I'm looking to hopefully interview someone on the 7th continent. Please DM me know if you are interested.

Any advice on types of boots, jackets, etc would be greatly appreciated!

Applied for the Production Cook position for the winter session at McMurdo, and got an email Monday about meeting the minimum qualifications. Immediately emailed the email in the email expressing my interest, haven't gotten a response yet though. Not normal or?

Currently out in Sweden and don't get back stateside until the 16th of this month, so a little concerned it won't be enough time to do all the appointments, paperwork, and background checks. That said, I have already read the packet and am aware of the paperwork and copies I'll need to make since stuff tends to get lost easily.

Really excited for this opportunity if selected, although my family hasn't been taking it well and has been sending me other job positions as an attempt to dissuade me (23, just graduated college in May). Anything that makes that easier to deal with?

And are there any other jackets that you would wear, have worn, or would like to wear to stay warm?

Looking for a jacket that can help keep warm in the high negative degree

Just looking for a bit of advise I guess... Wondering if anyone knows if there is much demand for someone with my skillset!! Been a dream to get there for years. I will be applying for 25-26 season regardless but guess I just want some confirmation that it won't be a waste of time applying, especially considering I am only freshly qualified...

I'm in late 20s, fitter machinist fresh out of apprenticeship (manual machinist) with a few years operating and repairing heavy machinery under my belt as well (graders, dozers, diggers, trucks, etc). Used to live on cattle stations so remote life doesn't bother me.

I'm visiting Antarctica on a cruise end of this month and I understand that the Aurora Australis is typically best visible during austral winter from roughly March thru October when it's mostly dark. I was wondering since the solar cycle is near solar maximum right now, if say there was a KP5+ or KP7+ solar storm, and I'm between the 62nd and 65th parallel south where there is ~2-4 hours of "night" per day, is there a decent probability of being able to view an Aurora with the naked eye? Or will the glimmer of sunlight across the horizon likely still be too bright and mask the view

Good morning, I am a Design student and need inspiration to design a system that uses sensory stimulation to prepare researchers in Antarctica for the extreme conditions there. Specifically, in the scientific research bases in Antarctica, such as Concordia Base, the scientists there are caught between a more home-like condition, that is, inside the base, and an absolutely extreme condition, that is, outside the base, where there are winds over 200km/h, the only visible color is white, temperatures in winter exceed -80 degrees Celsius, light is present for 6 consecutive months, night and day, during the summer period, while in winter, there are 6 months of total darkness. And the paradoxical thing is that separating these two realities, is a simple door. The goal of my project is to create a preparation corridor, that is, a space where scientists can get dressed before going out for outdoor missions, and this environment also helps them to prepare psychologically for having to face these extreme conditions. A constraint of my design is to use sensory stimulation to facilitate this preparation, that is, to use elements that mainly through touch, sight and hearing, can make the scientists acquire the psychological preparedness to deal with this transition between inside and outside and between outside and inside. Do you have any suggestions?

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Hey,

I know it gets asked a lot, but what’s the Starlink situation like at McMurdo right now? I’m coming down in January and I wanted to know what to expect with it.

Thanks

For a little context, I recently got an interview to work at McMurdo next winter. McMurdo's always been a place that's interested me, a real community in the heart of Antarctica, I know all about it from a functional pov, but I don't know what it's actually like living there.

I applied for a maintenance job there, what is the living situation like, is it single rooms or more of a bunk situation? What do people do at McMurdo besides work? Is the vibe is the summer versus the winter very different? What is the average age pool? (I'm 20 so I'd expect to be on the younger side).

And just broadly, what is it like living there?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/cruises/onboard-the-hunger-strike-antarctic-cruise/

Inside the Antarctic cruise hunger strike: ‘Guests are wearing placards demanding a refund’

after propeller failure caused return to port prior to reaching Antarctica

what a bunch of whiners ...

Happy Antarctica day everyone! 😘

For those of you who have taken a career "downgrade" (i.e. gone down to the ice as a stewie, jano, or other reduced responsibility position compared to your previous work experience) just to get on the ice, how have you gone about adding that to your CV in a productive way? I know there are people who have come down and scrubbed toilets with doctorate degrees. I'm sure it's very dependent on your individual experience and career goals, but I'm curious how other have gone about it?

Boarding the G Expedition (Antarctica in depth - 13 days) and was wondering if we can send postcards from there?

Saw that there’s one in South Georgia but I don’t think the 13 day trip passes by that route. (Passing by South Shetland Islands / Antarctic Peninsula)

Hello alll,

I'm looking to do a 15-30 minute Zoom interview with anyone who as worked as an RN/NP/medical staff in general in Antarctica. I have a youtube channel that I am developing that focuses on educating student nurses. Part of what we do is interview nurses from the far corners of the profession. This include things like RN's that work for NASA, politics, etc. With that said, would anyone on this forum fit the bill? We'd be absolutely thrilled to have you on.

I've heard from several individuals that the cheapest way to get on an expedition is to wait till 30 days before on kind of a standby. How does one do this? Do you go through the various booking agencies? Just do this in Ushuia? Any advice would be appreciated!

I (36, male, Indian) had been stalking this community for the better part of 6 months, in search of opinions on different expedition companies, type of ship, type of cabins, expedition crews, and prices and deals.

I finally pulled the trigger on Quark's World Explorer. Their other 2 ships, as lovely as they are, were out of our budget (2 pax). But I got the feel from this community that Quark's expedition team is worth going for, even on their supposedly least competitive ship. This one was built in 2019, so it shouldn't be too shabby and we are not fussy travellers looking for luxe anyway.

We will be going for the standard 11 day voyage in late 2025. Also taking the cue from a couple of opinions here, we've booked the Infinity Suite rather than Verandah Suite. It appears that while the basic area for both remains the same, the former one trades balcony in lieu of spacious interior. As alluring as the balcony is, we personally felt that novelty would wear off soon and that the ship's other open areas would be even better for views.

We're very excited about this one. What do you think of our choices?

So I’ve applied and accepted a contract for the Antarctic Support Contract to work out of McMurdo Station. I am now in the process of completing the PQ (Physical Qualifications). I currently live in a state where recreational marijuana is legal. Being that I am a consumer, I have paused so I can pass the drug test that is required. Usually you must drug test within 3 days of accepting the contract, even if you don’t deploy till months later. So my question is for anyone with experience or insight, how many times will I be drug tested? They have already pushed back the initial drug test for me while it clears my system, as I was not expected to take a drug test almost on the pit like that. But will I be tested again right before deploying? Or is it just a one time pass thing? It is impossible to bring any contraband with as I’ll be traveling out of country, so that’s not what I’m trying to do. I just want to know if I’ll be able to pass this drug test and be able to smoke up until I get deployed. THANKS IN ADVANCE :)!!!

We’re planning a trip to Antarctica with my girlfriend next year around November-December 2025. Before that, we’ll be traveling in South America for a few months, so we’re quite flexible with dates.

When would be the best time to find a good deal on a polar expedition? We’re specifically looking for a 10-day trip on a ship with fewer than 200 passengers and a few activities (kayaking, camping, hiking…)

Would you recommend booking well in advance, or is it better to wait for last-minute deals in Ushuaia?

Thanks!

Just to be clear, this would mean the person didn't leave the continent during that time. For example, if someone went on a boat or ship and spent a night on the that vessel without returning to the continent... that wouldn't count as a night on the continent.

Hi all! As most, concerned with the drake passage. I get seasick on Lake Michigan so I know I’m going to be sick. I don’t know much about boats. Are there any expedition boats that are more stable than others? I’ve heard boats have stabilizers. Thank you!

If mountains are formed when tectonic plates collide or from lava flowing from volcanoes, how are there mountains in Antarctica when it’s on its own tectonic plate and the mountains are in the middle? I could be wrong on the formation of mountains but that’s what I remember from school.

Looking to hear about firsthand experiences -- does the Garmin inReach or Garmin inReach Messenger work at the South Pole?