Welcome to 2011; the United Nations’ International Year of Forests. It’s the year when the good folk at the UN have set themselves the not insignificant task of convincing people around the world to like – and look after – forests.

It sounds pretty straightforward, but let me sketch out a quick picture of what they’ve let themselves in for.

The main problem they’ll have to tackle is that on the whole, we just don’t seem particularly fond of forests. According to a United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation study, over the last 10 years we’ve destroyed 13 million hectares of forest, and 16 million hectares in the 1990s – that’s more than the entire land area of New Zealand in the space of 20 years!

Even more concerning is the fact that we’ve lost 40 million hectares of primary forest, that is forest with no visible sign of human influence, in the last 10 years. At this rate, we’re destroying 0.4 percent of the world’s virgin forests each year. Giving us about 250 years before the last of it is gone.

The UNFAO found that the biggest forest clearers were the poorer countries (or at least ones with large income inequality). Tanzania and Nigeria lost about four million hectares each through the decade, Indonesia got rid of around five million and Brazil destroyed a staggering 26 million hectares.

For the people manning the chainsaws, the reasoning seems pretty simple; day to day they’re faced by two problems: poverty and hunger – and the forest is an obvious solution to both. Just chop it down, sell the timber (or just burn it) and then use the newly available land to grow crops and raise cattle.

In reality the only way these developing countries are going to get around this situation is with help from developed countries, but for the developed world our attitudes to forests are a bit more complex.

In my experience the average westerner — the New York stockbroker, French bureaucrat, or Sydney housewife – takes great pride in knowing that wild forests exist, at least as an abstract notion. But if you drop them into a pure wilderness environment, they’ll generally find it to be a confronting and not entirely pleasant experience.

Author Richard Flanagan captured it brilliantly in Death of a River Guide: “[The forest] smells strongly of an acrid, fecund earth, and its temperate humidity weighs upon them like a straitjacket of the senses. Wherever they turn there is no escape: always more rainforest and more of it irreducible to a camera shot. No plasterboard walls or coffee tables are found to act as borders, to reduce this land to its rightful role of decoration.”

This combination of pride and aversion usually averages out into a mild apathy – if the forests don’t bother them, then they don’t bother the forests… that is as long as no one finds any minerals underneath them.

So the UN’s job is to convert this mix of predatory pragmatism and dysfunctional apathy into custodianship – as I said, it’s not a small job. But if they can do it, there are some big payoffs for us all.

Firstly there are the benefits to the planet: cleaner air, clean water, improved species diversity and a more stable climate. But beyond that, forests and wilderness areas have direct benefits to their human occupants.

Studies have shown that people exposed to natural environments – like forests – have lower childhood obesity, lower stress levels, recover from stressful events better, live longer and are basically healthier and happier for it. But I think there’s an even more significant benefit that has as yet gone unmentioned.

To an extent, our destruction of forests seems instinct-based. We all have an innate drive to bring order to chaos: mow the lawn, tidy the kitchen, organise our belongings (teenagers being a notable exception).

This instinct has served us well over the years. It’s seen us create the great pillars of civilisation: schools, libraries, hospitals, parliaments, courts and indoor climbing gyms; these are all places of great order (many of which stand on previously forested sites).

However, given that the defining trait of humanity is wisdom (the ‘sapience’ in Homo sapiens) which involves acting independently from our instincts and if as a species we can be wise enough to control our ordering instinct and live with a little chaos then paradoxically we’ll be all the more civilised for it.

It’s dark, it’s cold, you’re hungry and camp isn’t set up. He thinks it’s amusing to poke fun at your untamed hair, you want to kick him where it hurts. After a three-month loop around Southern Africa with her bloke, Sarah Isaacs offers a few tips on how to stay sane so that the end of the road isn’t the end of the road.

Don’t take chances

When it’s just you and your partner in a fully loaded car – tackling treacherous dirt roads at 30km/h – you’ll find plenty of reasons to squabble. Don’t add fuel to the fire by failing to cover your bases. Take out travel insurance before you leave. Mutual & Federal provided us with comprehensive all-risks and motor insurance, a much-needed safety blanket when you’re on the road.

Don’t skimp on vaccinations and prophylaxes. Man-flu is bad enough; nursing his malaria might prove too much, even for the tightest of couples. Netcare travel clinics are located across South Africa and are one-stop shops  for vaccines, prophylaxes and  medical supplies.

Know your vehicle 

Ladies, no-one expects you to take apart and reassemble your vehicle’s engine, but a little legwork before you leave could go a long way. Befriend a mechanic that you can call on  for advice, make a list of essential spare parts, obtain contacts for repair workshops along your route and, for goodness sake, learn to change a tyre. Your vehicle is your most valuable resource on the road so it’s only fair you share the responsibility.

Pack smart

Less is less! It’s tempting to pack your whole wardrobe to avoid the discomfort of wearing dirty clothes or, even worse dirty underclothes. The truth is the more you pack, the more you clean. Washing a few items of clothing on a regular basis is far less frustrating than washing your entire wardrobe every couple of weeks. When it comes to other supplies such as dry foods, tools and cooking utensils, labelled ammo boxes are your best bet. When you travel as a couple, everything is shared so be courteous and always return things to their rightful place. To save space (and fuel), don’t buy too much food at the outset. There are more than enough spaza shops and fresh food markets across Southern and East Africa to keep hunger-rage at bay.

Don’t rely on his sense of direction

Relying on his sense of direction is fine when you’re trying to find a new restaurant, but when a wrong turn could lead to an extra day of driving, maps are non-negotiable. A GPS comes in handy, although the well-spoken lady in the box doesn’t know every-thing. Always compare what she says with one (or even two) detailed maps and chat to locals about road conditions, as they’re likely to change along with the weather.

Back off, babe!

Being together all day, every day can be testing. To avoid constant bickering, respect each other’s personal space. Don’t provoke your partner’s irritable mood with snide remarks. Instead, put on music you both like, sit back and hold your tongue. Read a book. Go for a walk. Create some distance and let the heart grow fonder.

TIPS

■    Don t forget these camping essentials: Ziploc bags, Tupperware, gaffer tape and cable ties.

■    www.4x4community.co.za is a great forum for asking vehicle-related questions.

■    See Evan Haussmann’s blog on border etiquette (tiny, cc/evansblog). Handled in the wrong way, border officials can end your trip far quicker than any domestic.

KEEP IN TOUCH

Chatting to mates back home is a good way of escaping the relationship bubble, but beware of roaming charges. Activate roaming on your phone if you want to remain contactable and take along a spare phone to use with local SIM cards, Local rates – even if you1re calling or texting another country – are considerably lower than roaming rates. We took a water-, shock- and scratch-resistant Sonim phone, ideal for out-doorswomen who don’t want towaste time fretting over a cracked screen. Although cell-phone signal is remarkably good across Southern and East Africa, internet connectivity is not. Inmarsat offers small, light-weight satellite terminals that pick up signal wherever there’s open sky. The terminal’s fast and reliable internet connection makes this a splurge-worthy travel accessory.

EXPED VENUS II $799 

This Swiss-designed two-person tent is certainly well made, with many extras . I prefer simplicity in equipment when escaping to the hills. and this tent initially appeared to be over complicated. However, once I had put it up a couple of times, and fathomed out the one-way, colour-coded pole sleeves and their tensioning pockets, it became easy enough to drive. It is made to the highest specs, with top-notch materials being used for the polyester fly and inner, along with a tough and durable floor. All this carefully considered attention to detail comes at a cost, both in weight and price, and at 3.2kg for the entire package (including repair kit and a full set of pegs) it is heavier than I would like to carry for two people on an extended trip. It’s spacious, with two independent doors, and plenty of room for cooking and storing gear in the vestibules. I would think of a tent like this to be an excellent base camp home for extended periods in the mountains.

Primarily marketed as a three-season tent, it is sufficiently aerodynamic to handle strong winds, especially with all the guy line attachments provided, Both the inner and outer can be pitched independently. which allows for greater flexibility depending on the conditions. There is a third pole that runs across the roof at right angles to the main ones, unfortunately sticking out at about eye level above the door entrance. The inner mesh doors have large radius zips that I couldn’t reach without kneeling on the (wet?) ground. although ventilation is enhanced by using these. Condensation cannot be eliminated and I like to be able to easily separate inner from outer for drying. The Venus II has 21 attachment points connecting the inner to the fly. which does help achieve this.

Finally, the V pegs, although sturdy, are just about impossible to push into hard ground by hand without injury. Overall, a good, strong tent that suffers somewhat from over-design and subsequent weight gain and with a pretty hefty price tag.

MARMOT EARLY LIGHT 2P $399.99

This tent is a useful and affordable piece of kit. It’s a standard two-pole dome shape, with two vestibules, and a separate fly and inner. At 2.8 m*m, it’s roomy enough for two and the vestibules are large enough for pack stowage while still allowing an exit out either door, One disadvantage is that pitching the tent requires both the inner and fly – unlike some other tent models, you can’t just carry the fly.

I used this tent on an overnighter in the Ruahine Range, and a five-day jaunt over Otago’s Motutapu Track. Unfortunately, for review purposes at least. neither trip provided the wind and rain that would have tested the tent fully, but I can offer these observations:

* At 2.41 kg, it’s not the lightest two-person on the market (MSR’s Hubba Hubba weighs in at 2.1 kg) but it’s well priced,

* Lots of ventilation: great for dry or summer trips, but too well ventilated for winter trips.

* Not difficult to pitch, but requires a bit of tweaking to position the fly perfectly, and the Velcro pole holders are a little awkward to use.

* Only two small pockets are useful, the other four corner ones don’t hold much.

* Worst design feature: the floor is not tub design, leaving the seams exposed to wet or damp ground.

* Best features: great peg design, tough, but easy to push into the ground; and small tear-shaped windows in the fly for a quick perusal of the weather,
Overall, it’s an affordable, entry-level and comfortable two-person tent.

MSR HUBBA HUBBA $759 

If there is such a thing as a sexy tent, then the Hubba Hubba is it. Just one look at the silky sandfly-proof netting and taught eco-sensitively anodized poles suggestively peaking from beneath elegant lines of its seam-taped fly is enough to set any red blooded tramper’s heart racing! The Hubba Hubba uses a robust free-standing design, for easy position changes (or if you’re set up on a peg-unfriendly surface) and features an ingeniously simple all-in-one hub-and-swivel pole design which virtually guarantees you won’t run into any pitching difficulties.

When you consider that it easily packs down into a 51 x 17cm bag and weighs just over 2kg, spending some time in a secluded location with the Hubba Hubba becomes a very tempting proposition indeed. You can’t take the inner down while leaving the fly up (a handy trick if you need to pack up and go while it’s still raining).The vestibules are just big enough to contain a backpack in each one … but you’ll need to crawl over it to get out. And the interior pockets are too shallow for anything much bigger than a paperback novel.

It’s also worth noting that the Hubba Hubba’s floor fabric is quite lightweight. It’s fine for camping on grass, but I suspect if you spent too much time on sharp or abrasive surfaces, the floor’s waterproofness would disappear pretty quickly. Fortunately MSR sells a bespoke footprint tarpaulin for the Hubba Hubba which also gives you the option to pitch just the fly and floor. It adds 250g to the package but seems like a wise investment.

Despite those niggles it’s a great product. If you appreciate a light-weight design and you’re prepared to take care of it then you won’t go wrong with a Hubba Hubba.

BLACK DIAMOND MIRAGE $499  

At 2.2kg, the Mirage is light and packable. Pitching is a breeze and takes about three minutes from unpacking to crawling inside. Attaching the Velcro around the poles is the trickiest part. The fly clips in place beside the pole-end eyelets.
Two well-positioned vents, one at each end, promote airflow and prevent rain from blowing inside.

The shape of the tent is very different to other models. The three interconnected poles form a high-arching ridge towards the front – great for head and shoulder room and creating a wind-cheating knife-edge. If you’re into aesthetics. the tent’s profile is like a Stealth bomber – without the wings. The asymmetrical floor plan makes one side of the tent shorter than the other. The short side has the door; meaning someone has to climb over the other to get in and out. And it’s a snug fit inside the Mirage. It wouldn’t be difficult for two average-height fidgeters to keep each other awake from dusk til dawn.

Storage is minimal. even for one person. To reach your gear during the night. Black Diamond has added a small zippered opening on the panel contiguous to the door. Immediately inside this opening is a pocket large enough for everything you need. Very disappointing was the 2,000mm-rated nylon floor. which leaked under even light pressure; I had to slide my pack liner underneath to keep my sleeping mat dry.

Despite my complaints about the Mirage. there’s a likable quality that draws me back to it. The design is solid. the pitching a breeze and the build excellent, but the lack of space and the low-rated floor killed any chance of a top score.

KATHMANDU BORA $499.98  

The tent boasts two doors. a large easily entered front door and a smaller. crouch-style back door. These doors are placed along the transverse sides of the tent making entry and exit a breeze for the whole party. just swing your legs around and you are out. The interior is supplemented with numerous stow pockets and a strong tub-style floor for protection from the ground and water ingress. I liked the way the upper portion of both doors is formed from insect mesh making   a nice little view window, if the outer door is left just a tad open, to check out the weather conditions.

My other concern, when breaking down a tent, is how easily it is erected in adverse conditions or when you are tired and it’s getting dark at the end of the day. I needn’t have worried as both the poles and tent-fly interface click together remarkably easily. Three poles provide rigidity for the fly, these are shock corded and colour coded making for efficient selection and placement. As well there is a family of sturdy pegs to hold down the stake tape which, in all but the windiest of conditions. should adequately hold the tent to the ground. The tent is supplied with four storm guys for really bad weather, or pitching In rocky terrain.

The big problem with this tent is the 3.65kg weight – even if split between two people it is too heavy to comfortably carry. Overall a sturdy tent for valley and tops camping.

THE NORTH FACE ROCK 22 $660 $499.98 

This is a smart three season tent.The ’22′ stands for two people, two poles. It has a classic crossed pole structure with an extra little pole to test those of us who think we can throw up any tent in the dark within five minutes. While the plastic clip attachments (rather than sleeves) speed setup, I gave up on the mysterious spare pole the first night and only got it sorted in the cold light of day with a little help from my friends.

This tent features double side entry, working well for night time comfort trips from a shared space. This design also means decent storage space for gear under the fly but a profile not as streamlined as its high altitude cousins.
Another feature of this tent that I appreciated was that you can erect the inner or fly independently of each other. The inner is fully mesh with a PU seam sealed, stitched in, ground sheet. The mesh passed the sand fly sieve test nicely and lead me to believe this could be a great option for even a day trip where a sandfly-free lunch break is desirable.

The outer does not have any specific vent points but rather appears to rely on a short trouser leg approach, with the outer stopping a few inches off the ground. This idea is new to me and probably doesn’t work well in driving horizontal or bouncing rain. Still, being able to take just the fly and poles is helpful as an emergency backup on light-weight trips or for when the forecast is good and a full shelter is not required.

Rising damp spots emerged in the floor under some of my gear after a day of having it pitched on damp grass, which makes me wonder whether it would be up to the rigours of a truly wet location. The tent has four internal pockets, a mesh roof shelf and a sky loop for hanging your torch. It weights about 2.6kg, so isn’t the lightest tent on the market but seems to be a good balance of lightweight versus robustness.

Roger Smith examines tile way politicians view the environment and is concerned at the effect of their actions across the UK

IT has been said that “in conservation, there are no victories, only the avoidance of defeat”. That quote seems apposite as May approaches, a month which sees both the 32nd TGO Challenge cross-Scotland walk and also elections to the Scottish Parliament.

It might be thought that backpackers are natural conservationists, and TGO Challengers certainly reinforce this view as is evidenced from the lively debates on the Challenge website message board. One recent posting, about windfarms, put it eloquently: ”They are enormous and hideous monstrosities. It is really only from the air that you get a sense of the destruction of the hills. This May, part of my route is across the Monadhliaths, Possibly my last venture there”.

Another Challenger came back with this thoughtful response, widening the context: “Building the windfarms would not be necessary if we all got to grips with the idea that we are wasting resources – too much to eat, too many clothes, cars too big which gulp fuel. We are power junkies. It is time the government got down to thinking far more carefully about how much power is needed and from what source and gave us some real information”.

If Challengers can see things so clearly, why can’t the politicians? One of the problems is that, ever since Margaret Thatcher famously described the environment as “humdrum” 30 years ago, our political leaders have given the matter only lip service and none of them have shown any real understanding of the big issues or how to deal with them. The environment brief has been held by a succession of lightweights (in a couple of cases, dummies) and that continues today.

This is as true at Holyrood as it is in Westminster and it leads to situations such as occurred recently when on the same day as the London government announced its humiliating U-turn on forestry sales, the Scottish parliament told us that hundreds of wind turbines were to be erected on Forestry Commission land in Scotland. We also have a situation with two major initiatives on walking trails running in parallel but not working together which in a country the size of Scotland is crazy. Twenty of the “best” existing trails are being rebranded as Scotland’s Great Trails with a launch due in June, and at the same time an energetic group co-ordinated by Action for Churches Together in Scotland is pursuing a strategy to develop a network of pilgrimage routes. This latter project, which is imaginative, has the full support of a Scottish government minister!

It is high time we sorted this mess out. The conservation of our environment and the maintenance of diverse habitats are far too important (in biological, economic and social terms) to be left to political whims which change every five years or so. We need genuinely national, visionary, long-term policies developed by environmentalists and scientists who not only understand the issues but are passionate about them.

Forestry is a good example. The whole of the UK forestry sector should, I believe, be regarded as one “estate” with consistent policies which ensure that we sustain and enhance the present tree cover; ensure biodiversity while maintaining timber production; and provide the maximum possible range of recreational opportunities. Similar “vision statements” could be produced for wild land, coastal areas and so on. This will not happen within our present political system – so we simply take it out of the system. I see no reason why this can’t be done.

Challengers making their way across Scotland this May will have a chance to reflect on some of these things. Scottish voters should certainly reflect on them. A continuation of the current SNP administration would be environmentally disastrous.

There is another growing issue which demands, but will probably not get, urgent political attention. It relates to the economic and social breakdown of rural communities in many areas. Towns and villages are losing their post offices, pubs and even primary schools. And with many rural bus services facing the axe there is real deprivation, especially for older and unemployed people. Across the UK, more than 900,000 rural households live below average income is 25% under the national average. Little wonder churches in Okehampton are providing food parcels to people every week.

The government response has been to scrap the Commission for Rural Communities. In more and more areas – rural economies, environment, tourism – it is clear that our politicians simply do not appreciate what is happening or what needs to be done. We may have to take matters into our own hands. I shall return to this issue in a future column but it many windfarms in the north, and struggling villages in the south: it’s not a happy picture of Britain today.

RAIN falling gently in soft misty swathes, delicate and ethereal, quietening and blurring the land. Rain driving across the hills, enlivening and invigorating, making the very air alive and full of power. However it comes, rain is an integral part of backpacking and the outdoors. Often it’s so dominant that it is cursed and excoriated. Day after day of rain-sodden hills and grey skies, night after night of slowly dampening gear inside a rain-lashed tent can become dispiriting. Every flicker of definition in the blanket of grey, every hint of a hazy sun breaking through the clouds is seized upon with hope and anticipation.Maybe now the rain will ease and dryness and warmth return to the land. Maybe.

Sometimes rain seems to be the major factor in backpacking trips. This has been much in my thoughts recently after a month of almost constant wet weather on the Pacific Northwest Trail last September and four days of rain followed by 10 more of drizzle, clouds and sodden ground on the Southern Upland Way in February. Taking John Muir’s words quoted above as inspiration I have been thinking about the nature of rain and storms and the positive experiences they can bring to backpacking. One is that they can be unforgettable. Looking back on trips it’s often the wettest and stormiest days that stand out clearly. Indeed, the least memorable days are those with “nice” weather – hazy sunshine, gentle breezes, light clouds – with nothing spectacular to see and nothing challenging about walking or camping.

When walking in mist and rain it can be hard to maintain an optimistic outlook (I have had plenty of practical) but after years of feeling fed-up I now try to concentrate on the landscape as it is with rain and clouds not as I might like it to be in bright sunshine. There’s nothing less real about misty hills and rainy skies. They are what the landscape is at that moment and views of them are just as valid as ones bathed in sunshine. Indeed, in areas of high rainfall, like the Scottish hills or the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, they may be more realistic. In the Cascade Mountains on the Pacific Northwest Trail I walked past a classic roadside viewpoint of Mount Shuksan. The mountain is much photographed and pictures showing a sunny Shuksan rising above a flower-dotted meadow and a calm blue pool decorate magazine covers, postcards, calendars, biscuit tins and more. My almost monochrome pictures, taken in the rain, show a dramatic grey rock mountain clad in forbidding glaciers appearing out of swirling clouds. I suspect that Shuksan looks like that far more often than the chocolate box image. But it wouldn’t sell many products.

Watching the landscape in the rain reveals a different world to the same place in sunshine. Water is a major factor and not just in the form of rain. Waterfalls and rivers grow in size and power and become visually exciting. If streams have to be forded they can be physically challenging too. Just the day after I walked past Mount Shuksan I had the most terrifying few minutes of the whole 75-day walk during a ford of a creek in spate that was thigh-deep and strong with slippery, rolling stones underfoot.

In really heavy rain new streams can spring up, covering hillsides with ribbons of white water. On my summer-long round of the Munros and Tops I crossed Bidean nam Bian above Glen Coe in heavy rain and low cloud then descended into the Lairig Eilde looking for a camp site. The slopes were laced with white streaks of rushing burns; the Allt Lairig Eilde was a surging torrent. The summits were hidden in the clouds but the landscape was still tremendous and dynamic. The ground was sodden, water bubbling up at every step, and finding a site that wasn’t too wet was difficult. Eventually I camped on a half-dry boggy knoll just big enough for the tent. Once inside in dry clothes and with a hot drink I could look out on the storm and relish its power and energy.

Camping in rain and storms is in fact one of the joys of backpacking. Being warm and dry inside a tiny tent while the rain batters on the flysheet is a simple pleasure that never pails. I snuggle into the sleeping bag, light the stove and wait  for the water to boil, then take the first few sips of a hot drink, which always taste marvellous as the liquid sends warmth surging through me. The struggle with the storm – keeping dry, navigating in the mist, finding a camp site, pitching the tent, getting inside without bringing wetness in – is over and I can relax and settle into my home for the night.

In the British hills rainy camps are often windy ones too, exposed sites on open hillsides swept by the weather. Then a strong, storm-resistant tent gives confidence and security. On sheltered sites, especially in forests, it’s calmer and the rain comes downwards rather than horizontally. Sometimes it’s even possible to have a warming camp fire. My 1,000-mile walk through the remote Yukon Territory in Canada was one of the toughest I have done and took me through some spectacular wilderness landscapes with dramatic camp sites. Yet one of the most unforgettable nights of the trip was spent deep in the forest. The day had been spent meandering up a wooded valley with few views and difficult boggy terrain. Drizzle started to fall and as dusk came down, it turned into steady rain. I camped in dense spruce forest near a deep creek. Because I was in grizzly bear country I didn’t cook or eat in or near my tent in case the smell of food attracted them so I carried a tarp for use as a cooking shelter in stormy weather. On this occasion I pitched the tarp as a lean-to between two big trees. Huddled under the tarp I felt cold and damp so I lit a small fire just in front of it. As the flames flickered and the warmth reached me my sombre mood changed and I felt content and relaxed. Just feet away the rain hammered down and the dark, dripping forest looked threatening and unfriendly but under my tarp it was cosy and comfortable. I cooked over the fire and stared into the flames. Where else could I possibly want to be?

Nights like that have taught me to delight in camping in the rain. Knowing I can be warm, dry and comfortable is very reassuring when hiking in damp clothes on a stormy day. Backpacking in rain may not be ideal but it is a part of the outdoor experience, one that can still give rewards. And the sun will always come out eventually.

Most of us plan a trip before considering any health stuff-yet pills and immunisations can add a significant extra cost. So how can you economise? Which areas are safe to skimp on? And which most definitely are not?

You could reduce expenditure by avoiding certain parts of the tropics, especially the malaria belt. Some destinations require more jabs than others -though of course that can balance out: in many higher-risk destinations, accommodation and other travel costs are cheaper. Whatever your destination, there’s definitely scope for making savings by researching your health needs well before departure.

WHAT’S FREE? 

Most GP surgeries will immunise NHS patients against hepatitis A  and typhoid free of charge – but be aware that they often give travel immunisation low priority, so you may have to wait two or three weeks for your first appointment.

Immunisation with the combined diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis/ inactivated polio vaccine is available in GP surgeries but, though it’s free to NHS patients to protect against, say, risk of tetanus through gardening or other stay-at¬home activities, a fee should be charged to those wanting the diphtheria element for travel.

Different GP practices are more or less strict in their interpretation of the rules. If your surgery offers a private travel vaccine service, it is worth checking on prices: charges are variable, and not necessarily cheaper than a specialist private travel health clinic. Note, free vaccines are not necessarily the most important; government policies are seldom logical.

PRICES FOR PILLS 

Charging policies within the UK are inconsistent, so check what your GP offers. A few inner London surgeries, for example, issue antimalarial tablets on an NHS prescription – which at £7020 per prescription is very cheap.

Mostly, though, the big three antimalarial tablets (Malarone,Lariamjmefloquine and doxycycline) are only dispensed with a doctor’ s private prescription. Some GPs will charge a fee for issuing private prescriptions – a cost additional to the pharmacy charge for the tablets. If your GP proposes charging a fee, it may be cheaper to get your antimalarials from a private travel clinic or from one of an increasing number of travel services run by pharmacists themselves.

If your GP doesn’t charge, you can shop around with your prescription. Prices vary between high street pharmacies, which in turn are undercut by online pharmacies (eg www.travelpharm. com or www.strarfcrd-pharmacv. co.uk), where Malarone tablets can be as cheap as £2.25 each.

PRESCRIPTION CHARGES

People who do not usually pay prescription charges still have to pay for their antimalarials in the same way as everyone else. NHS rules also say that regular medications should not be provided for extended overseas trips (more than a couple of months) unless through private prescriptions. This rule applies to the contraceptive pill- normally free – and also to medications (such as insulin and thyroxine) that exempt the patient from prescription charges.

Anyone who takes long-term medication might consider buying supplies overseas – but research your options first. In some destinations there is now a risk of buying counterfeit preparations-with no active ingredients or with inconsistent amounts of active drug. North America, Australasia and the European Union should be safe places to stock up.

If taking prescription medicines, especially painkillers, travel with confirmation that these were prescribed for you. You probably don’t need a formal doctor’s letter  (for which there will be a charge); a repeat prescription printout will serve this purpose, and is free.

Generally even if countries are strict about importing addictive medicines (eg codeine) you’ll get less hassle if you have an official document – but check on the rules at the US Department of State site www.travel.state.gov/travel/.

DO I NEED ALL THOSE JABS?

The best way of ensuring you’re getting the jabs you need – and only those jabs – is to research your requirements before visiting the immunising nurse. Check www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk; www.nathnac.org/travel is useful too. Also try books such as The Essential Guide to Travel Health (Cadogan, 2009).

If possible track down a record of what vaccines you’ve already had to avoid unnecessary costly boosters. I keep a spreadsheet on my PC, oryou can store the information online at www. myvaccs.com, which also provides useful travel health information. Checking an expert source before having jabs will help you understand your own risks and allow you to make sensible decisions on how much to spend protecting yourself.

People travelling for more than a month or two in affected regions should probably get cover against rabies. It can be a false economy not to have the jab: a dog bite can mean abandoning the trip altogether.

EXOTIC REMEDIES 

Travel may give you the opportunity for health-shopping-saving money on treatments or health supplements. For example, melatonin is an effective remedy for jetlag and insomnia; in some countries – including the USA- it is still classified as a food supplement, so is much cheaper than in the UK.

One of the best remedies for travel sickness and nausea is ginger; in tropical destinations you can shop for many and delicious forms of this root. Oral rehydration sachets are much cheaper in developing nations than at home -even if the range of flavours available is more limited.

Be careful when buying remedies overseas – check amounts of active ingredients. Be especially careful in South- East and East Asia and the subcontinent, where quality control is patchy.

MEDICAL KITS

Many travellers take a purpose-made first aid kit with them, but most bring nearly all of it home unused. The advantage of buying a pre-prepared kit is that it makes you look less like a drug addict than if you throw a handful of hypodermics into the bottom of your bag. However, it’s rare to need needles and suture stuff; generally, if you do need them, you’ll also need a competent medic to administer them – someone who’s also likely to have what is needed or should be in a position to tell you where to get it.

If I was going to take a kit, I’d pack the smallest of the LifeSystems range (Mini Sterile Kit; £9.99; www.lifesystems.co.uk) but I’d also add a few extras, especially dressings. The items that are most needed on any trip will be plasters and antiseptic. Usually, I tend to put together my own little kit – but you need to consider what works for you .

1. Preventative measures

Especially if you’re fairly new to travel, you can expect tummy troubles – reckon on a 50:50 chance of getting a “bug” for each trip to a resource-poor country. You’re most likely to be struck in the first week, so be extra careful in sticking to the “peel it, boil it, cook it or forget it” mantra.

Experts have ruled that prophylactic (preventative) antibiotics are not worth the side-effects. While probiotics (including yoghurt) probably help recovery, there isn’t much evidence to suggest that they prevent gastroenteritis. The litter you are when you leave home, the better you will cope with the onslaught of predatory bugs, but no health supplements, vitamins or bowel-cleansing yoga exercises have any proven benefit.

2. Triggers to avoid

In destinations of high population density, try to ensure that you eat only hygienically prepared, freshly cooked foods. Often you will find these at busy street stalls. Big hotels are not necessarily the best places to eat since food can hang around and be kept incubating at blood heat in buffets. Salads (especially lettuce), messed-about-with drinks (eg cocktails), cooked food that has gone cold and is served a second time, and ice cream are the foods best avoided if you suspect poor hygiene practises.

3. First defences

When you first feel your tummy growl, simplify what you’re taking by mouth. Avoid alcohol, take plenty of clear fluids and, if you’re not hungry, miss a meal. Nibbling on light, high-carbohydrate snacks (crackers, toast and jam or marmite) can be good; eat a minimum of fatty or oily food. It’s probably best to reduce all dairy foods, except yoghurt.

Simple Delhi belly tends to only last about 36 hours (unless you eat and drink the wrong things). Signs that you have something more serious are: relentless vomiting; abdominal pain not relieved by fatting or pooing; aching joints (as in flu); blood or mucus in your stools.

4. Drugs to take 

As most travellers’ diarrhoea settles in 36 hours, medical treatment is rarely needed. Sometimes the best management is to delay that bus trip and hole up in a hotel for a day. Rehydration is crucial and lifesaving-whether you have “harmless” travellers diarrhoea or nastier dysentery. Take two big glasses of a rehydration drink or sugary water each time you open your bowels.

If you feel you need a chemical cork, the fastest way to slow the flow is to take a combination of a drug that paralyses the muscles of the bowel (eg lmodium) along with an antibiotic.

Commonly people use ciprofloxacin for this purpose although – since this is
available without prescription in many destinations – bacterial resistance to it is becoming increasingly common. The good news is that there are alternatives. Later this year, a new antibiotic – rifaximin – is to be launched in the UK. It has been in used in the USA and various European countries for some years. Sulphurous gas emissions suggest you might have giardia, which requires antibiotic treatment (metronidazole).

5. Aftercare

Even quite-bad dysentery can be tolerable and not too much of an inconvenience if you listen to your body and stick strictly to taking only clear fluids and a very bland carbohydrate diet. As you recover, your appetite will return – you can then start slowly reintroducing normal foods. Each bout of Delhi belly should confer a little immunity but you should always be cautious about what you eat and where. It’s possible to develop a temporary allergy to milk sugar after experiencing really torrential diarrhoea. The treatment is to avoid lactose-containing dairy products for six weeks: this means no milk, but yoghurt is allowed.

A form of irritable bowel syndrome is common after the tropical trots, but send off stool samples to ensure your lingering problems are nothing serious. if symptoms go on and on, consult a doctor; stool checks sometimes identify unwanted hitchhikers.

If you take antibiotics, ensure you know what you are taking, what bugs these will hit and what the required course length is. Take some yoghurt after the antibiotic course to replenish your normal population of friendly bacteria

1. Be prepared -It’s important to know how to navigate and be able to call on a bit of endurance and stamina, Stay within your abilities, continuing to learn skills – X and T rescues, Eskimo rolls, night navigation.

2. Wear the right kit-even in summer wear waterproof and warm upper-body protection (usually a cagoule over a base layer) and use zipped openings – as well as gloves and hats – to regulate your body temperature.

3. Essential safety kit should be “grab-ready” – compass, charts, tide-tables and trip plan should be in view on the front deck, with your VHF radio, energy foods, drinks and smoke and rocket flares easily to hand. The back deck should carry a spare, two-plece paddle and a throw/tow line within easy reach. 

4. Wear a Personal Floatation Device; in the pockets carry flares, sun cream and a knife that can be opened with one hand for cutting yourself free in emergencies.

5. Hone your paddle technique- use your core strength, twisting from the waist to pull back on the paddle blade when it’s in the water, barely moving the arms and not over-using the shoulders.

6. A knowledge of weather and sea conditions is essential. Tides can be a help or a hindrance depending on whether they are with or against you, but they will change direction and force through 12 hours.

7. If you are caught in strong winds, remember to keep each paddle blade low down when it’s not in the water and take shorter strokes. 

8. A paddler in a kayak is inherently unstable. Balance comes from a relaxed, easy sitting position and flexible hips. The kayak cockpit should fit snugly around the paddler with foot pegs adjusted so legs are comfortably bent.

9. Essential paddling skills include high and low braces – using the paddle blade flat against the water’s surface to retain balance. In choppy seas or unpredictable wave patterns, high braces (slapping down from shoulder height) or low braces (pushing down from waist height) can stop you being capsized. For practise, have someone stand behind your kayak in shallow water and try to twist you over while you use braces to remain upright.

STYLE OF BOOT Two basic things determine what a boot is best for: shank and height. The longer the shank (a stiff piece of material in the midsole), the stiffer and more supportive the boot. Likewise, a higher cut provides more protection for rough terrain and heavier loads. If you stick to the trails, a lower cut with a half shank should be fine. Off-trail hikers and scramblers should look for a higher boot with more shank.

CONSTRUCTION Synthetic materials tend to breathe better than leather and are lighter, but are not as durable. Full-grain leather and nubuck-brushed full-grain leather-are the most durable. Spllt-grain leather breaks in faster, breathes better, is less expensive and lighter than full-grain, but is not as waterproof or durable.

FEATURES Mountain hikers will want a boot with a rubber rand around the toe for extra scuff protection. In hot weather, mesh panels are great. But if rain is in the forecast, opt for leather or nubuck and waterproof it, or better yet buy a boot with a waterproof barrier. SHOPPING Hunt for boots later in the day when your feet have swollen. Bring your hiking socks and insoles, and walk around the store, Your heel shouldn’t lift and you should be able to wiggle all your toes without feeling the boot.

VASQUE BITTERROOT GTX
$190; 3.5 LBS, 1.6 KG; VASQUE.COM

Hiking across a rocky beach, we barely noticed the uneven footing in the Bitterroots. A three-layer midsole managed to cushion, stabi lize and control our pronation. And when we hit a creek crossing, we plunged right in-the Gore- Tex liner and 2 mm full-leather upper repelled every drop. But while these boots can hand Ie rough terrain-with a roomy toe box and a grippy Vibram outsole-under a heavy load the three-quarter height construction is best kept to the paths.

ZAMBERLAN TOFANE
$450; 4.2 LBS, 1.9 KG; ZAMBERLANSTORE.COM

Don’t let the price of these beauties scare you away- we think they could last a lifetime. Handmade in Italy, they’re sewn together using traditional double-stitch construction. The 2.8 mm full-grain leather is waxed for durability and handsome looks, and a Gore-lex liner will keep your feet dry. After 15 K on the trail our feet felt fresh; we have rarely been more comfortable, or looked so good, in a backpacking boot.

PATAGONIA P26 MID GORE-TEX
$250; 2.4 LBS, 1.1 KG; PATAGONIA.COM

The P26 (the P stands for Patagonia while the 26 is the number of bones in a human foot) was designed with sustainability in mind. The leather was sourced from sustaina ble tanneries, and Vibram made a 50 per cent recycled outsole specifically for the shoe. The P26 is I ightweight and flexes like a runner, yet its scooped-out EVA midsole stabilizes and cushions long-weekend type loads (30 lbs) and long miles. Bonus: This version is waterproof.

SALOMON COMET 30 GTX
$200; 2.5 LBS,1.1 KG; SALOMON.COM

For the Comet, Salomon borrowed technology from its trail-running program and stuffed it into a three-quarter- height, Gore-Tex boot. The result: A fast and smooth- feeling boot that seems as comfortable as a running shoe while still providing enough support for weekend trips, The mesh and split suede boot was the lightest in the test; it’s best kept on trail.

LA SPORTIVA PAMIR
$265; 4.2 LBS,1.9 KG; LASPORTIVA.COM

Named after a remote corner of the Himalaya, the Pamirs have the chops to handle trekking just a bout anywhere, Topping out high a bove the ankle, with full-grain nubuck and a full shank, the Pamirs are surprisingly comfortable for their size, thanks to an effective hinge point at the ankle and a supple, all-leather liner. Add a dual density midsole, that cushions and supports, and these are one of the best off-trail hiking boots we’ve tried.

SLIP: This knot is very handy for camping, especially for holding a tent peg. Start by placing the tail end-the shorter end-of the rope in the palm of your hand and place the length of rope over two fingers. Now twist with your fingers to form a loop, and then pull the longer end of the rope partway through that loop to form another loop. You know it’s working if you pull on the longer end of the rope and the final loop tightens, while if you pull on the tail end the loop loosens.

TRUCKER’S HITCH: This is the ultimate combination of a knot and pulley system. It’s a great way to rig rain tarps and tent guy lines. First, tie off the rope onto the set anchor (tent, tarp). Then, about three-quarters of the way along, twist the rope to form a loop and bring the loose end of the rope through the loop to form a second loop. Take note that the further away from the anchor you make the loop, the more powerful the hitch will be. Now, pass the rope around another anchor and bring it back through the loop. Pull and hold down the grip by finishing off with a half hitch.

TAUT-LINE HITCH: This knot is generally used to tie down and adjust the tension on a tent rope when at-tached to a tent peg. The knot forms a loop that can be easily adjusted by sliding up and down the main line. Start by pulling the free end around the object and placing it under the standing end. Now, wrap the free end around the standing end. Wrap it a second time. To cinch it off, bring the free end back to the standing line, placing it on top of the rope and just in front of the first wrap. Now, make a half hitch by tucking the free end under the loop you formed and pull to tighten.

HOW TO SPLIT WOOD

A good percentage of injuries to campers result from poor axe (or especially hatchet) handling. To safely split wood with a camp axe, begin by sawing sections of a log. Anything smaller in diameter than your forearm simply throw in the fire, but any piece bigger needs to be split with the axe. Set the piece of wood upright, place the blade of the axe across the centre of the log, and then strike the top of the axe head with another piece of wood. The axe works as an effective wedge rather than a cutting tool. No swinging is involved, which greatly decreases the chance of injury.

HOW TO BUILD THE PERFECT FIRE

• Gather some dry pencil-sized twigs.

• Find a downed tree and, using your camp saw, cut some branches no thicker or longer than your arm.

• Collect strips of birchbark, dry pine needles or a piece of dried lichen for a fire starter. (Or you can take along one of these homemade fire starters: a cotton ball covered in Vaseline; pieces of wax crayon; dryer lint dipped in paraffin wax; a squirt of alcohol-based hand sanitizer.)

• Arrange the twigs in a criss-cross pattern over the fire starter.

• Put the larger pieces of wood on top but make sure there’s enough space for the fire to breathe.

• Place a few more twigs on top.

• Light the fi re starter. Once the fire is going, build a second pile of wood around and even on top of the fire constantly dry out your fuel source.

HOW TO TREAT YOUR WATER

Even in the most remote areas, water can have nasty bacteria, protozoa,viruses and chemicals. There are three main ways to purify your water: boil it, chemically treat It or filter It.

• Boiling water works for sure and you only have to reach a rolling boil to kill all the nasty stuff-but it’s time consuming and uses precious camp fuel. Boiled water also tastes bland .

• Chlorlne-dioxide drops and pills (like those made by Pristine and Katadyn) work well, and so do iodine and household liquid chlorine (bleach). However, you don’t want to use too much of these chemicals. Chemically treated water also has an odd taste to it.

• Filtration is quick and safe, but only handles protozoa and bacteria, not  viruses. Some filters have a chemical treatment built in as well.

HOW TO MAKE REAL COFFEE

True camp coffee is nothing but grounds-and-water java. The trick to making it is to never let the coffee boil. That’s because the bitter tannic acid is released right at or above boiling point. So just bring the water to a rolling boil, take it offthe heat source, dump in one generous ta blespoon of ground coffee per cu p of water, a nd let it steep (covered) for approximately five to 10 minutes. To settle the grounds, some people take hold of the wire handle on the pot, swing it with the speed of an aircraft propeller, and have complete faith in centrifugal force. I me rely tap the side of the pot with a kn ife or spoon three or four times, and then make sure to offer the first and last cup of coffee to someone else in the group.