Are You Ready, Boots?

One of the first things we bought for this trip was footwear (as described here), way back in August last year. 

Continuing the theme of Nancy Sinatra's hit from 1965, we've recently been worrying about the Arctic and sub-arctic conditions we'll be facing, and wondering if our boots are, in fact, ready to start walking.

It's a conundrum. How much to prepare, and for what conditions. Europe has been enjoying the hottest January on record, up to now, but that heat hasn't really stretched all the way up to Northern Norway and even if it had there's no guarantee it'll stay like that. How would we feel if we'd gone all that way, only to be stuck on board ship because we don't have boots that can... well... start walking?

You'll remember we're also armed with YakTraks. But these fierce little buggers aren't allowed aboard. And even if they were, they definitely wouldn't be allowed on the Zodiacs that we'll occasionally be using to transfer to shore. Sharp metal and inflated rubber don't make good bedfellows. Even on shore, many shops and other establishments insist they're removed before entering. And having tested them out, we know that we really do need to sit down to get them on properly. So once we've taken them off, they'd have to stay off.

Like I said, a conundrum.

After hanging out on the forums for several months, Nikki reached the point of decision. What we had wasn't gonna be good enough, and if we arrived to face surfaces of extreme snow or ice, we'd end up having to buy new boots locally. And Norway ain't cheap. Better to be properly prepared, we decided, with these.

Knixmax Winter Snow Boots - "fur" lined and with extra-deep treads!

Feel a lot happier now, and more confident that perambulation will be possible whatever the weather. If it's too bad to manage with these guys, we wouldn't have been going out in it anyway!