Human Waste
December 7, 2008
A lot of people have been asking about basic amenities in our field camp. One of the most basic systems is human waste, so I think it deserves a few words.
Nothing decomposes in Antarctica, so all waste is shipped out. Inside our outhouse is a foam seat over a plastic bucket. When the bucket fills up, you close it, put it outside to freeze, and start a new one. The frozen buckets go out on the next available helicopter to McMurdo Station, where they are put on a ship to Washington state for disposal. A funnel takes urine from the outhouse to a barrel, where it is stored with other gray water.
If you have to go #2 while you’re in the penguin colony, tough luck. Human waste can’t be left there, and it’s a 45-minute hike uphill back to the hut. In an emergency, we take poo bags to carry it home. The threat of such unpleasantness is great motivation for a regular bowel schedule. If you need to pee at night, we have “pee bottles” (a Nalgene with the letter P written on the side). Mistaking a pee bottle for your water bottle is one way to become legendary in Antarctica.
Today was sunny and calm, and, for the first time in nine days, I changed my underwear. I found a penguin nest with three eggs, which either means both parents are female (which happens quite regularly, actually), or one of the eggs was stolen from another nest. Kirsten saw a penguin with its leg missing, bleeding and limping around on the beach, no doubt a Leopard Seal victim. Chicks are hatching all over the place. Life continues.
Human Waste Bucket ...mmm...
Outhouse
Pee Bottle
Adelie Penguin In Late Afternoon Sun
2 Responses to 'Human Waste'
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When both parents are female does it mean that the male(s) have been killed or otherwise failed to return and the females find each other and team up to raise young? I saw an article from a zoo where two males tried to hatch a rock and the keepers gave them an 2nd egg from a laying pair they hatched it. The chick grew up and was named Tango.
Stay Warm,
~Sarah
Sarah
8 Dec 08 at 8:58 am
You Wrote: “Today was sunny and calm, and, for the first time in nine days, I changed my underwear. I found a penguin nest with three eggs,”… HAAAAA, I just couldn’t resist!
Derek J
13 Dec 08 at 9:00 am