We were both paddling using Celtic's brilliant Pro 650 - Carbon composite Sea Touring blades on Straight carbon composite shafts fitted with adjustable Nylon Leverlok centre joints. In addition, carried 4 Piece paddles with 650 Nylon Blades as our emergency spares.

Super lightweight, efficient and powerful. We were unbelievably impressed with these paddles from the beginning. For the travelling kayaker the four piece contruction allows the paddles to be broken down and slipped inside a bag or suitcase without forefeiting strength or durability. The nylon leverlock secures the centre joint perfectly while allowing fully adjustable feathering; a rare luxury. This is particularly beneficial on extended expeditions where you may like to adjust paddle angle to avoid repetitive strain.

We experienced no degrading of the paddles over the three months despite relentless exposure to the harsh environment of strong sun and salt water (we rarely got the opportunity to rinse our paddles). The carbon fibre shaft and blades are built to endure and worked quite a beating. More importantly it has just the right amount of flex to reduce stress without compromising a smooth and powerful stroke.

An expedition of this scale demands the most reliable equipment in terms of durability and versatile use. The Explorer Ultralite Asym Classics offered us this in buckets and along with their light weight (2.25 pounds) and small pack size we were very happy to represent Hennessy Hammocks with their kit on our expedition.

Ease of set up:

If you have two trees and a couple of minutes you will be laughing with such an easy hammock. In fact, you do not even need trees (see below). The lashing Tom recommends here takes moments to master and allows the hammock to be set up quickly in any weather, day or night.

By erecting the fly sheet first you can also set up or take down the hammock in any weather without it ever getting wet. Although you can improvise with trees/local foliage I recommend packing four light weight pegs for the side tie outs and rain fly.

Comfort:

Great. The asymmetrical design makes it easy to lie flat and get a comfortable and restorative night sleep. Room for only one.. well why would you want to share? Our model came with fitted (non-removable) bug net but is available with a zip down one side. This meant it could not be used as a chair like some other lightweight hammocks but for sleeping there is no compromise in comfort.

Most important to us was the 20D polyester No-See-Um bug mesh. You cannot put a value on being able to escape the horrendous assault of tropical sand flies, mosquitoes and the rest as evening descends. When out in the jungles or on the beaches we took huge relief in retreating to our hammocks without the clouds being able to follow us.

Quality/Durability:

Very high quality materials and construction. After three months of use and abuse the stitching, velcro opening, No-See-um mesh and 70D nylon taffeta fabric is still solid and after using the provided polyester slings and recommended lashing technique there are no signs of ware on the ropes, which are themselves tested to 1500lbs.

Weather protection:

Assessed as the best hammock for protection from the elements by Outdoor Gear Lab and we agree. Very good protection from wind and rain; the integrated fly sheet can be rigged close to the mesh for protection from the weather and if not pulled out too wide you can lie low in the nylon fabric for additional shielding. In hot weather a gap between fly sheet and mesh allows good ventilation and prevents the condensation you would expect in most tents.

Versatility:

Awesome. If you have two trees, or in fact any structure from which you can suspend your rig, then it doesn’t matter what the ground is like. We used our hammocks over jagged rocks, marsh and sodden ground, steep jungle slopes and beaches, many of which would have been impossible to pitch a tent on. Where there are suspension points are available the hammock can still be used as a ‘tent’ while you bivvi either in the open air or under the fly sheet erected between bivvi poles or a makeshift equivalent.

For an extremely light (12.5oz) and very packable warm weather design look no further; the Sea to Summit UltraLight is the best full sized mat we have used on any of our expeditions.

The design is unlike most on the market, which tends to utilise horizontal or vertical baffles. Instead Sea to Summit utilise 181 air sprung cells, essentially a load of dot welds that create individual pockets between them. This creates a stable and comfortable platform that is faster to inflate than other models due to a lower internal volume – 10 big breaths is enough.

While easy to inflate it is also easy to deflate with Sea to Summit’s multi function valve. Deflated it packs down to the size of a 500ml water bottle (approx.. 7.5 x 17cm) so slips easily inside a rucksack or kayak where space and weight are at a premium.

The UltraLight Mat comes into it’s own in hot climates (try it’s insulated sister for cold environments) and we were very grateful for its low r rating of 0.7 to help us keep cool during the unbelievably hot and humid nights of the tropical Caribbean.

The mat is also remarkably robust for it’s weight, but nevertheless comes complete with field kit of six self adhesive patches for repairing punctures in the field and a spare one-way valve flap. However, during a three month expedition in a harsh rocky, sandy and salty environment we had no need to utilise this.

On the downside some people might find the bumpy surface created by the cells less comfortable than some of the flatter designs on the market and the dot welds have a tendency to collect dirt or sand. However, for it’s lightweight, small pack size and robustness we thoroughly recommend the Sea to Summit UltraLight Mat.

Everything you want from a map case; fully waterproof, pliable design, and robust against harsh use. Quite frankly it does what it says on the tin.

We used two large map cases (A3 size) for our charts while kayaking, putting them through their paces in the very wet, salty and sand filled environments found in the tropical Caribbean.

Design:

The four anchor points on all corners allow the use of the detachable neck strap or any other mechanism such as carabiners or keyrings to provide security or hold it in place for easy access. On a kayak this allows a long string to secure the case to a kayak while not impeding use of the chart.

Four velcro tabs allow the map to be folded and held in place or for the more inventive user additional tabs can be used to attach the map to a wide enough surface, including for example the deck of a kayak or a dashboard etc.

Quality:

Despite being lightweight the case is robust both to weather and harsh treatment, including folding, scrumpling and cramming into bags and cockpits. The PVC-free TPU material works effectively as suggested and over three months of use we experienced no cracking or discolouring. To that end the UV resistance was particularly impressive given extreme sun we exposed the cases to in the tropics.

One can over-analyse a map case. Just buy this one.

The X-Set 21 includes one orange 1.4L X-Pot, one blue X-Bowl, and one grey X-Mug, all weighing in at 394g and packing down to just 19.5cm diameter x 4.5cm, perfect for the solo explorer.

This set is an incredibly innovative product that takes backpacking cookware to the next level. The collapsible silicone construction allows all three components to fit inside each other and pack down to just 4.5cm tall, which slides nicely into a rucksack or small storage space such as the hatch of a kayak where space is at a premium.

Taking two full sets was comfortable for two people and ensured we had enough to make do if items broke during the expedition. In reality though, for two users we only required the two mugs (for brews, soups etc.) one bowl (for half the portion of food not eaten out of the 1.4L cooking pot) and one pot, which has capacity to boil enough water for two dehydrated meals.

The X-Pot has a base of aircraft grade anodized aluminium and sides of food grade heat resistant silicone. This means it can only be used over a flame constrained to the aluminium underside, such as a small backpacking/camping stove, but cannot be used over an open campfire. This is perfectly acceptable for the lightweight backpacker who is the target market. We did, though, find that the silicone handles would heat up so that a cloth was needed to lift the off the heat.

Cooking over an MSR Whisperlite stove with the lid on we were able to comfortably boil one litre of water within two and a half minutes, far quicker than advertised by MSR.

So, what are the downsides? Well it really depends what you are after. The X-pot cannot be used on an open flame as you risk burning the silicone sides, which are heat- but not flame-resistant. The set is also slightly heavier than market competitors, however the space saving is more than worth the compromise. You may also find the silicone retains the taste of previous meals, especially when only given a field cleaned, but who doesn’t want chicken soup flavoured porridge?

Most importantly the set is incredibly durable. We experienced no wear or damage over the three month expedition in an incredibly testing environment characterised by very hot, sandy and salty conditions. We were hugely impressed by the X-Set 21 and thoroughly recommend it to all lightweight enthusiasts of all disciplines.

We were curious after reading a number of reviews that suggest these pegs are soft and bend easily. After three months of use in various ground we can report:

The pegs are super lightweight, hold well if placed properly and have brilliant multi-height guy points, which stop the line from slipping off the top. You even get an incredibly light Ultra-Sil peg bag with the set.

The aluminium is softer than we hoped for, however if taken care of is perfectly acceptable given the weight and cost. Using the pegs in sand, rocky and root filled earth we managed the three month expedition only bending a handful of pegs. These pegs are robust enough if used appropriately and hold firm once placed.

Others have not been so forgiving after they have bent the pegs here. Luckily, the set come with a life time warranty from Sea to Summit.

We would like to see these pegs made in 7075 aluminium rather than the 6061 currently used.