- 1International Polar Foundation, Antarctic Operations, Brussels, Belgium (gg@polarfoundation.org)
- 2Extreme Planet, Chamonix, France
At EGU 2024 the Gorgoneion Collective introduced the project addressing " Gear Hack for women: Polar Gear Revisited for Female Friendly Field Operations".
The project market research opened up a wider dialogue around women in Antarctica. These sessions have created a small community and we hope to create discussions to improve working conditions for women in the polar regions.
We drew our first prototypes that were tested in Antarctica. The drawings brought together innovations but also symbolic elements to give a homage to people who live in extreme and hostile environments.
We went to visit two factories that we partnered with Inter plume, Getex and met REAL STAAM. Our approach incorporates eco-responsibility and these three companies are the perfect embodiment of shared values.
We have been working on testing a Prototype with
- A company in Chamonix which designed the basic forms for the fieldwork clothing
- a company in France run entirely by women, for the production of the prototype
- A company in France run entirely in a sustainable way for the production of the duck feathers used in the clothing
- A company in France that produced the merino underclothing that would go under the field clothing.
- The International Polar Foundation which operates the Belgian Station Princess Elisabeth Antarctica
- Partius in Belgium that helps with the Project Management
- Scientists from the Netherlands who tested the clothing and gave their feedback
The prototypes were tested in the deep field by scientists from the project FROID who worked on the Antarctic plateau at temperatures going to -45°C.
At EGU 2025 we will give a report on the prototypes and how well they functioned and what modifications will be necessary in order to produce improved versions for the next testing season. We will then select a researcher who will be working in the deep field to test the new prototypes in 2025-26 before making these available to a wider community in the season 2026-27.
The Gorgoneion Collective can be followed on the following platforms: Instagram, Linked In
How to cite: Johnson-Amin, N. and Johnson, L. N.: Gear Hack for Women – Field Testing of Prototype , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4272, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4272, 2025.
