It's getting hot in here...Antarctic base gets 16,500 condoms

by Patrick Metzger
Jun 12th 2008 @ 2:35PM

Filed under: News
It's not easy being a scientist stuck at an isolated polar base during the long dark winter, but apparently there are perks. Reuters reports that one of the final supply shipments to the Hedonism McMurdo Station in the Antarctic before flights ended for the winter included 16,500 condoms.
The prophylactics will be provided free of charge so residents won't have to suffer the embarrassment of purchasing them and potentially revealing a little too much about their off-duty interactions with colleagues.
Now, the base operates with a skeleton staff of 125 people during the winter, so theoretically there could be 62 couples (although given the isolation and boredom factors, we could also postulate larger groups), with each couple getting 261 condoms. Since the shipment arrived sometime in May, and supply flights into the base will resume in September, it's fair to assume the condom supply will only be required to last 4 months, or approximately 125 days. Under that assumption, each couple could use slightly more than 2 condoms per day.
You''ve got to wonder where they find the time to get any work done.