| Sponsors
& Endorsements |
| "[Handling huskies]
is a specialist area that makes huge demands on people, dogs,
critical gear and skills alike. The fact he [Gary] travels
alone is testimony to his ability combined with the magical
bond between him and his huskies." |
| Sir Ranulph Fiennes Bt OBE, July
2003, Patron |
 "Every
manufacturer is out there to tell the world they are developing
the best products. The fact is, few are, despite their hype.
Products I choose to use face deeply challenging circumstances
over long periods of time. My gear leads a tough existence keeping
the dogs and I safe. Ultimately everything blends, enabling
us to operate at the best of our ability.
"Here
are companies I consider first choice specialists, recommend
and consider the best available, worldwide."
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"Running 1,400 miles in four winter months of polar dark, mostly at minus forty below zero, clothing protects me like fur does for my dogs. Through an entire Arctic year we experience a temperature range of 81°C (30°C above to minus 51°C). I consider my footwear special too.
"I'm on my feet training for long periods of time for journeys where my fitness is paramount. I've survived near death situations because of my fitness. It's saved my life. I don't like injuries that prevent me from training. I haven't had a running injury for years since using Sorbothane innersoles. Don't expect any training shoe to give you injury free training. Buy what running shoe you want, they all come with innersoles fit for the bin.
"My Sorbothane innersoles absorb foot impact shock from all my activities whether I'm walking in London, training in the park or hammering over frozen sea ice. Sorbothane innersoles help insulate to keep feet warm too, even in brutal cold.
"You might not want to train through an Arctic winter but we all want to be injury free to gain healthy well-being benefits from whatever activities we choose."
Sorbothane feature in Gary’s diary,
published articles and newspaper coverage:
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“With Gerber knives
and axes I’ve skinned and butchered cows, sheep, horses,
moose, bears, caribou, seals and gutted monster sized Arctic
char. These knives and axes are versatile. Edges remain sharp
and handles feel good in the hand.”
Gerber feature in Gary’s diary, blog
and published articles:
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"Arctic winters bring 24-hour darkness. The dark can
be so black it's like being nailed inside a coffin. Sometimes
I can travel by the light of the moon and swirling northern
lights. Sometimes not. That's when I use my Petzl head-torch
to penetrate millions and millions of wind blown glittered
flaying ice shards to watch the dogs' footings or changes
in ice conditions. Below the tree line I watch out for fresh
wolf and moose activity. On sea ice I watch for polar bear
prints or their kills and am careful not to come between adults
and cubs."
Petzl feature in Gary’s diary & blog:
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"Goggle selection is a serious undertaking where I live. Unprotected eyes do not cope well with hurtling snow or Arctic daylight. Prolific tear flow from spindrift feels like shards of glass in the eyes and 24-hour daylight has a tendency to burn out retinas. Not good.
"I need goggles that can work in the cold polar dark winter and later in 24-hour daylight. So that is why I wear Julbo goggles."
Julbo feature in Gary’s diary and blog:
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Beal feature in Gary’s diary and blog:
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La Sportiva feature in Gary’s blog:
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"I zip essentials I want thawed into fleece pockets close to my body. I wear CIBA Focus DAILIES AquaComfort Plus one-day contact lenses. They’re incredible and I never know they’re in. When sleep is out of the question I wear NIGHT & DAY for 30 days of continuous wear. Spectacles would freeze to my face.
At all times in that zipped pocket I maintain enough body heat to keep thawed a week's supply of lenses. The remainder I keep on my sled. Here every lens in strips of seven tiny-sealed pots freezes solid. On shifting sea ice I'm able to wear contact lenses for extended periods. The thought of being woken by ice breaking up under my camp and scrambling blindly out of water always gives me the creeps."
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 Ciba Vision feature in Gary’s diary, blog,
published articles and newspaper coverage:
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"Nobody wants cold, sore feet and that is why my ski boots are made by Alfa in Norway. The Alfa Mørdre Pro boots are unique. I adore these boots. They are outstanding for telemark skiing in exceptionally cold conditions, making them the only boot of their kind.
This soft telemark boot has uppers made from two layers of Cordura, a 75 mm Vibram sole and has a special midsole that can withstand extremely low temperatures. Flexibility is the secret to these boots because rigid footwear equals cold feet. The lacing and buckles make for a snug fit with a simplicity that can be relied on in cold, remote locations. No plastic to crack and break at the most inopportune time." |
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Alfa features in Gary’s blog:
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"Intuition Liners offer the world's most extensive line of warm, comfortable, high performance boot liners. I favour three models; the Pro-Tour, the Universal and the Mukluk.
The Pro-Tour is a tall lace-up liner. The tongues are removable with soft or stiff options. The Universal is a shorter wrap-around design meaning there is no need for adjustment. When I am training lead dogs or puppies I sometimes wear mukluks made from moose hide or seal skin and inside of these go Mukluk liners from Intuition.
Intuition Liners are the warmest and most comfortable footwear liners I have used in all my years living in the Arctic. All the Intuition models I wear are warm, comfortable, featherweight but strong and combine stability with support, in what otherwise has always been a very difficult area to keep happy and healthy in Arctic cold."
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Intuition Liners feature in Gary’s blog:
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"For polar expeditions, the physical and mental make-up of the Greenland Dog has no equal. Ancient Greenlanders suffered indescribable hardship but the living legacies these people left behind in Greenland today are the dogs: Greenlandic icons.
There are some people who still choose to live an isolated life of deprivation and simple needs. And there are some who choose to live a life of expeditions. I combine the two. I live in Greenland’s high Arctic where 280 days of the year temperatures are never above freezing.
I have no interest in following other peoples' footsteps. My 22 dogs and I have enough to do on our own.
 In my job I don’t often go home at night to a warm bed. Rest means a pit in the snow on sea ice that would not be warm or comfortable if it wasn’t for Multimat"
Multimat features in Gary's diary, blog and
published media:
Gary appears on Multimat’s Expedition Range mat insert packaging
Download Multimat’s catalogue |
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“Never trust a satellite phone. Sure enough handsets change but guaranteed reception does not. It remains dreadful, not very good if you want your life to depend on it and since ACR Electronics, Inc. make the best personal location beacons available worldwide I carry my ACR PLB at all times.”
ACR feature in Gary’s blog and media coverage:
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"Throughout perpetual winter polar dark at forty below
zero Energizer AA lithium batteries power, without weakness,
devices like my emergency strobe and GPS. The light of my
head torch enables me to find a way over good or bad ice,
check my dogs' paws, break up dogfights and feed."
Energizer feature in Gary’s diary, blog and published media:
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Think Tank features in Gary’s blog:
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UKJuicers feature in Gary's blog and media coverage:
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"On journeys I ski beside my sled, on sea ice and up and over mountains, equaling the speed of my dogs as they take care of business and we pile on the miles. This keeps me warm. But, the cold does strange things to equipment.
At forty below zero, hundreds of miles from home, a broken ski binding can mean a cold day and is about as welcoming as facing a charging polar bear with a dud rifle. These are situations I avoid at all costs. You might not have to deal with Arctic cold or polar bears but a broken ski binding will always be something you do not want to have happen. That is why I use Voile 3-pin telemark (backcountry) ski bindings.
They are beautifully made.
There is no such thing as a groomed trail where I live. I ski hard everyday and that is why I know that these bindings are a pleasure to use."
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Voilé features in Gary’s blog:
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"The last job I
do inside my tent is to smear my face with Bag Balm. This antiseptic
ointment protects potentially vulnerable frostbite areas such
as my nose, cheekbones, ears lobes and finger ends from splitting.
Importantly it contains no water and doesn't freeze to body
parts. As well as protect it encourages fast healing for minor
cuts and scrapes on both the dogs and myself. Very little is
needed for it to be effective and once applied it stays on.
Anything else I'd consider as nothing more than a cosmetic." |
Bag Balm feature in Gary’s diary, blog and published media:
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Homecraft Rolyan feature in Gary’s diary:
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"Clamcleat
guy rope adjusters are one of those attentions to detail that
help make Arctic life run smoothly. Setting up camp alone in
horrid winds at forty below zero warrants survival mode. Simple
to use with big mittens on Clamcleat guy rope adjusters enable
me to secure my tent to anchor points, fast. Arctic storms can
keep me tent bound for days. Guy ropes fitted with Clamcleats
don’t buckle or budge."
Clamcleat features in Gary’s diary and blog:
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"I make all of my own tug, neck and mainlines with the best polyethylene hollow-braid rope available, supplied by Snowpaw."
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Snowpaw features in Gary’s diary and blog:
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more] |
All
photographs copyright © Gary Rolfe