Postflood Day 5: Set up solar power in new lab tent

Today, we moved into our new lab tent! The new tent is amazing – it’s much larger than the old tent, as well as being brighter since it is made with beige canvas instead of green canvas. It was very, very relieving to be able to finally move the data and surviving equipment out of KBR and into a tent, and to be able to check on the samples and top up the LN2 tank.

Benson, Samwel, and Eli moving bookcases into the tent

We moved the solar panels to a new spot closer to the lab tent, and rewired the lab and kitchen tent. The wiring had taken a beating during the flood, and required a lot of cutting and splicing to get a clean set of wires. By that evening, however, we had two more working battery sets in camp, and we were able to begin charging our phones and other electronics again.

Kay and Dee teaching Benson about 12V electrical wiring

Matt & I trying to find a good height for the light switch,
where I can reach it but he won't hit his head on it

The lab tent and solar panels in their new location!