[HN Gopher] United States Antarctic Program Field Manual (2024) ...
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       United States Antarctic Program Field Manual (2024) [pdf]
        
       Author : SheinhardtWigCo
       Score  : 122 points
       Date   : 2025-12-06 22:26 UTC (1 days ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (www.usap.gov)
 (TXT) w3m dump (www.usap.gov)
        
       | smlavine wrote:
       | Related: a cool blog from a year or two ago from a participant in
       | this program: https://brr.fyi
        
         | rtkwe wrote:
         | Another fun blog from Funranium Labs:
         | https://www.funraniumlabs.com/category/antarctica/
        
         | ProllyInfamous wrote:
         | I read every word on this site, last time it was posted.
         | 
         | The footage of the Rodriguez well (and TNT explosions), in
         | 320x480 glory, are a time capsule of human ingenuity.
        
         | netsharc wrote:
         | Reading the post about how a lot of tech breaks because of the
         | slow internet https://brr.fyi/posts/engineering-for-slow-
         | internet makes me think "Kids these days" (stupid kid coders
         | who can't take into consideration slow or latency-filled
         | connections) and want to take a bat into the "open space" where
         | these dumb devs are siting around...
        
       | teppic wrote:
       | That "orange" bag has seen better days.
        
       | optimalsolver wrote:
       | Do NOT let strange dogs into the base.
        
         | wombatpm wrote:
         | Especially if Norwegians are shooting at it from a helicopter.
        
         | hermitcrab wrote:
         | I feel there is a back story here.
        
           | clawr wrote:
           | I believe it's a reference to John Carpenter's "The Thing"
        
             | hermitcrab wrote:
             | Ok, thanks - it went over my head.
        
       | darknavi wrote:
       | I find it neat that even in a climate as hostile as the Antarctic
       | humans still make an effort to recycle.
       | 
       | > Field Camp Hut Etiquette
       | 
       | > Sort and pack all trash and recycled materials and take them
       | back to McMurdo Station for proper disposal.
        
         | foobarbecue wrote:
         | Oh man if you had any idea how much work goes into waste
         | sorting & disposal there. In McMurdo every trash station has
         | trash cans for ~10 different categories. I was always calling
         | up the waste department to ask about classification. We would
         | get bored and argue about the classification of juice boxes for
         | "fun". I worked on Erebus and all of our pee & poop got
         | helicoptered out in buckets. Food waste was shipped all the way
         | back to CA and had to be kept frozen the whole way.
        
           | dotancohen wrote:
           | I bet that helicopter pilot was some ex-Navy F-14 pilot who
           | liked to buzz the tower and risked his taxpayer-owned jet to
           | save his wingman after an encounter with MiG 28s.
        
             | hermitcrab wrote:
             | I remember going to a talk on Antarctica where someone said
             | that other nationalities would go and salvage stuff from
             | the trash heap outside the US base at McMurdo. This was
             | some years ago. I assume things have improved since then?
        
               | dotancohen wrote:
               | I have no idea, never been there. I was referencing
               | Maverick from Top Gun being threatened with flying a
               | cargo plane full of rubber dog shit.
        
               | hermitcrab wrote:
               | Sorry, posted to the wrong child thread.
        
           | netsharc wrote:
           | Juice boxes are cardboard, plastic and alumunium glued
           | together and a hassle to recylce. But heck, their inventors
           | (Tetrapak) are billionaires!
        
       | mackman wrote:
       | I was down there recently on a helicopter-based expedition and
       | they set up a forward base of operations with a few days of
       | emergency rations in case of unexpected weather that prevents you
       | from returning to ship. I asked them what happens if the blizzard
       | lasts more than a couple of days. Someone somewhere has a recipe
       | book for penguins.
        
         | booi wrote:
         | I assume it tastes like... chicken?
        
           | deadbabe wrote:
           | No, penguins are pretty disgusting.
        
             | hermitcrab wrote:
             | And also have some rather disgusting personal habits:
             | 
             | https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1667192081373184000.html
        
       | foobarbecue wrote:
       | The version of this that we had when I worked on Erebus
       | (2009-2017) was more fun.
       | 
       | It had a section about crossing crevasses with combinations of
       | sleds and snomobiles and tracked vehicles, crevasse rescue etc.
       | In the middle of otherwise serious text it said "to recover from
       | this situation, you might elect to [something], or possibly
       | [something else]. Either way, a change of underwear is
       | recommended."
       | 
       | If people want I can try to dig it up.
       | 
       | EDIT: found it. p244.
       | https://www.eol.ucar.edu/sites/default/files/files_live/priv...
       | It's really interesting to compare these and see how USAP's risk
       | posture has changed. No more adventures allowed.
        
         | analog31 wrote:
         | p244. Thanks.
        
           | foobarbecue wrote:
           | Oops! Fixed, thanks.
        
         | mmooss wrote:
         | Essential reading for field operations is SS3.2f _Field-Camp
         | Liquor Rations_.
         | 
         | Also, fwiw, it's the 6th edition dated February 2001 (per
         | Acknowledgments).
        
         | hermitcrab wrote:
         | Reminds me of this terrifying photo:
         | 
         | https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryPorn/comments/rjy851/tucker_...
        
         | cryzinger wrote:
         | I like how the _very first_ pages for this one are related to
         | emergency procedures. Gotta put the critical stuff front and
         | center!
        
       | baden1927 wrote:
       | For waste management, x-org server/windows tiling, either for
       | USAP risk aversion or wing aircraft GIS systems that are
       | programmed in UNIX, are the long-leverage hold of -CTU static-
       | build boundaries.
        
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       (page generated 2025-12-07 23:02 UTC)