31 October 2017 Sharp Dressed (and Thermally Insulated) Man

Sharp Dressed (and Thermally Insulated) Man

The word summer conjures up thoughts of warm weather, swimsuits, flip flops, and suntan lotion and most are a necessity on a suitcase pack list to anywhere… except Antarctica that is. Antarctica holds the distinctions of being the coldest, windiest, and driest continent on the planet, even in the summer. Such extreme conditions warrant a different kind of packing list – gear typically found in the Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) pack. Today was the day for orientation at the United States Antarctic Program Passenger Terminal, where among the tasks to complete today was a fitting of our ECW gear for the trip scheduled for tomorrow morning. The importance of ECW gear cannot be understated: ECW gear is required of each and every individual traveling to Antarctica; all of the clothing items must be tried on and fit comfortably; and, the ECW gear must be worn BEFORE boarding the plane to Antarctica.

Orientation Day at the United States Antarctic Program.

I mentioned the ECW gear in a previous journal entry and included a picture found in the USAP Participant Guide (shown below).

Items in the Extreme Cold Weather gear pack.

At first glance, one looks at the photo, sees six items labeled as part of the ECW gear, and probably thinks that this is actually no big deal. And they would continue to think that until they walked into the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) and see the exhibit of ALL of the ECW clothing on display in the lobby.

ECW Gear Items on Display in the USAP Lobby.

All of the individuals scheduled to fly to Antarctica were shown to a rather large fitting room where the ECW packs were nicely arranged along a wall with a sheet of paper (Packing List) that had each of our names on it, along with the items that were loaned to us in the orange bags. It took probably close to 45 minutes to an hour to remove all items from the orange bags and try to determine what piece of clothing goes where and how. After trail and error and a couple of dumb questions thrown in, I was good to go. Below is a photo of me with all of my ECW gear on, not exactly sharply dressed, but I can promise you I was very well thermally insulated.

Dressed in ECW gear, I am not exactly sharply dressed, but I am VERY thermally insulated!

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the staff at the CDC. Since my arrival in New Zealand, there is one thing that I have noticed that is crystal clear – everyone here is exceptionally friendly, courteous, and helpful. The staff at the CDC was no different. They all have been working there for many years (15+ years) and they do their work with a smile on their face and a sincere willingness to answer all types of questions, including the dumb ones asked by me. To get an idea of just a part of their responsibility, Gary Greaves invited me to the second floor to view the warehouse from above.

And these are only the parkas at the CDC!

The photo shows the wide assortment of parkas that they care for and ensure that repairs are made for the next set of travelers. This is only the parkas! I asked if they would oblige a teacher from Texas with a couple of selfies and they whole-heartedly agreed. Shown in the two pictures are: Gary Greaves, Maree Constable, Claire Hellyer, and Geoff Pearce.

A selfie with the staff at the USAP CDC. Another selfie with the staff at the USAP CDC.

If any of you are planning to visit Antarctica in the near future, please take the time during your trip to the CDC to give them a smile and thank them for the work that they do behind the scenes to ensure that you have a safe and healthy experience.

Coming Up Next: Just exactly what is the flight like to get to Antarctica? I will tell you that it gives new meaning to the words: Are We There Yet?