In his post from Dec 1, Ralph promised a full report on the Clothing Distribution Center (CDC).  I’m not Ralph (not nearly as handsome!) but will give it a shot. . .

Our sojourn at CDC involved first a sobering briefing (about which I won’t say anything for now), followed by more upbeat activities like confirming – or for me, getting – flu vaccinations, and handing our laptop computers over to be checked for up-to-date virus protection software.  Then the real fun began: a few videos about McMurdo, followed by trying on lots o’ clothing!  Here’s a photo of the racks on racks of red parkas – only the outermost layer of a veritable wardrobe of clothing. 

Not that we had to pull out any clothing ourselves, as the very efficient staff at CDC had already put together two big orange duffle bags full of clothing for each of us, based on the sizes we’d indicated before arriving. 

Besides the parka, this wardrobe of clothing included another red, lighterweight Gore-tex shell, fleece pullovers and pants, long underwear tops and bottoms, white bunny boots, mittens, gloves, glove liners, socks, goggles, two hats, a neck gaiter. . . .  and I’m sure I’m forgetting something.  My clothing all fit well, so I got to provide moral support while Shannon and Christine and Vinciane explored their options.

Once the correctly sized items had been procured, we had to consider how to apportion them among the various baggage options.  Said options include: 1) check baggage going to the ice, 2) carry-on baggage going to the ice, 3) a boomerang bag of toiletries and some clothing that is also checked but (if the plan is not able to land at McMurdo and boomerangs back to Christchurch) we can get this bag back, and 4) stuff left in the CDC.  It was a wonderful kind of mental Rubic’s cube game that continued back in our hotel, late into the evening, to try to figure out – within the weight limits! – what items would go in which category of baggage.

We did have to take a break for dinner, and went to a funky-fun restaurant that offered hot stones with uncooked food, and we cooked our food at the table on the stones!  For a bunch of geologists, it seemed like a very appropriate last Christchurch dinner – at least, we hope so,  as by this time tomorrow, we hope to be on the ice!  Stay tuned for a critique of our flight south. . . .

-posted by Devon Tuesday night, Dec 2, in Christchurch