I'm getting completely confused by all the different gadgets available and can't work out the best option to minimise the number of devices / weight and total cost (initial and recurring) to cover everything i want to be able to do and am hoping someone here may be able to give some good advice.
Ideally, I want to be able to write a blog / regular articles (netbook perhaps?) and also am keen on photography so photographic editing capability (RAW) is preferred (netbook? or more powerful notebook?)
Also, I was going to get a cycle computer so i can record check speed/distances but it has been suggested that a GPS device could do this.
I was semi-considering GPS (e.g. Garnin HCx) but this would be completely new to me - I'm not bothered about it giving directions although a nice addition, but being able to locate exactly where i am could be useful if i get lost or want to head off the beaten track a little. If I got GPS I would presumably need maps also.
There is then having some way of getting in touch to let family etc know I'm ok or if there's a problem (I'm not bothered about this, but the family are!) - a mobile perhaps? if so, what is the cheapest way to do this? PAYG or contract or could i get an internation simcard? Of course there are devices like Spot, but this seems to have a single use which a GPS device and text from mobile would do the same thing (where there is coverage).
Then there is the ability to get online to upload journal/photos - how would i do this? - again, would the mobile phone cover this (e.g. N95?)?
Of course then there is the possibility of taking an external portable hardrive for storage of photos or lots of USB sticks etc and also a solar charger like the power-monkey explorer/gorilla.
Concerns apart from weight are carrying lots of valuables making me a target for theft/mugging, durability and another consideration is coverage in Africa i.e. for mobile phone/internet access.
I realise this is a broad series of questions, but if you have a recommendation for a minimum combination of devices to achieve as many of these requirements as possible, at the cheapest cost, I'd appreciate it.
Alternatively, I could always make do with my Michelin maps, compass, notebook and pen, lots of memory cards and hope i don't get into trouble/need help and use internet cafes along the way!
Thank you. Helen
Electronic equipment for Africa tour
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takeonafrica
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Electronic equipment for Africa tour
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rualexander
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Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
If I was going to Africa I think I would go with your last option and forget all the power hungry devices. The only exception would be a good digital camera, but I wouldn't worry about photo editing while on the road, that can be done when you get home/back to a western country. Unless you are taking a lot of video with your camera (AA batteries and a solar charger or hub dynamo charger), a few high capacity memory cards will be plenty (although there is an argument for using lots of low capacity cards, so that if your camera is stolen you don't lose too many photos). Whenever you do find a decent internet connection you can upload the best photos to an online storage facility.
I probably would also take an MP3 player and shortwave radio though.
As far as communicating with family etc. is concerned, old fashioned letters are great, and telephone facilities will also be available in most reasonable sized places. For your blog why not get a friend at home to update it using your letters.
I probably would also take an MP3 player and shortwave radio though.
As far as communicating with family etc. is concerned, old fashioned letters are great, and telephone facilities will also be available in most reasonable sized places. For your blog why not get a friend at home to update it using your letters.
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takeonafrica
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Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
That would certainly be simpler and I must say I'm very tempted by what you say.
I didn't mention my ipod nano - that's a given.
I'm also taking my DSLR plus a couple of lenses (also a definite) and a compact, stick in the pocket point and shoot also.
I would go for the editing the photos when i return home, but two-years worth of photos seems a helluva lot and I worry I'll never get round to it. If I don't take something for editing, would like the ability to sort/catalogue the photos as I go. The photography is going to be quite a major part of my trip (apart from the cycling that is!).
Would you rule out GPS as well then?
I didn't mention my ipod nano - that's a given.
I'm also taking my DSLR plus a couple of lenses (also a definite) and a compact, stick in the pocket point and shoot also.
I would go for the editing the photos when i return home, but two-years worth of photos seems a helluva lot and I worry I'll never get round to it. If I don't take something for editing, would like the ability to sort/catalogue the photos as I go. The photography is going to be quite a major part of my trip (apart from the cycling that is!).
Would you rule out GPS as well then?
http://www.helenstakeon.com
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
After you have considered battery charging for the GPS, it's also important to remember that you need to plot the GPS position onto a map.
Even in the UK there are serious problems in some places with map positions not matching GPS coordinates (not OS, but for marine uses - some coastal surveys in the UK date to the 1830's) in other areas surveying is much less precise, being based on very old surveys. So you may find that your GPS position doesn't match any mapped one.
I advise you take good advice on this one. Riding in Africa is not like using a map and A-Z and how passable roads are is also a serious consideration. I would get in touch with the Geographic Society in London.
Even in the UK there are serious problems in some places with map positions not matching GPS coordinates (not OS, but for marine uses - some coastal surveys in the UK date to the 1830's) in other areas surveying is much less precise, being based on very old surveys. So you may find that your GPS position doesn't match any mapped one.
I advise you take good advice on this one. Riding in Africa is not like using a map and A-Z and how passable roads are is also a serious consideration. I would get in touch with the Geographic Society in London.
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
Having travelled both sides of Africa, and the West more than once, I can give you some hints.
Internet access is pretty much everywhere, even the smaller towns tend to have some sort of access. They run standard PC's with Windows, but will often be quite a few years old. So, your ability to upload a sizable quantity of pictures will be determined by the speed of their internet connection. This can take hours, quite literally, in the more out of the way places. But, you can plug your USB card read (reads the cards from your camera) in no problem. You can also burn CDs of your photos in quite a few places.
Mobiles really are everywhere. The mobile companies have saturated our market, so they are moving on. While it's possible to pick up a local phone and SIM, in exactly the same way as here or France. Although, you can use pay phones in hotels.
In terms of theft of your equipment, my experience (and the experience of almost everyone I know who's actually travelled somewhere in Africa) is that once you're out of Europe the theft rate drops significantly. Yes, there''s crime, but travelling outside of the tourist hotspots (as you will by cycle) you'll largely avoid the petty stuff. I think your chances of being mugged in Barcelona are a million times greater than in, say, Accra.
Gadgets can become a millstone, as you're constantly looking for charging points or a supply of batteries. New batteries don't tend to last very long out there, I'm not sure if they're not properly charged in the first place or the heat affects them. There's pretty good solar charger around which I can find the name of for you if you're interested, it's fairly small. But the less things you take, the less you will worry and the more you'll feel free to do as you please. This is especially true of expensive (to you) items. If your bike is loaded with gadgets you will not feel comfortable leaving it out of sight, regardless of how theft fre your trip may have been so far. So you might not nip into that cafe, even though it looks enticing.
The other thing to think about mobile phones is, who are you going to call? If you make a call to someone back home in an emergency all you are going to do is place a huge amount of worry into their lives, as they will not be able to do anything. They cannot call up the British Embassy (unless you are missing for months), cannot call up the government of the country you are in. Any emergency situation will be dealt with where it happens, by you. Use the Internet to stay in touch, it's much simpler and cheaper.
One of the great things about travelling over there (though this may be personal) is the ability to take complete responsibility for yourself, and the simplicity with which you can live. There's no real complication (rules) or fuss (road-rage/general anger), in the way there is here. And some travellers there can miss out a little, by feeling the need to constantly check-in, using the Internet of mobile. It's a shame, but happens, that some effectively end up travelling between Internet points. You also don't want to spend the evenings stuck in a room with a laptop staring at a screen (we do that here), best write up your notes in a bar/cafe/open-space/tent where there are things going on. You can type them up every few weeks at an Internet cafe (if it's reams of paper, write smaller).
All the times I have been I've use the Michelin maps, and used the sun for navigation. The road infrastructure is fairly simple, with a few main routes between towns. Away from the towns and into the villages and tracks, there are people (more than you'd think). Asking as many people as you can, and taking the most popular answer, generally works out. But, this interaction with the locals is one of the great things about travel. And remember, if you decide on a GPS then you still need to take maps (and know where you are) for when it's battery runs out or the satellites go off.
Lastly, take all advice with a pinch of salt. A bit like asking for directions when you get there, ask lots of people and assume the most popular answer is possibly correct
Well meaning advice (mine included) comes from my perspective, with my background and is in the context of my levels of fear/desire/interest/etc.
You don't say where you're going or for how long?
cheers,
Doug
Internet access is pretty much everywhere, even the smaller towns tend to have some sort of access. They run standard PC's with Windows, but will often be quite a few years old. So, your ability to upload a sizable quantity of pictures will be determined by the speed of their internet connection. This can take hours, quite literally, in the more out of the way places. But, you can plug your USB card read (reads the cards from your camera) in no problem. You can also burn CDs of your photos in quite a few places.
Mobiles really are everywhere. The mobile companies have saturated our market, so they are moving on. While it's possible to pick up a local phone and SIM, in exactly the same way as here or France. Although, you can use pay phones in hotels.
In terms of theft of your equipment, my experience (and the experience of almost everyone I know who's actually travelled somewhere in Africa) is that once you're out of Europe the theft rate drops significantly. Yes, there''s crime, but travelling outside of the tourist hotspots (as you will by cycle) you'll largely avoid the petty stuff. I think your chances of being mugged in Barcelona are a million times greater than in, say, Accra.
Gadgets can become a millstone, as you're constantly looking for charging points or a supply of batteries. New batteries don't tend to last very long out there, I'm not sure if they're not properly charged in the first place or the heat affects them. There's pretty good solar charger around which I can find the name of for you if you're interested, it's fairly small. But the less things you take, the less you will worry and the more you'll feel free to do as you please. This is especially true of expensive (to you) items. If your bike is loaded with gadgets you will not feel comfortable leaving it out of sight, regardless of how theft fre your trip may have been so far. So you might not nip into that cafe, even though it looks enticing.
The other thing to think about mobile phones is, who are you going to call? If you make a call to someone back home in an emergency all you are going to do is place a huge amount of worry into their lives, as they will not be able to do anything. They cannot call up the British Embassy (unless you are missing for months), cannot call up the government of the country you are in. Any emergency situation will be dealt with where it happens, by you. Use the Internet to stay in touch, it's much simpler and cheaper.
One of the great things about travelling over there (though this may be personal) is the ability to take complete responsibility for yourself, and the simplicity with which you can live. There's no real complication (rules) or fuss (road-rage/general anger), in the way there is here. And some travellers there can miss out a little, by feeling the need to constantly check-in, using the Internet of mobile. It's a shame, but happens, that some effectively end up travelling between Internet points. You also don't want to spend the evenings stuck in a room with a laptop staring at a screen (we do that here), best write up your notes in a bar/cafe/open-space/tent where there are things going on. You can type them up every few weeks at an Internet cafe (if it's reams of paper, write smaller).
All the times I have been I've use the Michelin maps, and used the sun for navigation. The road infrastructure is fairly simple, with a few main routes between towns. Away from the towns and into the villages and tracks, there are people (more than you'd think). Asking as many people as you can, and taking the most popular answer, generally works out. But, this interaction with the locals is one of the great things about travel. And remember, if you decide on a GPS then you still need to take maps (and know where you are) for when it's battery runs out or the satellites go off.
Lastly, take all advice with a pinch of salt. A bit like asking for directions when you get there, ask lots of people and assume the most popular answer is possibly correct
Well meaning advice (mine included) comes from my perspective, with my background and is in the context of my levels of fear/desire/interest/etc.You don't say where you're going or for how long?
cheers,
Doug
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
just visited your site, and have seen your route. Excellent stuff. I was in Mali/Mauri/Maroc in January, up the route you'll be coming down.
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takeonafrica
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Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
Thanks for the advice and suggestions. I must say, I'm quite relieved at the answers you have given.
After much deliberation, I'm going to go for the less stuff the better (besides the photographic equipment). This was my original plan before some people starting saying, 'but you will be taking a mobile won't you?' and 'you really should take GPS - especially where you're going' etc.
It sounds like I can make do with using internet cafes for getting online and keeping in touch. I'm going to forego the ability to do high performance photo editing but still want to take a small netbook, which will be good for writing up my journal and other articles when I want, as well as some basic photo stuff, but will be small and light so easy to put in a bag with my camera and carry around when off leaving the bike and cheap so if it breaks it won't bother me.
Paper maps and compass it is! Means I won't have to bother learning how to use a GPS. And forgetting about the mobile (I can always get one cheap on the way if I change my mind). I will get a little cycle computer though.
I hadn't considered a short-wave radio, but I like the idea... think I'll add that to the list.
Doug - could you give me the name of the solar-charger? This could be useful if I'm taking a netbook (+ipod and camera)
It may not have sounded like it, but I've actually done a lot of travelling and have to agree that getting away from computers and instant communications is liberating and I love asking locals for help to point me in the right direction etc. You've reminded me that these are exactly some of the reasons I go travelling in the first place.
The concerns I raised are really other people's, thinking about it.
I can understand my parents wanting to keep in touch... the ma was frantic when i was in NW Pakistan when the earthquake hit a few years back and i couldn't/didn't get in touch for a while after (phone lines and internet down and the road blocked and I didn't even realise the damage televised was so bad) - she had no idea I was ok and far enough from the epicentre, having a great time hitching down the KKH and hiking in the mountains! She spent the next 10days calling all my friends to see if they'd heard from me and even had the British Embassy on the case. The closest to real danger I got was sectarian violence in the next village down the KKH, where there were prolonged shootings at the bus stop which I'd have been caught up in if I'd bothered to get up early that day to catch the bus like I'd planned.
I think I just need to give a better explanation of how long I expect to be out of touch and give better details of where I'm going each time I do send a message home.
I'm feeling liberated already from just not having to think about half the gadgets I know so little about! Can't wait to be sitting in a cafe, sipping beer while making notes in my journal!
Thanks again. Helen
After much deliberation, I'm going to go for the less stuff the better (besides the photographic equipment). This was my original plan before some people starting saying, 'but you will be taking a mobile won't you?' and 'you really should take GPS - especially where you're going' etc.
It sounds like I can make do with using internet cafes for getting online and keeping in touch. I'm going to forego the ability to do high performance photo editing but still want to take a small netbook, which will be good for writing up my journal and other articles when I want, as well as some basic photo stuff, but will be small and light so easy to put in a bag with my camera and carry around when off leaving the bike and cheap so if it breaks it won't bother me.
Paper maps and compass it is! Means I won't have to bother learning how to use a GPS. And forgetting about the mobile (I can always get one cheap on the way if I change my mind). I will get a little cycle computer though.
I hadn't considered a short-wave radio, but I like the idea... think I'll add that to the list.
Doug - could you give me the name of the solar-charger? This could be useful if I'm taking a netbook (+ipod and camera)
It may not have sounded like it, but I've actually done a lot of travelling and have to agree that getting away from computers and instant communications is liberating and I love asking locals for help to point me in the right direction etc. You've reminded me that these are exactly some of the reasons I go travelling in the first place.
The concerns I raised are really other people's, thinking about it.
I can understand my parents wanting to keep in touch... the ma was frantic when i was in NW Pakistan when the earthquake hit a few years back and i couldn't/didn't get in touch for a while after (phone lines and internet down and the road blocked and I didn't even realise the damage televised was so bad) - she had no idea I was ok and far enough from the epicentre, having a great time hitching down the KKH and hiking in the mountains! She spent the next 10days calling all my friends to see if they'd heard from me and even had the British Embassy on the case. The closest to real danger I got was sectarian violence in the next village down the KKH, where there were prolonged shootings at the bus stop which I'd have been caught up in if I'd bothered to get up early that day to catch the bus like I'd planned.
I think I just need to give a better explanation of how long I expect to be out of touch and give better details of where I'm going each time I do send a message home.
I'm feeling liberated already from just not having to think about half the gadgets I know so little about! Can't wait to be sitting in a cafe, sipping beer while making notes in my journal!
Thanks again. Helen
http://www.helenstakeon.com
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
the charger is here: http://www.johnlewis.com/230403798/Product.aspx
don't think it'll do the netbook, but may well do the camera and will do the iPod. A mate has one, and she says it really good. Remember to pick up a card reader for the camera cards, to save you having to leave your camera plugged into the PC in cafes. A reader is much more discreet, and weighs very little.
cheers,
Doug
don't think it'll do the netbook, but may well do the camera and will do the iPod. A mate has one, and she says it really good. Remember to pick up a card reader for the camera cards, to save you having to leave your camera plugged into the PC in cafes. A reader is much more discreet, and weighs very little.
cheers,
Doug
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
The micro SD cards have an enormous capacity, are very cheap and incredibly small.
You could take a load of them and just post the cards home with all your photos on. I did that with film cannisters in the good old days before digital.
You could buy a small cheap GPS and only turn it on when you need your co-ordinates, which would conserve battery life. It will give standard Latitude and Longitude, how can you go wrong with that?
So long as you are moving it will tell you which direction you are going and will let you know you are not doing anything silly like going round in circles.
If you can charge batteries with a solar charger then a GPS with a memory card (Like the HCx) will allow you to record where you have been each day onto the card, so you will have a perfect idea of everywhere you went on your travels.
Of course I didnt use any such thing in the good old days!
You could take a load of them and just post the cards home with all your photos on. I did that with film cannisters in the good old days before digital.
You could buy a small cheap GPS and only turn it on when you need your co-ordinates, which would conserve battery life. It will give standard Latitude and Longitude, how can you go wrong with that?
So long as you are moving it will tell you which direction you are going and will let you know you are not doing anything silly like going round in circles.
If you can charge batteries with a solar charger then a GPS with a memory card (Like the HCx) will allow you to record where you have been each day onto the card, so you will have a perfect idea of everywhere you went on your travels.
Of course I didnt use any such thing in the good old days!
Yma o Hyd
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rualexander
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Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
Some solar chargers :
http://www.energyenv.co.uk/FoldableChargers.asp
http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/panelsrollandfold.php
http://www.buyorganics.co.uk/organic/So ... illa_(2304).aspx
Haven't used any of them so can't recommend anything in particular.
As you will know, postage from some places can be less than reliable so I wouldn't send full memory cards home, better to burn to CD or DVD then send that home and once you have heard that they have arrived and the images are ok and backed up, you can clear your memory cards for re-use. I would suggest that GPS would just be a surplus gadget, you will be on roads and there will be roadsigns of a sort. A cycle computer is worth having though.
http://www.energyenv.co.uk/FoldableChargers.asp
http://www.selectsolar.co.uk/panelsrollandfold.php
http://www.buyorganics.co.uk/organic/So ... illa_(2304).aspx
Haven't used any of them so can't recommend anything in particular.
As you will know, postage from some places can be less than reliable so I wouldn't send full memory cards home, better to burn to CD or DVD then send that home and once you have heard that they have arrived and the images are ok and backed up, you can clear your memory cards for re-use. I would suggest that GPS would just be a surplus gadget, you will be on roads and there will be roadsigns of a sort. A cycle computer is worth having though.
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
meic wrote:Of course I didnt use any such thing in the good old days!
and you really don't need to now. I remember being so disappointed meeting a friend in London (he was from London), and he was late. Called him up and his satnav had failed, and he was lost. He had no idea where he was. Turned out he was at Earls Ct on the A4. About as recognisable as you can get, for a guy that lived in West London. With satnav/gps it's all too easy to stop looking at the signs (road or natural), and just follow the 3" screen. And staring at the screen is something you really don't want to do, especially if you're a photographer. GPS doesn't show cloud formations, wildlife, funny shaped trees and odd shadows.
With a map, you're reading ahead expecting a river on the left (so you're looking for it). Following the atlantic coast down Morocco, you're looking at the landscape for the large inlet in the cliffs, just after the point where the road bends round a large sandy area. That's what tells you where you are. You go back to reading the landscape and noticing things around you, rather than simply waiting on the next instruction.
the landscape hasn't changed much since 'the good old days', it's still as easy, rewarding and interesting to follow by map as it always was. maps inspire you to go places, and they never run out of power. Have you ever become inspired to go somewhere by a small plastic GPS device? GPS is for people* in a rush**, who don't have time to think and hate the idea that they could be lost. But, when you're travelling, with all that time, landscape and adventure laid out before you, what exactly is lost?
sorry, I have a bugbear about overland travelling by GPS
* I am assuming from your route you are not doing any Saharan pistes,where a GPS is in fact very useful (but still requires landscape knowledge and a map as backup).
** relative to taking timeout for travelling, you may well be in a rush to get home for your tea and therefore require a GPS to ride around your local area.
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
I quite agree with that Dougie.
However I would not go without my GPS now and I would have taken it if they were available then. I am not generally a "kit" carrier but I do find the GPS well worth its 185grams.
I spend a lot less time looking at the GPS when travelling than I would looking at maps.
It would detract from the trip if you allowed yourself to be GPs led but a GPS makes a great recorder of where you have been.
To contradict that whenever I travelled I did like to be completely devoid of conspicuous wealth. Worn old clothes, plastic watch, battered old gear etc. However you can never hide the whiter skin which is a big badge saying "money".
I have never had any post go missing when posted from third world countries. I wonder if those who experience these losses should look at their local Royal Mail instead? It appears a bit of a coincidence that the losses occur at specific destinations rather than being related to the country they were sent from.
However I would not go without my GPS now and I would have taken it if they were available then. I am not generally a "kit" carrier but I do find the GPS well worth its 185grams.
I spend a lot less time looking at the GPS when travelling than I would looking at maps.
It would detract from the trip if you allowed yourself to be GPs led but a GPS makes a great recorder of where you have been.
To contradict that whenever I travelled I did like to be completely devoid of conspicuous wealth. Worn old clothes, plastic watch, battered old gear etc. However you can never hide the whiter skin which is a big badge saying "money".
I have never had any post go missing when posted from third world countries. I wonder if those who experience these losses should look at their local Royal Mail instead? It appears a bit of a coincidence that the losses occur at specific destinations rather than being related to the country they were sent from.
Yma o Hyd
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rualexander
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Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
a GPS makes a great recorder of where you have been
I have a brain for that!
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takeonafrica
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Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
interest comment doug - i was thinking of taking some of the pistes in morocco.... gps may not be ruled out afterall.
http://www.helenstakeon.com
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
Books: Desert Snow and A Siberian Winter's Tale
Re: Electronic equipment for Africa tour
are they pistes from Chris Scott's book? In that case I'd think about taking one. depending on the piste, some of the points can be hard to spot, especially in a sand storm (or just a murky day, or you're in a murky mood). also, morroco's had a lot of flooding recently. so markers may have been washed away. I'd suggest you find out from people who've been (on the piste you wish to use) recently as to the conditions.
obviously, send the GPS straight home again once you've done the pistes
obviously, send the GPS straight home again once you've done the pistes