Ut & Aboot

I now consider my InReach an essential part of trips where there is a likelihood of being out of phone coverage, as it allows me to always have the option of calling for help, as well as keeping in touch with contacts at home and retrieving the latest weather forecast.  In my opinion, anyone undertaking trips away from mobile signal and away from others should seriously consider getting an InReach (or equivalent).  It has a moderate up-front cost, and a fee for any month you use it, but the month's fee can be far less than most people spend on a phone contract - and it gives you a lot in return.

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The main reason I carry this with me is for safety.  With this I know I am always just one text message from emergency services and personal contacts.  There is no need for mobile phone signal as it communicates with satellites, which have true global coverage, as long as it has a clear view of the sky.  It is also very reassuring for friends and family waiting back home to be able to follow my progress.  I mostly stick to the "free" preset messages to keep people updated on my progress, and rarely use the free-form messages on anything other than my longest remote trips.  The ability to retrieve detailed weather forecasts is another major advantage, which can add a lot to the safety of a trip.

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It also acts as a perfectly good GPS device.  The maps are from Open Street Map and are ok, but not a replacement for proper paper maps.  I have found several errors on the maps, but they are good enough to help locate you on a paper map, and I have used it to navigate in total white-out conditions.

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The battery life is good - on my 10 day trip over Hardanger in well sub-zero temperatures I charged it once from a battery pack, but it probably would have been ok for the full trip.  On that trip I was sending my position via satellite every 30 min during they day, sending free-form messages most days, getting detailed weather forecasts and using it for occasional navigation.

This is the only camera I use - look at almost any picture on this site to see how the quality is.  It is waterproof and tough against drops.  I've been using mine for over 3 years and it is doing well.  When it is well sub-zero, the battery will show as empty, but if kept in a pocket it will work for at least a couple of minutes at a time - long enough to capture what you want.

It works well for kayaking too - I regularly submerge it in salt and fresh water without problem, and when white-water kayaking there have been far too may rapids that I've approached with it still out, and held the camera in my mouth as I've paddled down!

For camping, skiing, kayaking, skating, orienteering etc I use a Fenix HL23 head torch.  It is fairly bright (two brightness settings) and waterproof.  Unlike several other, supposedly waterproof, head torches which I've tried kayaking with, the Fenix has stood up to repeated submersion in salt water with no sings of wear, unlike others which have failed after only a few uses.