Time is approaching quickly until my arctic adventure is taking place. To be precise: today in four weeks time I will be on my flight to Kiruna. That is 28 days. I am anxious. Slightly scared. I feel not prepared. The arctic countdown is real. And since writing things down while I think through them is my way of keeping my sanity this is what this post is ging to be about. Ha!
As you remember it is not the first time I took that approach to organize my adventure. Lets have a check-in before I share about my anxiety.
Travel & Insurance Preparations
Here is a list of things I still have to do and all the things I already did:
- ✔ flights are booked.
- ✔ travel insurance is arranged.
- ✔ all invoices for the tour paid.
- Hotel room for first night in Kiruna needs to be booked.
Base camp cabin is not yet free for move in. I should have booked that back in December. It’s 250€ a night now. Awaiting feedback from the group if there are certain hotels the other participants stay in. We all arrive a day early due to the flight connection. - Rescue insurance needs to be signed up on.
I will do this once I am back from my anniversary trip. But only because it is for a year and our plan is to spend our next anniversary trip in Switzerland and I will have a few more benefits I could use next years. I have sourced and looked at it all I just need to hit the sign up button. - Drop off bag with guide.
I have the chance to have some of my stuff put in the van that will drive up. This way I don’t have to carry it and I can also add a few things like food/medicine that might be tricky to get through security. I plan on dropping this of February 20th.
Shopping & Equipment Preparations
I went shopping and have gotten a bunch of stuff for Christmas.
- clothing: ✔ one set of ski underwear 260mg Merino, ✔ 3 light merino socks ✔ 3 heavy merino socks, ✔ three merino slips, ✔ two merino sports bras, ✔ merino hat, ✔ merino head band, ✔ glacier sunglasses, ✔ teddy fleece
- cosmetics: ✔ suncream 50 LF, ✔ Carmex chapstick, ✔ cold cream, ✔ toothpaste pills, ✔ bar of soap, ✔ deodorant cream
Things I still need to get
- fleece gloves.
The ones I had in mind won’t work. Also I need some working for touchscreen so I can take photos with the phone without freezing my hands off. - second set of merino base layers.
ordered through the guide. Will be able to test fit February 20th. - power banks
I have to order them. I have evaluated which ones I want. I will get one with lots of power and one that I can also use after for my business travel. I am hoping this will be enough. Three power banks seems a bit over the top. Any experiences? - back pack
Right now I have no option to carry my stuff to the Arctic. I won’t be taking a suitcase and need a back pack. I need one for all my business travels as well so I should invest some time here and make a decision. Not looking forward to this. - medicine.
I need more migraine pills and luckily snatched an appointment at my neurologist on February 13th. I will also need a medication schedule in order to get my supply across the boarder. Better safe than sorry.
I will also add some vitamins (magnesium and vitamin D).
And I am wondering if I should carry any sort of cold medicine since I am struggling so much.
Things I am pondering to get
- snow boots.
I am currently wearing my hiking books which work but do not have the best grip on icy conditions. Since I only need them for the plane and in Kiruna I might be ok. IN base camp they will work and after that I will get everything. However I do not own snow boots so this would be something I can use in future winters as well. For now I am keeping my eye open if I find a good deal but most likely will make do with what I have. - Thermo pants.
I realized that I won’t be happy arriving in jeans. So I bought some fell lined jeans only to realize in the past two days that they do not keep me warm in -6°C windy weather. So I am now wondering if I should get these thermo outdoor hike pants. Or should I just wear some regular wollen pants and my base layer underneath?
Personal things I plan on bringing
I will not be taking a lot of personal items to the adventure. And I have the chance to leave some of the things in base camp which I will do.
Personal things I plan on taking to bring on the arctic adventure
- iPhone
I finally committed to getting a new phone. I will only take this and no camera. It’s a bit hurtful but my camera would nit work in the conditions anyways. - Notebook and pencil
I figured it would be a good thing to sit down – if time allows – and write some sort of diary/journal. I am also wondering if I should prepare some sort of prompts like: describe the color of the sky. - Apple Watch
I would love to bring my Apple Watch and apparently I could still track my daily exercises aka route when having the phone turned off (that is what the apple support chat just confirmed.) Still not 100 sure it makes sense though. Thoughts? - Food.
I will bring some beef jerky and electrolytes in order to stay in good blood sugar and not trigger a migraine. Maybe add a chocolate bar for motivation.
Things I plan to take mainly for travel days and will leave in the base camp
- Kindle
I will have some layover time where I can read. Also in the hotel. However I recently learned the entire group will be in the same flight so I am not sure how much time I will actually get. Maybe the kindle app on my phone would be enough? Thoughts? - Headphones
I do not think I will need or want to listen to music/ausdiobook during the trip. Apparently many people have an issue with the silence. I feel mentally strong and actually look forward to the silence only interrupted by the sounds of crushing snow.
Current anxiety and fears I am having
I would be lying if I said there are no fears and anxiety. My biggest issue is that I am struggling with my immune system and health. Every time I do a tiny bit of strenuous workout I am falling ill again. And I am really really scared that my immune system cannot handle it and I will be down after day one. And then what? It is not that I can go warm up and take all the meds.
The second thing I am struggling with is my fear of not being fit enough and the weakest link in the group. For one I already have the issue of migraines that make me a bit vulnerable. But it would be hard on me if I am also the one who is physically not up to the task. I mean I did get in shape and feel better than I have in many years but I am far from fit.
Another fear I am having is that I will not fit in the provided clothing. I have prominent hips and I always struggle with fitting in pants and coats going over my butt. I guess I will eliminate all that when I go to see the guide and test the stuff on February 21st.
One very practical anxiety I am having – which I am trying to push away every time it comes up – is how will I use the bathroom in the arctic? Not only is peeing an issue with all the clothes I am going to wear… And then I will also have my period. Great. I am trying to tell myself I can move it my period back a few days. Last month it worked. If I manage that for another month it might work that it will start right when we get back. Only thing is lethal phase is obviously not my physical strongest phase. Wehre we are right back to the second worry. Sigh.
And then there is my migraine. That is always a possibility but I am hoping it’s not happening. I know I need to just ignore the possibility and not worry about it but it is hard. It could derail this trip quickly if I had a migraine.
Please chime in with your opinion regarding the things I am still pondering to get. Any other helpful tips from people living in cold conditions? Any journaling prompts I should scribble down and recap on the blog? Any help in causing my fears?
18 comments
I wish I had some good advice for you, but I’ve never done anything like this Arctic expedition. I think you are well-prepared, and that being nervous is normal. It’s quite an adventure! Maybe your guide can help you feel more at ease when you see him on the 21st. Are there women in the tour company that you could talk to? I hope someone with more experience will reply and give you some good ideas.
There ended up one other woman in the group. I think it’s a couple but still nice to know I am not alone with just man. The guide also said he prefers having woman’s as everyone behaves better. I find this rather sad but I can’t care about it.
I will check as much as I can with him on the 20th. And I guess feeling nervous is part of the game. Thanks for your encouragement.
I think it’s totally normal to be nervous before such a big adventure. Are you in touch with other people who will be going with you? Are there guides you can run some questions by? I am sure other people had the same fears before embarking on this journey! I am sure some people can reassure you.
Do you need some sort of face covering?
I have a pair of fleece-lined thermo pants (I usually take them to ski trips) and think they’d be great to have for your trip.
In re: to your fear of falling ill or not being fit enough, I am sure that the guides have handled situations with groups of different fitness levels.
Do they ask for any benchmarks before you go? Do you feel like you’ve done all they ask in preparation?
Ah thank you San. I have preparing much longer than anyone else that is for sure. But then I feel like I am the one who has been in worst shape to begin with. I guess once being an athlete, going lots of skiing I know my current limits and I had hoped to feel better. It might be enough for the trip just not where I wanted to be. And yes, different levels, sometime people have never been on skies. So while I might not have the physical I have the technique and mental stability. We’ve had a preparation call earlier this week and a what’s app group. But it’s not too chatty. I can asked the guide anything and everything though.
This sounds absolutely amazing, Tobia! I don’t really have any advice, but wow. I get the nervousness about the migraines and keep my fingers crossed that they will leave you alone until after the trip!
Thank you Meike. Much appreciated and let’s hope they stay away. Definitely do everything I can once on the way. But a period is a loose canon. Sigh.
Can you talk to your doctor about your period? You could try taking birth control pills. But likely you would have had to start a few months ago to make that work.
I’ve never tried anything like this, but I’m excited for you. I think you will get some good information on the 20th that will set your mind at ease regarding fitness and so on. You’ve been training hard.
What is rescue insurance? When I have gotten travel insurance, it covers medical emergencies and emergency transportation as well. Perhaps that is what you are talking about? It sounds like the one you are signing up for is for a longer period of time, not just this trip, which is definitely different than the insurance I’m talking about, but sounds like a great idea since you have other travel plans.
I need special insurance as normal travel insurance does not cover extreme situations like being off grid. My insurance covers everything the moment I fall k to a hospital but how to get there if a mountaineer has to unearth me … that is the rescue insurance I need.
I guess I could have figured out the period stuff but I don’t want to mess with the hormones because that would unsettle my migraines and I rather have that at ease and not the period.
Oh ,this is exciting, but I can see how you would probably have anxiety as well. I don’t know that I can offer much advice except to say yes to taking some cold and flu medication with you. I always do when I travel, just in case.
Thanks for that input. I added some cold and flue medicine and dropped it of with the guide. Better safe than sorry.
I can’t believe it’s so close!! I don’t have any advice (I’ve never done anything like this), but I’m looking forward to reading all about it <3
Ah thank you. It’s approaching fast.
I would have so many audiobooks loaded up on my phone because the silence would be so hard for me to deal with! I wear earbuds when I’m in the house alone with my dog and cat!
I think the face covering is a good idea. Do you have a buff. How cold are you thinking it will get? I find my wool base layer with snowpants was warm enough when I was shoveling in -27F/-33C weather. If you’re moving around, maybe that would be enough. Denim is no good – the wind cuts right through it.
This is so exciting! I can’t wait to hear all about it.
Yep, that is about the temperature we could get too. I tested my merino wool last weekend and I was hot. But it’s been around freezing not really comparable. I will get a buff from the tour.
I assume many have issues with the silence. I sometimes wear my earplugs when I am alone because the outside noises are bothering me. Very different feelings here.
It is totally normal to be nervous for something like this and you are probably going to (a) be overprepared and (b) not even need or worry about half of the stuff you are worried about now. However, I have some answers to some of your questions!
Battery bank – I use Ankor and have for a long time and love them. Mine is this one 20k mAh. How many days is your trip? My 20k will last a few days (I have a GoPro, phone, running watch, and headlamp that I regularly charge each day), so if you need more than that, I would multiply accordingly. Most phones are about 5k for a full charge. Here is the one I use: https://amzn.to/3AExGys
Backpack – I don’t know what your options are, and if you actually need to wear it for a long time (so need more comfort) but I like Patagonia, who have a foldable 55L duffel with backpack straps (https://amzn.to/4quJK9q) , or Osprey. I have the 44L Daylite, which is similar to this one https://amzn.to/46IKOzm.
Apple watch – I would bring it. I know you will be happy to have the data later.
Bathroom – you just have to drop trow and have a cold butt! For number two, where I am from you cannot do it in the snow, so you would have to have a baggie, but I don’t know what the rules are in Sweden.
Kindle – I always carry mine backpacking. I find it is worth the weight. Same goes for earbuds, audiobooks, and a pick-me-up playlist of music for when I am struggling.
For any ultra-event, the hardest thing is the mental part. If you are prepared mentally, you will be fine. We can push ourselves past the physical boundaries a lot more easily than we can the mental ones. So get yourself in a good mental place, be prepared for some things to be hard, and have some plan to cope with that (hot chocolate, pick me up playlist, snack break, etc.), because there will be some mental struggles! All you can do is be ready for them.
This was so so helpful – even though I only answer now.
Powerbanks: I ended up buying two (25000 and 10000 mAh) and most likely it’s too much. But since the cold can drain them faster and I need to rely on my phone for photos and videos I rather have the back up. I ended up getting an Ankor and Ugreen one.
Backpacks: I did look closely at your osprey. I actually do not needit for the tour just to get there. Everything we take will be packed in the pulkas in a waterproof bag. So the backpack is more used after the trip for my business travels which makes it hard since I want it for two different purposes. I am not yet fully decided between these two: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0FF4TFCW3 and this one https://atlasgrey.de/products/travelly?variant=52694294364427
Bathroom: apparently we are doing it in the snow and leave everything. I am not sure how I feel about it if I am honest but I won’t be the only one taking my s*it either. Definitely won’t leave my tampons though.
Devices: I will take my Apple Watch after your comment. Thank you. I’ll leave the kindle though as I have the kindle app on the phone and if I really need go read something I can do it there. As for the earbuds I might through them in as they don’t really weigh anything.
Thank you for all your encouragement and valuable tips along the prep way. I might through in some hot chocolate. Great pick me up. And I am working a 5 min motivational affirmation meditation to have ready to go.
I am SO EXCITED and SO NERVOUS for you, Tobia! This is such a big thing and I am so impressed by you. I have no helpful advice, except I want to know how you delay your period, lol. I WOULD LOVE THAT.
Yes that would be such a relief if I can delay it a few days. I will report. Yesterday I had to walk somewhere and I was so short on breath. Oh the doubt. I am impressed by my own courage and that may be what’s keeping me going – it feels like I am watching someone else do this.