Speaking of sewing kits and the cold!

I found this incredible website detailing Sir Robert Scott and his various expeditions, including trips to the arctic around the turn of the century.

In an article entitled, Men Who Sew, there is this great tidbit about the importance of knowing how to sew in the arctic:

Sewing is a matter of life and death in the Polar Regions.  If you cannot repair a tear in your clothing then you could die of cold, and if you cannot mend your bags and straps then you could lose valuable supplies.  So sewing is not just for girls – everyone has to do it.

The article also includes photo’s of Scott’s sewing kit.

The full article is here.

I once read that a sewing kit rated as the number one survival item for indigenous people living in the Arctic.   Being a warm-weather dweller, I was amazed not to see a knife in the primary position, but it makes sense when you consider that torn clothing – a minor inconvenience in temperate climates – could actually kill you in the Arctic.

Here is an example from the Inuit Contact and Colonization Project.

These ivory needle cases contain copper needles stored in pieces of skin, and thimbles. These are pulled in and out of the case by an ivory blade that also can be used to attach the case to a woman’s amauti so that it is always close at hand. There is also an awl pictured here.

Very cool!