New voyage to south pole....in winter, would you go?

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20130107/DA3LIC5O3.html

Fiennes and his team will have high-tech gear, including battery-operated heating mechanisms in their clothing and special breathing apparatus. They will use modified, 20-ton tractors to transport sledges with mounted living quarters and fuel that is designed not to freeze in the extreme temperatures. They will also have radars that can detect crevasses.

Sounds fantastic to me. I spent two years working in fairbanks Alaska where it would often get down to -40º and there is something special about standing outside watching the sun set at 2 PM over a sea of ice fog thats hard to explain. It sounds miserably but its really amazing.

Perhaps par of it is that I have always wanted to visit another planet and Alaska in winter feels like one, espically once you wear enough equipment to feel like your in a spacesuit and unlike most exotic locales its a place you can drive to, if you live in north america.

I ran a demolition cutting torch so on top of about six layers of warm clothing I also wore welding leathers and aluminum shin and arm guards in addition to an insulated hardhat, tinted visor and gas mask I felt like a post apocalyptic warrior crawling around the ruins of a fallen civilization.

Which in a way, I was since my job was to cut up old and worn out heavy machinery.

This was a picture that I snapped one day on my way back from lunch. I believe it was about -30º F that day.

If you ever have the chance to visit an artic region during the winter I recommend it.



And another one looking out over the scrap yard.

If they'd dig up Admiral Byrd's snow cruiser I'd go anywhere in that!

I imagine there is a beauty to it. I wonder how Sweden would compare to these places... I have an odd dream of moving there, that and building and underground circular house out of brick.

I don't know about Sweden but I have a friend in Finland and it sounds like a wonderful country. Its on the top of my list of places to go if it gets too bad in the US.

I don't know about Sweden but I have a friend in Finland and it sounds like a wonderful country. Its on the top of my list of places to go if it gets too bad in the US.

Really? Why Sweden?

I don't know about Sweden but I have a friend in Finland and it sounds like a wonderful country. Its on the top of my list of places to go if it gets too bad in the US.

Really? Why Sweden?

You mean Finland?

Its at the top or near the top in almost every list of societal development. standard of Living, Education, Literacy, Life expectancy, health care, etc. The US is the third world in comparison to Finland (or really any Scandinavian country)

By the numbers, its one of the best places to live in the world and has a climate and culture similar to what I am used to.

I am also 1/8th Finnish so it get preference over the other civilized countries.

And since I am here fresh off the 2A thread it should be mentioned that Finland has gun ownership rates similar to the US and yet has a tiny fraction of our violent crime rate.

My apologies. I do mean Finland. Being 1/8th Swedish myself, any Scandinavian country becomes translated into Sweden eventually.