This book is included in the Outdoor Survival - Bio-Regional Environments section.
Introduction to This Edition
This manual does not try to be comprehensive but aims to be a starting point for those planning
a trip to a polar environment. It tries not to duplicate existing publications available although
inevitably does in parts. Other key reference sources which complement this manual are listed
at the end of each chapter and in the appendices.
To save on printing costs and bulk, the decision has been taken not to include chapters
outlining specific science projects. There is a short section in the planning chapter, but as with
all scientific expeditions, ideas for research projects will involve reference searches which may
include the first edition of the EAC Polar Expeditions Manual. For the same reason this
manual does not cover the generic aspects of any expedition such as fund-raising, choosing a
research project, young people on expeditions, etc.
Introduction to the First Edition
“People, perhaps, still exist who believe that it is of no importance to explore the unknown regions...Man wants to know, and when he ceases to do so, he is no longer Man.”
Fridtjof Nansen, Norwegian Polar Explorer
Each of us has that exploratory urge, in some well hidden, in others their life's work. Not everybody is prepared to pass freezing nights in abject discomfort in order to go beyond the frontiers of civilisation; and why should you? Glaciers and snowfields of the polar regions are not the preserve of the professional explorer alone and discomfort is not a prerequisite of adventure. The Polar Expedition Manual has been compiled with this last sentence in mind. It is intended to supply encouragement and assistance to those who wish to visit the polar regions, Arctic and Antarctic. Its aims can be stated quite clearly:
The contributors to the Polar Expedition Manual have wide polar experience, based on
many journeys to, or years of scientific endeavour in, the polar regions; their encouragement
and advice should not be taken lightly. Distilling such knowledge and experience into the
written word is not an easy task and all would advise you to seek further reference and
discourse to help plan an active and safe expedition. There is no substitute for speaking to
those who have been there and done something similar.
The polar expeditioner is on the threshold of a stunning era. University, school and
private expeditions have been heading north for many years, and much good work has resulted.
For political reasons more than a third of the Arctic has been inaccessible but expedition
planners can now take every opportunity to "open-up" the Soviet north – from Kola to
Kamchatka. The second destination, where access, if not the cost, is improving is Antarctica
and the surrounding islands.
The choice is almost too much!
Geoff Renner and David Rootes
TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION 1. THE POLAR ENVIRONMENT 1.1 Definition of the polar regions 1.2 Special aspects of the polar regions 1.3 Common climatic features 1.4 Climatic differences 2. PLANNING 2.1 Fact finding 2.2 Access, permits and paperwork 2.3 Equipment 2.4 Communications, safety and backup 2.5 Scientific projects 2.6 Arctic communities, parks and reserves 2.7 Humans and the Arctic 2.8 Environmentally responsible expeditions 2.9 Environmental Impact Assessment 3. CAMPCRAFT, EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING 3.1 Campcraft 3.2 Tents 3.3 Sleeping bags 3.4 Footwear 3.5 Clothing 3.6 An expedition’s kit selection 4. FOOD AND COOKING 4.1 Menu 4.2 Nutrition 4.3 Packaging 4.4 Emergency rations 4.5 Water intake 4.6 Stoves and fuel 4.7 Preparation and cooking 4.8 Hygiene 4.9 Case study 5. TRANSPORT AND TRAVEL 5.1 Air transport 5.2 Logistical considerations for air transport 5.3 Snowmobile travel 5.4 Small boat travel 5.5 Kayaks 5.6 Sledge-hauling 5.7 Kites/sails 6. NAVIGATION 6.1 Maps 6.2 Compasses 6.3 Altimeters 6.4 Global Positioning Systems (GPS) 6.5 Sextants 6.6 Local knowledge 6.7 Finding your way 6.8 The environment 6.9 Fog and whiteout 6.10 Marking of routes 7. COMMUNICATIONS 7.1 Written messages 7.2 Visual and audible signalling devices 7.3 Radio 7.4 Satellite communications 7.5 Power supplies 7.6 Suppliers of radio equipment 8. SAFETY 8.1 Snowfields, glaciers and icecaps 8.2 River crossings 8.3 Emergency shelters 8.4 Tundra 8.5 Ten rules for survival 8.6 Objective dangers 8.7 Animals 9. POLAR MEDICINE 9.1 Medical Preparations 9.2 Field arrangements 9.3 Medical problems specific to Polar Regions 10. PHOTOGRAPHY UNDER POLAR CONDITIONS 10.1 Extreme cold 10.2 Selecting cameras 10.3 Winterising equipment 10.4 Procedures and precautions 10.5 Pictorial effects 10.6 Exposure 11. APPENDICES 11.1 UK Polar Expedition Resources and useful websites 11.2. Regional information on polar areas: I. Arctic Ocean/North Pole II. Arctic U.S.A. III. Arctic Canada IV. Greenland (and Iceland) V. Svalbard (Norway) VI. Russian Federation VII. Antarctica
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