Antarctica - Winter 2014

[CJ]

That picture isn't working, but I know it's got to be a picture from The Thing.

[CJ]

yep

[codsack]

You can also drop pegman down and do a street view.... this is crazy. Nobody told me that this stuff was available.

go to hut point, antarctica. Lets you walk through an older building and see artifacts. Pretty cool!

[Bputacoma]

go to hut point, antarctica. Lets you walk through an older building and see artifacts. Pretty cool!

Link? I can't figure out how to work this thing

[Mike K]

Here are some pictures of my room. During the summer months, when the science takes place and this place is fully staffed, I would have roommates. The rooms are a 2+2 setup... two people in one room with a sink, two people in the neighboring room with a sink and we all share a bathroom (toilet and shower). For winter I don't have a roommate and I would typically have a suite-mate (neighbor sharing the bathroom) but I got lucky and I have the bathroom all to myself. After 9 years of contracting overseas, plus the 4.5 years I was in the military, I'll take a room and bathroom to myself for once!!!

Other buildings have different setups like 2 people per room and a community bathroom/showers for the whole floor or building 155 has 4 and 6 person rooms with community bathroom/showers. Most of the other dorms are unoccupied and boarded up for winter.

The window in my room faces the building next to me, so I don't have a very nice view. There is a lounge on the second floor at the end of the building and I took a picture of its view.

Again, click on thumbnail for full 3000x2000 picture.






The lounge:




View from the lounge window:


Me in front of the McMurdo sign:


A couple pictures from inside the Vehicle Maint. Facility (VMF), which is where I work as a mechanic.
Cat 950E that I am working on. It needed a new transmission and a bunch of other smaller things.

[Mike K]

Pisten Bully in for a 1,200hr service


Cat Challenger MT865 with the C18 and the Case Quadtrack with the ISX. These are used for the South Pole traverse. They drive from McMurdo to the South Pole towing fuel and other supplies. It is cheaper to put everything on skis and tow it down than to fly it. These are typically used in the agricultural industry, but they do the same thing down here... pull shit around.



Just some random vehicles sitting outside of our shop waiting to come in. The sun in the background really killed the picture.

[Mike K]

Ohhh yeah, and I was wrong. The vans have the V10 in them. I just assumed that when they bought the new ones they went with the 5.4L again.

[Downs]

.

Again, click on thumbnail for full 3000x2000 picture.






The lounge:

Haha you can tell the US funded the furniture. That's the exact same furniture that is used thoughout countless barracks in the military. Looking at the pictures I've had most of that exact same furniture at one point or another in my time in the military. Even the chairs and couches in the lounge are the same as I've had in many common areas.

[Chili]

Haha you can tell the US funded the furniture. That's the exact same furniture that is used thoughout countless barracks in the military. Looking at the pictures I've had most of that exact same furniture at one point or another in my time in the military. Even the chairs and couches in the lounge are the same as I've had in many common areas.

Same thing I was thinking!

And to the OP, how on earth does a V10 fit in a van??

Very jealous. I chose to go to Korea when I was in the Army, so I'm not unaccustomed to taking advantage of an opportunity that many would refuse. Until this thread, I never would have realized that opportunities like yours existed.

[Mike K]

Haha you can tell the US funded the furniture. That's the exact same furniture that is used thoughout countless barracks in the military. Looking at the pictures I've had most of that exact same furniture at one point or another in my time in the military. Even the chairs and couches in the lounge are the same as I've had in many common areas.

Yeah, not much has changed in the furniture as I have traveled around the world. The biggest difference is they have GREAT mattresses down here. The ones the military gives you are worthless.

Same thing I was thinking!

And to the OP, how on earth does a V10 fit in a van??

Very jealous. I chose to go to Korea when I was in the Army, so I'm not unaccustomed to taking advantage of an opportunity that many would refuse. Until this thread, I never would have realized that opportunities like yours existed.

I know the 5.4 is a tight fit, so I can't imagine working on the V10. All of these were bought only a year or two ago so they are so new that they haven't needed any engine repairs..... yet!

[talisman]

Bad ass man. After I got divorced I spent about a month looking at this trying to figure out how to do the same thing, but didn't want to leave a career and then come back to nothing. Might have even been with the same company. I recall the site saying that there was a lot of competition for these jobs, which is why they don't pay as much as most people would think. You also don't have any living expenses though.

I've also looked into cruises down there and you can camp out for a night or two with some of the adventure packages that are offered. I may have missed it, but how long are you there for?

[Mike K]

Bad ass man. After I got divorced I spent about a month looking at this trying to figure out how to do the same thing, but didn't want to leave a career and then come back to nothing. Might have even been with the same company. I recall the site saying that there was a lot of competition for these jobs, which is why they don't pay as much as most people would think. You also don't have any living expenses though.

I've also looked into cruises down there and you can camp out for a night or two with some of the adventure packages that are offered. I may have missed it, but how long are you there for?

For most people who already have a job I can certainly see the problem of leaving it to come down here. But for me, I was going to be cut from my job in Afghanistan and I wanted to do a winter down here before I came home for good. So it worked out for me.

I will be down here for about 6 or 7 months for the winter contract. I don't know how long into summer I want to work, if at all.

[CJ]

Hows the food?

[Wish4svts]

Hows the food?

This... Also which way does the toilet water spin?

[bcoop]

Hows the food?

Post 114 on page 3, he says the Chefs actually do a pretty good job.