Daniel Leussler:

I’m going to skip that huge post for now, and just try to give an update on the Pole now that I’ve been here almost 2 weeks. I’ll split things up into categories for easier reading, and also to help myself focus.

The cold

Yes, it’s cold here. The average temp right now tends to hover around -40F, with windchill in the -60F to -80F range. It’s not really as bad as it sounds though, as you just get in the habit of wearing long underwear all the time, and your gear is designed for even worse. On my walk to work from summer camp (where the people who don’t need to live in the station are), I usually wear a set of light long underwear, my regular street clothes, my Carhartt overalls, my red parka (”Big Red”, in USAP lingo), a polar fleece neck gaiter (which is great), a hat with ear flaps, and my goggles (mostly just because it’s incredibly bright outside, and sunglasses tend to fog easily). If it’s bad, I’ll put up my hood.

Walking to work in the morning is probably the most cold I endure, since it’s probably a five minute walk ending at DZ (Destination Zulu), which is the windiest place outside the station due to the airfoil effect of the building. If I’m just outside for a little bit, I can get away with much less; last night I walked from my Jamesway to Altie Meadows (the central summer camp building, housing laundry facilities and bathrooms) with just my street clothes, my Carhartt jacket, and sunglasses. Without any wind -40F isn’t bad at all, as you quickly learn from being in the Beer Can (the large metal enclosed staircase on the end of the station). It’s uninsulated and generally the same temperature as the outside air, but you really don’t even need a coat in there. You just have to remember not to touch things with your bare hands, as they’re still very cold.

The food

The food is decent and plentiful, although like any place you’re not always going to like everything that’s offered. I definitely eat more here than I would at home, partially because it’s free and already prepared, and partially because you need more calories to keep warm here. Rumor has it that the average person needs around 5,000 calories per day to maintain their health at the Pole, but I’m not sure I can pack away that much. Everybody on station is very big on eliminating food waste, because anything you take but don’t eat needs to be flown back to McMurdo, and then shipped back to California. Most people clean their plates pretty thoroughly before bringing them to the dish pit.

The Jamesways

Yes, I live in a tent. It’s a large tent, with about 12 rooms in mine, and they’re separated by plywood walls on the sides and either plywood doors or curtains towards the hallway. My room is small, with just enough space for a bed and me. It’s a little chilly in there, but I think that’s because of an issue with the vent over my part of the jamesway. However, the floor is always very cold, and you quickly learn not to leave anything on there that you’d like to wear the next day, like pants or shoes.

The jamesways that people sleep in are designated as quiet spaces 24 hours a day, to accommodate people working any shift, so the only activities you do in your room are sleeping and reading. There is a wireless network that covers the entire summer camp, but since the satellite hours rarely coincide with when you’d be in your jamesway, it’s mostly just for checking your work email (which is stored locally, and can push through the Iridium satellite network 24/7) and browsing the shared drives.

The internet

The south pole is obviously not a prime spot to run a wire to, so our link to the outside world is exclusively through satellites. Specifically, GOES and TDRS 3/4, neither of which is available all the time.  Which reminds me that I have 8 minutes of internet left, so I’m going to finish this post and leave everybody waiting for more.