It has been a while since I have conducted any fieldwork. I miss it often! But given that it’s currently cold here in Canada, I am not quite sure I want to be conducting fieldwork at this time of year anyway! I thought I would reminisce on my fieldwork days with today’s blog post. Before leaving my house for conducting fieldwork, I always double (sometimes triple check) that I have all appropriate and necessary items to ensure a productive fieldwork day. Here are items that I make sure that I pack and a few stories about those items!
1. A good pair of shoes, and I always check them before putting them on, especially since I leave my fieldwork shoes outside overnight. Shoes make an ideal home for frogs, bugs, snakes, and other little critters. One morning, I was putting on my shoes, and I thought I had checked my shoes properly. I did not because I felt something squishy when I put my foot in! After screaming and dropping my shoe on the ground, a frog hopped out. Luckily, no frogs were harmed, and I am more careful with checking my shoes after this incident.
Extra batteries. Always. Even if the batteries in my devices are full. Does anyone else have a love-hate relationship with rechargeable batteries? I love them because they reduce battery waste, and we do not have to purchase them all the time. I hate them because there are so many more steps for me to remember:
- Did I put the batteries in the charger?
- Did I plug the charger into the wall?
- Did I put the batteries in my bag after they finished charging?
3. Lots of water, making sure to secure my water bottle to my backpack. It’s embarrassing the number of times I’ve dropped my water bottle and had to backtrack to find it.
4. Snacks! My snack of choice is usually mandarin oranges because they are easy to peel and delicious! I once forgot one in my backpack for months. While cleaning my bag out, I pulled out what looked like a dried mushroom cap. It was a very dried and squished mandarin orange.
5. Contacts. With terrible vision, wearing contacts while conducting fieldwork is more comfortable because I do not have to worry about my glasses fogging up while it’s raining. Also, it’s easier to look through binoculars. Sometimes, my vision might be a little blurrier than usual in the morning. Typically, this is because I am still tired. Occasionally, it is because I put the wrong contact lens in each eye.
6. A camera, especially since I love to take pictures! Often, I am tempted to leave my camera behind since it would be less weight to carry. I can confidently confirm that I have said “I wish I brought my camera with me” at least 100 times. On days that I do not bring my camera, I always find something exciting or spot rare wildlife.
These are my fieldwork essentials. I am interested in knowing what your fieldwork essentials are, so please leave me a comment or email me to chat!
Cheers,
Christine
Christine Song 