11 kg plus (24 pounds) and the arrival of the first kit to help me survive!

Mikael Strandberg

26 Dec 2012

The family spent the Christmas Holidays in Dala-Järna, where I am born, atmosphere and temperature where great. -5 Celsius and quite good on the snowy side. I checked my weight before starting to eat the enormous amounts of food that we in the rich world have served at our dinner tables. I had added on -11 kg:s since the beginning of November, when we started to prepare for going to Yakutia again. The girls are doing relatively well as well.We are now the chubby family! Howver, I have three weeks to add a few more. I had 18 kg:s plus 2004-05, but this time I don´t think it will be as hard work, but colder. And this time I haven´t had a few months of slowly adjusting like last time, now it will hit me immediately. The girls will stay in Yakustk in a flat we have hired and I will had out on one of the coldest expeditions in modern Russian history.

It is great with Christmas, but it complicates the preparations. I have been off training now for ten days and sure, it is due to the flu, but I will loose some power there. But back to the gym tomorrow. The first piece of a gigantic kit list to come, arrived today. To the local Russian store, which is almost our neighbour and where we buy pelmeni as often as we can. I guess you could say it was my one and only Christmas present. Boots from Baffin.

Right now I am working on the medicine kit and it will be something along these lines:

1 tin with tiger balsam (R)
1 First aid kit
1 Nail scissors (R)
1 Tweezers
10 sun sticks for the nose and sensitive places
1 tube Helosan
Alvedon (R)
Antibiotics (R)
Anti-inflammatory medicine (R)
Antiseptic crèmes and powder (R)
Antiseptic means (R)
Blood stoppers (R)
Diarrhea cure
Elastic bandages (R)
Foot powder (R)
Cannulas (R)
Surgeon tape
Knee protection
Compresses (R)
Leukastrips (R)
Leukoplast (R)
Immodium
Losec
Novalucol, 2 pills per day
Penicillin (R)
Plasters (R)
Chafe tape
Painkillers (R)
High sunprotection
Sterile dressings (R)
Wound cleaners (R)
Safety pins
Talcum (R)
Petrolatum
Zincsalve
Eyedrops
Eyesalve
Eardrops

Only three weeks to go, we don´t have all visas yet, no camera equipment and most of the Expedition kit is on its way. It is all as usual. Extremely stressful, but fun!

-37 degrees Celsius in Verkhoyansk today and the same in Yakutsk. But 0 in Moscow.