Troy Henkels has been part of several Kokatat sponsored expeditions, including In the Wake of the Belgica – Antarctica Sail Expedition.  He wanted to share some of the training methods he uses to get ready for his expeditions.

“Preparations and training are well under way for a Last Degree Expedition to the North Pole. Dixie Dansercoer and I will guide a group of business professionals on an adventure of a lifetime to ski the last degree to the North Pole in early April.

There are numerous challenges for such an expedition: the easy one to contend with is the physical conditioning required. I have been running several miles every day dragging a spare tire behind me in order to get more fit. I get some funny looks, but it is great conditioning.

One of the more difficult challenges to prepare for is the inevitable confrontation with open stretches (”leads”) of water amongst the ice. Kokatat plays a key role in this; even though it is mid winter in Alaska, training in the water still happens. With several layers of fleece and my Kokatat GORE-TEX® Expedition dry suit, I pick the coldest days and go swimming amongst the moving icebergs and currents of Knik Arm in Cook Inlet. Not only does this allow me the opportunity to see how my equipment works under these conditions, but it is also very important mentally. Valuable time can be spent looking for a safe route around the open lead when confronted with one on the way to the Pole. The best way to deal with it is to put on the dry suit and swim across, saving time and physical effort.  When confronted with the extreme cold and remote nature of traveling to the North Pole this can be a bit perplexing. Practicing in the cold Alaska winter in cold water allows me to not think twice about jumping in! Thank you, Kokatat!” Troy Henkels