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Immediate report of Victoria University of Wellington Antarctic Expedition 1989-90: VUWAE 34

Field Equipment

page 56

Field Equipment

All the field equipment issued to our event functioned extremely well. The clothing was excellent, particularly the windproof hate which made working in windy conditions considerably less onerous. The only problem experienced during the past season was the same as the previous season. The Sorrel boots with the "white plastic" soles (as opposed to the "black rubber" soles) soon wore down. 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 in the Miers, considerable risks are inherent in having wet feet in the Antarctic.

The food was excellent with plenty of variety. The major difficulties are now the bulk, given all the "freshies", and keeping frozen supplies from thawing. The large pit dug into the permafrost beside the hut to act as a fridge last season was lined with ply and covered with a piece of polystyrene. This worked well especially when the "box" was filled with ice to keep the temperature low.

Crampons in general are not suited for use on Sorrel boots because of their flexible soles. The screws tended to work loose rapidly and several of the "bars" broke under the strain of walking on "hard" glacial ice. I would suggest that "Locktite" be made available at Scott Base so that, after adjustment for size, the screws can be "glued" in place. In some conditions the loss of screws would seriously compromise safely.