When our sponsors have been extremely kind and donated products for our Trek..and with their permission...we will give an honest appraisel of the product..showing it performance during our training and how it performs in the trek itself...
Sponsors products and test reviews....
Step By Step TO Machu Picchu
SEA TO SUMMIT
On our trek, it was so important to be prepared for all weathers. As we would be travelling up to 4215mtrs and then down into the rainforest we needed to protect ourselves and equipment, from whatever mother nature decided to throw our way.
Before we left, after researching all options available, we decided that we needed to install drysacks in our Osprey rucksacks. This would hopefully give us the added protection we needed. After contacting the company directly they were able to advise us which products would be the most practical to fit our requirements. It wasn't long before we took delivery of the 35l Ultra-Sil® Nano Dry Sacks and slid them into our rucksacks and found they were perfect. Everything we needed on the main part of the trek that needed to be to hand,Waterproof trousers, jackets, snacks, first aid kit, spare clothing, solar charger, headtorch, hats and gloves could all fit in and the best of all the ease of access was superb. Just a couple of folds with the top of the sack and then curve the top to clip the seal together. It couldn't be easier. We also had a weight restriction on our luggage and with the sacks only weighing a couple of ounces, they were perfect. There were many occasions when we had to quickly change from warm, to cold, to wet and back to warm again, so we were pleased that each time we were able to remove our kit from our bags, safe in the knowledge that it was as dry as the time we put it in.
The journey itself went without a hitch and we experienced most weather conditions along the way.We were glad that keeping our stuff dry during the trek was not one of our worries.Thank you to Sea To Summit for producing fantastic products and we would whole heartedly recommend these products to anyone who needs the piece of mind that their kit needed to be safe and dry at all times during their travels.
Powertraveller- Powermonkey Extreme 5volt version
As we were going to be away from most civilisation and modern facilities for a period of time during our trek along the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, we thought it would be wise to have the ability to keep our mobile phones and cameras in operation during this time.
We settled on the Powermonkey Extreme 5v version and the moment we received it we started to use it. Leaving it on the window sill at home charging during the day,it was always ready when we got home from work to charge our, always power hungry, mobile phones. It seemed the box came with all the changeable plugs we would ever need for our products and if we needed anything different then the people at Powertraveller were always keen to source the correct one required. We had been using the Powermonkey during our training weekends also and had found that if the weather in the UK wasn't supplying enough of those suns rays, then we could always plug the power source into the mains and give it a quick boost to supply it with enough power to last you during any trip we had. From Snowdon to Fairlight the Powermonkey had shown it was very versitile.
We packed the PM Extreme into its protective case and then into our kit bag and took it to Peru. Once there it immediately showed its worth as our hotel room only had one powerpoint and already our phones were low. One in the mains charger and one using the Powermonkey. Easy.
We had encountered most weather conditions along our trek, but whatever happened, the Powermonkey kept on charging even in the torrential downpours, in which we were sometimes caught. We were always confident that, as the Powermonkey is waterproof ,we could keep going whatever the weather. The bags and rucksacks were also thrown around a lot of the time, into and off of aircraft, up and down hillsides and just on and around us. It was reassuring that the PM was also shockproof.
Without going into tech spec. and going into the other aspects of the PM we would just add one thought to this review....if you are going on any trip where you need power (which lets be honest in these times is every trip you take) or you want to save some money in your everyday life, then invest in a Powermonkey Extreme. You can use this every day you will be suprised how many opportunities you will get to use the available free power...
Osprey - Raincovers for the Talon 33 and 22
Once we had decided to do our trek to Peru, following the Inca trail to Machu Picchu, we needed to decide on a comfortable rucksack which would be comfortable, adjustable and lightweight. After trying many different products available we settled on the Talon Series,33 for Mike and 22 for Sam. Once these had been set up correctly and positioned properly on your back they are extremely comfortable.They let the air circulate between your back and the pack whatever the weather and have very good flexibilty in what they can hold.Even when our trip had finished we will continue to use them in everyday life.
They do have great little side pockets which prove useful to store snacks or spare batteries etc.
However as the rucksack is not waterproof we thought it wise to get the relevant raincovers for each pack.
These are stored in their own little bag which can be hung outside the rucksack, without hindering access or being irritating. It folds in on iself and is so easy to use, quickly extracted and slipped over the top of the bag and secured behind with one simple popper. The top can be adjusted by the elastic clip which can be pulled tight to allow a tighter fit or relaxed to allow access without compromising on its coverage.The cover is an invaluable addition to the pack as it covers the exposed areas of the rucksack.As we had installed a drysack inside the main area, it left the top flap and side pockets exposed to the elements, so this tailored cover completley encased the remaining face.
We did face extreme weathers during our trip and were so glad we had these to complete our protection.
If you own or are thinking of purchasing any Osprey rucksack or daypack, and using it for a trip or for use daily in our great climate, then it is definitely worth investing in one of these covers.You won't regret it.
Just in addition, we also used the Osprey Hydraulics water delivery system, 2 litre resevoirs. These proved very useful as we needed to take on loads of water as we headed on up the mountains. We had no leaks but just as a footnote to the designers it would be great to have a little removeable cover to attach to the mouth piece to protect it when you take off and put on the rucksack.They were very strong and the magnetic clip sytem made these very accessible. Easy to fill and fit, this is a great tailormade addition to your pack.
