Antarctica Ahoy!

Around Scott Base

Expedition Begins

Exploration Area

Exploration Routes

Plateau Loop map

Polar Plateau

Icy Panorama

East Quartzite Range

West Quartzite Range

Upper Glacier

Glacier Route

Middle Glacier

Lower Glacier

Final Stretch

Destination

Conclusion

Diary: Introduction

Diary: Preparation

Diary: Polar Plateau

Diary: Quartzite Xmas

Diary: Into the Glacier

Diary: Home Run

Appendix: Polar Life

Appendix: Logistics

Appendix: Mapping

Thanks

Antarctica with the explofood area marked.

Tararua Antarctic Expedition, 1962-63

Appendix: Logistics

Food for 480 man-days

Standard food boxes ..... 891 pounds [404 kg]
Luxury food boxes ....... 135 pounds [61 kg]
Emergency food boxes ..... 74 pounds approx. [34 kg]
All food ............... 1100 pounds [499 kg]
Food per man-day ......... 37 ounces [1040 g]

Standard food box contents

(24 boxes, 20 man-days each)

Item .................. Unit # Pounds
Pemmican† .............. Bar 5 3½
Freeze-dried meat† ..... Pkt 5 1½
Potato powder .......... Bag 2 2
Vegetables, dehydrated . Bag 2 1¼
Soups .................. Bag 4 1
Bacon‡ ................. Pkt 1½ 1½
Meat, dehydrated‡ ...... Tin ½ 1
Egg powder ............. Bag 1 ½
Rolled oats ............ Bag 1 3
Milk powder ............ Bag 3 1½
Sugar .................. Bag 1 5
Biscuits, Tararua ...... Pc 60 3
Butter, Argentinean .... Tin 3 3
Marmite (yeast extract). Jar 1 ¼
Peanut butter .......... Bag 1 ¼
Salt ................... Pkt 2 ½
Raisins ................ Pkt 2 1½
Chocolate, Nestlés ..... Bar 16 5¼
Boiled sweets .......... Pkt 1 ½
Fruit crystals ......... Pkt 2 ¼
Cocoa .................. Pkt 1 ¼
Bournvita (beverage) ... Pkt 1 ¼
Tea, loose ............. Pkt 1 ¼
Coffee, instant, Nestlés Tin 1 0.125
Vitamin C .............. Tab 12 —
Multi-vitamins ......... Tab 8 —
Wire bag sealers ....... Ea. 8 —
Toilet paper .......... Roll 2 —
Total pounds ................ 37
Total pounds, 24 boxes ..... 891
Empty plywood box, pounds .... 6

† and ‡ denote average quantities for alternative items.

In addition, there were two emergency 30-man-day food
boxes with the most concentrated of the above foods.

Luxury food box contents

(4 boxes, 120 man-days each)

Item .................. Unit # Pounds
Vegetables, dehydrated . Bag 1 ¾
Meat paste ............. Tin 2 ½
Salmon ................. Tin 2 1½
Herrings ............... Tin 2 1½
Curry .................. Tin 1 ¼
Chutney ................ Jar 1 1
Herbs .................. Pkt 1 0.025
Soup ................... Pkt 2 ½
Cheese wedges .......... Pkt 2 1
Cheese ................. Tin 2 2
Instant pudding ........ Pkt 8 2
Jelly .................. Pkt 6 1½
Apricots, dried ........ Pkt 8 4
Milk powder ............ Pkt 1 2
Fruit .................. Tin 3 3¾
Honey .................. Tin 1 5
Jam .................... Tin 2 3½
Nuts and sultanas ...... Bag 5 1
Boiled sweets .......... Bag 2 1
Biscuits ............... Pkt 2 1
Wire bag sealers ....... Ea 12 —
Toilet paper .......... Roll 1 —
Total pounds ................ 34
Total pounds, 4 boxes ...... 135

Equipment on each sledge

(Each two-man team pulled a sledge.)

• Nansen sledge and hauling traces
• British Polar tent
• Bamboo pole, for surveying and crevasse probing
• Food boxes: six standard plus one luxury
• Kerosene Primus fuel: 8 gallons [36 liters]
• Kitchen box (see below)
• Sledge bag (see below)
• Backpacks (see “Personal”)
• Bedding rolls, 2 (see “Personal”)
• Ice axes, skis and ropes (see “Personal”)

Equipment shared between two sledges

• Two-way radio (Model 557) and modulator
• Theodolite and theodolite legs
• Survey box (see below)
• Geological equipment and specimens
• Medical kit
• Sledge repair kit
• Shovel

Survey box

• Theodolite eyepiece filters and other accessories
• Photogrammetry camera (modified Paxette)
• Film for photo panoramas from survey stations (35 mm B&W)
• US Navy trimetrogon oblique aerial photographs
• Map, Tucker Glacier, prepared by John Millen
• Star tables (to compute geographic position from celestial observations)
• Book of seven-figure logarithms
• Office supplies (as under “Personal”)

Sledge bag

• Man-hauling and climbing equipment (see “Personal”)
• Piton hammer
• Boots or mukluks
• Gloves
• Vacuum “Thermos” flasks, 2
• Cameras
• Binoculars
• Compass, magnetic
• Barometer
• Signal mirror (to attract attention in emergency)
• Smoke canisters (ditto)

Kitchen box

• Primus cooker
• Kerosene metal bottle, quart,
• Kerosene cans, gallon, 8
• Metafuel (methyl alcohol Primus starter fuel)
• Funnel, fuel
• Matches
• Primus prickers (to clear clogged fuel jet)
• Primus spare parts
• Pressure cooker
• Billies, 2 quart [2 liter], 2
• Billy clamp
• Plastic bowls, cooking/eating, 4
• Mugs, enamel, 2
• Spoons, 2
• Sheath knifes, 2
• Tin opener
• Sponge
• Pot cleaner
• Plastic eating bibs (hardly used)
• Candles
• Alarm clock
• Air mattress pump
• Tent brush (to remove snow from clothing)

Personal items

(Mostly kept in a Mountain Mule backpack, except for bedding.)

Bedding
• Air mattress
• Foam plastic pad over air mattress
• Sleeping bag, outer, oversized “Everest” model
• Sleeping bag, inner, “20-Below” model
Head wear
• Balaclava
• Sun hat
Upper wear
• Down jacket
• Anorak
• Tee-shirt, 3
• Shirt, wool, 2
• Jersey, wool, 2
• Scarf, wool
• Balaclava hat
• Bib, eating
Lower wear
• Windproof over-trousers
• Trousers, wool, pair, 2
• Long johns, pair, 2
• Underpants, pair, 6
Hand-wear
• Mitts, wool, pair, 2
• Over-mitts, wool, pair, 2
• Gloves, wool, light (for surveying)
• Mitts, leather (for building rock cairns)
Foot-wear
• Mukluks, pair
• Boots, leather, pair
• Slippers, pair
• Socks, wool, pair, 10
• Anklets, pair, 1
• Dubbin leather treatment, 1 tin
• Boot laces, 1 pair
• Inner soles, nylon mesh, pair, 3
Eye protection
• Sun glasses
• Snow goggles (with spare lenses)
Toilet
• Soap, cake, 2
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste powder, 4
• Brulidane sunburn cream, tubes, 2
• Zinc sun block cream, tube, 1
• Towel, hand
• Handkerchief, 4
Man-hauling over snow and climbing
• Skis and poles, pair (Skis had polar bindings.)
• Ski seal skins, pair
• Ski wax, can
• Ice axe
• Crampons, pair
• Rope, nylon, 120 feet [36 m]
• Waist loop
• Prussic slings (for crevasse rescue), 3
• Karabiners, 3
• Pitons – screw, ice, rock – 1 each
• Man-hauling sledge harness and trace
Photographic
• Camera, Yashica, 35 mm
• Camera, Rex, 120 (2¼” square)
• Exposure meter
• Filters, UV, salmon and yellow
• Lens hood
• Film, 35 mm, colour print, 6
• Film, 35 mm, monochrome, 1
• Film, 120, colour print, 4
• Film, 120, monochrome, 11
Writing and reading
• Notebooks, 2
• Writing pad and envelopes
• Rubbers (erasers), 2
• Pencils, 14
• Paper back book, 2
• Camera instructions
• Morse code, etc.
Miscellaneous
• Cash
• Sewing kit
• Beer for Christmas, cans, 2 per man
• Cigars, 9 (communal)
• Tobacco, 1

Appendix: Mapping