Who would have thought that, after voyaging to the Antarctic, there would be gaps in the gear I need to take to the Arctic?

Well, apparently there are.

Both travel operators provided us with a comprehensive list of what to bring. Apart from the expected clothing, accessory, and equipment suggestions, I noted the following:

• In Greenland the air is dry and the sun is strong, and we will be outdoors more often and for longer periods, so we need to bring plenty of sunscreen, lip balm, and potentially eye drops.
• Also in Greenland there are mosquitos! They have recommended a mosquito net. (I’ll have to check whether I still have the one I took to the Simpson Desert!)
• Earplugs (because the sled dogs bark loudly)
• Eye mask (because the sun never sets)
• Swimsuit (?!)
• My suitcase needs to be a soft bag to be able to store in the cabin on the Svalbard voyage
• I also need a small bag (in addition to my day pack) for our stay at the Glacier Lodge Eqi, as it’s a steep hike from the port to the lodge on uneven terrain.

So, I made some decisions around what clothing and equipment I could reuse from my Antarctic trip, and what items I should replace and/or invest in.

Here’s what I have come up with so far:

1. Camera. Is it time to buy a new camera? Do I need to take a tripod? I’ll report on this in a separate post.
2. Jacket(s) I’ll let you know about this when I know! But my initial feeling is that I will take the “Big Red Jacket” which I took to the Antarctic (see this post about how I prepared the jacket for my Antarctic trip!)
3. Waterproof/windproof trousers. Because I will be doing some walking in Greenland, I decided to buy a pair of insulated pants which were water resistant, if not totally waterproof. I have yet to decide whether to take the fully waterproof pants which I took to the Antarctic.
4. Boots. Believe it or not, I didn’t have a pair of hiking boots. I’ve always done my walking in a good pair of Gore-Tex walking shoes. In the Antarctic we were supplied with gumboots, and we will be supplied with these again when doing the Svalbard voyage. For my walks on the subantarctic islands I wore by Gore-Tex walking shoes. However, given the snow and ice I will be encountering, particularly walking in Greenland, I decided that it was time to buy a pair of hiking shoes.
5. Do I need a walking stick? I suspect the answer to this question will depend on whether I have room in my bag!
6. Speaking of bags, I needed to invest in another one – a wheeling duffle bag, no less. Apart from the weight restrictions (no more than 20kg), I needed a soft bag which could be stored efficiently in my cabin on the Svalbard voyage.

• 

• 

7. Binoculars (or “bins” as they are sometimes referred to): the binoculars I took to the Antarctic were designed for boating  and were large and heavy. As you can gather, I am focussing (pardon the pun) on the size and weight of the equipment I’m taking, and so I decided that buying a new pair of binoculars would be a good investment. I will be spending a lot of time wildlife spotting, after all! I have purchased a pair of Inara 8 x 25 binoculars which are small and light.

• 

• 

So, for the time being I think I am in good shape regarding my equipment. I’ll provide an update on my actual packing list closer to departure.

Meanwhile, it’s only 121 days to go!