Read more from Kev in the Antarctic...
:: Cath Morley, Hope Valley -
Did you run out of any ingredients? What did you use instead?
In case the ship doesn't make it the following season, provisions are ordered and managed so that we have enough left to last until the following year.
We also have a standard ISO container filled with emergency food.听The main reason for this is in case of fire and we lose the food stores on the main accommodation platform.听
Yes - we did run low on a few things like honey, tomato ketchup and mayonnaise. Last season we ran out of ketchup completely so some had to be made!
Other than that, everything we eat here is made from base ingredients which we have plenty of, so substitution is not really an issue.
:: See more of Kev's stunning Antarctic pictures via the link on the right of the page.
Aurora over the workstation at night
:: Charlotte, Merseyside -
What did you expect when you went to the Antarctic? Were you prepared?
As far as expecting anything when I came here, I tried to come with an open mind and take things how I found them.
I pictured the whole experience more as group of people away for an adventure than actually going away to work.
I guess I expected it to be a lot colder during the summer. Even when the temperature is -10潞C, the atmosphere here is so dry and the sun is so hot that it feels relatively warm.
It's possible to walk around in just a jumper quite easily, or even a t-shirt on some days - something I wouldn't dream of doing back home with temperatures anywhere near these!
:: Sheila Maycock, Rotherham -
When you leave Halley, what will you miss the most and the least? Why?
There are so many things that I would and would not miss about Halley.
The melt tank - British Antarctic Survey
I guess the main thing I would miss would be the winter with the endless darkness, the magical auroras and the star filled sky.
The things I would miss least of all from Halley is the digging! It seems as though everything involves digging. We dig snow every day so that it can be melted for drinking and washing. We have to constantly dig out vehicles or anything left outside.听
:: Alex Gibb, Barnsley -
My son joined the crew of HMS Endurance on in October 2005 and they sailed to the Antarctic. Did they meet you?
As far as I'm aware HMSE visits the bases alternatively each season or year. I believe HMSE is very much based around South Georgia this year with lots of field parties going into various bays. She calls into KEP (King Edward Point - South Georgia) for Christmas and then does a run down the Peninsula to Rothera in February so I didn't see your son and his crew.
I did however manage to go on board HMS Endurance during my first summer south. It was a great to meet all the people onboard and enjoy the hospitality of the Endurance. They put on an excellent al fresco BBQ for us.
:: Dave Bowden, Doncaster -
You have produced some stunning photographs - is the extreme cold weather a problem for photography? - Do you have to use a particular type of camera?
Thanks for your compliments on my photographs. I think a lot is down to having an extended period of time to practice and fine tune techniques as well as having amazing scenery to photograph.
"It would be a long wait of two years to see the results if we sent photos home to develop!"
Kev O'Donnell
I guess that it's more a case that anyone behind a camera can take amazing photos when the scenery is so good. As far as the extreme cold weather causing problems for taking photographs - yes it did.
Obviously the cold is a major factor in taking photos here not only for the equipment but also for the photographer, especially during the winter when temperatures can drop to below -50潞C.
Frost-nipped fingers from handling metal bodied cameras was fairly commonplace and so was frost-nipped cheeks from looking through the viewfinder.
Ice cave, Antarctica
You could arguably use a plastic bodied camera which would be warmer to handle but then would become very brittle from the cold.
Batteries are a major problem in the cold. Back home in the UK they would last days - here they may last hours or minutes.
Spare batteries kept close to the skin to maintain their warmth is one way to lengthen their longevity. Another way was to make dummy batteries to put in their cameras with wires leading to an external battery pack kept inside their clothing.
Other problems I encountered were听lens mechanisms freezing which had to be carefully defrosted to prevent condensation forming inside the lens.
The cameras I use are a digital SLR, a digital compact and a 35mm film SLR.听 I would have to say I have almost always used the digital as the sheer number of photos taken would be too many to develop, especially when we have to do our own. It would be a long wait of two years to see the results if we sent them home to develop!
:: Marie Lansdell, Darlington -
For how long do you stay in the Antarctic?听
The time spent South can vary from one summer (December to February), to one winter, which includes the summer and is from December to the following February (14 months).
Finally, the maximum period allowed is two winters (28 months). To this you can add up two or three months travelling time either side of the time actually in Antarctica for the travelling.
