We started off today with an excellent presentation by Matt on Polar Bear safety. He covered a variety of different situation in which you could encounter a polar bear and what you should do in each situation. It was very obvious that he has done his homework and quite frankly I feel much better and more prepared now. The firearms training that we continued today helps, too. At the risk of being too bold I must admit that I have a new love ... the shotgun. It packs a punch but man it sure is fun! Today was nice and very beneficial. Yesterday, we all learned how to handle a firearm safely but after today I think the crew has a better comfort level with the actual guns.

From the shooting range we returned to the hab for a bit of ATV training led by Paul. We ran through the basics and then some more in depth drills. All of us had already been on an ATV before but it felt good to go over the different maneuvers.

I don't know if I've said it before but spending this time with the crew before we are isolated on an island for four months together is the best decision that could have been made. Not only are we bonding and getting to know each other but we are also able to train together. We are becoming aware of what each other is capable of and what each one of us feels comfortable with. This is priceless.