Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 11/12/2007 - 06:33
Forums
Antarctic Undersea ROV

Hmmm...

I'm Zach (from Central Texas), and I saw all these pictures on our school computers of the team in Antarctica with all their heavy coats and other warm clothing. What all do you have to wear to go out in the cold, and how much does it cost for gear that keeps you warm in subzero temperatures? (Are those L.L. Bean commercials true where there's people out digging in the Arctic (or Antarctic) wearing L.L. Bean coats?)

Mon, 11/12/2007 - 08:14

Mindy Bell

Hi Zach,The clothes we wear are called ECW (Extreme Cold Weather) gear. 
Most people here wear "Big Red" but there are a few people who have warm coats from other places like LLBean or other companies.  You HAVE to wear your ECW on all flights and whenever you leave the station.
In the winter, people might add more clothing, but when I first got here and it was -20 F, this is what I wore:
2 pairs of wool socks under my super-insulated bunny boots
3 pairs of long underwear pants under my insulated snow pants (bib overalls)
2 pairs of long underwear shirts, a thin fleece, a thick fleece, and big red on top
1-2 pairs of mittens or gloves
a balaclava (face mask) under my stocking cap
It weighs an additional 20 lbs. and is hard to move in but you need it all to keep warm.  I'm not sure how much it all costs new, but I'll try to find out for you.  They repair and reuse clothing and equipment as much as they can to save money and resources, so most people have some rips and patches on their clothes. 

Sat, 03/01/2008 - 20:26

Travis

Hello I am new to this but I am looking into starting to go mountain hiking I guess I would call it like taking someone up a mountain sort of thing and I was wondering what would be the best gear to take and what all I would need for an epedition of this type? thank you very much for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you thank you again, bye for now.

Mon, 03/10/2008 - 13:48

Mindy Bell

Hi Travis,Hiking in the mountains is one of my favorite things to do. It helps to have good hiking boots or at least sturdy trail shoes. The rest of the gear really depends on what kind of weather you will have. A lot of hikers wear long underwear under their hiking shorts (very stylish) so they are warm in the morning and then can have shorts on when the sun comes up. It is good to have a good rain/wind jacket and make sure you carry as much food, water, minimal first aide gear, etc. as you would need. There is lots of information on backpacking and on day hiking in the mountains on the internet and in magazines like "Backpacker" that they may carry in your local library. Make sure whereever you go, you tell people WHERE you are going and WHEN they can expect you to be back! Be safe and have fun!
Mindy