Kit, gear, equipment: Travelling stuff

What to take as carry-on hand luggage

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The carry-on hand luggage is always a compromise between what you might need or want during the flight, and what you are willing to carry and allowed to take on board. However, when flying long-haul, or even medium-haul (e.g. Europe to North America, with flights taking 6 to 8 hours), one needs to consider carefully the essentials that will contribute to a less tiring and more pleasant journey.==Four absolute essentials==(1) Essential medicine. If there is any medication you have to take, pack it in the carry-on bag. Some types might need a special permission (e.g. insulin or anything else that requires syringes). Have a prescription with you as well, and enough supply to last ...Read More

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Asus Eee PC: Take your Internet travelling with you

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We needed a portable computer to take with us when travelling (and I wanted a laptop anyway). The solution was to go for one of the suddenly so popular netbooks and thus the Asus EeePC 1005HA was purchased. I will not regale you here with a spec or technical test details as the spec is available elsewhere and I am not competent technical tester, so this is a purely user review. And an enthusiastic one. The main reason I was wary of buying a netbook was the size: firstly, of keyboard, and secondly, of screen. I am very happy to report that the keyboard in this netbook is very good. Apparently more than 90% size of the full-sized laptop, it took me less than two days ...Read More

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Merrell Chameleon Kahuna: Great trekking sandals

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I bought a pair of Merrell Chameleon when my old sandals died on me after a few years of use. I initially resented spending £50 on a pair of summer shoes, but as I got four years decent service out of them (and they might just about last another year) I feel it was a gamble that paid off. These have Vibram soles with excellent grip (this is just about starting to develop some small holes, but I wore them a lot on all kinds of surfaces, and my husband also occasionally did). The uppers are suede (or is it nubuck?) with neoprene lining which means that the shoes are comfortable and wearbale from the first day, and don't cause blisters or rubbing on bare feet even in the heat. The...Read More

I bought a pair of Merrell Chameleon when my old sandals died on me after a few years of use. I initially resented spending £50 on a pair of summer shoes, but as I got four years decent service out of them (and they might just about last another year) I feel it was a gamble that paid off.

These have Vibram soles with excellent grip (this is just about starting to develop some small holes, but I wore them a lot on all kinds of surfaces, and my husband also occasionally did).

The uppers are suede (or is it nubuck?) with neoprene lining which means that the shoes are comfortable and wearbale from the first day, and don't cause blisters or rubbing on bare feet even in the heat. The front is adjustable but I think that many people would find it too loose: I have a high arch and VERY wide feet and the front is still a little loose (this is now after 4 years of use).

The ankle straps are excellent; many sandals cause the toes or the heel to slide out of the shoe, but in these my foot sits just where it should. It's easy to get the right level of tightness too, and the velcro fastening is very secure and doesn't need too much refastening.

The support the soles offer is pretty good for sandals, though I had better; but they are solid enough to walk on pretty rough and stony ground and you certainly walk few miles in these. A young and light person should be also able to use the Chameleon for going up and down hills; I am to creaky and heavy to do it without boots now.

And finally, the Chamelons are waterproof and I can certify to many instances of wading in them, sometimes keeping them wet for hours in both fresh and seawater. They are not perfect as water shoes as they are quite heavy (swimming isn't easy) and as in all sandals, when wet, the foot slides too far forward, but they are not bad at all and fording a stream or a beachside paddle shouldn't be a problem at all.

All in all, an excellent trekking sandal and well worth the money. When my current pair dies I will almost certainly get another one. Read Less

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Karrimor Bobcat: Comfortable 65 litre rucksack

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I bought the Karrimor Bobcat 65 when my £25 rucksack from Aldi gave up the ghost after five years of service (I had hoped for one so it was pretty good). I normally buy cheapie walking equipment (apart from boots) as I think there is a lot of snobbery and ''statement making'' about all those brands that are perhaps offering added advantages for serious mountaineers or at the advanced age when every bit of technological help one can get is important but are just a way of showing off for most people who climb an odd hill and use the kit for ''normal'' travelling and walking around. It never ceases to amaze me how an unfit 20-something or a child can go up a hill in trainers and jeans but a 6...Read More

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Brasher Supalite GTX: The best light boot in the world

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Tofino beach: My Brashers first on the right Photo - Canada, North America

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I have to start by admitting that my Supalite Brashers are actually male ones as unfortunately the highest size available in female was 8 and I needed 9. I was, however, assured by the guys in Black's that there wasn't much difference and if they felt right they would be right.Now, they felt more than right – they felt absolutely fabulous. "Supalite" is a fitting name, as each boot weighs barely 500g and on first trying fitted beautifully. This isn't a common occurrence for me. I hate buying shoes, and although it doesn't apply as much to buying boots and trainers as to more dressy shoes it's still an ordeal. I have long and very wide feet with high arches, and as I got older and fatter th...Read More

I have to start by admitting that my Supalite Brashers are actually male ones as unfortunately the highest size available in female was 8 and I needed 9. I was, however, assured by the guys in Black's that there wasn't much difference and if they felt right they would be right.

Now, they felt more than right – they felt absolutely fabulous. "Supalite" is a fitting name, as each boot weighs barely 500g and on first trying fitted beautifully. This isn't a common occurrence for me. I hate buying shoes, and although it doesn't apply as much to buying boots and trainers as to more dressy shoes it's still an ordeal. I have long and very wide feet with high arches, and as I got older and fatter they seem to have grown longer and wider. And thus, although I had huge psychological problem even contemplating spending 100 GBP on a pair of boots, after trying countless other pairs in three other shops I decided to go for the Brashers.

After all, I needed boots for our six-months long trip to Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We were weight and space limited (2 adults, 2 children, 4 sleeping bags, 2 camping mats, mostly cold weather months and the worst exchange rate for ten years or so) and thus I needed footwear that would do for everything from pounding city pavements to (mild) trail-walking, in temperatures ranging between below zero to mid-twenties.

The Brashers did admirably. I had no other shoes with me apart from a pair of crocs for indoors when necessary and thus I wore them pretty much every day between early March and October 2010. My feel were – a little bit – sore after the first couple of days (but I did a lot of walking) but they didn't take more than four days and maybe a total of 10 miles walked to break in completely. This is unheard of for me, as most footwear takes me weeks to get used to.

The Goretex kept me dry, with a little bit of NikWax care every few weeks, throughout. I used the boots in the rain, in the pouring rain, in the sleet and in the snow, I walked into puddles and even (sort-of) forded streams and they stayed dry and comfortable.

I don't like too stiff boots and the Supalite Brashers were just right on that score: when laced up all the way they worked fine on all rougher terrain I subjected them to (although admittedly there was nothing out of the ordinary, as we had the kids with us at al times) and with looser and lower laces they were find for pottering about. I even learned to drive in them!

I used heel cups in the boots and this probably helped a lot on pavements: I think without those, they might have been a bit hard on the sole in the city. However, I am old, very heavy and arthritic so probably more likely to suffer anyway.

All in all, the boots were worth every penny of the 109 pounds I spent on them and already have paid for themselves. I don't wear them as much now as we have been back to the UK for a few months and I wear trainers most of the time, but whenever I put them back on for a countryside walk, I still appreciate the great quality of the boots.
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