# Ask the guy in Antarctica **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 4, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638 "2013-07-04T15:16:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/1 "2013-07-04T15:16:11Z")
I am currently wintering over at Palmer Station. The smallest station in the USAP (US Antarctic Program) Ask Away. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/2 "2013-07-04T15:21:03Z")
Dark down there, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![turtlescanfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@turtlescanfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/turtlescanfly)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/3 "2013-07-04T15:21:58Z")
1. Why? 2. First time? How long will you be there? 3. What were you most surprised by/least expected/not prepared for (if anything)? 4. What’s the worst thing (besides the cold) about the experience? 5. What’s the best thing about the experience? ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/4 "2013-07-04T15:32:41Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > Dark down there, isn’t it? We are not below the arctic circle but it is dark. Winter solstice just happened last week. Great for viewing Iridium flares. We saw a nice double this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/5 "2013-07-04T15:32:45Z")
How often do you go outside? ---
**Author:** ![Blackberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecd19e/32.png) [@Blackberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackberry)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/6 "2013-07-04T15:40:07Z")
I don’t have any specific questions at the moment but I am interested in hearing more about how things are set up there and what kind of daily routine you and the others there have. What is the product selection like at stores? Okay I guess I did have a specific question. ETA: Do any kids live there with their parents or is it all adults? What is the housing like? ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/7 "2013-07-04T15:40:13Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > How often do you go outside? Often. Multiple times a day. I only avoid the outdoors when it is blowing over 50 knots. I still go outside I have to to get to different buildings I just go out less. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/8 "2013-07-04T15:43:14Z")
How cold is it there? Are you cut off physically from other stations during the winter? Is there a medical clinic? Do you get news or mail? What kind of bandwidth do you have to the outside? What’s the food like? What are you actually doing there? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/9 "2013-07-04T16:22:00Z")
What sort of work are you doing? How’d you get the job? Did you bring plenty to read, and if so, what? How many other people do you see in a typical day? Do you feel pretty well-connected to the outside world? Stay warm, and thank you for this thread, and for your service! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/10 "2013-07-04T16:38:16Z")
Do you get tired of talking about the weather? _Do_ you talk about the weather? Happy Independence Day, as I believe you are American. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/11 "2013-07-04T16:42:44Z")
is ice cream a popular dessert item? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/12 "2013-07-04T16:46:30Z")
> [@fifty-six](#): > > We are not below the arctic circle but it is dark. you sure are below the Arctic Circle. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/13 "2013-07-04T16:54:28Z")
[Chris Knight] How’s it feel to be frozen?! [/CK] ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/14 "2013-07-04T17:25:48Z")
I am fascinated by this…I spent time in the High Arctic, and there is always a remote (ha!) chance I could go to Alert, but this is so interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/15 "2013-07-04T17:58:58Z")
Anything you’d like to add to the Wiki article?: [Palmer Station - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmer_Station) ---
**Author:** ![fifty-six](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@fifty-six](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fifty-six)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/16 "2013-07-04T17:59:48Z")
I got busy. I will respond later tonight. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/17 "2013-07-04T18:02:24Z")
Do you have time to answer all these questions? How are your colleagues enjoying the cuisine? (ISTR you are a chef, right?) ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/18 "2013-07-04T19:31:51Z")
Are you a movie buff? My bud who wintered over a couple of times had a scary encyclopedic knowledge of movies. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/19 "2013-07-04T19:55:33Z")
Which direction do the toilets flush? ---
**Author:** ![toofs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@toofs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toofs)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638/20 "2013-07-04T19:57:07Z")
Have you urinated your name in the snow yet? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-guy-in-antarctica/662638.md?page=2)