I was fortunate in the weeks leading up to my departure for Iran to get the support of Sony in my endeavours. Sony hooked me up with exactly what I needed. I had done a lot of research into the best kit for my expedition and that included camera and handycam. Of course I had a wishlist of items but with only a few days to go to I left that was looking decidedly optimistic. Along came Sony and asked how they could help. Awesome! I could have gone for the biggest, baddest DSLR and HD cam that they had. I know they would have been forthcoming, but 2 things (besides common sense) held me back. The first being the inescapable fact that I am no hot shot photographer. What would be the point of lugging around a mega-DSLR with massive lens just to point and shoot and hope for the best? Ditto for the cam. The second consideration was weight. I was looking to walk across the 18th largest country on earth (doesn’t sound that impressive does it?) and also one of the most mountainous, alone, with all my gear on my back. Why make it any more painful?

With all that in mind Sony offered the perfect solution – the Sony Alpha 230 DSLR and Sony XR550V Full HD Hard Disk Drive camcorder. Jeez Louise! I could not have asked for more appropriate kit. I won’t bore you with their mighty specs (click on the links to check them out) but just briefly, on the DSLR – smaller and lighter than others in its class with no reduction in picture quality or function. Exactly what I needed. I got a little carried away at the start of my walk testing all the functions but soon realised that with my limited skills using the auto settings (portrait, landscape, sunset etc.) I managed to pull out some pretty decent shots without even trying (or rather knowing). Can’t knock that!

One bit of kit that I know won’t ever let me down, can take all the knocks in the mountains, deserts, jungle and on river is a wristop computer from Suunto. I probably don’t need to go into detail about the quality of gear that Suunto manufactures – it is what has made them a global name already. I do sound a bit like a salesman for the company at times I do realise, but as I wrote in my last post – it’s only because I truly believe in their kit. If you followed my walk across Iran I do hope you managed to visit my Location Map – powered by the Suunto X10. This was the first time I had the opportunity to use the X10 in anger. In all honesty (as some of you might well suspect) I am a pretty simple guy. A lot of technical considerations in the outdoors for the end user do not really take up a lot of space in my brain. If a jacket is light, keeps me dry and breathes well (maybe I look pretty cool in it as well) then it makes the cut. Boots? Tough, comfortable? They are in. The same goes for my gear from Suunto. The X10 could do just about everything but walk for me. Again, the specs can be found on my Location Map page, so I won’t go into detail. Suffice to say in Iran I used it mostly for altitude checks, bearing, weather checks, time (!) and occasional location checks via the GPS function. I also marked waypoints along the way. That was it. It does so much more but I was too busy whinging and moaning about how hard my journey was to get too into it.

Right, heaping praise on kit has gotten old! What didn’t work? What was a drag, literally, to carry around for 2 months? Easy enough to start – cables! I had data cables, recharge docks, a card reader, a 250 GB portable hard rive, a Sony software CD…aaarggh! Too much electronic kak! What can you do? I needed to charge my camera and cam. I had to transfer photos onto the hard drive. I am searching for an answer. It seems I am corrupted by chasing adventure and expeditions as my job. I need the photos. I need the footage. A little annoying but will work on a plan. Any suggestions much appreciated.

I feel a little bad targeting the next 2 bits of kit that were next to useless on my walk across Iran. But only a little. Both are quality and both have their place on an expedition. It just turned out not to be on mine! A week before I left London I forked out £35 on a MSR Titan Kettle. Lightweight, tough, perfect volume. I’ll enjoy a good few cups of morning coffee with this contraption I thought. But…no. It’s back in my gear cupboard without having felt a drop of liquid in it. The reason behind it being a non-starter in my line-up has more to do with the fact I stayed in so many Iranian houses than it does with it being poor kit. I look forward to christening my kettle this year somewhere and am happy that it is made from titanium – at least it did not weigh so much. Another unfortunate addition to my useless kit list is the Light My Fire Swedish Fire-steel. I am bummed not to have used it, but again, lighting a fire on someones living room floor to keep warm just wasn’t necessary. I ended up giving it away to one of my hosts just before Yasuj. Funnily enough it was just after this that I did a lot of camping and ended up buying some matches to light my fires. Oh well! Minor blemishes on my kit selection prowess.

As with all other aspects of expedition preparation I spend a lot of time making sure I have the right equipment for the job. Being a gear addict helps, but it is also an important task. Because of this I can honestly say that overall my kit was spot on. I would not have traded any of it for a replacements (I would have dumped my kettle if it had not set me back 35 quid but!).

Meindl had sent me out a couple of pairs of boots to test out – the Burma Pro and Softline Ultra GTX. I was fortunate enough to be able to give them a run through in the Pyrenees and a tougher assault on 2 Kili summits. Both boots were excellent. The Softline Ultras weigh in at around 700gms (UK size 12) and seemed perfect for a long distance trek over changing terrain. On Kili they were very comfortable and being so light were a pleasure to walk in. As with any light weight boot the trade off is support and in the mid-sole. This is no fault in design but an onus is on the user selecting the right boot for their activity. The Burma Pros while being heavier were as comfortable and the support in the mountains just brilliant. Carrying a heavier than expected pack also meant that the mid-sole took the load with ease. These boots ate up all that Iran could throw at them. Ploughing through deep snow, kicking my way through rocky desert and of course plodding along boring tarmac! Final proof of their comfort comes by the fact that 2 weeks back in London has seen me in them everyday. I just cannot let go of them. I usually get around the city in a pair of skater shoes (strange, as I cannot even stand straight on a skateboard!) but they have stayed relegated to my closet. Not sure when I will be able to let my Meindls go! (even if I do look like a bit of a hero!)

A bit of kit that you could argue I could have gotten away without, were my Zeal Optics Swap-its. To that I would (most politely) say – YOU’RE WRONG! These bad boys were on my face from sun-up to sun-down. Being optically challenged, Zeal hook me up with their Polarised prescription ZB-13 lenses for all my sunglasses. Unbeatable!

Through the Alborz and Zagros with blue-sky days and snow as far as the eye can see, having close-fitting, polarised sunglasses was essential. In the desert and the gulf with the sun beating down, likewise. For a second major expedition, Zeal Optics made my life a whole lot easier. I got some shocking Racoon-eyes by the end of my journey I can assure you. For a little explanation of just why I trust Zeal Optics to supply me with the best eyewear for the outdoors check this out – Zeal Optics Transcend GPS Goggle. The world’s first GPS enabled googles with integrated “Head Mounted Display” system. With the push of a button the rider can call up data right in front of his/her eyes and like a jet pilot display information such as speed, altitude, temperature, time, GPS location and stop watch. How cool is that! All I have to do now is convince Zeal that I need a pair for my next…umm…snowboarding expedition. Yeh, that’s it!

Tomorrow, the camera that turned me into an ace photographer and the watch that has so many applications I still don’t know how to use all it’s functions! I will also have a stab at picking out my most useless kit!

NB. I do appreciate that all my kit is sponsored and the cynics may decide it unlikely that I would say a bad word against these companies. True enough I suppose, but I would never choose to head off on an expedition, putting myself in harms way (or at least being uncomfortable for weeks on end) with kit that I did not truly believe in. I do not jump in to bed with just anyone who will have me! I use this particular kit and partner with these specific companies because they are the best at what they do. End of story! (Now check out this ad for Suunto below!)

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