When I was prepping for Svalbard I made a packing list. All in my packing list was pretty accurate. But some things I could have prepared better.
First on the list would be a pair of binoculars. I never bring them on my hikes on mainland Norway but here on Svalbard, they are a necessity. The best polar bear protection is being aware of your surroundings and knowing what to do to prevent and mitigate an unwelcome polar bear encounter. A pair of binoculars certainly helps with that. From a distance, every white rock looks like a polar bear and a quick look with the bino’s will help distinguish rock from bear.
The second thing would be a pair of water-tight boots. Taking your shoes off for a river crossing is uncomfortable at best, and a recipe for frostbite at worst. So for the shallower river crossings, I recommend some wellies. I also should have brought some extra indoor shoes/slippers to keep at UNIS. So that I didn’t would have to carry them back and forth all the time.
Last but not least, I’ve really missed my guitar while here on Svalbard. This place absolutely breathes the blues, and I am not surprised that they have a popular blues festival in October. Taking my guitar on the plane might have been a bit of a hassle though, but I could at least have put one or two blues harmonicas in my hand luggage.
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