Any Recent Fram Passengers???

We'll be boarding the Fram in about a month and really don't know what to pack. The info on the website seems general to all Fram cruises, not specifically Antarctica. An email to Hurtigruten more or less said pack every warm article you can.

We plan to go to Brazil and the Amazon following our cruise so we'll be packing for 2 OPPOSITE climates. We're trying to minimize and take ONLY what we really NEED. We know that every person and every cruise is different, but we're hoping your experiences will give us some guidelines.

How warm is the jacket we'll be given? Are sweaters or light jackets under it enough or do we need a winter jacket? Did you find wool socks, long underwear, glove liners, etc. to be necessary? If so, how many of each. What can you tell us about laundry facilities.

We were told by someone that he thought some winter clothing could be rented. Do you know anything about this?

If unable to rent we are considering shipping home our heavy clothing once we complete the Fram portion to lighten the load. Any ideas there??

Thank you in advance for your help.

We did a trip on the Nordkapp which is also a Huttrigan ship. First of all, the jacket that we were given had limited warmth.

It was windproof and waterproof but not lined. We had warm days where the temp was above freezing, colds where it was below zero, and windy days where it seemed really cold. Plan on layers.

Also, if you do not like the weather in Antarctica, wait 5 minutes and you may have 2 changes in weather,

I can't remember about laundry and my info would be useless as the Nordkapp was a different class of ship.

Regardless, it is a great place to visit and we enjoyed out trip.

DON

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=531528&highlight=

This is the link to my small-ship voyage review .... it wasn't on Fram, but the posts on clothing might be useful ... start with post #9

Layers are key; wind/waterproof exterior layer essential to staying warm and dry.

Have a wonderful trip.

we used fleece tops and pants with another layer under both. Rain pants were the 3rd layer! Warm gloves and a good cap to cover your ears. We doubled on socks too.

If they give you a jacket, it should be warm enough on top of your fleece. Lots of good post Christmas sales on fleece tops at REI and Eddie Bauer. Fleece works better than wool.

Have fun!

Thanks for the helpful information and suggestions! We really appreciate it that you took the time to share your experiences.

We were on the Nordnorge, a sister ship of the Fram

Here are a couple of posts from my travel blog that might help you

[url=http://www.travelsnippetsandmore.com/2008/11/packing-for-antarctica.html][/url]http://www.travelsnippetsandmore.com/2008/11/packing-for-antarctica.html

If you want to read more, just click on the Antarctica link on the right sidebar