What to bring to your rotation

From HabLife

What to bring to your rotation is an art in itself.
For one the airlines don't allow you too much leeway in the size or weight of your luggage.

NOTE: NOTHING you bring can stay at the HAB!!
Unless with item by item very explicit permission of the Mission Director!

clothes and personal items

MDRS 2009-2010 Field Season
Personal Equipment List
These lists are suggested equipment for each Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) crewmember.


The MDRS is located in the plateau country near Hanksville, Utah. The weather can range from pleasant to unpleasant, depending on the season. In general the weather is cold and dry, with hot, far too hot summers.
general info you need for your stay:
•ATV = "All-Terrain Vehicle", i.e., 4-wheeled motorbikes or "quads"
•EVA = Extra-Vehicular Activity (field work in simulation)
•Power (110 V AC, 60 Hz) should be available at the MDRS at all times.
•Food & Cooked Meals, cooking utensils, dishes and eating utensils will be provided.

Personal laptop
If possible, bring your personal laptop. Beware, the environment is dusty and hardware will suffer (MDRS is not a airtight structure). Power to recharge laptops will be available to all, but batteries are highly recommended since the generator used for power-supply may cut out unexpectedly.
Connection to the MDRS LAN (local area network) is possible and, usually, straightforward.
All computers MUST have anti-virus software installed.
No machines without protection will be allowed on the network. Computers to be networked must be equipped with a PCMCIA Ethernet card, 10/100 Base T is preferred. From the hub on the wall above the desks there are RJ45 jacks to connect your laptop.
NOTE laptops use power and quite a bit of it, so do not keep them running if you do not need them. Power is scarce at the Hab!

Batteries
All crewmembers should bring the batteries (rechargeable or not) they will need. NOTE please remove them from the MDRS once the batteries are no longer to be used, and for disposing of the batteries in an environmentally sound way and in accordance with all applicable laws.

Toilet
There is a normal flush toilet at the MDRS which uses recycled water from the GreenHab. All other systems use fresh potable (drinkable) water.
The toilet waste line ends in the sceptic tank, use ONLY the toilet paper provided.
NO wet wipes in the toilet and certainly NO SANITARY bandages or NO TAMPONS! In the toilet.

Personal Clothing
In the list of items below: "Required" designates equipment/gear that each field team member MUST bring along. In some cases, a spare is required. "Required" equipment is considered bare-bones minimum. You should have this equipment in order to be properly prepared for your rotation at the MDRS. "Recommended" designates equipment/gear that each field team member is strongly advised to bring along. These are items that are not required but are likely to make your life A LOT more pleasant. "Optional" designates additional suggested equipment/gear. This is equipment that you should bring along if you think you will enjoy having it. Clothing For 15-days Required Bring at least one change of warm clothing (heavy sweater, fleece, long pants, long/thermal underwear) as the Utah high-desert can be cool at night. Most people wear long pants & long-sleeve t-shirt in the EVA suits to keep them from chafing your skin. Underclothing For 15-days Optional There are no laundry facilities at MDRS; but space is also limited so consider wearing underclothing for at least a couple of days Socks 15 pairs Required If you want to wear a clean pair of socks daily. It gets dirty out here quickly. Bring at least one or two pairs of tall socks- the boots supplied with the space suits are rubber and may chafe. The snoopy caps supplied at MDRS are in reality water polo caps. They keep your hair from getting in your eyes, which is necessary. Baseball cap or hat 1 Optional Great for keeping your head out of the sun when outside off Sim. Hiking Boots 1 Pair Strongly recommended Sturdy, leather types recommended. The supplied boots come in limited sizes (Men's sizes 7 to 12). You may need to wear your personal boots on EVA Waterproof jacket or windbreaker 1 Recommended Important for night-time activity in the high-desert Slippers/birks/sandals 1 Pair Strongly recommended To reduce dust, outdoor footwear is not worn in the living space (level 2) of MDRS

Personal Items Duffel Bag 37258 Required There is limited storage space in the Hab for personal gear. All of your own gear will be stowed in your own stateroom, which averages a size of 11ft long x 4 ft wide. Laundry Bag 1 Optional No detergents are allowed, washing is not really possible. Ziplock Bags 1-2 Boxes, pint and Gallon size Recommended These are great for collecting and protecting samples as well as protecting personal gear (i.e. cameras) free from dust in the field. Consider easy lock zipper bags as gloves impair manual dexterity on EVA. Sleeping Bag (winter rated) 1 Required Stateroom bunks contain no bedding. Spring temperatures in the Utah desert can drop below 0o C at night, and you must be prepared for potential loss of power in the Hab. Thermarest Pad/Sleeping pad 1 Required Padding for stateroom bunk. Full body length padding is recommended. Pillow 1 Optional No pillows are provided, bring one if you need it for a good night's sleep. Flashlight/headlamp 1 Recommended Power conservation is essential- a personal flashlight is useful HEADLAMP 1 Required When you are one of the engineers you need this lamp! Water bottle 1 Required To keep hydrated in the MDRS. Personal Cup 1 Strongly recommended Using a personal cup makes it easy to identify your drink- it also reduces the need to do lots of dishes (saves water!) Hydrating cream, body lotion, lipcare (Chapstick, Blistex or Carmex) 1 Recommended The high-desert is an extremely dry environment Hydrating eye/nose drops 1 Optional The high-desert is both dry and dusty NO personal soaps or shampoos 1 required The water is recycled through the Living Machine in the GreenHab, so only OASIS can be used (provided) Sponge/washcloth/towel 1 Required most crew only shower about every 2-3 days, with sponge baths between. Wet-wipes/baby wipes 1 Recommended For water-less personal hygiene; 2 to 4 wipes per day Sunscreen 1 Recommended Desert sun can be intense; EVA suit helmets provide only partial protection from UV Sunglasses 1 Recommended For UV protection. Spare pair recommended. Personal first-aid kit 1 Optional For small cuts, etc. MDRS has a well-stocked first aid kit, and a doctor on call at all times. Ear plugs As needed Optional If you are bothered by small noises while sleeping Watch 1 Required Necessary for EVA operations

Personal Field Gear Utility knife (like a Victorinox "Swiss Army"), Leatherman or Gerber tool 1 Strongly recommended Very handy for doing Hab repairs and field work Rock Hammer 1 Optional Rocks in area are mostly "soft" so a standard sedimentary pick/hammer ("mason's tool") should suffice; the Hab has one sledge Handlens 1 Recommended 10X, for close examination of hand-specimens in the lab. The hab has 2 handlenses. Brunton 1 Optional For the level and clinometer functions Personal GPS 1 Recommended If you have it, bring it. MDRS data recorded in UTM Zone 12 North Northings/Eastings; Know how to use the GPS; bring spare batteries. The hab has 2 units. Field Book, pens 1 Recommended Waterproof recommended. Fisher, the maker of the space pen, is an official sponsor of the Mars Society. Space pens are excellent for field work Topographic Maps As needed Optional MDRS has one or two copies of local (Skyline Rim Quad) Topo maps at 1:24,000. Detailed mapping may require additional maps at better scales; check on-line with the USGS for information. The maps in the hab are getting beaten and old. Camera/Digital camera 1 Recommended If you have it, bring it. Digital images can be downloaded to the MDRS computer- bring cables or diskettes as needed. Bring film, spare/rechargeable batteries, charger, a good case and lens care kit (recommended). It is very difficult to take pictures with a regular camera through the helmet of the space suits. The hab has 2 digital cameras. Canned Air 37258 Optional This is great for cleaning cameras and other personal equipment in the field and in the Hab. Camcorder 1 Optional Those allowing digital stills are very useful. Be sure to bring enough tape, batteries/charger, cables. Tripod 1 Optional Bring a sturdy tripod for field work- the desert can be windy. Photo scale 1 Optional Handy for taking field photos Bungie Cords 1 Optional For securing items on ATVs. MDRS has a limited supply. Foam padding/ bubble wrap As needed Optional If you need to transport delicate equipment on ATVs, be sure to bringadequate padding for the ATV baggage rack. Unpadded equipment and gear take severe beatings on rides. Personal Laptop Computer 1 Strongly Recommended Strongly recommended. MDRS has one computer, and one laptop. Bring all necessary peripherals (cables, mouse, AC power adapter, power-strip w/internal circuit breaker, etc.). Bring addition network cable. staterooms have network and internet access.

Other Personal Gear Reading materials As needed Optional Books, magazines, etc. Textbooks related to your field of work are a good idea Movies As needed Optional Traditionally, each crewmember brings a DVD or two to leave. NOTE: MDRS doesn't have a DVD player- DVDs are usually watched from a crew’s laptop Other fun stuff As needed Optional Crewmembers should consider bringing something they might like to do as a hobby in their spare time at MDRS, However, spare time is not very likely going to happen. Specialty Foods As needed Optional No more than 1 pound in total of favourite snacks like chocolates, candies. Alcoholic beverages Not permitted

foodstuffs for personal use

medication for personal use

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