an orange tent setup on frozen ice in the arctic

How to Camp on the Arctic Ocean

A photographer describes how he prepared for a frozen adventure.

This story appears in the May 2018 issue of National Geographic magazine.

T MINUS Six Months

Gearing up: I’ll be photographing a team of extreme adventurers mountain biking across the frozen Arctic Ocean in Canada. I’ll be on a snowmobile, which is still hard work, so I need to get in good shape. A few months before, I start running and doing core workouts. In the Arctic you can’t sit down if you’re tired—you have to keep moving or get in your sleeping bag. I also put in a request to my sponsors for some gear: a down-filled sleeping mat and gloves I can shoot with.

T MINUS Two Weeks

Essential packing list: Our camp in Auyuittuq is 50 miles from civilization in any direction, so I take everything I need for the 2.5-day February trip.

  • Emergency beacon
  • A satellite phone (which will be on for only two hours a day, so I go over safety protocols with my family beforehand)
  • Macadamia nuts (they have the highest fat content)
  • A toothbrush with pre-applied toothpaste
  • A dozen camera batteries. The cold zaps their power, so I keep them in my vest or sleeping bag.
  • Two sets of long underwear

T MINUS Two Days

Ready for launch: I get excited in various stages, but it doesn’t feel real until I get on the plane in Virginia. When we land in Qikiqtarjuaq, I go to our Inuit guide’s mom’s house to repack. The team members set up their bikes, and we go over hand signals so I can direct them into the camera’s frame while they ride. Before we head out, I put my stuff into a dry sack in case the snowmobile goes through the ice. The devil’s in the details. I don’t deviate from the plan.

By the Numbers:

2,100

Total miles traveled

-25°F

Average low in February

-9°F

Average high in February

Read This Next

An unprecedented mission for 500 baby sharks
Enormous Viking ship holds surprising clues on burial rituals
Can positive thinking prolong your life? Science says yes

Go Further

Subscriber Exclusive Content

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet

Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?

How viruses shape our world

The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end

See how people have imagined life on Mars through history

See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet