Recording location sound in Arctic cold: what producers should plan for

In 2026 I recorded sound for h-squared in Svalbard and along the Hurtigruten coastal route. Cold-weather shoots are rewarding, but they punish weak planning, and sound is often the first department to feel it. Here's what producers should plan for.

Batteries are the first casualty

Lithium batteries lose a large part of their capacity in deep cold. Plan for at least twice the power you'd use on a normal day, and keep spares warm inside a jacket until you need them. Wireless transmitters worn on contributors stay warmer than receivers on a cart, so the receiver side usually fails first.

Condensation

Moving from minus twenty outside to a warm room or vehicle fills cold equipment with condensation. Bag the kit before going indoors and let it warm up slowly. Build those transitions into the schedule rather than rushing from exterior to interior.

Wind and clothing noise

Arctic locations are rarely still. Every microphone needs serious wind protection, and lavaliers need careful placement. Technical outdoor jackets are some of the noisiest fabrics there are, so plan time to rig mics under layers, and expect to re-rig when contributors add or remove clothing.

Engines, snow and silence

Snowmobiles, ship engines and generators are constant background sources. Plan interviews away from them, or schedule moments when they can be switched off. At the other extreme, a quiet snowy landscape is a gift: allow time to record clean ambience and wildtracks while you're there.

Darkness and safety

In Svalbard, the polar night lasts through the winter months and the midnight sun through the summer. Outside the settlements you need a guide with polar bear protection, which also affects where and how quickly a crew can move. Small teams move faster, so a one-person sound department with self-contained kit is a real advantage.

Give every setup more time

Everything takes longer in the cold: rigging, swapping batteries, warming up kit and contributors. Add buffer time to each setup, and the material will be worth it.

Planning a shoot in the Arctic or anywhere in Scandinavia? Send me your dates, location and format. I usually reply the same day, weekends included.