When camping in Spitsbergen, it is common and makes sense to secure the camp against polar bears with an alarm fence (Norwegian: snublebluss), using tripwires and small explosive devices. The most reliable version NM4 comes from Norwegian military sources, but is not available anymore for legal reasons. The follower (M2) is considered not reliable and safe enough to be used in the field for polar bear protection. As a consequence, there are currently almost no alarm systems available in Longyearbyen to secure camps against polar bears.
Next to the obvious safety aspect, there is a debate to make technical systems for protection of camps against bears legally mandatory. It still needs to be defined what such “technical systems” might be, but alarm fences are at least an obvious part of any technical alarm system. The Sysselmannen is aware that it is difficult to make a system mandatory that is not available on the market and is trying to contribute in finding a solution, but so far without success.
Under the fatal polar bear attack on August 05 in Tempelfjord, a failing alarm fence contributed to the desaster.
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.