Dawn in Antarctica

In planning to head to Antarctica in October, I've been thinking about all the things we need to be prepared to do in the field.  We have to make sure we have all the gear we need, plus the right attitude!  It's hard work.  Yesterday, I was going through old documents and remembered this post from my first trip in 2009, which lists some of the things we do.  I had forgotten about many of the things!  I thought I would repost an edited version.  Here it is: +++++++++++++ There is no daily routine in the field, at least not this field season.  The range of things I did was huge.  Some things fall into the “keep camp going” category, some into “preparing to do science”, some “doing science”, some “entertainment” and some “personal care”.  I’ll give a few examples of each. Keep Camp Going When you stay out in a harsh environment for long periods of time, there are numerous tasks that have to be done to keep the tents up and healthy, people fed and healthy, and the environment

Tyler Mackey, Ian Hawes, Devin Castendyk and I are heading to Lake Joyce in late October, followed by additional field work in Lake Vanda with Anne Jungblut and others.  I am principle investigator and field leader for the Lake Joyce project, my first time in charge of all the logistics. It's an adventure trying to figure out everything we'll need for 4 weeks of camping in the McMurdo Dry Valleys!  Luckily, I've learned a huge amount from Dale Andersen as well as Ian over the last 3 field seasons (none last year), and we have outstanding field support from Meghan Walker of the Berg Field Center.  I couldn't do it without experience and help. The first thing a field team has to do is fill out a Support Information Package (SIP) on the US PolarIce web site.  The SIP is supposed to include all the gear and field support you need for your project from the US Antarctic Project (USAP).  It includes everything from lab space in Crary Lab, McMurdo, to helicopter hours, t