Vladimir Koshelev

INFORMBANK AGENCY

TRAVEL COMPANY "Polar Expeditions"

TRAVEL COMPANY "ULTRA-TRAVEL"

TRAVEL COMPANY "VIKAAR"

Design: Racing Media
Write us: mail@polus.org

FOOD SUPPLIES FOR THE "NORTH POLE" DRIFTING STATION


• Severe polar conditions require expanding increased energy to carry out various activities on the drifting station, which affects the human body.
• Strict adherence to the schedule of meals, serving nutritious high-calorie food tends to cause a certain increase in the weight of the station's personnel. However, a higher level of physical activities required for living on ice floe, curbs this tendency for weight increase.
• Energy requirements for life on drifting ice for an average person is approximately 4817 calories.
• Meals on the "North Pole" drifting stations are prepared with the proper balance of protein, fat and carbohydrates (14, 35 and 51 percent respectively).
• One of unspoken rules is that good food to a certain degree compensates the difficulties of life on polar stations in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.
• In the past, people living in the Arctic region suffered from a lack of vitamins. Now this issue has been resolved.
• Lack of minerals is fully compensated with mineral supplements.
• Food supplies are selected and purchased collaboratively by the cook, doctor and the head of station.
• Supplies of only the highest quality are selected.
• Maximum variety of food is provided.
• Delivery and storage of food for the duration of the expedition is strictly managed by the head of station, the doctor and the cook.
  
  Water supply: water on the station is prepared from snow and ice, and from melting out specially selected areas of thick ice without salt content. This is done utilizing electrical heaters.
• Collecting ice and snow by hand is a difficult and labor consuming process, and is always done by the entire team.
• Mechanic and doctor and responsible for melting the ice. They collect water in containers, having checked their cleanliness, and add necessary mineral supplements.
• Three to four meals a day are served on the station. However, for personnel on duty during the night shift an additional meal which always includes warm food can be arranged at night.
• Meat and fish products are stored in special ice rooms. A vertical storage space (2.5 meters deep and 1.5 meters wide) is hollowed out in the ice. A tent is constructed next to it. The entrance to the ice room is closed with a wooden panel with a trap-door. A hole is made in the ceiling for ventilation, which is covered from outside with pressed hay, sawdust, and percale. Personnel on duty regularly covers the top of the ice room with fresh white snow during the melting period.
• Vegetables delivered in the beginning of the expedition can be kept in storage with shelving.
• The temperature is to be kept near zero degrees Celsius. Frequent sorting and airing with the help of a fan assists to maintain longer shelf life of vegetables.
• If vegetables cannot be preserved fresh, they are frozen.
• Dry goods (e.g., grains, pasta, sugar, flour) can be kept well in tents throughout the winter.