The final design for the VKØEK campsite at Atlas Cove. The AirBeam tents measure 20 x 21 ft; the connecting hallway is 8 ft. long. One shelter will be used as a dormatory and the other for operations, including the radio stations, scientific lab, supplies, food services, and integrated communications. The entire tent assembly can be erected by two men in about one hour. Each tent provides 400 sq. ft. of open space (no poles) inside and an exterior diesel-fired heater. The facility will withstand wind gusts to 80 mph.

Members of the VKØEK team and HDT personnel inspect the AirBeam tents at the HDT Global manufacturing facility in Buena Vista, VA. Each tent is held up with three 60 psi semicircular tubes, stabilized by two anchors at each end. Access is through zipper doors.

Members of the Heard Island Expedition team meet with HDT personnel. (l to r): Ken Karr NG2H, Robert Schmieder KK6EK, Ronnie Simmons (HDT), and Dave Lloyd K3EL. Behind the camera was Scott Thompson (HDT).

On July 20, 2015, key members of the Heard Island team met with staff at HDT Global to discuss the tent shelters and make final design decisions. HDT supplies a wide variety of shelters and other equipment to military customers worldwide, and has agreed to partner with the Heard Island project as a demonstration and evaluation activity. At their factory in Buena Vista, VA, the company showed us a variety of their AirBeam tents in various configuraitons. These tents offer major advantages for the Heard Island expedition: very rapid erection (15 minutes), high wind load capability, large inside open space, and simple 4-point anchoring. Their intrinsic modularity enabled us to set the optimum design for the main camp at Atlas Cove (see drawing above). Details about the facility will be provided in a forthcoming Newsletter (subscribe).