The aim is to keep weight and costs down, to be well/safely equipped and as I understand it, to keep in our personal stuff sacks emergency rations etc. and to split parts of the tent onto different sledges so that we can survive for 24 hours if necessary should we lose a sledge.
A key problem seems to be keeping the tent/ourselves dry. Therefore the camp brush is vital for brushing snow off our boots before getting into the tent and, as described, in the morning before packing up.
We have been advised to take long tweezers, because when it's very cold we'll find it difficult to fiddle with buttons and zips. Tweezers will help us.
Daily consumption on the ice will be 5000 calories (2.5 times our average daily intake in the UK)
We have been advised to put on weight before going, as we expect to lose up to 8 kilos in weight while on the ice.
Here are the figures on the entire food for the expedition. This should provide enough for :
1. 6 people x 10 weeks on the ice manhauling
2. Back-up team at base camp in Resolute Bay for duration of the trip (3 people)
3. Team in training at base camp before going on to the ice, as well as returning teams who've
just finished their leg.
| Item | kilos | Item | kilos | Porridge oats | 120 kg | Powdered milk | 45 kg | Salami | 150 kg | Crackers | 30 kg | Chocolate | 100 kg | Peanuts | 35 kg | Cashews/almonds | 35 kg | Nuts and raising | 30 kg | Dried apricots, figs | 50 kg | Dried raisins | 25 kg | Muesli bars | 75 kg | Energy bars | 30 kg | Noodles | 35 kg | Dried soup | 20 kg | Dried cheese | 50 kg | Energy drink crystals | 85 kg | Hot chocolate | 50 kg | Tea | 15 kg | Sugar | 20 kg | Penguin biscuits | 7000 biscuits |
|---|
| Group Navigation | Qty | Item | 2 | Compass Silva | 1 | Garmin GPS (Satellite) 45XL | 1 | Garmin GPS 38 | 1 | Batteries, Lithium, solar recharger, Lithium AA for GPS | 1 | Navigation charts |
|---|
All of the above for our use, so that we can know exactly where we are at any one time.
| Group communications | 1 | Argos Satellite communicator. We will send a daily pre- coded message to base camp. This will also tell them exactly where we are. | 3 | HF Radio: 1 at Polar base; Spilsbury field radio, CAVU field radio. |
|---|
| Group Safety | 2 | Throwline bags (15metres) in case anyone falls in | 15 | Karabiner | 1 | Shotgun (anti-polar bears), 2 ammunition sets | 1 | EPIRB (emergency beacon) |
|---|
| Sledges & Skis | 1 | sledge - plastic hull with light canvas zip cover (weight 17 lb), 11m of trace rope; a harness | 2 | pairs of skis: 1 x fischer, 1 x asne | 1 | skins for skis and glue, wax | 2 | poles as for skis | 1 | bindings and inserts as well as 2 spare sets of bindings |
|---|
| Personal Sleeping system | 1 | sleeping pad (about 4-5" of foam) | 1 | outer sleeping bag | 1 | sleeping bag |
|---|
| Shared group kit | Qty | Item | Qty | Item |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | video camera and accessories per person | 1 | guides log | |
| 1 | personal log | 1 | group relay log | |
| 1 | 2-man tent | 1 | 4-6 man tent | |
| 1 | 4 man tent | 1 | 3 man tent | |
| 2 | spare tent poles | 20 | icescrews | |
| 1 | camp shovel | 2 | tent white gas lantern | |
| 30 | candles | 2 | candle lamps | |
| 8 | stoves (and 2 repair kits) | 8 | fuel bottles | |
| 3 | 4litre fuel containers | 2 | snow brush - for sweeping off iced condensation from inside of tent before packing up in morning |
| Clothing | Qty | Item | Qty | Item | 0! | pants | 1 | all in one light weight thermals sponsored by Damart | 1 | all in one midweight thermals | 1 | sledging suit one piece sponsored by Vander | 1 | extreme smock | 1 | extreme pants | 1 | rest jacket (parka) | 1 | neckgator | 1 | inner balaclava - Damart | 1 | outerbalaclava - Helly Hanson | 1 | protective balaclava | 1 | synthetic fleece hat (our only piece of individuality) | 1 | latex gloves | 1 | wristlets (semi cover hands) | 4 | liner gloves | 1 | mid mitts | 1 | outer gauntlets | 3 | liner socks | 1 | rubberised socks | 1 | mid socks | 1 | boots + liners x 2 | 1 | boot + inner liner | 6 | spare boot outer liner (for group) | 1 | Cebe goggles | 1 | Cebe sunglasses | 1 | nose beaks to protect mouth/lips and nose! |
|---|
| Official Suppliers | |
|---|---|
| The Adventure Centre (Kelly College) | Instructors and facilities for the expedition selection courses | Ajungilak | sleeping bag systems | Cebe Eyewear | protective and sports eyewear | Cominco | International mining company providing polar base facilities | 3M Thinsulate | insulation materials for all the polar clothing | Imagination | venue for the Polar Party fund-raising event | Kodak | digital and analogue cameras and filmstock products | Rhino Products (UK) | specialist performance foodstuffs | Woolsery Electronics | specialist batteries |
Information and comments provided by Andre Chadwick