Journey Without A Map No 1, our trek with a camel through the wilds of Xinjiang, has been supported by a number of individuals and companies without whose generousity we would be having rather a different time of things.  A huge thank you to the following:

Power Traveller Ltd

 

Power traveler have donated a Power Gorilla, Solar Gorilla and a Power Monkey Extreme to our humble cause.  We´re going to be filming in 1080×50 HD in cold temperatures and far from a mains socket and that means lots of backing up big files and batteries going flat all over the show. We´ll be running two cameras at times, several different microphones and backing up to netbook and then a portable hard drive and the only power source will be the sun. It just wouldn´t be possible without this kit.  Well, it might be but we´d be lugging a petrol generator engine around with us!  Check out their amazing gear at www.powertraveller.com and never suffer a flat battery, iPhone, laptop, etc ever again, whether simply on the move or climbing a mountain.

Bell Tent UK:  

Tobyn Cleeves , founder and MD, has ben moving heaven and earth to have a prototype 3m bell tent with an internal frame rather than a central pole delivered to Kashgar for us from where he is having them made in China.  Basically this tent would have been like a lightweight (relatively) mini-yurt and would have looked great in our film.  Sadly the Chinese logistics have proved too tricky but Tobyn has managed to help us out in a number of other ways, both in terms of kit and finanace. And Victoria, his wife, gave Ayelen her hiking boots. www.belltent.co.uk

Head 4 Heights Ltd 

Rod Baber, founder and MD, has generously loaned us a tent, a rucksack and a multi-fuel stove.  He used it all on Everest and it does smell but without his enormous benificence we’d be having rather a different time of it right now.  Head 4 Heights is the UK’s fastest growing aerial adventure and team building centre. www.head4heights.net

 

Nomad Travel Stores and Clinics:

This fantastic chain of stores has been my main port of call before many an expedition in the past.  Founder and Director Paul Goodier often has an innovative development of his own to offer and has spent much of his time on expeditions so uderstands just what´s needed.  His is a store for the serious traveller, especially where jungles and the medical side of things are concerned and as usual he was extremely helpful and generous.  Visit his stores online at www.nomadtravel.co.uk 

Jo Williams & Jess Dunlop

Jo a skipper of big boats, Jessie a free-diving champion and mermaid, both quigong experts and all round uber-babes who spontaneously gave us a wad of cash with which we were able to buy some crucial kit.

Penelope Anstice

Artist and teacher, and my sister incidentally, Penelope generously went shopping for merini wool layers and even got the sizes right. www.penelopeanstice.com. 

Paul & Marta: 

Paul, a carpenter and cabinet maker in Ibiza and his partner Marta, an inspired artist, for the spontaneous donation of what has become the expedition knife.