We arrived at 8AM to start walking the exhibit booths looking for items still needed for the crossing America trek. Top on the list, summer sleeping bag, solar charger, lighting and GPS advancements or redundant system. Not a surprise, but we found it all.
Sleeping bag: We saw the Big Agnes Thunderhead SL sleeping bag, 1lb 12 oz, 30 degree bag, light, compact, easy and durable. It looks like a great light bag for the journey.
Solar power: We spent a lot of time in the Goal Zero trailer evaluating options to charge accessories while on the go. During the trek I will have a battery source to charge phone, gps, camera,etc, but will need to charge the battery between hotels stays. The Nomad series seems to fit my needs. I need to do more research and testing.
GPS: The GPSs may have been the biggest find of the show. We met the Lead Nav Systems crew and their IOS based GPS system is amazing. After more research I will write more about this system. The Lead Nav could become my main GPS and satellite tracking system.
Light: Light may seem boring, but in the dark, in the middle of nowhere, it becomes rather important. We (ok I) looked at a lot of options, and the Gear Aid was the best. It is a rechargable LED cube that will also charge you devices. The light output is amazingly bright, it lasts for multiple nights use and you can add a Ram Mount to attach it to just about anything to use the light in a larger area. This light has too many applications to list. Very cool product.
In the future I will write about the systems I select. My son endured the endless conversations at the Expo. Hopefully he learned something :).
Last, but not least, we met the crew from Where The Road Ends, a motorcycle documentary. Earlier this year I read an article about them riding motorcycles across Alaska during the winter and riding the Darien Gap. This is an awesome adventure. Look them up on the Internet and Facebook. This is a trek you won't want to miss. This could be the first documented motorcycle trek across the Darien Gap!
This is 3/4 of the Where The Road Ends adventurers at the Expo.
