Henry Worsley, a descendant of one of Shackleton’s crew members, died after very nearly walking across Antarctica (nytimes). He was 55 years old and walked 900 miles pulling a 300 lb. sled. I’m assuming that he had at least some kind of solar power array to keep his satphone going. I’m wondering if more efficient photovoltaics could have saved his life. Given sufficient quantities of solar power, for example, could Worsley have enjoyed hot coffee every few hours and thus had more energy for the walk? Perhaps an electric motor on the sled would have been considered cheating, but surely not heat for the sleeping bag and/or tent?
I’m inspired that he got as far as he did, but sad that he didn’t make it safely all the way.
Would there not be insignificant solar energy available at that latitude?
I suspect burning fuel (e.g., camp stove) is a much more compact source of heat than lugging along additional solar panels.
He had a hole in his intestine. Not sure a solar panel would have done much good.
Sterno jelly is more reliable, time efficient, and higher energy density that clap-trap solar kit and batteries. During whiteouts not much solar. Solar is too sensitive to incidence angle to play with while on the go. My guess is, if he had a solar kit for melting snow it would be left along the trail day 2.
This is the best account I’ve found thus far. Sounds like the last few days he was out of gas. Drained, both spiritually and physically. His will to continue without help probably killed him, as it does for many of his kind. If rescued two or three days earlier he may have survived. Waiting for a journal, more detailed account. Question is, why did he get that infection (bacterial peritonitis)? Bad food?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/26/henry-worsley-antarctica-life-death-situation
Explorers have always been the most interesting people to me. From Columbus, Henry Hudson, Lewis and Clark, E. Shackleton, early astronauts, and Henry Worsley. Explorers see life from a different point of view than the rest of the herd.
As a longtime explorer and adventures, I don’t see the value of heated tent. You have to realize that sleeping bags from various companies are available where even in -40F, you can become uncomfortably hot.
Perhaps some kind of clever health-monitoring gadget could have made the difference? He would have called for rescue if he had broken his leg, so perhaps a convincing diagnosis of the onset of a similarly debilitating condition could have got him to pull out sooner.