What National Geographic Never Shows

Your National Geographic view of Antarctica is the pristine, endless icy expanse. What it takes to get there, however, is eight hours in the cargo hold of an Air Force prop plane. Barely heated. No restroom–just a cardboard box, like they gave the Ebola nurse.

You have to sling your own gear onto a helicopter. Once you get out to the mountain camp, be sure to get away from the helicopter as quick as possible, or its liftoff will shred your tent.

At the desert mountains, no live penguins–only dead ones that lost their way. This actually is a deceased seal, scraped to the bone by katabatic winds, dry winds that blow down the mountain.

No human wastes allowed anywhere on the continent. Voilà the urine barrel!