simply buying a big pack of hand warmers for both hands and toes. Buy two packs of two for every day that you’ll be exploring Antarctica; you don’t need them for sea days.

Seasickness Medication

The Drake Passage, between Ushuaia and Antarctica, is home to some of the roughest seas in the world. If you’re traveling this route by ship, you will want to have some kind of seasickness medication, even if you don’t ordinarily get seasick. At the very least, pick up some meclazine (the generic form of non-drowsy Dramamine).

You may want to talk to your doctor and get a prescription for the Scopolamine patch, which can be very effective for some people. Do note, however, that there can be side effects. The patch worked well for me at first, but after a few days it gave me severely blurred vision, which was terrifying. At the ship doctor’s recommendation, I took the patch off immediately; my vision improved in hours and was back to normal 24 hours later. I stuck to meclazine for the journey back.

If you decide to try Scopolamine or another prescription, you may want to try it at home first to see how you react. That said, my side effects didn’t show up until I had been on it for several days, so you never know. As always, when considering medication, talk to your doctor.

Some people like to wear motion sickness bands as well, which use acupressure, not medication, to keep nausea at bay. Ginger drops or chews can be helpful to people feeling nauseous as well.

Base Layers

Layering is the name of the game in Antarctica, or in any cold climate. You’ll get an extra layer of warmth and protection by wearing base layers, or thin but warm layers that you wear beneath your regular clothes.

Merino wool is the gold standard for base layers, though do make sure you can wear wool before leaving on your trip, as it irritates some people. The gold standard is Icebreaker, and when I polled my winter adventure traveler friends, Icebreaker merino wool tops and leggings were recommended as the best option.

However, I actually bought Uniqlo HeatTech base layers, which cost a fraction of the price of the Icebreakers. I was surprised at how much I loved them! Even after wearing them several days in a row, they didn’t smell at all! Every day, I wore the Uniqlo Women HeatTech Crew Neck Extra Warm Scoop Neck T-Shirt and the Uniqlo Women HeatTech Extra Warm Leggings.

I did buy this Icebreaker merino wool turtleneck just to compare, and I found it nice, comfortable, and it kept me a bit warmer, but I overall preferred the feel of the Uniqlo top.

These are just your base layers — you pile more clothing on top of these. See more on that below.

Waterproof and Windproof Pants

Waterproof pants are a requirement in order to ride the zodiacs (rubber boats) in Antarctica. Make sure the outer layer of your pants hangs over your boots. Tucking your pants into your boots will leave your feet wet and cold. I brought the Fera Niseko Insulated Pant and was very happy with them.

Also, if you’re with a company like Quark that provides a jacket, you might want to get pants in a color other than black so you stand out more. I loved my baby blue pants — they actually matched Quark’s lifejackets AND my Buff and nails, so it was nice to coordinate!

Sunscreen, Moisturizer, Medicated Lip Balm and Hand Cream

Antarctica is very dry and the sun is strong. You need something stronger than what you need at home. This isn’t the place for Chapstick and that scented hand lotion you got for Christmas.

If you don’t already have a moisturizer you prefer, bring one with SPF of at least 15. Bring a medicated lip balm with sunscreen as well; your lips will dry out quickly without it. If it’s not in your moisturizer, sunscreen is good to have (I prefer SPF 45).

Hand cream is the one item I regretted not packing. If you’re traveling with Quark, you’ll sanitize your hands constantly; many other cruise and expedition companies do this, too. Why? It keeps illness from breaking out. I appreciated the hygiene but it left my hands very dry; some lotion would have sorted that out.

Bathing Suit

To do the Polar Plunge! Most Antarctica expeditions include a chance to jump into the icy waters. It sounds crazy but it’s a LOT of fun and 87 of our 200 guests did it! Even if you doubt you’ll do it, pack a bathing suit just in case. The peer pressure can be pretty strong for this activity! My suit was by Trina Turk; this one is similar.

Buff or Neck Protector

A Buff was a casual purchase that became one of the most useful items I packed for Antarctica. It could be worn as a neck warmer, face warmer, headband, or side-of-face protector. When I needed additional cover, I brought the back of the buff on top of my head and kept the front of it below my chin, which gave me protection on the sides of my face, and I could bring the front up to the bottom of my nose or even the bottom of my eyes for extra protection from the wind. It also dried quickly.

Multiple Pieces of Headwear

At the very least, you need a hat that covers your ears. I used a North Face beanie and was happy pairing it with my Buff.

Our kayaking guides wore beanies on top of baseball caps for warmth and shade. Two of our most experienced fellow voyagers, on their fourth Antarctica kayaking trip, each paired a balaclava-like hood with a Buff; one also wore a baseball cap. You could even wear a baseball cap with earmuffs if you wanted. Think function, not style.

Dry Bag or Dry Bag Backpack

I’ve been a dry bag evangelist for years — ever since I was shipwrecked in Indonesia in 2011. I had to jump off a sinking ship in the middle of the night and swim to shore, but because I had a dry bag, I was able to save my phone, camera and debit card.

Since then, I always bring dry bags with me on my trips — usually a large one, and sometimes an additional small one depending on the trip. In windy and wet Antartica, I used a large dry bag with my camera backpack inside it for zodiac excursions and landings. When kayaking, I used a small dry bag attached to the kayak.

Several people on the trip had dry bag backpacks, and I was a little jealous of them! I might pick one up for my next adventure trip.

Extra SD Cards, Camera Batteries, and External Hard Drive

You will take far more photos than you usually take on trips. Antarctica has a way of spellbinding you over and over.

It’s always smarter to have multiple SD cards rather than one big card, just in case it fails. A few SanDisk 64 GB cards should hold you over.

Batteries tend to drain quickly in colder weather, so I brought five batteries just to be safe — but not one battery died on a single excursion. Honestly, going out on roughly 2-2.5 hour excursions at 32 F (0 C) isn’t a major drain on your battery. The big drains start at lower temperatures. Even so, it’s smart to have a backup or two just in case, and if your batteries start dying quickly, you may want to keep them zipped up next to your body or with a hand warmer.

Back up your photos in multiple places if you can. A tiny thumb drive probably won’t be enough — instead, bring an external hard drive so you can share photos with your shipmates.

Extra Camera Body

Don’t worry about this if you’re a casual photographer, but if you’re a serious hobbyist or pro, bring at least one extra body. Antarctica is the kind of destination where you shoot scenery and wildlife simultaneously, which requires different lenses. Plus it’s very wet, which makes changing lenses more of a challenge than usual.

I thought shooting in Antarctica would be similar to being on safari in Africa — not whatsoever! On safari I tended to shoot 98% wildlife to 2% scenery and the weather was much nicer, so having one body and changing the lenses wasn’t a big deal. Antarctica was a constant assault of beauty — SCENERY, WILDLIFE, SCENERY, WILDLIFE!

I rented my extra body, as well as my zoom lens, from BorrowLenses.com. Here’s a coupon for $20 off your first order — I’ll earn $20 too.

What Should Women Wear in Antarctica?

I’m happy to share my Antarctica outfits with you! It took a few days to figure out what worked best, but by the end of the trip I had outfits that worked perfect for me. The most important thing? Layer for warmth!

On excursions, I would wear two layers — a base layer and a second layer — before topping them off with either my regular outerwear or kayaking outerwear. And when I was hanging out on the boat, it was all about comfort.

Here are the outfits I wore with photos:

BASE LAYER: On top of my underwear and bra, I wore a Uniqlo Warmest Base Layer top, Uniqlo Warmest Base Layer leggings, and Fox River sock liners.

SECOND LAYER: On top of my base layer, I added a Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Jacket, Gap GFAST Blackout leggings, and Heat Holders socks. In between the sock liners and socks I had a Hot Hands hand warmer resting on top of my toes.

OUTERWEAR: For zodiac cruises and landings in Antarctica, on top of my base layer and second layer I added my Quark-provided parka, Fera Niseko waterproof pants, Quark-provided boots, Buff, North Face beanie, sunglasses, OR waterproof mittens with a Hot Hands hand warmer inside each one, and Quark-provided life vest.

KAYAKING: Kayaking in Antarctica requires specialized outerwear that will likely be provided by your expedition. On top of my base layer and second layer, I wore a full-body drysuit, booties, life vest, and kayaking skirt, all provided by Quark. I added my Buff, North Face beanie, sunglasses, and OR waterproof mittens with a Hot Hands hand warmer inside each one.

(One pet peeve: our booties were not waterproof, but the drysuits were. When we did landings after kayaking, we would always land in water and while my feet technically stayed dry, they got much colder. This makes it all the more important to have warm socks and toe warmers. Some kayakers started packing their regular boots on excursions and switched footwear before landings.)

ON THE BOAT: For hanging out on the boat, you want to be comfortable. I wore my Athleta Stronger Hoodie (honestly, this is THE BEST HOODIE IN THE WORLD — cozy, long, and a beautiful shape), any random t-shirt, and my Gap GFAST Blackout leggings, and I kept on my sock liners, Hot Hands hand warmers (on my toes), and Heat Holders socks for added coziness, plus tall black leather Ugg boots that worked both inside and outside. Between my morning and afternoon excursions, I just threw the hoodie on top of my base layers and added the boots.

Note: these outfits were what worked best for me, but you might prefer something different. You might prefer something a bit warmer or something a bit cooler. You might prefer to wear only one layer when kayaking or hiking and wearing more when on a zodiac cruise. (And you may be morally opposed to the idea of leggings as pants. Hey, no judgment!) Bring a few options if you’re not sure what will work.

Antarctica Packing List for Women

Clothing: 

 

Outerwear: 

Toiletries: 

Medical: 

Items to Pack: 

Photography and Tech:  

Optional: 

Depending on the length of your Antarctica expedition, you may want to have your laundry done by the staff or do your own laundry in the sink. It will save you packing space. I paid to have some underwear and tops laundered, and I found Quark’s prices to be quite reasonable.

What Not to Bring to Antarctica:

Outerwear Made of Soft or Delicate Fabrics

Antarctica is so windy and wet, it will destroy these via rain, seawater, and/or penguin poop. Leave them at home. My good friends at Speakeasy Travel Supply sent me some beautiful new minky scarves to model there, but they would have been destroyed by Antarctica weather. I took my modeling shots on the boat on a nice day, posing in front of mountains. I’m going to save them for a less brutal destination.

Umbrella

Pack it if you have a layover in Argentina or Chile, but your hood and dry bag will take care of you in Antarctica.

Nice or Fancy Clothes for Instagram Photos

Posing in outlandish outfits in increasingly exotic destinations has become an Instagram trend over the past few years. While I understand that you might want to do this, I urge you to reconsider doing so in Antarctica.

It’s one thing to wear a nice dress at Machu Picchu or the Grand Canyon. But when you do so in a place as rugged and isolated as Antarctica, you put yourself at risk of injury. When you’re perched on a mountain in a minidress and heels, wind, rain, and charging seals can lead to rolling an ankle, frostbite, windburn, or falling in penguin poop. And if you need serious medical attention, you end up jeopardizing everyone’s trip.

My recommendation? Go crazy with a fun bathing suit for the Polar Plunge. The Polar Plunge is different because it’s tightly controlled and supervised by staff, including a doctor.

Shoes to Model on Antarctica

If you bring stilettos or other shoes to Antarctica, you will be bringing traces of dirt, plant matter, and bacteria from your home country. This is absolutely forbidden. If you’re desperate, ask your expedition staff if there’s a way to safely disinfect them, but get ready for the answer to be no.

Double-Check What Your Expedition Provides!

Quark provides your coat, boots, and all kayaking gear. Double-check what is included on your expedition so you don’t pack anything you don’t need.


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This post is brought to you by Quark Expeditions, who hosted me in full on this trip and covered most of my expenses including the full cost of the expedition, kayaking supplement, two nights’ accommodation in Ushuaia, and round-trip airfare from New York. I paid for all incidentals, staff gratuities, gear excluding the Quark parka, and all expenses in Ushuaia excluding the hotel. All opinions, as always, are my own.

Have you been to Antarctica? What would you add to this packing list?

The post What to Wear in Antarctica: Packing List for Women appeared first on Adventurous Kate.



from Adventurous Kate http://www.adventurouskate.com/what-to-wear-in-antarctica-packing-list/