Submitted by Anonymous on Thu, 12/20/2012 - 04:08
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Space Weather Monitoring on the Antarctic Plateau 2013

What does your diet consist of out in the field? Do you like it or not really?

Mon, 01/21/2013 - 12:03

Tim Spuck

One thing they make sure you have is lots of food and a variety of it. We have lots of snack type stuff like candy, granola bars, etc.. And of course anything that can be frozen is available. Keep in mind that environment is like living in a shelter or tent inside your freezer at home. So we would go outside and get scallops or steak, etc. and bring them inside to thaw and use a small camp style stove to cook.I remember stepping off the airplane at South Pole Station (10,500 Feet Elevation, -49 F with wind chill), out of breath because of the altitude and thinking, "What have you gotten yourself into Tim?" Then I remember when we were stranded due to weather out on the East Antarctic Plateau, and on day 7 of the mission saying, "I just need to wash my hair ... I don't care about anything else but I need to wash my hair." So I melted snow and took a couple basins and washed my hair, and felt soooo much better.
That said, if someone came up to me tomorrow and said we need someone in Antarctica to go out into the middle of nowhere and camp in a tent on a two mile thick sheet of ice, I'd be the first one in line. It's strange how such an environment can pull you in. I think in a way I get a sense of what made the early explorers from various cultures to leave the comforts of home and venture out into the unknown.