Primus “Omnifuel” stove

THE stove!!! Robust, easy to clean and very reliable! Every part is made of metal, even the fuel pump. I would never travel again without the “Omnifuel”, great gear and also easy to adjust!

Victorinox “Swiss Tool”

Indestructible Supertool! If you use the pliers you don’t have to open the whole tool, like the “Leatherman”. Necessary and useful tool for every trip! Wonder why Mc Guyver didn´t use it!

Hilleberg “Staika” tent, (Model 2002)

Very expensive! The tent poles easy get stuck in the channels and are easy to bend. Customer service replaced the poles in New Zealand. Tent pegs bend too easy, when you hammer them into the ground. Good wind stability and ventilation. After 6 months of using, 3 zippers were broken, not a good sign of an expedition tent!!!

Xtent “Adventure” tent

Half the price of the “Staika”, never had problems with it. Got destroyed in New Zealand by Possums. After 2 years of nearly constant use, the material got weak. Tent pegs do have nasty hooks, lost my toenail on one.

The North Face “Cats Meow” sleeping bag

Great! Robust, very comfortable, easy to clean (washing machine) and unbelievable warm!

Term-a-rest “Classic”

Warm and comfortable, easy to clean (brush and washing detergent), good customer service. A tarp under it helps against thorns. If you get a puncture, use “Seam Grip”. Available also in a lightweight version, lifetime warranty! Problem: when the matress is wet, it´s wet!

Ortlieb “Classic Light”

Super mattress, easy to clean and very robust! Very slip and thorn proof! When it´s wet, just wipe it dry.

The North Face “Tundra” sleeping bag

Similar to the “Cats Meow”,  but warm up to –30 C. Very warm and comfortable, easy to clean (washing machine). Unfortunately the packing size is bit big, but you can´t have it all!

MSR “Whisperlight” stove

Good stove, if you use Shellite or White Gas, otherwise you have to clean it very often. Burns like hell if it burns. Very silent, light and small stove. Good to clean with a wire brush. Always have dirty hands, when you put the stove up. Very difficult to adjust! Wouldn´t recommend it for long term travelling.

The North Face “Desert Shirt”

Great for cycling!!! Doesn’t stick to your body, when you are sweating. Very comfortable and easy to clean. Wear it also for Embassy visits. Quick dry material.

The North Face “Convertible Pant”

Comfortable, easy to clean and very robust. Wear them since two years and Mum still lets me in her house. Good for temples or Muslim countries, because you can easily zip the legs on. Quick dry material. Long zippers on the legs, so you don’t have to take your shoes off, when you are taking the legs off.  

Primal Wear “2hot4u” Trikot, “Logo” Shorts

Great cycling gear!! Definitely an eye catcher, wherever you are! Robust and comfortable, shocking designs. Very good customer service

Odlo “Windbreaker” Shirt

Great shirt, easy to clean and very quick dry. Transports the sweat away from the body, so no cold or sweaty feeling. Windstopper works very good!

Altama “Desert Boots”

Indestructible!!! Very comfortable, never had any blisters. Wore the shoes for 2 years in deserts, jungles or mountains, before they fell apart. Available in big sizes, too. And yes, you can cycle in them! I just loved these boots!!

Teva sandals

Good and robust sandals. Smell after a while, good trick: put them in the freezer overnight, that kills the bacteria which cause the smell.

Casio Pro Trek “Mauna Loa”

Good and robust watch. Easy to use and very accurate functions. The altitude measuring is bit inaccurate in changing weather conditions. Very comfortable to wear, because of the Cordura armband. Easy to use in the night, because of the big buttons. Sometimes unwanted change of functions, because the buttons got stuck on things

Leatherman “Super Tool”

Thousand ways to use it! Robust, but even if it breaks you have 25 years of warranty Good customer service. The latest models haven’t got a sharp edge, if you use the pliers.

Katadyn “Pocket” Waterfilter

Expensive, but robust expedition waterfilter. It takes for ages to fill a 10 Liter water canteen, and when you are finished, you drink it all. Alternative you can use “Micropur”, but it doesn’t work in dirty water. Never let the filter freeze, it breaks the ceramic filter. The filter filters all bacteria’s out of the water, but no chemicals. Never use it in the Rhine river, otherwise you will end up for three days sitting on the toilet.

Panniers:

Ortlieb “Sport Packer Plus”, “Bikepacker Plus”, Ultimate3 ( all Models 2005)

Excellent equipment!!! Definitely waterproof and very robust. Liked the old model with the attached roller bags on the back panniers more. These panniers are made for life! Great customer service. Material you can trust on and definitly worth the money!!

Cameras:

Nikon F90x Pro

Reliable and robust SLR. Has got all the functions I need and no others which you never use, but pay for. Bugger, that Nikon doesn’t produce it anymore. Bit heavy, but what are your photos worth? To hold it more steady, I use a high format grip, because of my big hands.

Nikon “Coolpix 4500”

Nikon doesn’t produce it anymore, bit big, but makes good pictures.

Nikon “Coolpix 995”

Wouldn’t just travel with a digital camera. Easy to use, but you have to take car, because otherwise the pics are too bright and the foreground is drenched in black, while the background is white. Easy to use for e-mailing. Never use it in rain! The time between pressing the button and taking the picture is bit too long. Clever equipment: slide adapter, so you can easy copy your slides into digital images.

Bike:

Schwalbe “Marathon” tires

The best!!! There is no more about to say!! Last for 5-8000 kms. Material you definitely can trust!

Shimano LX components

Reliable and robust, you don’t need a fancy XTR. The LX is doing it’s job and that’s great!

Brooks saddle

After it’s ridden in (app. 1000kms) , very comfortable and robust. Protect it against rain!!

Other stuff:

Air France

My luggage was lost by Air France on the way back from Southamerica. Got it back 8 days later, and Air France paid for the expenses, Customer Service sucked big time!

Lufthansa Airlines

Had 25 kilos excessive weight on the flight from Sydney to Frankfurt, so I had to pay 500 Euros. So a one-way flight from Australia to Germany was 1325 Euros!!! Personal wasn´t friendly and not helpful at all!!! I would never fly again with Lufthansa!!!