Field Equipment

All the field equipment functioned well except for the Sorrel boots with the "plastic" soles issued to one of the party. These soles were not up to Dry Valley conditions and soon split causing leaks and consequently wet feet. While this was largely a question of comfort, considerable risks are also inherent in having wet feet in the Antarctic. When these boots were replaced, the new pair started leaking after only 3 days use.

One of the polar tents issued to our event was smaller (by about 0.5 m in each dimension) than the usual. This led to cramped living conditions for two of the party which, while not critical since we had the use of the Miers Hut for activities other than sleeping, would have led to severe problems had we been a "sledging" event.

Food was excellent with plenty of variety. The major difficulties are now the bulk, given all the "freshies", and keeping frozen supplies from thawing.

We dug a large pit into the permafrost beside the hut to act as a fridge and this worked well for most of the season. For the coming season I would recommend four sheets of ply to line the walls and stop the hole collapsing as it thaws out. I would also recommend a 1 m square sheet of polystyrene to act as a lid and stop melting later in the season.

The crampons tended to loose screws during the season and replacements were required from Scott Base. I would suggest that "Locktite" is available at Scott Base so that after adjustment the page 43 screws can be "glued" in place. In some conditions the lose of screws would seriously compromise safety.

While I arranged to have the 40 mm ice auger sharpened before heading "south" I soon discovered that there is a technique for using it is glacier ice. It would be worthwhile informing others that to make reasonable progress (to drill a 1.2 m hole in 7 mins) a hole should be formed with a pinch bar first and then this reamed with the auger. The angle of the auger flights, and hardness of ice, are such that without the "pilot" hole little progress is possible with the auger alone.