Ultimate Arctic Photography Packing List
You are getting ready for your upcoming polar expedition, and it’s now time to pack your camera gear: exciting! This is a key part of the preparation, and I like to start by laying out all my gear in front of me. But choosing the right gear if you’re new to polar environments, with conditions you’ve never experienced before, can easily lead to rookie mistakes.
There are essential pieces of equipment, nice-to-have items, and smaller extras that might come in handy, but might also never be used while still taking up space. This guide will break it all down, helping you choose the right tools for the job.
Before diving into the gear itself, I’d like to briefly talk about what to expect on a ship-based photo expedition in the Arctic, as this will give you better context for the recommendations I’ll make.
On our expeditions, we travel aboard ships like Vikingfjord and Freya: beautiful, comfortable vessels that serve as our home throughout the trip. These ships provide an excellent platform for photography, and while on board, all our gear and clothing (and snacks and drinks) are within easy reach. This means there’s no need to worry about lens choice or cold fingers, as it takes seconds to step back inside for a lens swap or to warm up.
However, when we board the Zodiacs to go cruising or ashore, we need to decide what to bring beforehand, and everything should fit into a backpack. Once we're out, we’re exposed to the elements – wind, splashes, snow, or rainfall. Something as basic as changing lenses can become tricky in less than perfect sea conditions, especially with cold hands, and it means exposing your camera sensor to potential saltwater splashes (RIP). But don’t worry, I will share some simple tips to handle these small challenges.
Gear
Tip 1: Keep it simple!
I am a big advocate of stripped-back kits. When we’re out in the elements, the last thing you want to do is waste time messing about with your gear. The right Arctic photography equipment is the kind you can handle even with cold hands or gloves on.
Camera bodies
I recommend bringing two camera bodies. Here’s why:
Redundancy and backup. If you only have one camera body, and it stops working halfway through the trip, you’ll kick yourself.
Two lens setups ready to go. This means little to no lens swapping, greatly reducing the risk of water or dust getting into your gear.
Fewer missed shots. Operating small buttons or touch screens with gloves can be frustrating. And if you're not wearing gloves, cold hands can make it even harder. Having two bodies allows you to set one for fast-moving subjects and the other for slower or still subjects. Or, you can use one for photos and the other for video.
Personally, I always bring one body coupled with a long lens and fast shutter speed for wildlife, and one body with a wider lens for close-up subjects and wide landscape shots.
But what if you only have one body available, and maybe don’t have the budget to get a second one? The easiest solution is to rent one. I would suggest renting it for a couple extra days before the trip, to get familiar with it and make sure everything works properly.
Lenses
“What lenses should I bring?” is probably the question I get asked the most. My usual answer?
Tip 2: Bring a long lens, a short lens, and everything in between.
I am not suggesting you bring 10 different lenses, but just enough to roughly cover the full focal length range. This can be easily done with just 2-3 lenses. For example:
A lens in the 200–600mm range for wildlife and close-ups.
A lens in the 24–100mm range for landscapes or close subjects.
A lens in the 15–18mm range for northern lights (a must on Greenland expeditions in late summer).
I know many good photographers who shoot with such simple (or even simpler) setups with amazing results. But let’s take a closer look.
Lenses for wildlife
The choice of lenses for wildlife depends on your photography style (close-up portraits vs. environmental shots) and your subject preference (big mammals, birds in flight, or a combination of species).
For close-up wildlife portraits, a focal length of 600mm or more is ideal. Different brands and budgets offer various ways to achieve this range.
For example, Sony shooters can use a 200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 with a 1.4x or 2x teleconverter. Canon shooters might opt for a Canon 400mm f/2.8, paired with a teleconverter.
One thing to consider is that the longer the focal length, the harder it is to capture sharp and well-framed pictures from a moving platform (ship/Zodiac). Choosing a high resolution camera body can be a good alternative to a teleconverter, allowing you to crop in while retaining good image quality.
For environmental wildlife shots, where the animal is framed within its natural environment, there is less need for very long telephoto lenses, so something in the range 100mm-600mm can be enough.
Personally, I tend to stick to my 200–600mm Sony lens without teleconverters. It’s a trade-off between reach, flexibility, and image quality. In my opinion, flexibility is everything on an Arctic expedition, which is why I recommend zoom lenses over prime lenses. Yes, zoom lenses typically have smaller apertures than primes, requiring good lighting conditions, however Arctic expeditions offer ample daylight for most of the season. In fact, from mid-April to late August, the sun never sets in Svalbard.
Svalbard Spring Photo Tour
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Landscape photographers adore Svalbard in the early season, when puzzle-piece sea ice and snow-enrobed shorelines glow under pastel sunrises and sunsets.
- 12 guests
- 8 — 10 days
Svalbard Summer Solstice Micro Cruise
78°22’N, 15°65’E
Our longest photo tour sails when the midnight sun is at its zenith, providing 24-hour photo opportunities in the company of your pro photographer guide.
- 12 guests
- 12 days
Scoresbysund Northern Lights Photo Tour
70°50’N, 25°00’W
Capture the heavens bursting with light above the monumental icebergs and high-drama landscape of Scoresbysund.
- 12 guests
- 8 days
Lenses for landscape
Once again, personal preference plays an important role in picking the right lens. I often use long focal lengths (200-400mm range) even for landscapes, focusing on details and treating landscape features as 'hero' subjects. For more traditional landscape shots, something like a 24-100mm will do the job.
If you are booked on a northern lights trip, then a wide angle lens with a focal length between 15-20 mm and large aperture (ideally, between f/1.4 and f/2.0) is highly recommended: the wide angle lets you capture a big portion of the sky together with some foreground elements, helping with composition; the large aperture gathers plenty of light, allowing you to keep your ISO low (reducing noise) and to maintain a shutter speed under 8 seconds, which minimises vibrations ensuring tack-sharp photos.
Action camera
This might sound odd coming from a photographer, but action cameras now offer surprisingly good image quality.
GoPro and DJI Osmo Action cameras support RAW photography and allow for unusual angles. Countless times, I have found myself grabbing my GoPro over my full-frame camera while on the Zodiac, either to snap underwater photos, fake 'drone' shots (using a 2-metres collapsible stick), or to get eye-level with marine wildlife swimming by.
For reference, here is my expedition kit, which fits neatly into a carry-on-sized backpack:
Sony A1 Sony 200-600mm F5.6-6.3
Sony A74 Sony 24-105mm F4.0
Laowa 15mm F2.0 (only on northern lights trips)
GoPro Hero 11 Black
Batteries and battery charger
Cold weather and batteries don’t mix well, so spare batteries are an essential part of any kit. Since we normally return to the ship for meals, I’ve found that one spare battery per camera body is usually enough (as long as you remember to charge them regularly). So, for two camera bodies, I typically bring a total of 4 batteries.
Important: Before your expedition, make sure that your batteries are in good condition and not near the end of their lifespan. If unsure, pack one more.
Tip 3: In cold environments, keep your spare batteries in the inside pocket of your jacket.
This is so they stay warm (but make sure you can easily reach them). Left in your backpack, they’ll get cold, drain quickly, and might fail you when you need them most.
Memory cards + card reader
The number and size of memory cards you need depend on your shooting style. If you shoot RAW (which I highly recommend), are trigger-happy, and frequently use bursts, opt for large (128–256GB) high-speed cards. If you rarely shoot bursts, 64GB should be enough for a whole day.
If your camera has dual card slots, use both, and choose the setting that saves photos to both cards simultaneously. This way, you’ll have a backup if one card fails. That said, always back up your photos to an external hard drive each evening before formatting your memory cards for the next day – always in that order!
My suggestion is to bring one spare card per camera body. If your camera has dual slots and you use both, bring a total of three cards per body.
Tripod
On ship-based expeditions, tripods are generally impractical due to the constant movement of the ship and Zodiacs. During landings, a tripod might be useful, but I have personally stopped carrying one, as most of the time it just ended up as dead weight.
However, on a northern lights trip, a tripod is crucial. In this case, avoid ultra-light travel tripods, and opt for something sturdy and stable. You’ll thank me later!
Backpack
A good backpack is an essential piece of gear. You want something comfortable for hiking and designed to keep your equipment organised and easily accessible in any scenario. I recommend a rear-loading backpack with internal padded partitions (preferably removable) and, most importantly, waterproof. My f-stop Ajna 37L meets all these requirements – plus, it’s carry-on sized (at least within Europe).
Laptop and external hard drives
On board, we typically hold editing lectures and sessions, so bringing a laptop with editing software like Lightroom or Photoshop is highly recommended for following along. More importantly, a laptop with external hard drives lets you back up your photos each day. I've lost count of how many times guests lost their photos because they relied just on memory cards, so I can’t stress this enough.
It might seem like overkill, but I back up my photos daily on two different hard drives, which I keep separate.
Drone
In a nutshell, drones are not allowed. AECO (the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators), of which Secret Atlas is a member, has banned the general use of UAVs by passengers in the Arctic. Additionally, as of 1st January 2025, drones will be prohibited in all protected areas, national parks, and nature reserves, as well as within 500 metres of bird colonies and cliffs in Svalbard.
Clothing
While not strictly part of your photo gear, the right clothes will allow you to shoot comfortably in almost any weather conditions. This isn’t a full packing list, but rather a guide to help you dress appropriately for different scenarios.
On the ship
We usually wear regular, comfortable clothes and shoes, but keep a warm jacket, gloves and a hat within easy reach, so we are ready to step onto the outer decks at a moment’s notice whenever something exciting appears, and stay outside as long as needed to get the perfect shot.
On the Zodiacs
For Zodiac cruising, Muck boots, a warm and waterproof overall suit, and a life jacket are provided on board. The suit replaces your outer layer but, depending on season and weather conditions, you will still need a number of warm layers underneath:
Thermal base layer (top and bottom)
Warm, thick socks
Fleece or softshell (top and bottom)
A hat
Waterproof gloves
A face buff
A puffy jacket, for those very cold days
For landings
The provided suit is not very practical to walk in so, when planning to go ashore and hike, a typical outfit includes:
Thermal base layer (top and bottom)
Thick warm socks
Fleece or softshell (top and bottom)
A puffy jacket
Outer waterproof shell (top and bottom)
Hat and gloves
A face buff
We suggest wearing the provided muck boots, which ensure your feet stay dry in case of wet landing. However, do bring some good hiking boots, which you can change into once ashore for longer hikes.
Tip 4: Make sure your backpack has some extra space for adding or removing layers as needed.
In the Arctic, avoiding sweat is crucial, as moisture will freeze and make you very cold very quickly. Avoid cotton! It absorbs moisture, insulates poorly when wet, and dries slowly, increasing the risk of hypothermia.
Conclusion
Every photographer has different goals, preferences, and gear, so while my recommendations may not suit everyone, this guide serves as a flexible template to customise based on your needs.
I’m often asked, “Can I still join a photo expedition if I’m just starting out and don’t have all this gear?” Absolutely!
We frequently have guests on board with nothing but a phone camera. At the end of the day, a pro camera, an action camera, or a phone are just tools. While they offer different levels of image quality, that gap is shrinking more than ever, and what truly matters is the eye behind the lens.
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