Framheim

Framheim was the name of explorer Roald Amundsen's base at the Bay of Whales on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica during his quest for the South Pole. The hut was constructed in sections by a master carpenter, Jørgen Stubberud and erected at Amundsen's home in Norway, then dismantled for shipment to Antarctica on the "Fram". The term literally means "home of the Fram". During its construction in Norway, Amundsen maintained that the hut was for "observation", which would fit in nicely with his supposed intent to head to the North Pole. To the more than casual student of exploration, it was obvious that the hut was intended as living quarters. Amundsen was, in fact, headed to the South Pole.

The cabin was an early example of a pre-fabricated structure, and employed a custom dining table which could retract to the ceiling for cleaning beneath. It measured five by four meters, and the walls were made up of four layers of three inch wooden boards with cardboard between for insulation.

During the long Antarctic winter, Amundsen and the members of his expedition busied themselves in preparing for the upcoming journey to the South Pole. Amundsen continually upgraded his equipment, since he was largely dissatisfied with standard polar gear. To save weight, sledges were refined by shaving down portions of their frames and runners, without compromising their overall strength.

The sledges had been modified such that the packing area for food need not be removed, but rather remained lashed to the sledge, with access through a lid. This saved the time of unloading and re-loading packing boxes when making and breaking camp while on the march. Further, food selection and packing had been refined for both efficiency and maximum space usage. Amundsen brought only four foods: pemmican, chocolate, milk powder and biscuits.

Amundsen spurned the traditional white tent, and instead dyed his tent material black. He stated that this was to serve three purposes: First, black would absorb what little solar radiation would fall upon the tent. Second, a black tent would provide the best possible contrast against the endless snow and ice if one became lost. And finally, the black provided a rest for the eyes.

To prepare for the trip to the pole, the ski bindings were fitted with hooks so they could be removed during sleeping hours and hung inside the tents. Since the bindings were made of leather, the ravenous sledge dogs would often gnaw at them when the men were asleep.

ee also

*Polheim