Apart from working just too darn much since I got back, I have been on a search and replace mission here in Gear-freak Heaven. Knowing there would be a good chance I’d be heading back down south at Christmas, I’ve been getting our gear repaired, replaced and restocked (damn the crook that pinched my favourite North Face ultra-light rain pants right out of the van). In conversations about our recent twelve-month trip around the southern cone of South America, several friends have asked me what were the most indespensable “things” during our 12 month trip. That list jives quite closely with all the gear I have been rounding up in preparation for the next phase of the trip (my new blog The Albino Rhino Rides Again, is coming soon!)
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Here’s a list of a few of our favourite things:
-My Canon Powershot A75. Fantastic little point and shoot that after 2 years of sea, salt and sand finally sputtered to a halt at the end of our last trip. Soon to be replaced.
- Collapsable GSI plexiglass wine glasses. After 3 years they cracked. We glued. We drank. Drink. Glue. Repeat weekly.
- Feathercraft K2 Sprayskirt. We lost it in Chiloé. It blew off the beach, swept into the surf, or we dropped it somewhere. Losing a spray skirt is like losing a paddle, you can’t kayak without one ( the outcome of the story: Frank took a ferry back to the mainland and had a replacement made out of crunchy cheap nylon from Brazil). I have ordered a new one from Feathercraft on Granville Island where I will go and stock up on glues, sailing cord and fondle the grafite paddles.
- Primus Whisperlite Multi-fuel stove. Once we figured out that kerosene was the best fuel for this firey little rocket launcher, we could boil a pot of water and be sipping tea in under seven minutes. It’s bombproof, but I’ve picked up a “maintenance kit” just in case.
- My Moonstone Pak-lite goretex jacket. Damn, I loved that jacket. Six months ago the zipper broke and Moonstone went bankrupt. The kind folks at Valhalla Pure lobbied Columbia Sportswear (who bailed out Moonstone) to honour the lifetime warranty, and I got a brand new Arc’teryx jacket out of the deal.
- Holy Soles. better than flip-flops. We’ve both worn holes into.. well, the… soles.
- Black Diamond Aluminum cookset. I don’t think were designed to be used as much as we have used them. The no-stick coating only just recently started peeling off.
- And of course The Albino Rhino, which has been tuned, had the electrical system overhauled and re-wired (including a second battery) and a new fan (from a used Korean Toyota Corolla) has been plunked into the dashboard.
And a few favourite things that are still going strong:
- My Patagonia Fleece Hoodie. As with most items from “Patagucci”, this fleecey pile of goodness was a rather pricey purchase – one which I agonized over many moons ago. I wear it every day and it still looks new.
- Mini stainless steel espresso maker, Made in India. We bought ours at the market in Sucre, and I prayed to it every morning.
- Merino Wool tops by MEC and Take Out. The embodiment of comfy.
- Frank’s Leatherman. His eyes light up when he gets to use it, which is often.
- CDs of Latin music we discovered on the way: Manu Chao, Jorge Ben, Jorge Drexler, Bajo Fondo Tango Club, Jarabe de Palo, Seu Jorge, Maná, Juanes, Susanna Baca, Superveille, Silvio Rodriguez, Macaca, Mercedes Sosa… incredible music that takes me into the soul of Latin America (especially helpful when I don’t want to be in the bowels of North America).
