On packing

Packing is a part of the preparation that it’s easy to obsess over. And for good reason, because once you step on the ice if you’ve left something at home, there’s no turning back for it. The flipside of that is the extreme satisfaction of a snail-like existence, moving around (though hopefully at pace!) with everything to hand including a shelter.

It’s a commonplace of cold weather travel that there has to be a balance between minimising weight and ensuring comfort. It’s good to minimise weight because that makes best use of the limited space in the pulk/sledge, and because it’s more efficient to pull less weight. At the same time, it’s important to remember we’re humans, not robots! That’s where the comfort factor comes in, which is highly personal to the individual. Small touches can make a big difference to motivation, like photos of loved ones or a favourite hot drink.

The next critical consideration is whether to take duplicates or spares of items. The ideal is for items not to break, of course, which to an extent comes down to careful and practised use. But when there are unavoidable circumstances, like unusually high winds, breakages can happen, and it’s usually possible to improvise a repair.

The last factor is arrangement or placement of items in the pulk. Certain items need to be kept handy, like snacks and water, while others can be buried deeper. Separation between food and fuel is important in case of leaks, and a good distribution of weight can literally tip the balance between a productive day of travel and the frustration of a constantly-tipping sledge