Thorough preparedness for a polar sledge journey is of vital importance, and no time devoted to the study and perfection of the equipment for a long journey can be considered wasted. Upon the perfection of this equipment depends the success of the expedition. It must be devised to meet every condition and every extreme, and my sledge-journeys have always been preceded by days and weeks, even months, of careful attention to the slightest details. To the inexperienced the amount of work this involves even for a small party would be surprising.
The major items of my sledging-equipment, as used in the north pole trip, are as follows:
Eskimos for majority of party.
Eskimo dogs for traction.
Special sledges.
Fur clothing exclusively.
Pemmican for mainstay of rations.
Special device for making tea.
Snow houses for shelter.
The more nearly perfect and simple the outfit and its adaptability to the various conditions to be encountered in overland or polar-sea sledging, the more the work which can be accomplished, and the greater the comfort and safety of the party.