ConstantRadius

Gear Update : 06/01/2006 - The Last Packing

With our return to the States, we had the pleasure of weighing our packs for the last time. It was amazing to see how we had reduced our gear over the year. We had it down to the absoulte bare minimum and our backs thanked us for it.

Our gear after the trip

Our gear at the beginning of the trip

Gear Update : 03/01/2006 - The Brazilian Reduction

With our flight from Paraguay to Sao Paulo only hours away and the recent rejection of our Brazilian visa extension fresh in our minds; it was time to make some tough decisions. We only had one 11 day Brazilian visa for each of us and we were traveling through Brazil twice with overnight layovers both directions. Our visas would only get us through immigratoin once, so the best choice we had was to stay in transit for one of these trips. The only way to stay in transit overnight is to travel with carry on luggage only (you must go through immigration before retrieving checked bags). So our last hours in Paraguay were spent figuring out how to get our bags so small we could carry them on. The easiest stuff was the replaceable goods like soap and shampoo which were left to the maid along with some clothes and other stuff. Then some of our better clothes, our headlamps, the Airporter bag, and the Pacsafe bag all went home via DHL. Before we knew it we were down to carry on size bags. When we walked out the door of the hotel the next morning our packs (excluding my camera bag) weighed a combined weight of under 20 kilos (we started the whole trip with a combined weight 49 kilos). What a rush! After months of scheming on how to lighten up the packs, the Brazilians made us figure it out.

Gear Update : 02/11/2006 - Nancy and Dru Resupply

Nancy and Dru with the monster bag The big and eagerly awaited Antarctica trip has finally arrived and we had the great fortune of being joined by our good friends from home, Nancy and Dru. In addition to the excitement of seeing them and making the big trip to the White Continent; we were also thrilled by the bag of goodies that they so kindly brought down for us.

After more than seven months on the road and about three of them spent in a tent, our camping was drawing to a close. From this point forward we will be in warmer climates and the opportunities and financial benefits of camping will dwindle. So we made the big choice to downsize our gear. In order to accomplish this, Brice's folks pillaged our piles of extra gear at home and made a few special orders for us. The big items were our much smaller lightweight packs (65 liter Osprey and 45 liter Arcteryx packs) and a Feathered Friends 30 degree two person sleeping bag (which weighs three pounds compared to the eight pounds of our current bags). By the time we departed for Antarctica, we had donated many of our winter clothes and Naomi's hiking boots.

Loving the new packs We then took most of our camping and cold weather gear (tent, warm sleeping bags, down jackets, etc) and our big 90 liter Osprey packs and packed them up for Nancy and Dru to take home. We felt so guilty when we saw their faces when they saw the monstrosity of a bag we were asking them to take home. But they took it in stride and we owe them big time now (many Guinesses and gin and tonics for you guys when we return!). The end result of our juggling, donating and shipping is a set of packs that are about half of the size we started the trip with. Living out of and with these packs for so long has made us so conscience of their size and weight that this change is one of the most anticpated events in months.

In addition to the gear they brought, we also got some great books (English books are getting harder to find down here), some of my mom's awesome Christmas candy, and a hot new 80-400 camera lens for all of the wildlife that we are anticipating.

Gear List

Trying to pack for a year long trip has been an interesting experience. Having to distill life's material needs down to the bare minimum, we need to carry everything we need to survive day to day in an array of environments. From the beaches of Samoa to the Himalayan peaks of Bhutan, there are extremes of weather as well availability. While you can find an electric outlet anywhere in New Zealand, its not so easy to find on in Antarctica. Any medication we might need, from Advil to malaria medication, we brought with us. Take a look inside of our bags

Because of our intentions to see many of the natural wonders the world has to offer, we also need to bring sufficient camping gear to get out backpacking for days at a time. Our clothes had to be sufficient to match our destinations, yet light and easily cleaned. We have to carry the day to day essentials like a toothbrush, soap, shampoo, but some of the creature comforts as well. Because of our desire to document this trip and capture its sights, we need to bring the necessary camera equipment and computer hardware. This equipment has to be durable, small, and light; with as much redundancy as possible to prevent hardware failure from being a show-stopper. Carrying this kind of equipment brings burdens other than weight, we also have to be aware of the risks of climate and theft, bringing items to keep them dry and secure.

We spent much time gathering our gear and refining it to the best possible configuration we could come to. As the trip progresses, the contents of our packs will grow and shrink. Some things will be discarded, some things aquired, and some will surely be lost to weather or use.

We started off with two Osprey Crescent 90 backpacks - these are good old-fashion big backpacking packs. Then we added a pair of 1.5 litre daypacks and started filling them up. Starting off with the bare essentials, we have a toiletry bag, a medical kit, a toothbrush and a roll of toilet paper.

From there, we add some clothes.

For Naomi