CHOCOLATE FISH IN THE ANTARCTIC! |
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Somewhere in Antarctica, there's a very cosy tern's nest....Professor Jane Francis, School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, and holder of The Queen’s Polar Medal.I can think of nowhere better to test thermal clothing than on a geology field expedition to Antarctica. The thermal gear came with me to Seymour Island, a small island off the eastern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. Our aim of our team of six was to study rocks and fossils on the island in order to investigate past climates of Antarctica, millions of years ago. We spent six weeks there, working from a tent camp in January and February 2006.This period is the Antarctic summer and the weather can be pretty mild, usually with temperatures hovering around freezing and, at these high latitudes, with long days of continuous sunlight. This region, however, is one of the areas on Earth that is warming fast, possibly the result of global warming, and we really felt the effects of it this year. The weather was unbelievably warm; one day we recorded a staggeringly warm +19°C - far too hot to wear thermal underwear! But this is Antarctica where the weather is unpredictable and, true to form, we also experienced several days of blizzards and temperatures well below freezing. I had several articles of clothing: merino underwear - top and pants, merino wool and possum fur gloves, gloves of possum fur with synthetic fibres, plus merino wool and possum fur socks. Working conditions were pretty harsh - the island has no ice cover but is made of bare unconsolidated sediments. It was dusty and dirty work. The clothes did not get washed for two months and were used for more than 12 hours per day, day after day. Only the toughest survive. My thermal underwear was made of superfine merino wool. My long-johns were worn for a week under cotton moleskin trousers while out to work. They also stayed on for the night so got a good test for 24 hours a day. They were great - very comfortable and a good fit. They felt softer and less sticky on my skin than synthetic thermal underwear. After a week's rest under my pillow (the Antarctic equivalent of a wash cycle!), I wore them again and they were still comfortable - they did not go too baggy and they did not smell too bad. Although they did not get a thorough test in the coldest Antarctica conditions I will certainly wear them again for comfort. The Zipneck "Skivvy" was also soft and comfortable to wear, and made an exceedingly comfortable top to wear when travelling.
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 Professor Jane Francis and Friends Seymour Island, Antarctica | Gloves are essential bits of kit when working in Antarctica and I had two pairs with me: a pair of MP Merino-Possum gloves and a pair of Thermadry merino-possum-synthetic gloves.
Normally I would be apprehensive about wearing woollen gloves in Antarctica - I would have thought that wet woollen gloves would be a sure way of encouraging frostbite and chapped fingers, and would be a pain to dry out. However, this pair worked a
treat in the cold and wet. The softness of the merino wool and possum fur felt luxurious; they fitted well and were soft and very warm - they really kept the wind out. I loved them and was heartbroken when I lost one glove. Somewhere on Seymour Island a lucky tern chick will probably have a nice soft nest next year. These gloves are not really meant for tough outdoor chores and handling rocks, but I wore them anyway, and not surprisingly, after some weeks of heavy work, holes appeared in several fingers and the surviving glove wore away. I kept wearing the one remaining glove until it fell apart. Although these are not gloves for harsh working conditions, I would certainly choose to wear a pair for cold weather in the UK for the warmth and the luxurious feeling. They would also be good for wearing under thin waterproof shell gloves or mitts. The Thermadry merino-possum-synthetic gloves were warm and windproof and in the wet and snowy conditions they dried quickly in the warmth of the tent. They were warm enough to wear as a single layer on very cold days and comfortable enough to allow me to hold a pencil for writing. Compared to other purely synthetic gloves that I commonly wear, these gloves were thicker and warmer, and far more comfortable. From now on, these will be my choice for Antarctic field work. I also had socks made of merino-possum. Like the gloves, they felt fabulously soft and very warm. I wore them as my base layer in working boots, sometimes with another merino wool pair on top. They were thick and soft and a joy to wear. I am a convert - merino and possum fur will be in my kit bag for my next Antarctic trip in 2007. |
Not only does our merino gear perform in the Antarctic, it does it in the Arctic too.
