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Good for that guy but by 'Antarctic expedition' I was expecting something different. I'm a lot more interested in going to Antarctica, spend a few months there

Good for that guy but by 'Antarctic expedition' I was expecting something different. I'm a lot more interested in going to Antarctica, spend a few months there as part of some scientific research team. Or maybe just go there as a part time low skill worker, so that my whole trip is funded and at the same time I don't have to work more than a few hours a day. I just want the feeling of having lived in Antarctica for a few months. (internet access is a must).

st26 8y ago
Or maybe just go there as a part time low skill worker, so that my whole trip is funded and at the same time I don't have to work more than a few hours a day. I just want the feeling of having lived in Antarctica for a few months. (internet access is a must). Your idea of an "expedition" is pretty damn weird.
mattlondon 8y ago
For what it is worth, my wife and I visited some Chilean and Russian bases in Antarctica a couple of years ago as part of a tourist visit. The Chilean base was military search & rescue and they were literally sitting around watching DVDs. The Chilean guys especially seemed absolutely desperate for new faces/human contact and welcomed us into their base with open arms (and even offered us beers!) The Russian base I could only enter one room (and a church!) so did not see how busy the were or how desperate they were in there. Some of the other bases that I could not go in to looked like basically just 2 to 4 huts/sheds - nothing like the "village" style bases/stations with loads of people milling about you might be familiar seeing. They didn't looks like fun or inviting places to hang-out at. From what I understand, the scientific bases aren't really set up for carrying part-timers. E.g. the scientists are also the cooks and the mechanics etc. I don't think they'd pay to transport, feed, heat, and give a bed to someone to just do a couple of hours work a day then hog the super-expensive bandwidth on the satellite link? They'd much rather give that fuel, food, heat and bed to a scientist I think, or at least not someone there for free accommodation & internet. tl;dr - join the chilean military and hope you get stationed out there.
Thlom 8y ago
They need electricians, technicians, mechanics, carpenters, cooks, probably sysadmins and much more over there. It's absolutely possible to get work in Antarctica and other remote scientific research stations for "normal" people. The American station at McMurdo have a population of 200+ people in the winter months and over 1000 in the summer months. edit: See this link[0] for some information about life in Antarctiva and how to get a job. [0]: https://www.coolantarctica.com/Community/find_a_job_in_antarctica.php https://www.coolantarctica.com/Community/find_a_job_in_antar...
- fizixer 8y ago
  Thanks. Looks like a very useful url (saving for future).
pvaldes 8y ago
I would try Finland, Greenland or Iceland first in your case. Looks a much easier way to have a similar experience with much more self-control about what you want to do or when you quit and exit the experience.
- fizixer 8y ago
  You have a point. I should definitely try the more accessible place first. Thanks.
Symbiote 8y ago
The British Antarctic Survey website has an excellent list of all the jobs people have [1], which will be similar to the other research stations. There's only one vacancy, but they'll recruit later for next year. I'd expect the baseline is a standard public-sector working week (around 36 hours), although the scientists probably do more. [1] https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/jobs-in-antarctica/ https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/jobs-in-antarctica/
- fizixer 8y ago
  Thanks. Saving that url.
cozzyd 8y ago
What is your background and nationality? I've been to Antarctica and Greenland as a physicist. I'm not very experienced compared to many (and the most hardcore thing I've done is sleeping in a tent on the Greenland ice cap), but I may be able to lead in you the right direction.
- fizixer 8y ago
  Hey thanks so much for offering guidance. I wasn't expecting this much response (considering other comments offering help too). I'm in the process of getting nationality in the west but that's a few years away (and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get in without that nationality). (As for background, I'm trying to finish PhD in a STEM discipline, so I hope that could count). I'll keep your contact in mind and let you know when I'm ready. Thanks again.

st26 8y ago

Or maybe just go there as a part time low skill worker, so that my whole trip is funded and at the same time I don't have to work more than a few hours a day. I just want the feeling of having lived in Antarctica for a few months. (internet access is a must). Your idea of an "expedition" is pretty damn weird.

mattlondon 8y ago

For what it is worth, my wife and I visited some Chilean and Russian bases in Antarctica a couple of years ago as part of a tourist visit. The Chilean base was military search & rescue and they were literally sitting around watching DVDs. The Chilean guys especially seemed absolutely desperate for new faces/human contact and welcomed us into their base with open arms (and even offered us beers!) The Russian base I could only enter one room (and a church!) so did not see how busy the were or how desperate they were in there. Some of the other bases that I could not go in to looked like basically just 2 to 4 huts/sheds - nothing like the "village" style bases/stations with loads of people milling about you might be familiar seeing. They didn't looks like fun or inviting places to hang-out at. From what I understand, the scientific bases aren't really set up for carrying part-timers. E.g. the scientists are also the cooks and the mechanics etc. I don't think they'd pay to transport, feed, heat, and give a bed to someone to just do a couple of hours work a day then hog the super-expensive bandwidth on the satellite link? They'd much rather give that fuel, food, heat and bed to a scientist I think, or at least not someone there for free accommodation & internet. tl;dr - join the chilean military and hope you get stationed out there.

Thlom 8y ago

They need electricians, technicians, mechanics, carpenters, cooks, probably sysadmins and much more over there. It's absolutely possible to get work in Antarctica and other remote scientific research stations for "normal" people. The American station at McMurdo have a population of 200+ people in the winter months and over 1000 in the summer months. edit: See this link[0] for some information about life in Antarctiva and how to get a job. [0]: https://www.coolantarctica.com/Community/find_a_job_in_antarctica.php https://www.coolantarctica.com/Community/find_a_job_in_antar...

fizixer 8y ago
Thanks. Looks like a very useful url (saving for future).

pvaldes 8y ago

I would try Finland, Greenland or Iceland first in your case. Looks a much easier way to have a similar experience with much more self-control about what you want to do or when you quit and exit the experience.

fizixer 8y ago
You have a point. I should definitely try the more accessible place first. Thanks.

Symbiote 8y ago

The British Antarctic Survey website has an excellent list of all the jobs people have [1], which will be similar to the other research stations. There's only one vacancy, but they'll recruit later for next year. I'd expect the baseline is a standard public-sector working week (around 36 hours), although the scientists probably do more. [1] https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/jobs-in-antarctica/ https://www.bas.ac.uk/jobs/jobs-in-antarctica/

fizixer 8y ago
Thanks. Saving that url.

cozzyd 8y ago

What is your background and nationality? I've been to Antarctica and Greenland as a physicist. I'm not very experienced compared to many (and the most hardcore thing I've done is sleeping in a tent on the Greenland ice cap), but I may be able to lead in you the right direction.

fizixer 8y ago
Hey thanks so much for offering guidance. I wasn't expecting this much response (considering other comments offering help too). I'm in the process of getting nationality in the west but that's a few years away (and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get in without that nationality). (As for background, I'm trying to finish PhD in a STEM discipline, so I hope that could count). I'll keep your contact in mind and let you know when I'm ready. Thanks again.