Organizing your gear on the floor is a good way to see it all and make sure you have the right stuff before you pack it all away. Note the paper Arctic tern on the door which we made in class at the end of the year. It's going all the way to the Arctic, guys!
Packing for the trip was a little hectic! My wife and baby and I just arrived at home in Denver after a 3-weeks trip out to the north west and I only had one day to unpack from that trip, do the laundry and pack for this expedition. I hope I remembered to bring everything! I set up my tent in the living room to make sure it had all the right parts.
My wife Kitty was so helpful. She took care of our little baby Holt who is more than four months old now. I'm sorry to leave her alone now for three and half weeks but she understands this is an amazing opportunity for a third and fourth grade teacher.
We had a few friends over last night and grilled some chicken and burgers. I grilled extra chicken for Kitty to eat while I'm away. I wish I had the time to make a few lasagnas for her to pop in the freezer until she's hungry!
Those bags are really heavy! They have the tent, sleeping bag, rubber boots, rain gear, satellite phone, laptop, archaeology text book, etc., etc. I'm going to miss that little house in Denver. The students came over at the end of the year for a house warming and we had a great game of soccer in the back yard. Alaskan Arctic, here we come!