Tonic Trek: The Equipment

Preparing for a yearlong trek isn't easy. I checked out dozens of backpacks and cameras and other gear that could help me, and after a long search, here is some of the stuff that I found more useful and that can hopefully help you on your journeys.

The backpack: I wanted the coolness of a backpack but the ease of a roller bag, and I found both in the Victorinox E-motion 4.0 Trek Pack Plus. It is a backpack, but it also features a pullout handle and inline skates wheels for easy rolling. To be honest, I haven't even put this thing on my back yet. It also features a cushy compartment for my laptop computer, a detachable mini-bag for all the embarrassing supplies that make me a wannabe metrosexual and an overall sturdy frame with water-resistant fabric. Though you can get the bag in black, I chose bright red because it'll be easier to spot when some dude in Budapest tries to make off with it.

The camera: I am an idiot when it comes to electronics, so when it came time to pick out a camera, I turned to my favorite lens man Jeff Novak, a celebrity photographer the Tool guys hand-picked to do all their visuals. Jeff told me to go with a Panasonic snap-and-shoot with a Leica lens, and I'm glad I listened. Interestingly, I was ready to pay big bucks for an elite Panasonic camera, but the guys at the B&H superstore in Manhattan actually convinced me to buy the cheapest model they had, the DMC-TZ5. The rep argued that, unless I plan to make long HD movies, even their starter camera is incredible. I used it that night for my going away party and was entirely convinced. Though I love the wide viewing area and incredible clarity with its zoom feature, the camera's best aspect is the lens that offers the richest colors and clarity that I've seen on a snap-and-shoot model.

The phone: Call me a diva, but I had to go with the Prada phone. It's an international phone that doesn't work with any of the U.S. carriers, but it was cheap ($200), looks great and works with the SIM card I got from Telna. Now this is the important part, the cell phone service. Verizon and others have new global phones and rates that should be looked into, but I decided to go with a second phone and sign up with Telna for their new mobile service. It only costs $49/year, there's no roaming, you only pay for the calls you make and receive and I was able to get a NYC phone number. The rates vary, but generally speaking, you can expect to pay 29 cents/minute for calls received and less than 40 percent/minute for calls made. I'm in Germany right now, and it's 33.8 cents/minute to call America. And did I mention the one-second billing? You cannot text from the phone, but people can text you for free from the Telna website. Also, to save money on voicemail, the phone actually emails me MP3s of all messages left so I can listen to them on the computer for free. In the future, I might just switch to a global plan with Verizon, but Telna is the perfect option for people who want a global phone but not the huge monthly subscriber costs.

Those were the big three items I purchased for my trip, and I highly recommend all of them. In future posts, I will recommend travel websites for cheaper fares and how to get stuff like an international driver's license and overseas health insurance (even if you don't have insurance in the States).

Hiking image courtesy of Zack Schnepf via Flickr.