25 things you may not have realized about life in the Antarctic deep field…

John Schutt sporting an inspired breathsicle back at Nødtvedt.

We are still waiting for that flight to McMurdo and rumour has it Tuesday could be our first chance. In lieu of a blog post comprising what we filled our time with today, we offer instead a list of “25 things about ANSMET life that you may not have realized”. Antarctica is awesome. Finding meteorites and giving back to science is an unparalleled feeling. But what about some of the things you haven’t thought about? I comprised a list of 25 items below and asked everyone on Team B to vote/rank them. Below is the final order as voted on by all of us here on Team B.

25 – Your music streaming service will require online access after 30 days forcing you to rediscover music from your youth buried on your electronic device(s).
24 – Live your childhood dream of being a trucker, eating a pack of beef jerky and/or beef sticks daily.
23 – Some days it is expected you do not leave your “bed”, not even to go to the bathroom.
22 – Go eco-friendly by powering all your gadgets by solar power only.
21 – You’ll spend much of your time next to a blue flame that looks like an ion propulsion spacecraft engine.
20 – Have a tug-of-war or wrestling contest with a 40 KT wind using any number of wind-catching camp objects.
19 – Get your beauty rest: with 24 hour daylight, napping during the day is not any different than sleeping during the night.
18 – No shower? No problem! You can watch your body begin to clean itself through shedding.
17 – Develop super-human cardio after spending over a month at high altitude, especially when doing the heavy labour surrounding the multiple moves of a reconnaissance team.
16 – Unable to wash your hands, your immune system will get a workout and be stronger than ever.
15 – Directionally challenged? Being so close to the South Pole, it is understandable to lose track of directions especially without any sunrise or sunset.
14 – Look up anytime and see the sun circling you like a vulture.
13 – You never really have to do dishes.
12 – You never have to worry about putting the seat up/down on the “toilet”.
11 – Having lived off it for over a month, you’ll never throw out expired food when you return home.
10 – When the wind dies completely, hear the voices in your head perfectly during the silence.
09 – You never realize how much changing clothes is a pain.
08 – It is impossible to forget to lock your front door – even if you could, with all your food stored outside it wouldn’t stop your thieving neighbours from poaching your most delectable of the offerings.
07 – Without email/internet or cell phone access, the associated stress is stripped away with the 30 KT winds.
06 – Eating chocolate for lunch is acceptable and often encouraged.
05 – Unleash your inner bird! Who needs a cleanse diet when your beverage will contain plenty of tiny rock pieces that will act like floss for your digestive system.
04 – There is always a cold side of the pillow.
03 – Shaving? Combing your hair? Forgetaboutit! Unleash your inner and outer caveman.
02 – You’ll get to hear the many stories of John Schutt. You’ll learn for yourself that his time in the Antarctic and Arctic are the reasons why we have seasons – the dark is afraid of John Schutt.
01 – Perfect the art of growing a beardsicle, snotsicle, and/or breathsicle.
Posted by Scott from Shackleton Tent City on 2018-01-13 at 17:00.