Dometic Group Supply WAECO Fridge and Coolbox for Coldest Journey

Equipment donated by Dometic Group is playing a vital part in the latest expedition of legendary explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes.

Dometic is sponsoring the ‘The Coldest Journey’ by supplying a WAECO CR50 Fridge and a WAECO CF50 CoolFreeze for the team in their historic attempt to cross the Antarctic in the winter.

Described as the last great polar challenge, the adventure will be attempted in almost permanent darkness and in temperatures of around -70°C.

The ship, the SA Agulhas, carrying the expedition members and all the equipment, left its dock by Tower Bridge on December 6 to sail down the Thames and on to the ice edge on the Lazarev Sea coast, Queen Maud Land in Eastern Antarctica.

On board is Dometic’s popular CR50, a 50-litre compressor refrigerator, which is extremely reliable and dependable and set to prove its diversity over the long and very cold journey.

It is well suited for the expedition due to its very low energy consumption, capability to run off solar power and excellent WAECO build quality.

Further attributes include a patented lock/vent system, flush or standard fitting kit, separate freezer compartment and chrome finish and changeable décor panel.

The fridge will be used to defrost and store food and will be placed in the living area for the team in a specially designed caboose.

Meanwhile, the CF50 CoolFreeze will play a part in the scientific aspect of the expedition and can be used to store samples for analysis and subsequent research on aspects such as the effects of such extreme temperatures on the human body.

The CF50 compressor cooler and freezer, with CF special electronics for 12/24 volts DC and 100-240 volts AC, has a temperature range of +10°C to -18°C and a capacity of 49 litres.

Mike Smith, Dometic UK Ltd Managing Director, said: “Dometic are very proud to sponsor this multifaceted and worthwhile cause.

“Having met the team and discussed the challenges ahead, we wish them the best of luck.

“The two donated Dometic WAECO products, a CR50 Fridge and CF50 Freezer, have important roles to play during this expedition and will be valuable equipment.

“We will be following the journey with interest and look forward to the team’s safe return.”

Sir Ranulph is leading a six-man ‘Ice Team’ on the 2000-mile journey ¬- the first-ever attempt to cross the Antarctic in winter.

They are aiming to raise $10M for charity Seeing is Believing, provide crucial scientific data to help understand global warming in the region and also form the basis of an education programme.

The team will start from the Russian base of Novolazarevskaya in March 2013 and journey to Captain Scott’s base at McMurdo Sound, via the South Pole. They will travel nearly 4,000km in a six-month period in almost complete darkness in temperatures as low as -90°C and expect to return to the UK in spring 2014.

Tractors adapted to run on aviation fuel will drag two 20-tonne sea containers which have been converted into living quarters.

These will be led each day by two skiers dragging a radar crevasse detector.

There will be no search and rescue facility available, as aircraft cannot penetrate inland during winter, due to darkness and risk of fuel freezing.

Sir Ranulph was deep in last-minute preparations aboard SA Agulhas earlier this month as he talked about the specific role to be played by the Dometic equipment.

“The fridge will be on the specially adapted caboose,” said the 68 year old. “We need food for six people for a year, so there are a lot of logistics involved – and, no, I did not get to choose what we are taking!”

The mammoth task of organising the food fell to the expedition’s environmental officer, Jo Hardy. She had to individually weigh out and pack around 2,000 meals.

“It took me around four months to organise – it was a much bigger task than I anticipated,” she admitted.

“Basically, there are 40 aluminium boxes, each containing nine bags, with one bag feeding all six men for one day.

“The men will probably bring two boxes in at a time and while they are using one box, the other will be thawing or kept in the fridge in the caboose.

“They also have two litre containers of milk and an orange drink, and tinned butter and powdered egg which they will also keep in the fridge when thawed.

“And they have some bespoke meals which they can make up themselves, so they will also be keeping some meat in the fridge.”

Hardy revealed that the men will have a few treats to break up the monotony of the seven-day rolling dessert menu and 14-day rolling main meal menu, with cakes, biscuits and extra chocolate in the stores.

Sir Ranulph added: “It is obviously all very highly controlled. We do not want two weeks’ worth of sausages disappearing suddenly!

“The fridge needs to be very reliable.

“Two 27ft ships containers have been clamped together to provide the living space for six people and it seems fairly comfortable, though a little bit ‘big brother!’”

Sir Ranulph was even willing to reveal what he would most like to see in his fridge when the team return from the expedition in around March 2014. “Fruit salad, olive oil, mayonnaise, unsaturated butter, milk, cheese, lots of vegetables, some avocado pears and maybe some ice cream!”

A total of five international scientific projects will be carried out, with data and samples collected using the expedition’s science workshop, housed in the second caboose.

“The other aspect is the scientific data being collected and we will be collecting samples, including blood, regularly,” said Sir Ranulph. “We will also be looking at the strange bacteria in Antarctica, for work on the White Mars Project.

“It is a unique opportunity to carry out a number of scientific tasks in the extreme polar environment, which will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the true effects of global warming on the Antarctic continent.”

He added: “This will be my greatest challenge to date. We will stretch the limits of human endurance. Britain and the Commonwealth have a strong heritage of exploration, from Captain Cook 300 years ago to the present day.

“As such, it is fitting that a Commonwealth team should be the first to fulfil this last great polar expedition.”