Arctic Ninja Astronauts

Our crew out on the land

Today was the third day of caribou hunting for me, Randy, David and Helen. Kelly, the other teacher who has been going out on the land with me and Randy, came along yesterday and today as well. I've been "out on the land" numerous times, but today's trip was special; not only because David shot two caribou, but because I was finally warm! Now that I've figured out the secret to success, I will share with you what it takes to make it in the North.

Necessary gear for a Southerner to survive in the Arctic (or, more precisely, to go ski-dooing and be warm):

*Thick rubber boots (not rainboots, but mega thick, wool-lined boots)= A few sizes too big to create space for warmth
*Toe warmers/hand warmers= An Inuk does not need such things. You, however, do.
*Thick wool socks= The "extreme winter weather" kind from an outdoors store
*Underarmor leggings= Anything loose. I've found that the kind with elastic in the bottom restrict your circulation and, consequently, make your feet cold.
*Sweatpants= The looser the better
*Double layer ski pants= Mine have a windbreak layer and a thick layer for warmth
*Underarmor shirt= Turtlenecks are better
*Hoodie= Better to be a bit big, and the hood is a must!
*Sweater/shirt for on top of the hoodie= Yes, at this point, one does feel a little suffocated
*Cotton gloves= Any other kind are not that great for doing outdoorsy stuff
*Leather mitts with wool lining= Mitts are better than gloves for keeping your hands warm...I like to wear gloves underneath so I can remove my mitts to eat and take pictures but not expose my hands directly to the cold air
*Toboggan/toque/beanie= Doesn't matter what you call it, just make sure you have one!
*Neckwarmer= An Arctic essential, these tube-like pieces of clothing fit over your neck and lower head. They're great for covering your nose and mouth on the ski-doo to prevent windburn.
*The monstrous goose down coat= Though they probably weigh twenty pounds each, these coats are absolutely necessary to get around in the North. Everybody has one, so you won't feel silly, even though you look like a teletubby. They have a million pockets and a hood with fur around the edges that blocks the wind from your face as you ski-doo.

After donning all of these items, you will look like an astronaut. Interestingly enough, NASA does testing in some parts of the Arctic because the temperatures are the closest (anywhere on Earth) to the environment on Mars!

Another note about using fur to keep warm: The first Canadian pilots used Inuit clothing to keep warm, including wolf mitts, a pair of which are on display at the Canadian Aviation Museum.

Me modeling the latest Arctic fashions...or being an Arctic ninja!

Today was another day of firsts in that I ate seal and caribou marrow for the first time. Just in case you're wondering, seal tastes like tuna, and caribou marrow tastes disgusting (it's pretty tasteless, actually, but the consistency is gross). I never imagined that marrow would be edible. Evidently, it is high in vitamin C, and an important part of the Inuit diet since the Arctic lacks fruits and vegetables that ward off scurvy.

After a dinner of caribou, Helen showed Kelly how to use an ulu (a knife special to Inuit culture) to cut meat for drying. That's right; the raw meat will dry for a few days before it is ready to eat. It will be quite an experience for me to eat frozen (raw) caribou. All the kids at school have been telling me how good it is. They also recommend caribou tongue and caribou brain (no, Mom, Prion's disease doesn't happen this far north, and not in caribou). However, I think I will probably leave the Arctic not having eaten caribou brain, yet still feeling like I had a full experience here.