Fifer1mr

Thank you for the helpful feedback! Acclimating the instrument to room temperature before playing is something that I will be sure to pay attention to. I have been putting off getting Dave Elliot's book, but now would be as good a time as any to order it. I will see if I can get it shipped down there (It will probably show up in a month or so) as I have not been able to find a digital version. As for spare parts (valves, pads, springs), is there anything specific I should look for, or just an assortment of spares? Finding the tools shouldn't be a problem. The baffles are also a good suggestion. There are a few places on station that I will be able to practice without disturbing wildlife or the general public, but would like the option to practice in my living quarters without the fear of gaining a reputation as a nuisance. I will look into this and see what I can improvise with the materials available, then give an update in a few months. Cheers!

I will be taking a concertina (Wren 2) with me to Antarctica, where I will be for about 5 months. I hope to spend some of my of time indoors learning more about the instrument and eventually playing with other musicians who live on the base where I will be stationed. I have read through some of the forum posts on humidity, and have gleaned some great information from those. It is extremely dry down there. I will be taking some Boveda packs with me to keep in the hard case I will be traveling with, as well as keeping a humidifier in my room once I get there. I also plan on monitoring the humidity levels, but know that it will be an uphill battle the entire time. As far as temperature goes, I will only have the instrument outside while traveling between buildings. I am thinking about building some sort of insulated sleeve I can stick the hard case in, and then pack hand warmers around that to keep from freezing in an extreme situation. Does anyone have tips for transporting a concertina in cold weather, things to look out for, or suggestions for preventative maintenance?