Fid in Tent
Base H - Signy Island Antarctica

  ©Copyright R. Sherman - picture taken 1956 / 57

Camping in Antarctica is more comfortable than might be imagined. The pyramid tents have a lot of room inside, about 6 foot square with quite a lot of headroom. They are two man and each has about 2 by 6 foot to themselves consisting of camping mat, inflatable mattress, large sheepskin and then a super-warm sleeping bag. In between the two sleeping areas goes the cooking gear, food boxes and radio. With the Primus stove going it warms up to jumper-level warmth quite readily.

I remember one particularly cold night having wrapped myself up well and tied up the hood on my sleeping bag I awoke in the middle of the night strongly overheating. I undid the cord around the top of the bag and wafted some outside air in, the effect of the -20C or thereabouts air hitting my +37C body was like getting out of bed and into a very cold bath - I didn't do it again.