A handbook about the mental and physical preparation and detailed planning required for different styles of polar exploration, to the Arctic or the Antarctic, by polar pioneer Dixie Dansercoer. Sections cover topics such as motivation, understanding the cold, what to take, camp organisation and hazards from polar bears to crossing melting ice.

A handbook about the mental and physical preparation and detailed planning required for a successful trip to the North or South Pole. In this guide, veteran explorer and polar pioneer Dixie Dansercoer outlines the particular considerations and requirements for all kinds of polar expedition: short self-guided trips, guided Last Degree expeditions and long-haul expeditions, self-financed or sponsored, to the Arctic or the Antarctic. Illustrated with first-hand accounts of hazardous crossings, tricky decision points and encounters with polar bears, as well as evocative expedition photography, sections cover motivation and limitations, understanding the cold, preparations, what to take, travel during the day and camp organisation at night, as well as hazards from polar bears to exploding stoves and whiteout to frostbite. For newcomers in need of guidance, it will help them begin their mental and physical preparation for surviving in such extreme environments. For returning explorers, there is plenty of information on equipment, techniques and experiences to compare and contrast. Also includes a glossary of polar terms and a recommended daily polar regime.