What to bring

Ok. So you are going to Chernobyl. What to bring? That depends on what you're going to do. Personally I'm going to work with soil and plants. I'm going to bring ordanary trekking gear.

Basically it's this. From the left: my soft shell trekking suit. Expensive as hell, but with real quality. My gore-tex mountain shoes, which have proven themselves in very hostile environment for years. Then a bag of personal clothes - from woolen socks to hoodies. Also seen: instant coffee, memory card for my camera, old fashioned videocam w/ cords. My large suitcase, an adapter for some equipment I don't know much about, novel, light backpack. Not pictured: my plain clothes for dinners and going through customs, laptop, camera, dosiometer, ecotox and plant books and important papers.

However, here's my personal dosiometer. What I've taken of work-related radiation this year, this little thingy also has taken. It even has an alarm for acute high doses, although it's never gone off when I've had it. Behind it is my important papers: passport, visa, plane tickets... putting all my eggs in one basket.