GO DEEPER DISCUSSION: (see previous journal for the questions.)
Perhaps the main advantage of using a science van is to have a way to get a lab space customized and set up for use in many settings wherever the research is undertaken. Another advantage would be if other lab space is already used or insufficient.
Some disadvantages may include limited space inside a 20-foot long container, having to plan far enough ahead to allow shipping time for delivery of the van, and the expense of maintaining and transporting the units.
Did you think of other advantages and/or disadvantages? If so, feel free to leave them in the Ask the Team section on the bottom of this page!
TODAY'S JOURNAL:
Well, I’m pretty much packed up and have just a few last-minute items to tackle on my to-do list. I’ve been in to my classroom 4 times in the last few weeks, getting it set up, making copies, and locking stuff down for my sub. I’ve checked in for flights tomorrow and made some fussy adjustments to what I’ve decided to bring and what not. The piece I left for last was packing my camera bag- in the end I’ll have 5 devices capable of photography:
- Main Camera (Leica V-Lux Typ 114)
- Point & Shoot Camera (Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 that I also brought on the 2010 Extended Continental Shelf Survey)
- GoPro Hero 4 Black
- Brinno TLC200 Pro Time Lapse Camera
- iPhone 5s
Plus, I have spare batteries, memory cards, chargers, supports, etc. to fill out the bag along with binoculars, an external hard drive, and a couple of memory sticks along with my laptop and laptop stuff in the camera bag. I also threw in my flags, extra glasses, and some snacks plus a change of socks and undies to pad it out a bit.
As one of my final preparations I got my camera bag organized, with about every niche full of gear for our 2-month cruise.
I already dropped off my main suitcase when I visited Healy in June, so the other bag that I’m checking this time just has a few more clothes, some fun stuff, some food, and whatever other last-minute gear I think to throw in.
Tomorrow I fly from Denver to Anchorage, Alaska via Seattle, Washington. Then, on Tuesday the team flies from Anchorage to Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. We have a few days in Dutch Harbor to get final preparations ready aboard Healy before sailing on 9 August. I’ll update you next from there!
GO DEEPER!
This one may be a little tricky to figure out- try Google Earth or a web search to figure it out: Why does our expedition begin and end in Dutch Harbor, a 3 or 4 day sail away from our main objective, the Arctic Ocean?
That's all for now. Best- Bill