Kit, kit and more kit

Over the past few weeks our office has become a store room for all of the kit that we are assembling for the trip. Last week we went to the the British Antarctic Survey, in Cambridge, to collect a load of CPOM equipment that had just been shipped back from a field season in Antarctica. This includes the radar that we will be using to make measurements on the sea ice - it has been to the manufacturer and for a service/calibration and has now turned up back in the office. Here is the beast itself:

   

Doesn't look much like a radar... actually it isn't, it's a network analyser. You plug two antennas into the sockets on the front and it can be used as a sort-of radar. As well as this we have bits of clothing, the radar thermal box (used to keep the radar at 15C when it's -40C outside), spare parts, tools, hundreds of wires, etc, etc

 

Then there's the generator, which we're going to use to power the whole lot:

 

Stayed tuned for tomorrow when the sled should arrive we'll maybe even have some awesome polar outfits...