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Active holiday in Sweden

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KarenD

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Type 1
Hello all

I will be travelling to Sweden in December for an active holiday (dog sledding, ice climbing, snow shoeing..). We are likely to get very tired as active during the day, then late nights hoping to see Northern Lights which I expect to affect my sugar levels.

I am insulin dependent and would appreciate tips from anyone who may have been there or experienced similar cold conditions (approx -15 degrees). In particular -
- i am wondering how to store my insulin pen and meter while i am out to stop them freezing. I am thinking of having them close to my skin, so that body heat will keep them warm.
- what is it like testing your blood sugar when it is so cold? Any tips on getting a true reading without getting frostbite?

Many thanks
 
Daft as it sounds, a Frio can keep stuff at an ambient temperature so can be used in the cold as well as the hot. Only trouble is I dunno how you'd stop the Frio freezing!

I go with next to you but the trouble with that is, if you need your meter in a hurry. I know last winter a T2 plumber friend had terrible trouble with his meter out on site, as normally he keeps it in his lunch box in his van which of course got very cold.
 
Hi Karen, well my experience comes from snowboarding holidays I keep my meter in my inside jacket pocket and test every few hours as I am so active on the mountain. It's also quite nice to sit down have a breather and look at a breathtaking view for a change. Regarding my insulin I keep it in a back pack with my hypo treatments, however we do tend to go boarding between Feb to March so I cannot remember the temp but it's never caused a problem with my insulin. You could always double layer it or as you have said keep it next to your body for the body heat 🙂 mind you this holiday I will be on the pump so I will def be able to see how robust it is lol - hope this helped a little 🙂
 
Have had a few probs with Meter when cold. The one i keep in van doesnt like being cold. I put it in pocket a while before use. I went on Motorbike & did a lot, Norway,Sweden,Astonia,Latvia.Lithuania. & back into Sweden. It was the worst rain they had had for 100yrs & remember aquaplaining on a bike 😱 Enjoy
 
Welcome to the forum, KarenD

A couple of years ago, I spent a few days in Tromso, northern Norway, including a couple of days nordic skiing. I simply kept meter and insulin for day in an inside jacket pocket. Obviously, best to have hands uncovered for as little time as possible when testing blood sugar, but that's not too difficult. If it's windy, then sit with back to wind. In fact, it's also best to keep emergency sweets, muesli bars etc all in inside pockets to keep them soft - frozen toffee can cause broken teeth!

In general, you'll probably need to reduce insulin doses - more detailed information at www.runsweet.com
 
I'm sure you will find a good solution to your questions and I hope you enjoy your fantastic holiday in Sweden, it sounds so wonderful 🙂
 
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