I regularly get questions about the things I use during my travels, such as cameras, shoes, bag and camper.
What suits someone best is of course very dependent on the type of journey you make and your own personal choices. I will tell you about my choices and the things I use.
Hiking boots
When I buy my shoes I do not always know exactly what I’am going to do. It’s usually a good guess what to buy and what best suits the future walk.
During my walk in Portugal from Lagos to Santiago do Cacém (300 km) I wore high Meindl shoes (right). The Meindl Tramin Lady GT is a ladies model and a wide version. The high model was recommended to me because I sometimes walk in hilly areas.
The shoe has a fantastic fit, but turned out to be half a size too small after 2 weeks of intensive walking with a backpack weighing approximately 11 kilos. My little toe suffered from the pressure.
Because I have walked a lot through loose sand, it is nice to wear a higher shoe. Because of the height I filled my shoes with less sand. This shoe is much too warm for hiking in Portugal.
The trip in Portugal was cut short because of Corona and that is why I used these shoes in June during my long distance walk “Pieterpad” in the Netherlands. Then the shoe turned out to be big enough because I walked without a heavy backpack. For the flat Netherlands, a heavy and warm shoe is not necessary and less pleasant.
Price EUR 224.00.
After approximately 1400 kilometers of walking the shoes needs to be replaced.
Bought 1 size bigger than my normal size.
I bought the Meindl Lite Trail Lady GTX (right) in Germany, the country where the Meindl’s are made. I like to wear a low model and have previously walked to Santiago de Compostela on a low model from Meindl. Because I almost always walk distances less than 15 kilometers on my sneakers I have hardly gained any experience, to be continued!
Price EUR 170.00.
Bought 1 size bigger than my normal size.
I usually wear sneakers from the brand Skechers, most models around EUR 70.00 or more walk fantastic!
Backpack
I use the black backpack Nomad Batura 55 liters. This bag is large enough for backpacking holidays and long distance hikes without camping gear. It is a very practical bag in use because the main compartment has a top loader and also a front loader, which saves a lot of searching for that one t-shirt at the bottom of the bag 🙂
In addition the bag has a pocket on the left and right side on the outside in which you can carry water, the camera or other frequently used items. The only disadvantage of this backpack is that it is less easy to adjust in height, because you depend on the adjustment options of the Velco strap. The bag lasts quite a long time, I bought my first in 2005 and the second backpack in 2018.
Daypack
The colored Under Armour (above) is a nice spacious multifunctional bag that fits everything for a day on the road. The bag has 3 separate compartments that can be closed with a zipper and on the outside there is a left and right compartment for a camera or water bottle. It is a nice extra bag next to the large backpack.
The black Ellehammer (left) is a very high-quality bag and can also carry heavy items. Initially it was my laptop bag for work and then I used this bag as a daypack during my Asia trip. Not really suitable for long walks, because it sticks to your back.
Camper
Volkswagen Transporter, T4 from the year 2000.
The choice of which camper someone buys is a very personal choice. I have thoroughly enjoyed traveling with this camper van over the past few months and what I initially experienced as cramped living space have come to be appreciated as spacious and comfortable. It’s just a matter of getting used to.
Do you want to see what the camper looks like on the inside? Watch this video!
A solar panel is mounted on the top of the roof, so I always have enough power to charge the phone and cameras. In this way I often camped off grid in the wild, in the most beautiful places in Europe!
Cameras
I use 3 cameras;
1) I mainly use Iphone 7 for videos, selfies or fun unexpected moments, where I don’t always have a compact camera at hand. Pictures at greater distance are not always sharp.
2) Sony RX100 VI is a very professional compact camera with a lot of possibilities. I haven’t tried all of these options yet. That will be a great project for me during the next coming trips. The photos are very sharp and the video’s are of high quality. Really a fantastic camera!
3) I bought the Canon Powershot SX720 HS when I traveled to Antarctica. I wanted to be able to take beautiful pictures from a wobbly Zodiac boat in turbulent weather. This camera can do that and also has a 40x optical zoom. It is a practical camera with a fewer options than the Sony above, but easier to operate. In the right sunlight the standard option “vivid colors” takes amazing photos.
Yobi GorillaPod 3K is a tripod with flexible legs that you can easily bend around a branche or a tube. I also use it as a tripod on less flat surfaces and as a selfie stick.
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