Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 01/21/2008 - 16:38
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Antarctic Weather Stations

An epiphany!

 

Kirk,

 

You have inspired me.... and my students may have to pay the price!

I was just thinking about your “camping trip for science” and your training at “happy camper school” and I had a “brain surge”!  I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before.

 

You are traveling and camping at remote locations to conduct field work and I have been taking my 9th grade Earth Science students on a winter field camp for years to show them that not all science happens in a laboratory.  During the last week of Feb. I will take 25 of my student to the children’s summer camp that my wife and I direct.  It is usually below freezing with 2-3 feet of snow.  We will study the chemistry and ecology of our glacial kettle lake through holes in the ice and we will spend the weekend in the heated main lodge at camp.  At least that is what we have done in the past.  

 

 

This is the epiphany part....     At this year’s planning meeting I will have the group read your journal entries and suggest that some of them may want to simulate the conditions that you experienced on the ice of Antarctica.   I can help them build a small quinzee village on the windswept frozen lake and then offer to sleep out in my own quinzee if they do.   I have done this before with scout groups but it never occurred to me to have my students try it.  

 

I will create a video podcast of the adventure and send you the link.

 

I have built and slept in snow shelters before but I would  love to pass on any extra advice that you could offer my group.  Clothing?  Sleeping bags?  Quinzee building tricks?

 

...wishing I was there....

 

Jeff Peneston

Liverpool High School

Liverpool, NY

 

Sat, 01/26/2008 - 15:33

Kirk Beckendorf

 Jeff,
What a great idea. Just wondering, do you have a historic data record from the lake? How about seasonal data?
Are you near any universities who might have scientists who do research down here?  
Advice??? That makes me think of an Inupiat elder back when I used to live in Alaska. Someone asked him how he kept from getting cold during the winter. He replied, "I stay warm". He wasn't really being sarcastic. His point was, once you are cold it is hard to warm back up, so do what you need to do to stay warm.
As I am sure you know layering clothes is extremely important. Building quinzees is hard work. Shed clothes when you start getting hot to minimize sweating, because soaked clothes make you cold. Shed and re-add layers constantly. 
The first layer really should be for insulation but should be a fairly tigh fitting moisture wicking material. Everything else should be fairly loose fitting, especially gloves, socks and boots. If those are tight they cut off circulaton, which makes you cold. Mittens are warmer than gloves. When it is really cold I like wearing glove liners, fleece gloves and then mittens (but that is just a personal preferance). That way when I need to work on something I don't need to get down to bare hands (hopefully).
 There is a syaing the "Cotton kills". Cotton is what you shouldn't wear. It really takes the heat away from you when wet and it dries very slowly. Synthetics and wool are good.
Keep your head and neck covered and that will help a lot.
A macho (I'm tough attitude) doesn't keep you warm. 
Hope those random thoughts help.
Let me know how it goes or if you have other questions.
Kirk