Upon arrival at Fairbanks in Alaska, I immediately cycled to Billie’s Backpackers Hostel. I had imagined a somewhat different start than actually happened. I didn’t expect to be completely exhausted. Whether I caught a flu or all the hustle and bustle just got too much for me, I don’t know exactly, but I needed a whole week to regain my strength.
Preparing for a trip like this is no small feat. The endless search for the right equipment, the right online knowledge and experiences, is very time-consuming. With my budget, that is often about closing second-hand deals and hoping that the stuff is in good condition. That has worked out pretty well for me over the past few months and years. But especially these last few weeks I was still busy making sure that I really would be fully prepared for the harsh winter cold in Alaska. My agenda was therefore quite full, some last things to close work properly, visit some people who are dear to me, quality time with my girlfriend Lisa and then just last minute buy a SPOT Satellite Messenger for emergency protection. A rat race against time with an emotional goodbye with Lisa just before departure at the airport in Amsterdam. And then I was on the plane and I started to feel more and more uncomfortable. A pain here and a pain there. The family with two unstoppably restless kids next to me on the plane to Seattle didn’t help either. In Seattle I was subjected to a good conversation with US Customs and upon arrival at Fairbanks it was time to assemble my bike. Another 10km of cycling in -10°C and when I finally arrived at Billie’s I was really broken.
Now, after a few nights and days of rest, I feel a lot better. It’s even time to start thinking about going on the road. I’ve been invited to Fairbanks by someone who likes to have bike travelers over, even though they all come in the summer. I have a garage, a backyard and temperatures below -20°C at my disposal. My gear has now been tested and I have found someone who is willing to drop me off at the Arctic Circle point on the Dalton Highway. This will be the official starting point of this trip and in a few days I will start cycling there.
Follow my exact location via this link.
This is my nutrition prep for the upcoming days:
Breakfast (1060kcal)
- 2x Quaker Oats Express Protein 37,5 gram (280kcal)
- 1x Raisins 40gr (120kcal)
- 1x Eat Natural Nuts and Seeds 100gr (450kcal)
- 1x Campina Milk Powder 60 gram (210kcal)
Lunch and snacks (1700kcal)
- 1x Lunch Adventure Food Pasta or Curry or Expedition Breakfast (600kcal)
- 1x Powerbar Proteine Plus 55gr (191kcal)
- 1x Powerbar Energize Advanced 55gr (208kcal)
- 1x Isostar Energy Bar 40gr (160kcal)
- 1x Nakd Reep 35gr (130 kcal)
- 1x Puritan whole food nutrition Cocoa 50gr (230kcal)
- 1x Sausage Sticks 25gr (130kcal)
Dinner (1200kcal)
- 1x Adventure Food Pasta or Curry (600kcal)
- 1x Nestlé Rick Milk Chocolate (100kcal)
- 1x Powerbar Proteine Plus 55gr (191kcal)
- 1x Cheese Cake Pudding or Granola with Milk (300kcal)
Vitamins
- 1x Lucovitaal Magnesium 400mg 2go 2,8gr
Or
- 1x Lucovitaal Magnesium Tabletten Vitaminen en Mineralen Compleet
Check out my gear here.
