Sorry for the late posting,at the moment we are back on the road and with Voukefalas in our side. I am not sure if the post below was needed but being in the beautiful Agonda Beach in South Goa without our mobile home , I felt like putting together a quick rundown of all the equipment that we bought before we started this epic journey.While we were still in Mykonos, we made a list with everything that we possibly needed. We then had to narrow that list down for two very important reasons. The first was the cost and the second and most important was the limited space that we have in Voukefalas. So here is what we now think about them.
1) The InReach Satellite Communicator or Delores -it’s a nick name- as we refer to it. It’s a really useful tool in every overland trip. The cost of the service is affordable and the sense of security that it provides us is definitely worth the investment. It works beyond expectation even in places that mobiles don’t manage to keep coverage.
2) The GPS. Here we were disappointed to find out that, although we spent more than 300 Euros on the GPS applications for our iPad, they all let us down by being misleading and inaccurate. On the other hand, Pocket Earth, a free app that I downloaded by accident, works with extreme accuracy and has been our trusted companion for navigation (her name is Fiona).
3) Sim Card Global & Atlas +44, our mobile subscriber network. It’s really a great idea when it comes to costs as the charges are just a little bit higher than a local mobile provider and it’s almost the same in whatever country you call from or to. In some cases, the call prices are so low that it’s actually cheaper to call than text!!! In the operation department now, it works Ok as occasionally the directory service doesn’t deliver the calls and it takes patience to get through. The Data service works great when you need to send or receive mail, although it can be costly if you use it carelessly.
4) Our digital guide books. We don’t know if we are old-fashioned but the sense of the actual book is lost in the PDF form. It’s the first time that we use digital guides and we both admit that they are less handy when it comes to the actual use. This said though, it doesn’t make them less crucial or less informative.
5) The cookery department. Here we were forced to have a small update with an addition of a great travel pan, a gift from Australia, as our Chinese made pots ($5.95 from eBay) were not good enough for our needs.
6) The fridge proved more than essential to have even in the smallest capacity of 10 liters like ours.
7) The 12-Volt kettle. It’s not exactly needed as our gas stove can cover our needs in a quicker and more efficient way.
8) Our awning. We could do without it in case of a quick overnight but for longer stays it’s definitely essential as it’s our only protection from the hot sun.
9) Roof top tent. It’s our most valuable piece of equipment, a comfy, foldable bedroom that’s worth investing on. Having our own bedding, sheets and pillows is ideal and pure luxury as well because the alternative is sometimes just… eww!
10) Foldable solar panel. Don’t bother if you are not in desperate need for power. Everything can be charged in your vehicle while on the road. Expensive for what it can do.
11) Battery booster. We are not sure yet. We haven’t used it as an actual booster and as an alternative power source, it’s not that reliable because the power it can provide is not strong enough to even keep our small fridge running for an hour without the car supporting it.
12) Outdoor shower. We are not convinced about the actual shower part but it’s definitely great even as just a source of water when you need to free camp.
