As I said, I haven’t been posting much because I’ve been too busy doing stuff, . . . . mainly shopping!! Unfortunately most of it has been online shopping, and most of it from overseas, so only one item has arrived so far! I really appreciate online shopping not so much for the low prices but more for being able to get exactly what I want. Rather than being limited by what my local stores stock I can effectively browse through almost anywhere in the world finding the obscure item that exactly matches the unique parameters that are important to me. OK, some things have been more impulse buys but when it’s late at night, you’ve had a glass of wine, the mood takes you and someone’s blog reviews something that solves an issue you’ve been investigating, PLUS that item just happens to be on special . . . . what else are you supposed to do?

Take this item (which arrived last week, complete with handwritten thankyou. Awwww, how touching. I will definitely shop from these guys again!):

It is a Sawyer Mini Filter, which filters water down to 0.1 micron (enough to get rid of almost all the nasties that might make me sick) and weighs only 65 grams. My other option for water was just to risk getting a bit ill (nothing long term life threatening, but still not fun) or to use water purifying tablets, but I just didn’t like the idea of having to use these for such an extended period of time.

The filter is actually the blue tube with black ends. It can screw onto a normal plastic soda/water bottle, or onto the provided 500mL waterbag, or go inline on a hydration bladder (e.g. cut the tube on the camelback and attach this in between the ends). It even has a short length of tube so you can use it as a straw to drink directly from streams etc! The syringe looking thing shown in the photo is for backwashing (cleaning out) the filter. Apparently this is very important and can be an acquired knack so I need to do some practice before I head off on a long trip.

And big thumbs up to Highwater Filters, a store somewhere in Washington (state, US), for making me feel so appreciated with a handwritten thankyou note! And posting it so quickly and efficiently that it has arrived over a week before anything else I ordered!

My other purchase, which was an in-store purchase so I didn’t have to wait for delivery, was my camera. I don’t think I’ve told you about this yet, but the photos on the last blog post were all from the new camera (except the one of my breakfast – it just seemed a bit of overkill to get the camera out for that!). I decided to get the Sony Cybershot HX50V. I’ve been playing around with it a lot and am still not certain if I’m completely happy with it, but will probably keep it. I tried to take it back to the store to compare it to the Lumix but the Lumix was out of stock – I like to let fate, or random chance, make some of my decisions for me occasionally!

My first impression was: “This isn’t a point-and-shoot!! This thing is so complicated. I’m going to have to do everything right or my photos will not turn out well!” Then I discovered the iAuto function. It turns out it does work pretty well as a point and shoot! However it also lets me take control, including full manual mode (ISO, shutter speed, aperture AND focus!). I need to learn a lot more about it to get the most out of it.

My concerns so far are
1. build quality – some bits just seem loose and rattly, the USB connection port cover is flimsy and difficult to use and the lack of lens cover (just an inbuilt bit that opens) concerns me. This is not really build quality, just something I need to adjust to. I just feel like I’m going to have to be careful with it, whereas my old Lumix felt pretty sturdy.
2. over-done image processing – I think (I hope!!) this is limited to high ISO (usually low light) photos where there is a lot of noise and the camera has got a bit heavy handed with noise reduction. Basically, when I zoom into the photo (on the computer) it starts to look more like a painting (and an impressionist one at that!) rather than a photo. I might be able to manually cap the auto ISO to something reasonable (ie 800!), or may have to use manual mode for certain situations. This is what I wanted to compare in store against the new Lumix. Chances are that the Lumix does exactly the same or worse. It’s just been over 5 years since I bought a camera so technology and systems are so different to what I’m used to.

On the upside, the zoom is fantastic, and stable (see the bird photos on the previous post – most taken at 30x optical zoom, held by hand). Auto mode seems to be working well and manual mode is fun (and will be better once I learn how to use it)! The battery life is living up to expectations – I have the GPS turned on for testing and still haven’t noticed the battery life going down. Also, I have it synced up with my mobile phone so I can take photos on it using my phone! No more dodgy selfies from trying to hold the camera out, or terrible backpack photos trying to use a mirror!! Here is a photo of me taking a photo of myself – you can see the image on the phone, which is looking through the camera as the actual photo is being taken!

And just to show that dodgy selfies aren’t a thing of the past just because of new technology, here’s a photo showing how excited I am about this feature:

And one more sample photo from the new camera, showing my artistic side and the fully manual functionality:

Did I mention (in a rowing post) that I was a bit low on iron? These are my iron tablets, before you get any crazy ideas about what else they might be!

I have lots more exciting things on the way (in the mail) but I will keep you in suspense and write about them as they arrive. That seems a good way to space the information out so things don’t get too tedious.

Now that I’m back, and have met my work deadline, I’m starting to make some progress on hiking plans. Please check out the pages (from top menu) to see where I’m up to.

I’ve also recently had a few interesting revelations about my priorities (or lack of them).

1. While stressing about spending so much money on a tent which is incredibly lightweight and high-tech, will hopefully last me for years to come and is going to save me hundreds of pounds in accommodation costs (plus give me amazing freedom to go wherever I want), I realised that I’ve spent close to that amount on wine in the past 4 months. So, I can just not buy wine for 6 months then not have any qualms about buying the tent!!

2. While stressing about whether I needed to get a sub 1kg tent with minimal features, or get the 1.4kg tent with everything I wanted plus more, OR spend $150 more to knock 200g off the 1.4kg tent, I realised that a normal tube of toothpaste is 185g. What?!?!?! I understand that I need to cut weight in every possible way because every 50g here and there is going to add up to a lot in the end . . . . but stressing about a tube of toothpaste seems crazy!!

My new pack was waiting for me when I got home. I’ve had a quick play with it, but don’t have any stuff to put in it at the moment! Happily, it is definitely NOT too big (one of my concerns). Here is a photo of it on:

(Yes, I have pyjamas on)

Here is another photo, with Merlin for scale:

So far, I love it . . . . and am really looking forward to taking it out for a walk to see how it goes.

I also took my new shoes for their first walk. Unfortunately they didn’t feel amazing, but hopefully will just need a bit of “wearing in”.

I’ve also been feeling a bit of urgency to make a decision on a tent, as there can be a bit of a delay in delivery sometimes. Luckily, a friend has offered to lend me his 0.845kg Macpac Zenith (1p) tent. While this tent doesn’t match my buying criteria (looking for 2P and freestanding) it should be fantastic for my trip. And even lighter than the ones I was looking for, which leaves me more weight allowance for food!!

I’ve realised how crazy it is to plan such a big hike without any previous hiking/camping experience. There are simply so many things that I won’t know about until I’m out there (ie in a tent, do I really want/need freestanding, side or front doors, double walls, 2P etc etc), yet I’m trying to buy very expensive equipment to use for (hopefully) years to come. Being able to borrow some key gear will let me get the experience, and then make better purchasing decisions in the future.

So, while I’m probably not buying a tent now, here are my thoughts on the tents I’ve been looking at:

Here are some of their key features (in my mind):
Terra Nova Solar Photon 2 (http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/tents-and-spares/all-tents/solar-photon-2-tent/)
Weight: 0.975kg
Freestanding? Mostly – has a Y shaped pole setup with two poles at the front and one running down the centre to the back. Means it stands up but you really need to peg the back corners to get the most out of it.
Door/Vestibule: One front door, limited vestibule space around this.
Inner Layer: Solid w mesh door
Durability: Standard Si Nylon lightweight material is not super hardwearing, but is given a pretty good rap by Outdoor Gear Lab.
Biggest Pro: This had a really good review from OutdoorGearLab, no real downsides other than price.
Biggest Concern: They seem to be out of stock everywhere except Backpacking Light Melbourne so I’m worried if I don’t get one now I won’t be able to.

Big Sky Evolution 2 (http://www.bigskyinternational.com/SummitShelters/Big_Sky_Evolution_2P_details.htm)
Weight: 1.4kg (can knock off ~0.2 with choosing lightweight options and adding another ~US$150 on!) – they say 1.2 but that is with no pegs/guylines etc.
Freestanding: YES. True freestanding with 2 complete crossover poles that attach in each corner
Door/Vestibule: 2! one on each side, decent sized vestibules with each.
Inner Layer: Mesh – allows for setup without fly in fine weather for lovely stargazing at night or bug free psuedo alfresco hanging out during the day.
Durability: couldn’t find any useful reviews but their website says their SuprSil fabric is however many times stronger than standard Si Nylon.
Biggest Pro: Entirely freestanding, 2 doors/vestibules would be cool, I like the idea of setting up without the fly and being able to skygaze etc. (although apparently solid walls give better protection and comfort)
Biggest Concern: WEIGHT (an extra half a kilo is substantial). Is it really more durable? Is the more symmetrical (dome-ish) design going to stand up to weather/wind as well as the elongated Solar Photon? Not many reviews to judge this off.

Big Sky also have the Revolution, which is very similar to the Evolution but a fraction heavier. It seems to have 3 poles which sit outside the fly (apparently make it sturdier in weather). It gives the option of leaving the inner attached to the fly so it stays dry when pitching in the wet, OR even of just pitching the fly without the inner. Pretty sure you can’t then just pitch the inner without the fly, so it’s kind of opposite the Evolution in that way. (http://www.bigskyinternational.com/SummitShelters/Big_Sky_Revolution_2P_details.htm)

So, basically the Big Sky looks more comfortable and has better, cooler features. However it is also 400g heavier (or 200 grams heavier and more expensive). It may or may not be more durable/weather suitable. Are those features worth 400g??
(Clearly I’m not that concerned about actual size, although both these tents are supposedly quite spacious for what they are. The simple fact is that I’m tiny and I’m already getting a 2 person tent so it’s not like it’s going to be an issue for me!)