Water is obtained by de-salinization of sea water using a reverse osmosis system. The fresh water is stored in four tanks, each one with 40,000 litre capacity. It is necessary to have plenty in reserve in case of fire which is a hazard in the dry air of Antarctica. The over-wintering staff receive professional fire-fighting training in New Zealand before going to Antarctica and regular fire drills are held.

Scott Base contains thirty bedrooms, each sleeping two people in summer and has modern bathroom and laundry facilities. A chef cooks the meals. In summer there are plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables brought in by the regular flights. A hydroponics unit provides some fresh vegies during winter. Bread is baked at the base and festive meals are prepared for special occasions such as Christmas and midwinter's day. Refrigerators and freezers are used just like in a normal kitchen.

Food scraps, paper, and untreated timber are burnt in a high temperature incinerator. Sewerage and grey water is discharged into the sea through a heated pipe. All other wastes (eg. metal, plastics and batteries) are returned to New Zealand.

The power supply is provided by diesel-powered generators. The base is heated by hot water circulating throughout the buildings, heated by the generator exhaust. This is supplemented by oil-fired boilers.

Inside the buildings it is warm enough to wear normal clothes, just like in New Zealand. For working outside, dressing in lots of layers is the best way to keep warm and minimise wind chill. Thermal underwear made of wool or polypropylene, wool shirts, wool or polarfleece jackets and trousers and then wind-proof jackets and overalls are provided to staff. Most of these items are made in New Zealand. Sunglasses, and goggles if it is windy, are very important in the bright sunlight reflected off the ice. Hats, balaclavas, mittens, gloves and special outer gloves with a place to wipe your runny nose are also important if working outside.

Scott Base operates a normal 8-5 working day and after work staff can read or write letters, watch videos, relax in the bar or library, or go for a walk. There is even a ski field and a golf course which uses pink balls! There are phones, faxes and computer e-mail and in summer weekly mail deliveries so there is not the same degree of isolation as in the early days of Antarctic expeditions. The last flight of the summer is in late February and apart from an overflight in June to drop supplies and mail, there is no physical contact in winter with the outside world until a flight in August. Regular flights begin again in October.

Because of this isolation, it is essential people working at Scott Base work well as a team and get on socially in the small community. Selection of NZAP staff takes this into account. Positions are advertised in February for jobs such as the chef, cleaners, kitchenhand, mechanic, electrician and field training instructors. Successful applicants go to a training camp at Tekapo in August where they learn safety and field techniques, first aid, fire fighting and radio communications. First-timers to Antarctica spend a night out in a polar tent in the snow. They also learn how to build a snow shelter and cook a meal in it. Staff have a thorough medical and dental check-up before they go. There is a trained first aider at Scott Base and a hospital at nearby McMurdo Station.

Once they get to Antarctica, new arrivals spend the first few days doing field training. They build a snow mound or trench and sleep outside to learn how to cope with the cold (which may be -20°C). The very dry air also needs adjusting to; despite the cold it is necessary to drink a lot of water.

Aircraft are also used for aerial photography, penguin counts, magnetometry and other work. Fixed-wing planes and helicopters are used to transport scientists and field staff to remote locations.

Four-wheel drive trucks are used to commute to the ice runway and McMurdo Station. Hagglunds (vehicles with tracks like a bulldozer) are used for science projects on the polar plateau, the Ross Ice Shelf, the sea ice and for search and rescue. Skidoos are used by parties traversing large areas on field trips. They can tow sledges weighing up to 500kg.

Travelling by any vehicle on the polar plateau, glaciers or ice shelves can be dangerous because of hidden crevasses (deep cracks in glaciers), the rough surface or in blizzard conditions. Vehicles have to be "plugged in" at night to an electric heater to prevent their engines from freezing.

Husky dogs are no longer used in Antarctica.

After attending the overnight field training course, field equipment (tents, fuel, radios, first aid kits etc) is checked. The food and kitchen boxes are collected. Primus stoves with kerosene are usually taken. In some field huts gas stoves using a mixture of propane and butane which works in cold conditions are used.

Polar tents are of a similar design to the ones the early expeditioners used although they are now made of nylon and polyester. They are a double skin tent, designed to trap air in between the layers for insulation. Two people sleep in each tent on thick foam mattresses. They have double-layered down sleeping bags with liners and outer covers.

Field parties supported by Hagglunds sometimes tow a wannigan - like a caravan on skis. By using a diesel or petrol powered portable generators they can even have the luxury of a microwave for cooking!

Trying to sleep during the 24 hours of daylight can be a problem for some people. It is a good idea to get into a routine of going to bed at the same time each day to help the body get into the habit of sleeping in the light. Some people use black eye covers to make it dark and at Scott Base shutters can be pulled over the windows.

Radio contact is maintained with Scott Base through a radio "sched" every evening. A weather forecast is important information to pass on to the field party.

Food for the trip is pre-packed into boxes during the winter. Not much fresh food can be taken on long field trips and a lot of the food is dehydrated. Freeze-dried soup, meat and vegetables are used for dinner and crackers, cheese and chocolate bars for lunches and snacks.

Often a spare tent is taken for a cooking and eating area, or people cook and eat in their sleeping tents as it is usually too cold to cook or eat outside. Ventilation is important when using the primus stoves in the sleeping tents.

Domestic jobs in the field can be quite time-consuming - as well as cooking and cleaning up, snow has to be melted for water. All rubbish is brought back to Scott Base.