EQUIPMENT OF A SLEDGE EXPEDITION 175 



As mentioned above, a lot of moisture is brought into the 

 bag from the clothes, for which reason overalls ought always 

 to be worn, and taken off before entering the sleeping apart- 

 ment. But it is not only the snow which makes the bag wet ; 

 the perspiration of the body and respiration add considerably 

 to the amount of moisture, especially if the bag is closed. For 

 that reason we had our sleeping bags open at the top and slept 

 with the head outside, so that the breath could escape into the 

 tent. We never suffered from frozen faces while sleeping, and 

 I believe that a man will always wake before he is actually 

 frostbitten. However, a good way to make sure of not freezing 

 is to throw the sleeve of the fur parkey over the face. Then 

 the moisture collecting in it will freeze during the day, after 

 which it can be brushed off or will evaporate. 



One kind of moisture, however, we could not protect our- 

 selves against, the moisture brought into the bag by sleeping 

 on the ground with nothing but a single layer of deerskin 

 between the warm body and the snow. The heat of the body 

 melts the snow in contact with the bag, and in the course of 

 one night large wet spots will be formed on the bag wherever 

 the body rests hard on the snow. When this has been repeated 

 night after night the sleeping bag will soon become soaked. 

 Another reindeer skin, on which to place the sleeping bag, 

 would prevent this to a very great extent, and the weight of 

 the skin would be less than the added weight of moisture in 

 the furs, which in a very few days must be dragged about for 

 the rest of the trip. And the comfort of sleeping dry would in 

 itself be enough to compensate for the weight of the skin, as 

 men of course work much better during the day when they 

 have slept well in a warm and comfortable place during the 

 night. 



We, unfortunately, had no skins with us, but used our fur 

 parkeys or dogskins whenever a dog had been killed. 



As we had no cooker, our cooking outfit only consisted of a 

 box with a Primus stove at one end, and the bowls, spoons, and 

 other small things at the other. 



Clothing. Fur contra wool has been highly disputed by the 

 different travellers, and most explorers want to use wool. It 

 is quite natural that they should think so, if they carry the 

 reindeer coats which they can buy in civilization, made by 



