We’re super happy to welcome Tundra Electronics as a kit partner for our Polar Dogs Antarctica Expedition next year!!

Tundra makes patented, military-grade active heated cases and packs designed to protect the tech we’ll rely on most during our Antarctica crossing. Their kit is tested and rated down to -40°F / -40°C, and we’ll be testing it when conditions drop below that on our Antarctica crossing next year.

I’ve seen how quickly phones can shut down at -40C (in seconds).

Cold kills batteries, and hurts their reliability even after they’ve warmed up. We will rely on our comms and navigation devices and battery packs (and our phones/ cameras/ drone to take photos and videos!) – so we need to know our electronics will always work when we need them.

How this kit will help

Some of the ways this kit will help:

We’ll keep phones, navigation devices and satellite GPS under our jackets when not in use. Tundra’s heated packs will help keep devices warm while they’re being used, so we can navigate, communicate and capture photos without risking them switching off.

Tundra is also building active heated cases that can stay on a drone whilst it’s in flight, helping protect battery performance. We’ll use drones for photos and video, and may also use a LiDAR drone to scout terrain ahead for crevasses or other risks. Even a couple of extra minutes of flight time could make a real difference.

Starlink is rated down to -30°C, and our power banks down to -40°C, but daytime temperatures on the crossing could drop below -50°C while kit is stored in our pulks. We’ll keep our Starlink, backup batteries, power banks and other essential tech inside a Tundra case in the sleds, to keep them warm enough so we know they work until we use them in the tent (which won’t get as cold).

First test: Svalbard in January

The first test for this kit will be in January for polar medical training in Svalbard, where we’re expecting temperatures around -30°C. I can’t wait!

Huge thanks to Richard Rogers and the Alaska-based Tundra team for supporting us. We’re excited to put this kit to work in training, and then on the ice in Antarctica.