The 'Rolled Products' division of Alcoa - the world's largest aluminium company, spanning 42 countries, and Australia's only producer of aluminium sheet, coil & foil, covered the aluminium needs for our 2005 Arctic expedition.
Looking into various options, we decided that the most practical material from which to build our two PACs (Paddleable Amphibious Carts) to transport our supplies over the bizarre barren-lands was definitely aluminium. Being lightweight, non-rusting, durable and strong yet also easy to fabricate and machine even in a home workshop � aluminium is a fantastic material to work with. Alcoa Australia, showing a similar passion for innovation and the love of a challenge was our very first sponsor for this expedition, providing us with us with all the aluminium sheet, extrusions and POP rivets we needed.
In July 2005, two young Aussies Chris Bray and Clark Carter plunged inside the Arctic Circle to travel unsupported across Victoria Island, the world's ninth largest and largely unexplored island. After 58 days of hauling, paddling and dragging 250kgs of gear behind them in their home-made aluminium kayaks with fold-down wheels, they were only 1/3 the way across! It was such an incredible adventure though - including wolves, polar bears, artefacts, blizzards and unseen landscapes - that they vowed to return. After two years of prep, The iiNet 1000 Hour Day Expedition set of in 2008, and finished what they started.
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