![head of Ross MacPhee](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot/5896440-2-eng-US/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot_full_495.png 115w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot/5896440-2-eng-US/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot_full_990.png 115w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot/5896440-2-eng-US/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot_full_1468.png 115w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot/5896440-2-eng-US/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot_full_1980.png 115w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot/5896440-2-eng-US/pole-ross-mcphee-headshot_full_2475.png 115w)
Click the (+) signs to explore the items in my scrapbook.
![Cold-Weather Gear](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/tothepole_t02_coldgear/5898782-1-eng-US/tothepole_t02_coldgear_full_495.png 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/tothepole_t02_coldgear/5898782-1-eng-US/tothepole_t02_coldgear_full_990.png 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/tothepole_t02_coldgear/5898782-1-eng-US/tothepole_t02_coldgear_full_1468.png 1200w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/tothepole_t02_coldgear/5898782-1-eng-US/tothepole_t02_coldgear_full_1980.png 1200w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/tothepole_t02_coldgear/5898782-1-eng-US/tothepole_t02_coldgear_full_2475.png 1200w)
![scrapbook page showing Norwegian explorer in fur outdoor gear and British explorer in wool outdoor gear](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/pole_tothepole02_coldgear/5928556-4-eng-US/pole_tothepole02_coldgear_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/pole_tothepole02_coldgear/5928556-4-eng-US/pole_tothepole02_coldgear_full_990.jpg 926w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/pole_tothepole02_coldgear/5928556-4-eng-US/pole_tothepole02_coldgear_full_1468.jpg 926w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/pole_tothepole02_coldgear/5928556-4-eng-US/pole_tothepole02_coldgear_full_1980.jpg 926w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/pole_tothepole02_coldgear/5928556-4-eng-US/pole_tothepole02_coldgear_full_2475.jpg 926w)
![close up of brown fur and curly light sheep's wool](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool/5936770-3-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool/5936770-3-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool_full_990.jpg 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool/5936770-3-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool_full_1468.jpg 1189w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool/5936770-3-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool_full_1980.jpg 1189w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool/5936770-3-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear01_furwool_full_2475.jpg 1189w)
Top: fur - Bottom: wool
Fur vs. Wool
In the days before high-tech material like Gore-Tex, and synthetic fleece, polar explorers had to main choices; fur or wool. Fur is warmer, but wool breathes. Which would you rather wear if you were going to work up a sweat in freezing temperatures?
![Captain Amundsen on skis wearing fur gear](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor/5936774-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor/5936774-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor_full_990.jpg 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor/5936774-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor_full_1468.jpg 1000w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor/5936774-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor_full_1980.jpg 1000w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor/5936774-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear02_nor_full_2475.jpg 1000w)
The Norwegians: Fur
Amundsen’s team dressed in furs on very cold days; parkas, mittens, and stockings made of reindeer skin, dogskin stockings, and sealskin boots. These clothes were based on designs by the Inuit people. Amundsen learned from the Inuit while living in the Arctic.
“The temperature… remained for some days between -58° and -75℉. Personally we did not suffer at all as we had good fur clothing.” – Amundsen
![Captain Scott on skis wearing wool gear](/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit/5936778-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit_full_495.jpg 495w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit/5936778-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit_full_990.jpg 990w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit/5936778-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit_full_1468.jpg 1000w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit/5936778-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit_full_1980.jpg 1000w,/var/ezflow_site/storage/images/media/amnh/images/explore/ology-images/earth/race-to-the-south-pole/pole-03_tothepole/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit/5936778-1-eng-US/enlarge_tothepole_gear03_brit_full_2475.jpg 1000w)
The British: Wool
The British team wore large windproof jackets and trousers. Underneath, they wore layers of mostly wool. But in the bitter cold, the wool didn’t breathe as they hoped, especially since they sweat so much. When the wool got wet, it froze almost instantly!
“One continues to wonder about fur clothing as made by the Eskimos, with a sneaking feeling that it may outclass our more civilized garb.” – Scott
Image Credits:
wool, by Vince Veras on Unsplash; fur, by Arseny Togulev on Unsplash; Amundsen, © AMNH; Scott, courtesy of the Library of Congress.