Comments on: The South Pole, Part 2

By: The Long View: California Academy of Sciences

The Long View: California Academy of Sciences — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 07:34:05 +0000

[...] at the bottom of the Earth, the 10-meter South Pole Telescope (SPT) is mapping the farthest edges of the visible Universe. In the process, cosmologists have [...]

By: Malcolm Wong

Malcolm Wong — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 09:56:46 +0000

Downloaded and read the Code of Conduct. This is a leave no footprint policy, indeed.

Mike, I don’t know if you’ve noticed how few people read anymore. I think you might be getting a feeling for it with this blog. I know that with my sites, even people I know will just skim and ask me questions that are right there. I worry for this world a bit…

By: mbartalos

mbartalos — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:45:46 +0000

Hi Malcolm, Yes, whether it’s mild or freezing (it can be either from day to day), butts will be exposed in the field. At camps without rocket toilets, there’s a 5-gallon bucket to poop in and a urine drum to pee in. Out on a hike, we pee into clearly marked “P” bottles and poop into a bag to dispose of back in camp. I’ll admit I haven’t hiked far enough away from camp to have had to perform this #2 maneuver, but I imagine it’s a challenge. Pee and poop must be kept separate to facilitate their helicoptered transport offsite. If you’re interested, the broad outlines of the Dry Valleys Environmental Code of Conduct can be found at http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/downloads/environment/ASMA/ASMA2CoC.pdf

By: Malcolm Wong

Malcolm Wong — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:18:51 +0000

Hey, Mike! Just letting you know that I’m keeping up with you!

I was wondering what you do when you need to poop and you’re out in the field. For #1, I can see bottles, ect. But to expose your butt must be a bit of a hardship, although it’s not THAT cold, or is it?