Difficulties of Day Excursion

Though the day excursions are always welcome and I am always looking for an opportunity to tag along with any party going for field work, there are many inconveniences one has to face and handled. First is putting on a few layers of clothing. Then one has to wear thick polar gloves which make handling cameras or any other activity difficult. Then there is balaclava and the snow glasses (like the one used in skiing) etc. And then I carry two cameras. They also prove heavy if you are negotiating a glacier or walking on a frozen lake or descending or ascending through big uneven boulders. I have to carry cameras in thick protective cases so that the battery compartment remains warm enough to prevent malfunctioning and early discharge. In midst of all this it is very easy to lose any article. I have to take off gloves or snow glasses repeatedly to handle camera, or remove balaclava when it gets too warm. I have already lost a pair of gloves but for no fault of mine.

Though my constant wear eye-glasses are fully UV safe, I put on big snow glasses too on top of them as they provide good shield to eyes, nose and forehead against wind. The moisture freezes frequently on my glasses. To wipe them clean means taking off gloves, snow glasses and balaclava too. Quite a task! Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better with contact lenses or having a laser surgery done to get rid of glasses completely and save all this bother. I can see Ishu smiling.

I no longer carry cameras in the cases. Instead I hang both the cameras around my neck on either side of sternum underneath my polar jacket or jerkin. This keeps them warm and they remain handy. However, it gives me a funny look which becomes funnier if I stuff my gloves also there to avoid losing them.