Great..if you can check and let me know exactly which one. I went from your link to Backcountry.com and it said no straps but maybe I clicked on a different bag from what you recommended.

I'm guessing the bags we got have been discontinued; can't find them on the site anymore Check out this site instead.

http://store.seattlesportsco.com/pro...pc/viewCat.asp

Our bags look more like the blue bag in the "Special Products" category, but when you click there, you only get the saddlebags. However, the drybag backpack at the following link looks like it might do the trick.

http://store.seattlesportsco.com/pro...p?idCategory=8

Thanks for going the extra mile!!! The green bag is 35 inches in height so that seems a little large.
I did find some Sealline bags with backpack straps on another web site about $59 to $79 depending on size. That beats the $450+ ones I also saw!! My concern of course is when would I use it again and storage of all these items. Of course as it seems to be really necessary then I will have to go ahead! We are not photographers so will just have our small digital cameras and no lenses etc..
I figure we will dump the wellingtons (our boat does not provide them) but I imagine we will want to keep the parkas they provide for us. Have you ever worn your parka or is it just hanging in your closet?????
Your packing list and the advice of Kavey and others has been so helpful.
Going to Rio the day after we return to BA will be a huge temperature contrast. We are hoping to leave a bag of cold weather clothing in BA for the five days we will be in Rio for Carnival.

The only reason we bought the dry bags was because of the digital equipment (and we had lots of it). I think many of the outdoors stores sell backpack covers that might serve your purpose, especially if you don't anticipate getting in and out of your bag too frequently while you're on land.

Here's a link to some I saw at REI http://www.rei.com/search?vcat=REI_S...ackpack+covers

We actually have used our parkas after returning home - several times. One such occasion was when we went to a wildlife refuge for a weekend visit. The weather forecast was for constant rain. We wore our rain pants (which we had bought for Antarctica as well), topped it with a light fleece, and wore the parka. We stayed completely dry and were able to walk a three-mile loop when others had to give up and return to their vehicles. We will likely use them again this year; especially when we go to Churchill to see the Polar Bears in November.

EZE has luggage storage (we did not use). Have you looked into that for when you go to Rio? Here's a link to the airport website where there is an email address: http://www.aa2000.com.ar/index.php

Incase I didn't post this elsewhere (I forget) we took a Lowepro Dryzone (the smaller of the two sizes available though that's still pretty big).

It's waterproof PLUS it will float, even when fully loaded, incase it falls overboard when speeding to shore in the zodiacs!

The inner seal is hard to close and open but when you reach shore you leave it open and only open and close the regular outter zip.

We felt better having it as it gave us the normal lowepro protection for our gear that we're used to PLUS waterproof protection. There WAS splashing into the zodiac on many of the short fast journeys.

We did also buy an inexpensive large waterproof bag into which you could put other bags (incase we wanted to take more stuff ashore) but didn't need it so lent it to others. Not having handles was not a big problem as it was only needed for the trips between ship and shore and after that you could fold it up and store it inside the backpack it had protected.

Thanks eu and kave...this site is the best. We leave in 2 weeks all prepared thanks to all of you.

We are back from a fabulous cruise to Antarctica and I hope to do a short trip report but no time right now! The clothing list was great. We had rain, wind, sleet, snow and sun and were fit for all weather. I will say that we hiked a lot and the poles were a necessity. We borrowed some from the ship. Without them we would have had a much harder time climbing the steep slopes of snow and rocks.
Also, the prople who brought overshoes as opposed to rubber wellington boots had a much easier time getting in and out of their footwear. We wellie wearers were pulling and tugging and having to change shoes outside, whereas the overshoe wearers whipped them on and off and had 'inside shoes' already on their feet!!
The Corinthian 2 was a luxury vessel and I would highly recommend it. For you cruisers, it is one of the old Renaissance ships!!!!
Thanks for all of the advice once again. It was an incredible trip and highly recommended!

Soooo glad we were able to help and that you had a fantastic experience.

Can't WAIT for your trip report!

Happy to hear you enjoyed your trip. Looking forward to reading your trip report when you post it.

eenusa...thank you for your report. I love to travel but Antarctica has never been on my list. Now that I have read your report, I certainly do not need to go. I have experienced it thru you. I wonder if anyone on your boat did not understand what they were getting into. Your trip was for the experienced, healthy, fit traveler. We took a 5p passenger boat in the Golapogas. A few of the passengers could not even do the zodiac trips and the seas were quite calm.

Elainee - thanks for the kind words, but trust me, my words come nowhere near doing justice to Antarctica.

I don't think there were any pax on our ship who didn't know what they were getting into. Everyone seemed quite fit and no one had mobility issues. To my knowledge, no one skipped landings due to physical restrictions (not even after taking a tumble and cracking a rib as happened to one gentleman during a particularly rough bit of sailing one night). Everyone seemed quite well prepared for the adventure and the expeditionary nature of the voyage - from appropriate clothing to background knowledge (history, wildlife, etc.)

A self-selected group. I guess the price would help make people decide if this was really for them. So glad you went.

eenusa, Wow. What an amazing chronicle. Thanks so much for sharing all the details. Antarctica has never been on my (quite extensive) wish list, but I may have to rethink that. I recently finished a management class that incorporated Shackleton's book, and that sparked my interest in Antarctica. Your trip report may be the clincher! And your pictures are fabulous. Thanks again.

Thanks althom1122 - Antarctica is a wonderful place to visit. That said, I'd encourage anyone who goes to try and include South Georgia and the Falklands in their itinerary. It makes for a longer, more expensive itinerary, but in the end, it is worth every penny IMHO. As well, I can understand why some people opt for "cruise-by" voyages on the big ships, but for an all-encompassing experience, a voyage that includes landings is essential.

Seconded, South Georgia and Falklands are an absolute must as are lots of landings, preferable with as much time on shore as possible.

Can I just take this opportunity to jump up and down like a lunatic and share my excitement about our return trip to the Antarctic this November? The itinerary gives us 4 days in South Georgia and I can hardly contain myself, even though I have some other (fantastic) trips lined up before then which I don't want to wish away!

Be my guest, Kavey! Jump up and down all you want! In your place, I'd probably be on a trampoline just to jump that much higher. No Antarctica for us in the near future; going to Churchill in November to see the bears instead!

How fabulous! That will provide some great photo opps!

eenusa///do you have a great resource for the Churchill trip?
It may be in our future...as are S Georgia and the Falklands seeing that we missed them on our 10 day Antarctica adventure!
By the way, a couple of the passengers did have some physical limitations but (although I never saw the zodiac em and disembarkations) they seemed to make every landing.

Philbill - we booked directly with Frontiers North Adventures as they are the only ones with access to Cape Churchill in Wapusk National Park. As it turns out, that particular adventure (only done at the very end of the season as it is the last place the bears congregate) was sold out a long time ago. After much debate, we decided not to wait to see if we're going to clear the waitlist. So, we're doing the Tundra Buggy Lodge at Polar Bear Point adventure instead - about 20 miles west of the Cape. (With the money we saved, we've booked a heli ride to see the area and the bears from the air - guaranteed sightings, or money back.)

Another operator is Great White Bear Tours - no access to Cape Churchill, however. I believe you can book them direct or through companies like Natural Habitat.

This is a wonderful thread to learn about everyone's experiences in Antarctica.
A friend and I are very close to booking a trip with Quark in December and would love to hear about their experiences with Quark -specifically the Ocean Nova ship. Also, we are interested in kayaking but would not want to do so if kayaking would cause us to miss too many land excurisions?

The other company we are considering is Lindblad. Any recommendations between the two?

Due to schedules we plan to go in December and be home by Christmas...any thoughts about going at this time of year?

Thank you in advance for your kind responses to this email!