4 October, 1998

Today we are going to "happy campers school", an overnight excursion to learn radio protocol, health issues, how to set up tents, and cook, etc... The main health concerns are dehydration (not enough fluids in the body), hypothermia (body temperature too low), and frostbite (tissue damage due to freezing of cells). Drinking a lot of fluid everyday is the key to staying healthy- the climate is very dry and fluids are lost easily and must be replaced. We built an ice dome, sawed ice blocks for a wind break, cooked dinner and breakfast outside. I was apprehensive about the whole things, but really enjoyed myself. We were lucky that the weather was OK. It was about -5 C as we were working, the wind picked up and got colder while we were sleeping, but our gear kept us cozy (I had a hard time relinquishing my sleeping bag in the morning though).