Coming up with the next "big one" is always fun. It leads to a lot of day dreaming, internet research, soul searching, second guessing and finally solid commitment. During the dreaming phase there are so many variables that you can throw up (which is part of the fun!). I tend to go for human-powered expeditions and certainly lean towards natural-powered expeditions. The scope for these journeys are so wide as to make one's final decision a difficult one. Walking, cycling, kayaking, rafting, rowing, gliding, sailing, pack-rafting, even SUPing! What to choose?

In just the last couple of years, the expedition game has evolved. Mode of transport to me, now, is an important consideration to make. Like a jigsaw, the pieces of an expedition must fit together and the way in which I complete my journey is an area in which I must stay new and fresh. Two big hitters in this department at the moment are pack-rafting and stand-up paddle boarding.

Pack-rafting has been a huge hit in the US and Canada, allowing hikers to cover huge distances in a short expedition and obviously much more over longer ones. No longer is a pretty serious bit of whitewater an obstacle to man (or woman) and pack. Take out of pack, unfurl the raft, inflate, clip together your paddle, stow pack and go. Run some awesome river, take out and continue on your way. A man using the pack-raft to great effect just now is Andrew Skurka, he of the ultra-distance walking. Al Humphreys might also have something to say about it in the near future as well. The pack-raft appeals to me on the grounds that it opens up new territory, once quite inaccessible. Definitely on the cards to be used in the future.

Now. SUPing. It's been around for a long, long while and originated in the Hawaiian Islands. A lot of clamoring for the rights of modernising the sport has gone on and is an argument I have no wish to enter here. For me personally, it was Laird Hamilton who first brought it to my attention some years ago. I had only ever thought of it as a wave sport. Just like jumping on a long board and using a single-blade paddle to catch waves and make turns with. It was only more recently that it's use as an expedition tool came to my attention. My buddy, Dave Cornthwaite recently spent 3 days SUPing across Lake Geneva and from Bath to London respectively. In the UK, with the use of a support vehicle, there was no need to lump any kit around. In Switzerland however, Dave simply secured a dry-bag of gear to the deck of his board and away he went. Brilliant! Other folks having a crack at expedition SUPing include Norm Hann on what looks like an amazing journey through British Columbia. Hmmm....

What I dig about both pack-rafting and SUPing is that they are new technologies (or at the very least updated tech) that are viable options for serious expeditions, without being naff. They are not so niche or whacky as to warrant a spot in the sidebar of The Sun is what I mean. They are proper bits of kit for proper use in my field. That gets me excited!