As 21st century scientists, we live in an era where satellite images are plentiful, computers are increasingly more powerful, and data can be automatically transmitted through a high-technology network unimaginable a mere thirty years ago. The question then arises as to whether it is still necessary for a scientist to actually be present in the field on a regular basis. This paper seeks to answer this question through a reflexive look at 30 years of personal experience of research in a polar region (Spitsbergen). If fieldwork remains a key element in our research projects, methodologies and methods have changed with technical progress, and so has the daily life of Arctic scientists in the field. Yet, the Inuit philosophy remains a constant reality : “In the Arctic, it is the weather and the ice that decide”.