Film researcher Kate Streather is no stranger to extreme environments and after travelling the world to help capture footage for Ocean with David Attenborough, it quickly became clear just how important it is to have the right kit.

One of the founding members of the team, Streather spent three years developing concepts, creating scripts and helping to capture some of the biggest moments in the film, experiencing a full range of climates from the freezing remote wilderness of Antarctica to the baking desert heat of Liberia.

The use of rugged reliable gear from Arksen within the kit list proved mission critical and they explain:“I had to make sure my brain was working at all times and that I was alert to spot potential dangers and cool shots or frames, so having good gear was crucial to keep me comfortable and able to function.

“There was a really beautiful moment in Antarctica, for example, when it was almost 24-hour light and we were nearly done with filming. We had been out there for a long time when we spotted a pod of 20 humpback whales. I was watching all their blows, backlit with the evening light, and it was amazing, and I cried!”

On an incredibly busy production schedule, the team filmed more than 64 weeks and Streather was on location for 28, including shoots in the UK with Sir David Attenborough, six weeks in Antarctica, four weeks in Liberia, and several different shoots around the coast of the UK. 

“I did Liberia just before Christmas then went out to Antarctica a few days into the New Year,” says Streather. “It was quite extreme in that three-month period - in Liberia we were working in early 30s in terms of degrees, but really high humidity and really warm, and out of respect for the region we were working, we were wearing long trousers, long sleeves.

“In Antarctica, it was only minus five but we were out on a small RIB for eight or nine hours and it was very windy, so it felt so much colder. The risk of hypothermia was very real and if anyone had got too cold, we would have had to go back to the bigger boat, which stops filming and gives us less time to tell the stories we wanted to tell.”

Over time, they have developed base kits for warm and cool climates. The warm kit includes normal hiking trousers and baggy long-sleeved shirts, which can be rolled up to control the temperature. The cool kit involves layers of different merino wool thermals, thermal jumpers, puffer jackets and raincoats.

“It takes quite a long time to work out what system works best for you but once you have your kit and know how it works, it's so much easier,” explains Streather. “It was my first time in Antarctica, but the other crew had been many times before so they knew the lay of the land a lot better and had their system nailed down. 

“I prefer working in cold environments, because it's a lot easier to add layers to make yourself warmer – I had three pairs of socks, three pairs of trousers and six layers on my top half for Antarctica! I used the Arksen base layer and hoodie, with my raincoat as a mid-layer windbreaker, then a puffer, another raincoat, and another puffer on top!

“Even on the UK shoots, which were off the south coast in summer, it was still cold so I was wearing the Arksen fleece. When you’re out on the water the whole day, with all the wind chill, you don't want to be in a position where you're feeling uncomfortable and can't do your job.”

The volume of different brands and apparel on the adventure market can make it difficult to know which kit to choose. However, the devil is often in the detail – and while Streather noted the high build quality of the Arksen gear in the field, it was some of the more unique design aspects that impressed the most.

“I was a big fan of the adjustable buttons on the trousers,” they say. “Sometimes I wore them in the main boat with a pair of slippers and sometimes over my massive boots, so it was handy to be able to adjust that cinching at the bottom. They also have a very nice magnetic clasp, which makes them super easy to take on and off with cold hands.

“The balaclava was really handy, because it has a breathable mesh panel where your mouth is, so when you're wearing sunglasses or snow goggles, to reduce reflection off the water, it doesn't mist anything up. The grey long-sleeve thermal has the same mesh panel under the armpits, and that is really useful for breathability. 

“I loved using that as a top on the UK shoots because it’s super breathable and lightweight, so it works really nicely both as a base layer and a standalone top. The trousers were amazing too, really thick and warm and absolutely perfect if you're just sitting still on a boat, which we did a lot!”

Getting the right gear is vital, and that can often come at high expense – because while cost and quality do not always align in some industries, in the adventure apparel world, higher prices do tend to reflect the value and importance of higher quality materials, more feature-filled functionality and longer lifetimes.

“There are definitely some outdoor brands that are priced high but that I and my friends refer to more as ‘commuter apparel’,” concludes Streather. “They're nice if you're going on a camping trip, but I wouldn't trust their puffer jackets out in Antarctica! In places like that, you need expedition gear you can trust to keep you warm.”