A few practical questions

[flighter]

1. From what I got after cruising numerous sites, personal luggage limit on flights from Christchurch to McMurdo is 75 pounds (with the remark that only assigned clothing will weight approx. 35 pounds). That leaves some 40 pounds for personal belongings. Now, considering extreme weather conditions, all participants must take a considerable number of thick (equal heavy) clothing items, and considering duration of stay and remoteness, I guess everyone should take certain amount of other stuff such is (A MUST!) camera, tea , some medicines, if a computer user like me then laptop and related stuff...

Now a question. How is it possible to pack all that and not reach the weight limit? What are general rules? is it possible at all to take with you only allowed amount or less, and to get the rest at a later stage as a package on the commercial basis (I have read somewhere that the cost of sending stuff by ship is some $0.5 per kilogram and by plane, from Christchurch, around $2.5. I just do not know if that is commercial price or cost of handling and transportation.

2. Internet connectivity

What about Internet? Is it available for non-scientific participants? What are the general guidelines? It seem that McMurdo gets some 10 Mbit link, but of course science labs are the priority. Is the use of private computers online allowed?

[Alan]

1. The weight limits are not too bad. Consider that you will be wearing much of your cold weather gear on the flight from Christchurch to McMurdo, and that will not be included in the total. Laptop and camera(s) are a must. I personally recommend the Olympus Stylus. My model 1000 did very well this past year.

You can also mail packages to yourself via the U.S. Postal Service, or have friends and family mail them to you. U.S. domestic rates apply, assuming they are sent from the United States. Due to a recent change, packages mailed to Christchurch on your behalf must be treated as being mailed to New Zealand (which, after all, they are).

2. Internet at McMurdo is 24 hours a day. There are some restrictions on usage of high bandwidth, but they won't normally affect normal web browsing. There are some other restrictions as well, which I'm not too familiar with as I spent most of my time at the South Pole Station. In any case, you will have plenty of opportunities to access the net. South Pole has the same bandwidth restrictions, and only has internet access 11 hours per day (when the equipment is working).