Gary Rolfe – Exploring the Arctic

In Greenland there is a town called Ittoqqortoormiit that stays very cold all year round. It is located 70º North near the mouth of the Kangertittivaq fjord and was founded in 1925. The only way to access this town for a few months a year is by helicopter or boat. The area in which it is found was first mapped in 1822 by Arctic explorer William Scoresby, and it is a region that does not easily lend itself to being a place where one can settle unless one is a polar bear or perhaps an Arctic explorer. . Gary Rolfe is one such man and he is working hard to keep the tradition of dog mushing alive with his team of purebred Greenland dogs.

The physical demands of this beautiful but challenging place in one’s life are great when managing a team of dogs and weight is the most important thing to Gary when he embarks on any sledding expedition with his dogs across this frozen land. In his own words:

“Despite the trendy hype, we all have a good idea of ​​what food is good for us and what is not. But it is very easy to settle for bad food, especially if you are risky. It is a subject close to my heart, since I eat a lot. In winter I scoff at the caloric value of a marathon runner every day, the equivalent of about 5200 calories. “

With such dietary needs and the dramatic and dangerous backdrop of the Arctic landscape, Gary needs concentrated and complete nutrition. He also needs it to be compact and lightweight to optimize every sled load he and his team of dogs go out with as they cross the ice.

Since working with dogs in Canada, Gary requires nutrition in its natural form with the highest amount of nutrients that have been conserved in order to meet the strenuous arctic life. So this has led him to dry natural foods like dried meat and dried fruits and vegetables at home. Food made for expeditions simply cannot compete with the nutritional values ​​provided by fresh, healthy ingredients when stored in mild heat. So for Gary to build his own expedition tents, he relies on American-made Excalibur dehydrators.

Then in 2006, while Gary was living in Canada with one of the few remaining teams of purebred Canadian Huskies, a tragedy occurred. There are very few who will not be moved by his Guardian article, which tells how he lost his beloved team of dogs when he and they fell through the Arctic ice.

More surprising than this man’s emotional resilience, which was needed to help him start over with a new team of dogs in Greenland, is his physical prowess to survive this ordeal alone. After dragging himself and the only remaining dog out of the icy Arctic waters, he stripped down on the ice to dry himself off. Then when the hypothermia started to set in, he managed to pull his feather suit over his solid frozen fingers. It was the beacon of survival with him that brought him help in the form of polar bear hunters and did it to tell his story. It helped a bit, but it was his optimal athleticism due to the combination of optimal nutritional foods and his daily efforts that helped, too.

Once he recovered from fourth-degree frostbite and lost a series of digits, Gary spent the next two years perfecting a new team of young dogs to do expedition work in Greenland, while remaining true to his dream of keep the tradition. these brave working dogs are worried. But moving to Greenland meant that he had to start using a European power source, so in order to prepare his dry supplies, Gary needed a new dehydrator from Excalibur. He contacted the UK Excalibur importer and they were happy to join his list of sponsors and have one shipped to him in Greenland.

Excalibur dehydrators are widely considered by food drying enthusiasts to be the best available. Not only for its drying properties, but also for the amount they can contain. If you eat a lot of jerky when leading a dog team, this ability is a huge plus and that is why it is good not only for expedition leaders, but also for outdoor enthusiasts and foodies. healthy.

Electric food dryers or dehydrators have been quite common in the US for quite some time and it is common for them to dry out any leftover crops or seasonal fruits using this preservation method. However, in Europe, the popularity of dehydrators is growing, especially among health enthusiasts, hunters, raw food eaters, outdoor enthusiasts, small snack makers, and horticulturists.

When it comes to making expedition supplies using an Excalibur dehydrator, Gary Rolfe is an expert and has now written several informative articles on the subject that can be found in various outdoor magazines. If you want to learn more about ways to preserve nutrition using an outdoor dehydrator, consider getting a copy of Linda Frederick Yaffe’s excellent book “Backpack Gourmet.” But the food dehydrator guide that has just about everything in it can’t go too far wrong by getting a copy of the post produced by the manufacturer of the Excalibur dehydrator called “Preserve It Naturally” that is suitable for everyone, including those who are completely new to this method of preserving food.

Hot air drying with a food dehydrator like the Excalibur is different from the way food is dried in a normal oven. It is low temperatures that preserve most of the nutrition of food when consumed in its dry or rehydrated state. The problem with commercially dried whole foods is that they cost a lot and it is difficult to find a good quality supply of such dry foods because many will include additives or excessive heat will have been applied to dry them.

It’s a relatively straightforward activity when it comes to drying food at home to use on an expedition, as trail snacks when out on a hike, or simply to preserve summer fruit crops. In addition, it is also economical. In addition to drying simple ingredients, with a dehydrator you can prepare others such as dried leather fruits, banana chips, mango strips, cereal and energy bars, raw nut and seed cookies, beef jerky, mixed nuts and even soups , stews, stews and accessories. meals that you can then rehydrate. Along with the unadulterated full complement of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in gently dehydrated foods, you’ll get optimal nutrition that can help you stay active and healthy.

Gary Rolfe’s Excalibur Dehydrator is supplied to you by UK Juicers Ltd, which also imports other health-related products and appliances to the UK. Owner Nick Ledger decided he wanted to do more than just provide Gary the Excalibur and went to Greenland to test what it was like to take a dog sled trip with the man. Nick was left with a lasting impression not because of the beauty of the country, but because of the arduous existence that Gary and his team of dogs lead. Nick drew attention to the remoteness and inhospitable nature of the place when the trip had to extend for several days because the helicopter that would take him back could not land due to the weather. Luckily they had plenty of dehydrated snacks to enjoy!