In January of 2026, I had a dream trip to the Falklands (except for the cancelled flight). I got to see five species of penguins and a hybrid. Plus, the people and community on the Falklands delighted me. Here’s a detailed list of what I brought with me to help anyone making plans to go.
As one Falklander said, “You can’t overdress here. You can only underdress.” While the temperature is not that cold in the summer, it’s the wind and possible rain that makes it feel chilly.
Bags
I traveled with:
- A camera backpack
- Another backpack with a PJs, a change of clothes, laptop, power adapters and charging cords, and medicine
- A rolling suitcase that is the size of a U.S. carry-on bag
If you do laundry, this is sufficient luggage space. I knew I’d have to do laundry and got lucky because a fellow traveler brought lots of extra laundry sheets, which she gave me, so I could wash underwear, socks, and even a couple of shirts. The Malvina House, where I stayed in Stanley, offers laundry service, but I was too cheap to use it. The heated drying racks in the bathrooms in Stanley and on Sea Lion sped up the drying process and really aided with laundry.
Packing list
Here’s what I brought:
- A pair of jeans
- Rain pants that fit over my jeans
- A rain jacket that fit over my winter jacket since my winter jacket isn’t waterproof
- Two pairs of long johns/base layer pants – one wool and one thinner pair
- Ski pants. I bought these used from geartrade.com at the last minute because I don’t have warm waterproof pants.
- Waterproof (and insulated) hiking boots that lace above the ankles. I wanted to make sure I could walk in a little bit of water, which was a good call.
- Tennis shoes. These were originally going to be for the plane back and around town. I ended up just using them around town. At Sea Lion, we were not allowed to wear shoes inside, so I’d consider taking some house shoes or slippers. However, I was fine with thick wool socks there.
- 2 long-sleeve quarter-zip shirts and 3 wool long-sleeve quarter-zip shirts. I washed one of the quick-dry ones and wore a wool shirt a few times over 48 hours without washing it. It didn’t smell. 🙃 Even if it did, did anyone care?
- 1 short-sleeve shirt for the plane to/from Santiago. Washed it once.
- A vest. I love vests for their ability to keep me warm and their convenient pockets.
- A winter jacket (used Patagonia). Just a standard jacket. The temperature doesn’t get too cold in the summer. What gets you cold is the brutal wind and rain. When I was on Sea Lion Island, the wind was 30 mph. 😮
- 2 pairs of gloves – one very warm and one thinner that allows me to feel things through the fabric more easily. I typically kept a glove on my left hand and didn’t wear a glove on my right unless I was walking or not operating my camera.
- A headband ear warmer and a beanie (used both)
- Scarf. I would trade this for a buff or another more compact neck/head warmer. I did not use the scarf at all.
- 8 pairs of mostly wool socks of varying weight
- 8 pairs of underwear and 2 bras
- Little crossbody purse for walking around town
- A book, “A Most Remarkable Creature,” about the history of the striated caracara (aka Johnny rook), which only lives on the Falkland Islands. It helped me better appreciate a bird I knew nothing about prior to my trip.
- Ebooks on my phone to keep my load lighter.
- Pen (for customs forms and postcards)
- Sleep mask. Neither of the places I stayed had blackout curtains, which was both helpful in waking me naturally and reminding me where I was, and annoying when I wanted more sleep.
- Hand lotion (travel size), multiple lip balms because sometimes I can’t find the one I have when I need it most, and other travel-size toiletries.
- Aquaphor (stick lotion that helps with dry skin). At the last minute, my mom gave it to me when I didn’t want to get lotion on my fingers.
- Water bottle
- Sunblock for face
- Laptop, camera, and accessories
What I’d do differently
If I make the trip again, I’ll bring:
- Laundry detergent/sheets so I don’t need to borrow any
- Different bags so I’m not waiting in all the lines with two heavy backpacks. I also didn’t have a great daypack.
- 1 or more handkerchiefs. My nose was so runny from the wind and cold that I soaked through my napkins/tissues.
- A small folding chair or mat so I can sit comfortably in nature and not sit on penguin poop. Although maybe I won’t want to haul things around with me and I’d end up not using it. I do think it’s a good idea if you just want to be with the penguins.
- Potentially a headlamp if I’ll be walking around remote islands at dusk
- Potentially fewer clothes, as doing laundry was quite easy
- Something someone on the island requests. Getting items that stores don’t stock is difficult and costly. If I return, I will ask someone if a local could use anything from the U.S. and pack it in my suitcase. When I returned, I bought some shampoo and mailed it to someone there. It would’ve been much cheaper if I had added it to my luggage. The kindness I felt viwhile siting leaves me wanting to pay it forward.
I’ll also leave my short (24 mm-70 mm) lens at home. Several people had 100 mm – 500 mm lenses (or similar variations), and I think that’s a great move if you’re trying to stay light and photograph wildlife.
For more information about my trip to the Falklands and other preparations I made, check out “I Came for the Penguins, I’ll Return for the People: My Solo Trip to the Falkland Islands.” And my photo collection of molting penguins.
