travel gadgets

On my last trip to Peru (2000), my digital camera was the most "wowed" gadget, this time (2001), it's the GPS.

Features:

1. Everyone will ask you, what is this?
2. Adventure to places that were impossible to reach before
3. Record your whole journey on to computer: good for revisiting or benefiting other travellers.
4. Travel longer distant
5. ...with shorter time
6. Identify current location relative to other known way points
7. Know where to get off when taking public bus
8. Know the current speed, distant to target, ETA and many more...

What is this?
It's a eTrex GPS (Global Positioning System) that use the satellites to calculate current location. It has a database for most of the cities in the world. Even small towns like Selcuk, Bergama, Palmyra and Asyut are included. It doesn't have a map. The higher model (eTrex Legend, Vista) has mapping functions but is totally useless for the places I went. To use this unit, you still need a compass, a map and a good sense of logic.

How to find a location without a map?
First find a known location in your guide book (e.g. a bus station) and mark it as a waypoint. Then figure out the relative direction and distant of your target (from writing description of your guide book or locals), you can then navigate to the unknown destination from the known position. It is an entertaining mental challenge, but as soon as you figure out one location, you can calculate the rest.

When it doesn't work?
1, inside buildings.
2, in deep vallleys
3, when climbing (with steep cliffs)
It works best in the desert where I marked the location of the camp and could navigate from the village to the camp with an unknown path. It doesn't work well when climbing. First the mountain will block most of your signals. Then even if you can get a signal, your path is usually going vertical and overlap with each other. If you follow the treks of your GPS, you might end up flying off the cliff.

Purchase Price: CDN$210 (tax included)
Pocket size, 12 channels.

Many people have already got digital cameras this year (2001) so it didn't cause many WOWs and AHs like last time. But when I showed this in front of the kids in Malatya, I almost incite a riot. The sheriff has to interfere.
For more detail description, please refer to my A20 review.

Purchase Price: CDN$ 540 (June 2001)

With 98% deets, the mosquito repellent can eat through plastics. If it's good enough to kill you, it should be good enough to send away the mosquitos. I used it in the Amazon. It seemed to work very well other than the fact that it ruined the LCD of my digital camera (which was stolen later).

Purchase Price: CDN$ 7.50

The dog repellent is weak (0.35% capsicum). It should still has some effects on hostile people (like a weak pepper spray). If not, at least it's good for adding spice to your meals. I saw some wild dogs in Palmyra, but they didn't go near me. Nevertheless, after the Peru Incident, I feel safer with a half baked pepper spray.

Purchase Price: CDN$ 13.00

Another most WOWed gadget is my mosquito head net. It looks silly when you wear it in the city, but when people see tons of mosquitos in the Amazon and clouds of flies in the desert, they will all look at you with envy eyes.

Purchase Price: CDN$ 4

My Casio watch has calendar in it. It can also store my passport #s and most used phone numbers. It has been discontinued.

Purchase Price: CDN$150

A mini pocket dictionary I used to store my travel information. Transfering data is a bit clumsy and reading the small screen is not too practical. I guess I need a real Palm pilot for that. But it's small and it's cool. It works well as a dictionary or just to store critical information.

Purchase Price: HK$ 780

Eveyone knows what it is. It can also be used as a candle. Don't touch the light bulb. When I was exploring a dark tunnel in Cappadocia, the light bulb burnt out. Luckily I was close to the entrance.

Helly Hansen Jacket is as good as (or better) than Gortex. It's water and wind proof. It's light and is good for climates from -1C to +23C (for me).

Purchase Price: CDN$ 199

Misty mountain quick dry shirt and pants. It's extremely light and easy to pack. It performs extremely well in desert and hot weather. The pants has 16 pockets. I bought two of them, and I wore them for the whole trip.

Purchase Price: shirt - CDN$32, pants - CDN$39, the hat was CDN$5