30kg for six weeks

Less than one day left, and I have just finished packing my bags for 6 weeks in Antarctica. All the cold weather gear is supplied by IPEV (the French polar institute) and should be waiting for me in Christchurch NZ. I go through Paris, Hong Kong and Auckland to Christchurch, then fly to McMurdo, and then on to Concordia, so there will be no seasick posts from the Astrolabe this year - yay! The rest of the stuff I am taking is shown below:


And here is what it all packs down to:


Not bad, eh? It all weighs in at under 30kg (of which 9kg are scientific material we shall need in the first two weeks at Concordia): so whoever said girls cannot travel light should think again.

To be perfectly honest, I'm not quite finished packing: I am still missing the warm socks I got during last year's trip and my pocket knife, both of which are probably in my office. At least I hope they are, for I don't much fancy leaving without them!

PS: Found the socks. Still no knife...

PPS: Phew! Finally found the knife! It was at home after all...