In August of this year, I traveled to the Arctic with National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions. We explored Iceland, Greenland, and the Canadian High Arctic, and it was the trip of a life time. The Arctic is an amazing place that can vary in both landscape and weather. As a result, you need to be gotten ready for a range of environments. For instance, throughout our journey, temperatures varied from the mid-30s to mid-60s, and it was rainy for 2 of the 2 week while the remainder of the time was bright and gorgeous!
You will get a full packaging list from Travel Beyond before your experience, however below are some of my essential items.
Clothing: Believe Layers, Layers, Layers!
As I pointed out previously, the Arctic can differ in temperature level, so it is necessary to have layers. It’s common for the ship to supply a water resistant and windproof coat for your voyage, and you can frequently lease a pair of water resistant trousers. On board, the environment is casual. Some may pick to dress up a bit for dinner while others remain in their exploration clothes from the day.
In this picture, I am using the water resistant coat and
pants on a walking in Greenland. This day was
- a bit chilly, so I had on 2 layers below the external layer! Important clothing items include: Comfy athletic t-shirts
- such as long sleeves and t-shirts Pants such as joggers, treking pants,
- and leggings Sweatshirts and fleeces for layering
- A couple of nicer attire for the welcome and captain’s suppers if you want to dress up
Exploration Equipment: Be All Set for Every Experience
On an Arctic trip, you invest your days hiking, exploring regional towns, kayaking, zodiac travelling, and more. In addition to having the ability to lease water resistant trousers, you can often rent waterproof boots as well, so you do not require to worry about them taking up space in your luggage!
Here, I’m using the backpack linked below. Inside the knapsack, I saved my sunglasses, binoculars, another lens for my electronic camera, my water bottle, therefore a lot more! I suggest packing the following exploration
- gear: Hiking boots for longer hikes and walks
- Comfortable walking shoes for simpler strolls and dry landings in local towns
- Sunglasses with UV protection (and a backup set if you are vulnerable to dropping or losing sunglasses)
- Field glasses to identify animals from the ship
- Warm hat and gloves
- Bug spray and a mosquito head net
- Although we lucked out and did not experience many bugs throughout our trip, our guides stated there are usually more in the summertime. We loaded both a mosquito head net and insect repellent, and although we didn’t end up requiring them, I would still suggest bringing both just in case.
- Waterproof bag to store your video camera, binoculars, and other equipment for walkings and zodiac rides
- I utilized this knapsack, and it was ideal. It kept all of my equipment dry, and it was comfortable to carry.
Technology and Devices: Devices You’ll Be Pleased You Loaded
It’s easy to overpack, especially when you want to make certain you have all the very best technology to record the charm of the Arctic. I kept it easy, only bringing a couple of needed items.
< img src="https://travelbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Greenland-Joesy-with-Camera-Technology-Resize.jpg" alt="Woman presenting with her video camera in front of an ice sheet and mountains in Greenland" width="600" height="400"/ > I brought my Canon Rebel T7 electronic camera and often utilized my 75-300mm lens. Considering that the cam and lens were smaller sized, they were simple to load, and I was still able to get great deals of terrific photos!
My recommendations are:
- Video camera with a high-capacity memory card, charger, and SD card reader
- Phone lanyards (one waterproof and one regular)
- There were many instances when I was grasping my phone tightly to record the ideal picture of whales or dolphins from the ship. I want I had actually brought a lanyard like this one!
- I did bring this waterproof phone pouch and lanyard which I used almost every day. It was extremely useful for taking pictures throughout zodiac rides, kayaking, and more.
- E-reader
- On an Arctic exploration, you frequently have downtime throughout days at sea. In between discussions and meals, there is a lot of time to check out the features on board and relax. I took pleasure in reading during this time, so my Kindle was terrific to have with me.
Happy packaging, and enjoy your trip to the Arctic!