Earlier today, I was alerted to the arrival of a package on my front porch by the tremendously loud "woof-woof" of my pooch, Lucy. When I opened the door, a UPS deliveryman carrying a huge orange duffel bag greeted me. After coaxing Lucy away from the petting she was receiving and thanking him for the delivery, I closed the door, grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting off all the zip-ties binding the duffel shut. The bag was from the PolarTREC office in Fairbanks, AK, which helped me figure out what was packed inside. I am visiting classrooms over the next couple weeks and asked Janet and Kristin with PolarTREC to help me out by supplying some examples of items I'll need while in Antarctica. I was so excited to get a look at the Extreme Cold Weather (ECW) gear that was stuffed inside the bag. Lucy, my super"dogel", was kind enough to model a few ECW items for me.
These boots keep feet & paws toasty to temperatures as low as -60F!
Big Red is the nickname for the ECW Jacket
Lucy modeling Bunny Boots, Big Red and Ski Goggles.
The ECW gear that Lucy is wearing is huge on her and does not fit me too well either. Not to worry, there are two orange duffel bags packed full of ECW gear that fits me waiting at the Clothing Distribution Center (CDC) in Christchurch, New Zealand. My journey to McMurdo Station in Antarctica takes me through Christchurch where I will have time to pick up my ECW and make sure everything fits before hopping on a huge C-130 aircraft for the flight to the Ice.
Thanks to Lucy for her patience with her annoying human- not many dogs are willing to endure wearing ECW.