Gear and packing list

Before we dive into exploring Longyearbyen and departing on the expedition, I want to spend a bit of time on gear and packing list: What exactly should you bring on a trip to the Arctic?

Clothing

Clothing-wise, the most basic way to explain how to pack for a trip like the Arctic is to bring the same clothing you’d wear skiing. That means you need to adhere to three principles: (1) Layers, (2) Wool, (3) Waterproof.

Specifically, this means bring clothing that you can easily swap based on the conditions. On a trip like this, you might have sunny days that approach the high 40 degrees and you feel like you barely need a sweater. Other days, you’ll be freezing on a Zodiac in the rain and fog and feel like you should wear every layer in your bag.

For my base layer, I brought several Uniqlo Heattech shirts and long underwear, which I wore every day. For my mid layer, I could swap between thinner athletic pullovers or thicker wool sweaters. I could also double up on this layer (with two sweaters or a sweater + pullover) for extra cold days. For wool sweaters, I wore Patagonia’s cashmere crew neck sweaters. These are by far my favorite pieces of clothing I own and have proven versatile for Svalbard, skiing, and professional wear. For my outer layer, I brought my Helly Hansen ski jacket (shell construction) and ski pants. Your outer layer must absolutely be waterproof. You’ll get constantly splashed, rained, and snowed on during a trip like this, and you don’t want to get wet. For my lower layer, I only wore my ski pants + Uniqlo long underwear on our outings, but I also brought a couple pairs of my Lululemon ABC pants for wearing around on the ship and in the case we were to take a particularly cold Zodiac cruise and I felt a third lower layer would help keep me warm.

Socks are also critical. I’ve owned about a dozen pairs of Darn Tough wool socks for years, and these socks were perfect for the trip. Unlike skiing, you don’t need to optimize for boot fit. In fact, wearing two pairs of socks for very cold days was perfectly comfortable. At the same time, longer socks are better. You’ll be wearing knee-height rubber boots for every outing, and they’ll be a bit more comfortable with longer socks.

Footwear was easily than expected. I brought a pair of Adidas Ultraboost trainers and ankle-height hiking boots, but I never wore the latter. Like I said, on the outings, you’ll always wear the provided rubber boots (mine were very comfortable) and around the ship my trainers were perfectly fine. I would leave the hiking boots at home if I did it again.

The other change I’d make to my clothing is my gloves. I brought a pair of North Face five-finger gloves, but they weren’t quite warm enough. I also brought my Haestra ski gloves, which are mittens, but I always had to take them off for photos. As a result, they stayed in my bag for emergency situations. If I did this trip again, I would upgrade my gloves to a better mid-weight base layer and thicker five-finger pair of full-weight gloves to wear on top.

Camera gear

Camera gear is certainly the category where everyone will have different opinions for a trip like this. I liked what I brought on the trip, but I’ll be the first to admit I’d do things a bit differently on my next trip like this.

I brought the following on the trip:

  1. Canon R6 (w/ 5 batteries)

  2. Canon RF 14-35 f4 L IS

  3. Canon RF 24-105 f4 L IS

  4. Canon EF 100-400 f4.5-5.6 L IS + EF 1.4x III TC

  5. Leica Q2 Monochrom (w/ 2 batteries)

First, the R6 was a brilliant camera for a trip like this. I’ve been a Canon shooter for years and love the ergonomics that trace their roots all the way to my first camera: The original 5D. For how I’ll use the photos, the resolution was plenty. The burst rate and autofocus were a joy for wildlife photography, too. I also love the simplicity of dual SD slots (vs SD + CFExpress on the R5). I would recommend you invest in the fastest SD card you can afford for a trip like this. Writing JPEG to the second slot and RAW to the primary, you’ll never feel the camera slow down.

Similarly, the 14-35 and 24-105 were brilliant lenses, no surprise. The 14-35 is tiny for how wide it goes, while the 24-105 is extremely versatile and delivers sharp images. I shoot them most of the time at f8.

The lens I would change is the EF 100-400, which is unfortunate given I shot most of the photos on the trip with it. This lens has remained popular for its incredible versatility and quality, but I thought it was a pain to use. The lens is significantly heavier than the new RF 100-500 including the EF-RF adapter. And with the TC, it weighs more than 40% more. I also found changing lenses a pain. With the TC on the lens, there are 3 potential switches you can press to detach parts of the lens (adapter to body, adapter to TC, TC to lens). My muscle memory just wasn’t there. Despite the weight and ergonomic challenges, the lens definitely delivered amazing photos, but I should have just invested in the RF lens to start.

The last thing I would say in the realm of the Canon kit is that I wish I had considered a second camera body. Many people on the trip had a backup camera body. It would add some weight, but if you can spare it, I would recommend bringing a second body. It will save you in the case something happens to your camera, or you can use two cameras at once (which would be very nice on Zodiac tours when changing lenses is difficult). Just keep in mind if you bring all of the above, airlines might start asking questions because your carry on will be getting VERY heavy!

The joy of the gear, though, was my Leica Q2 Monochrom. I love my Q2 Monochrom, but I honestly didn’t know what to expect out of it on a trip like this. After returning, though, I found it my favorite piece of kit by far. A dedicated black-and-white sensor worked wonders on the minimalist scenes of the Arctic - Shooting on it was a special experience.

Finally, the last piece of gear you need is a good backpack. In my case, I was lucky enough to get a new v2 Shimoda Action X40 the day before I left for the trip. With Shimoda’s brand partnerships with both Tom and Brendan, it was no surprise Shimoda had the largest representation on this trip. And no surprise, the bag was amazing.