06/07/2026
When $200 Becomes Priceless
When Michelle moved from Tasmania to Brisbane in November 2002, she packed for the heat. Warm clothes? They all went into the shipping container.
A week later, she discovered two things: Brisbane nights can be surprisingly cool, and over-air-conditioned office buildings are even colder when you're working night shift.
After shivering through her first few shifts, Michelle wandered into a local camping store looking for a fleece. She found a cherry-red Earth Sea Sky polar fleece with a high collar and a price tag of nearly $200.
"At the time, I wondered whether I was slightly crazy for spending that much on a jacket," she recalls.
More than twenty years later, that jacket is still one of her favourites.
It kept her warm through countless night shifts in Brisbane and later accompanied her to Antarctica. The only real signs of wear are faint patches on the elbows from years of leaning over hand-drawn weather charts.
"When I distribute the cost of the jacket over the number of times I've worn it, that jacket would be cheap at double the price."
In 2014, Michelle returned to Antarctica, travelling via New Zealand's Scott Base on her way to Casey Station. While there, she spotted an Earth Sea Sky Gretel Merino jacket embroidered with the Scott Base logo. She bought it and quickly found herself living in it.
That lasted until her first shift at Casey Station, when a slip on icy concrete ended with a hole in the elbow of her brand-new jacket. "A small patch sorted it out," she says.
Twelve years later, the jacket remains her go-to for cold morning walks. The merino shows more wear than her original fleece, particularly at the elbows and seams, but it continues to deliver the warmth and breathability she loves. "Again, if I consider the cost per wear of that jacket, it was exceptional value."
A significant part of our work is sourcing fabrics that perform and are of the best quality. These are costly but, in the long term, deliver the best value and reliability. It is stories like this one that affirm what we do.
Thank you, Michelle, for more than twenty years of loyalty and for sharing your story with us. We're proud to have been part of the journey.
