EQUIPMENT OF A SLEDGE EXPEDITION 161 



fear that it may give way ; and it is evident that a trip over 

 sea ice without a tent is, to say the least of it, utterly uncom- 

 fortable. The days spent on the trail are so hard that one 

 must consider the comfort of the men and therefore carry a 

 strong tent, made of such solid material that there is no danger 

 of its blowing down. A really good tent is one of the greatest 

 comforts which can be given to an Arctic traveller, as it saves 

 him the usual worries as to the capacity of the tent to stand 

 the pressure of the wind ; moreover, a heavier tent gives more 

 heat within and keeps the drifting snow out better than one 

 which is made of thinner and frailer material. It is of great 

 importance to keep out drifting snow, as it will find its way 

 into the sleeping bags and in course of time make them wet. 

 Of course snow will be carried into the bags from the clothes 

 where it has lodged during the day's travelling, but the drifting 

 snow combined with the rime which is formed from the steam 

 and perspiration inside the tent is not inconsiderable. 



The moisture of the sleeping bag and the wearing apparel is 

 one of the greatest discomforts of Arctic travelling, and as a 

 few pounds extra weight of fuel tends to diminish this evil, it 

 may well be carried, and the party will be none the worse for 

 hauling it, but very much better for the comfort it gives. 



Nansen began to use a cooker which utilized practically all 

 the heat that the Primus lamp generated, and his example was 

 followed by all later explorers, and though in theory his 

 principle was quite correct, in practice it is wrong. In our 

 opinion it is far better to leave the Primus open when it burns 

 and let the pot get what heat comes naturally to it, while the 

 rest will warm the tent and dry the mittens, stockings, and other 

 small things, which otherwise must be dried in the sleeping bag. 

 A cooker weighs something, and admitting that otherwise a 

 small box must be carried to keep the stove in, there will be a 

 difference in weight of several pounds, and one pound of 

 kerosene burns many an hour. 



Besides the kerosene gained by the difference in weight of 

 the cooker and box, a further saving can be accomplished by 

 having only two hot meals a day, one in the morning and one 

 at night. We only stopped to cook lunch one day, and it was 

 so miserably cold that we all three agreed to leave out that 

 part of the programme and to eat a few crackers and a little 



A.I. M 



