Guide · what to bring
Arctic sailing packing list
Layers, not bulk. One soft bag, not a suitcase.
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Packing list · Svalbard · June–July 2027
Voyage
0 of 50 packed
Essentials: 0 of 25
Layers
Base, mid, insulation and a waterproof shell: thin layers you can add or shed as the watch goes on.
No cotton next to the skin: it holds sweat and spray and chills you.
Hours on deck without moving, at night, are the coldest thing you'll do.
Synthetic keeps more of its warmth when it gets damp; down packs smaller. Either goes under the waterproof shell.
For long aurora watches, when you stand still for an hour or more.
Check the dossier first: it says whether sailing waterproofs are provided aboard. Hiking waterproofs usually have lower collars and looser cuffs, and spray finds the gaps.
For calm days and ashore, when full waterproofs are too much.
Feet
Check the dossier before you buy. Tall boots also keep your feet dry stepping in and out of the tender.
Cold feet end an aurora watch before the sky does.
Keep one dry pair only for sleeping.
Worn under thick socks, they add warmth and help against blisters.
Hands and head
Gloves get wet: a dry pair to change into makes a long watch bearable.
Mittens keep fingers warmer than gloves; slip them off to work the camera.
The sun stays low and in your eyes for much of the day.
Glare off water, snow and ice is strong; the strap stops them going over the side.
On deck
Provided aboard: your lifejacket and safety harness, with a safety briefing when you board. You don't need to pack them.
Red light keeps your night vision and doesn't dazzle whoever is on watch with you.
Wildlife is watched from a distance; binoculars bring it close.
Ashore
Going ashore can mean climbing in and out of the tender: dress for a wet step and the wind.
The weather turns quickly, and the ride back in the tender is cold.
Aboard and in your cabin
A soft bag folds flat into a locker; aboard a yacht there's nowhere to put a hard case.
The dossier says what's on your berth, so you don't carry what you don't need.
Under the midnight sun, sleep by the clock, not by the light.
Watches mean sleeping at odd hours, with the boat working around you.
Health
Weather can delay the way home, and there is no pharmacy at sea. Tell us about any medical condition before you commit.
Ask what suits you before you travel and try it at home first to see how it affects you; remedies usually work better taken before you feel ill.
Long days of low sun, and water, snow and ice reflect it back at you.
Wind, salt and cold crack lips and hands.
Electronics and camera
The dossier says how you can charge things aboard.
Cold drains batteries fast; warm them up again and they get back some of their charge.
Use it ashore or on a quay: even at anchor a boat moves, and long exposures blur.
On deck, spray gets everywhere.
Away from towns, mobile signal is patchy or absent.
Documents and money
Svalbard is outside the Schengen area, so expect passport checks on the way in and out. EU/EEA citizens can use a national ID card instead. Check the rules for your own nationality before you fly, including visas for the countries you travel through.
Norway is in the Schengen area; check the rules for your nationality before you fly.
Carry the policy number and the insurer's emergency number on paper, not only on your phone.
Norway and Svalbard both use the Norwegian krone.
The skipper logs and signs your sea time in your own logbook.
A general guide. The final kit list for each voyage comes with the dossier.
Two voyages, two kinds of cold
Wind and spray in the light, or standing still in the dark.
June–July 2027
Svalbard
≈7°C
July average, Longyearbyen
The cold, in detail
Midnight sun: in June and July the sun never sets. July averages about 7 °C in Longyearbyen and it rarely rains much, but wind, fog and spray make it feel colder, and out at sea near the ice it can be close to freezing. Pack for wind and spray, and for sleeping in daylight.
November 2027–March 2028
Northern lights & whales
≈−3°C
January, coastal Tromsø
The cold, in detail
Short voyages from Tromsø, from the polar night and blue twilight of December to the returning light of February and March, with long hours on deck watching the sky and, in whale season, the water. Coastal Tromsø is milder than you think, around −3 °C in January with the sea at about 4–5 °C, but it is often a wet, windy cold. Pack for standing still in the dark.
What's aboard, and what to check
So you don't pack what's already there, or leave behind what isn't.
Provided aboard
- Your lifejacket and safety harness
- A safety briefing when you board
Check the dossier
- Sailing waterproofs (foul-weather gear)
- Boots
- Sleeping bag or bedding
- Towels
- Charging your phone and camera aboard
Yours to sort out
- Travel insurance with sailing and medical-evacuation cover (required)
- Your passport or ID, and any visa you need
- Your own medicines
- Personal clothing and kit
Final list in the dossier; any change is confirmed in writing before you commit.
How to pack for Arctic sailing
Six habits that keep you warm and dry on deck.
Layers, not bulk
Several thin layers trap more warm air than one thick coat, and you can adjust them as you warm up or cool down. Shed a layer before you start working on deck, not once you're soaked in sweat.
Waterproof outside, dry inside
On deck the shell keeps out spray and wind; everything under it should stay dry. Change into dry clothes when you come off watch.
No cotton
Cotton soaks up water and takes ages to dry. Wool and synthetics keep you warmer when damp. Jeans are for the flight.
One soft bag
Storage aboard a sailing yacht is tight. A soft holdall folds flat into a locker; a hard suitcase has nowhere to go.
Hands, feet and head first
They get cold first, and they end your watch first. Put good boots, gloves and a warm hat ahead of everything else.
Keep batteries warm
Cold drains batteries fast. Keep spares in an inside pocket, and bring a cold camera inside in a sealed bag, so the condensation forms on the bag and not on the lens.
Planning to sail up here?
Cap II's 2027 season sails from Tromsø: Svalbard in June–July, northern lights and whales in winter 2027–28. All dates are provisional.