2022: on the home stretch before departure

Only weeks left until departure. Time to make the last preparations. Some of these things could not be done earlier and others I put off.

Simple things first: take out DNT membership and order DNT keys to get access to the cabins of the Norwegian tourist association.

Then I had to decide on the route to my starting point Mehamn. Connected to this was one of the most burning questions since the start of my planning: where do I get gas for my stove? I cannot transport it from home by plane. The decisive tip came from my son. Instead of flying directly to Mehamn, meaning directly from the everyday life into wilderness, he suggested a more comfortable journey: fly to Hammerfest, get your supplies and continue with the Hurtigruten to Mehamn. Super! Two birds with one stone.

Then the last decisions had to be made regarding the equipment. I replaced my old sleeping bag, purchased a strong powerbank to keep my electronic devices alive (gps-watch and mobile phone), completed the repair kit and put togther a small travel pharmacy.

For the pathless sections of my tour in the north I printet maps on paper in order to have a backup to my main navigation by mobile phone.

For quite some time I had the idea of reporting in a blog about my adventure. Good things take time. I started to write content step by step to approach my first blog. Fortunately I found technical support from my wife.

Four months of absence from work also means that there is still a lot to be sorted out. The deputy needs to be definitely arranged, the customers and partners to be informed and the important work has to be initiated and finished before my departure. It remains busy until the last day.

With departure approaching, I realize that time with my wife, family and friends is running out. The weekends are already fully booked! Hopefully everything is in place now to be able to enjoy the remaining time with those closest to me.