How do our crew look so good?

#expeditioncruising .

Have you ever wondered where our sparkling expedition cruise and superyacht crews get their immaculate uniforms from?

Well, it's no secret. Quality Marine Clothing (QMC) is a local Australian company that has outfitted operations such as True North, Pearl Expeditions, Coral Expeditions, and almost every Australian domestic superyacht fleet.

Duncan Curnow
QMC Sales and
Marketing Director

With offices in Sydney, Auckland, Gold Coast and Hong Kong, QMC has access to hundreds of global suppliers enabling them to customise everything to match any client's vision, from full branding with all embroidery for a full crew, right down to chefs' shoes and brass buttons.

"We've just finished a massive task outfitting the entire Paspaley Pearl," says Duncan Curnow, QMC's sales and marketing director since 2017, "As a brand new vessel with very high demands for quality and distinctive design, it was a task we embraced with enthusiasm. And the client is delighted - and so are we."

Quality Marine Clothing (QMC) is a one-stop destination for premium marine apparel and accessories,   all perfectly tailored to the precise needs of international superyachts, marinas, cruise ships, and expedition vessels.

See their range at: www.qualitymarineclothing.com

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Expedition Kit: This little Bluetooth speaker could get you into trouble.

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Review: Ultimate Ears MINIROLL Bluetooth Speaker

Once upon a time, those little add-on speakers for your Walkman, Apple iPod or MP3 player were tinny, rattly little things that had all the HiFi quality of fingernails down a blackboard.

Solve your travel adaptor jumble with this one smart device

#expeditioncruising .

We've all found ourselves at one time or another struggling with plug adaptors while travelling. While many modern ships have universal sockets and USB outlets, many still don't. And your pre-cruise hotel is even less likely to.

Oakley eye protection tested in remote Australian waters

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When Oakley sent me a pair of superb Clifden prescription sunglasses for trialling on my motorcycle, I was thrilled. These are lightweight, tough, super comfortable and come standard with protective rubber side guards, nose bridge and crystal clear PRIZM lenses.

Leatherman's new pocket tools work to a T

#expeditioncruising .

Every boy or girl should have a pocket knife. I still have the first one my grandfather bought me when I was six. Don't worry, mum hid it for 10 years. 

Expedition kit for the adventurous and eco-conscious dad

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Treat your Dad this Father’s Day with a gift from Zen Imports, which has a range of equipment and tools suited for everyone from brands including Leatherman, Ledlenser, Klean Kanteen and Fjallraven. Whether your old man is a great outdoorsman, loves to build or fix things, or is a fan of having the latest gadgets, these products are the perfect way to express your gratitude.


LEATHERMAN FREE P2 AND P4 SERIES

The ‘New Generation’ of Leatherman, the Leatherman FREE range has a range of new selling points. The P2 and P4 feature many of the same implements found within classic Leatherman tools, but with new features and technology. The outside features a new signature design and the inside of the tool includes a revolutionary magnetic architecture that allows the tool and its implements to open and close seamlessly.

RRP P2-$259.95; P4-$299.95

BlackWolf Strato 40 Technical Daypack: comfort, safety and practicality

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The Ideal Expedition Cruising Daypack

Whether you are hiking in the bush or tackling an urban adventure, BlackWolf’s Strato 40 Technical Daypack is the perfect backpack for all conditions. Made for both urban and outdoor settings, the Strato Daypack is built with comfort, safety and practicality in mind.

While the BlackWolf Strato 40 may seem like an ordinary backpack, it’s equipped with handy features for adventures in the outdoors and city living. For sticky situations in the bush, the Strato 40 comes with a safety whistle to easily signal for help and a night reflective daisy loop to be easily seen in the dark. Built with an internal pocket for a hydration tank, BlackWolf’s new backpack is hydration compatible for those long stints away.

Incase Compass Collection - designed with simplicity in mind

The latest range of protective, stylish luggage launched from Incase.

 

The creator of design solutions cantered on protection and mobility, brings you its Compass Collection designed with simplicity in mind. The lightweight, professional range is perfect for those who require protection without the hardships of lugging around bulky alternatives. The Compass Collection offers a faux fur padded compartment, perfect for storing your laptop and quick access pockets for other accessories. 

 

Incase Compass Brief 15" (Deep Red)	Incase Compass Backpack (Black)	Incase Compass Duffel (Navy)

 

Five different pieces of luggage make up the Compass Collection, all available in Black, Navy, Deep Red and Bronze. The collection is available at Rushfaster and Culture Kings.

 

• Compass Backpack - $129.95
• Compass Duffel - $99.95
• Compass Messenger - $99.95
• Compass Brief 13" - $79.95
• Compass Brief 15" - $79.95

 

Expedition kit: ChargeUp Digital 6,000 Portable Powerbank

Take a look around you. Just about everyone you see is dialled into their smart device of one sort of another. Androids, iPhones, tablets and iPads are the ubiquitous and inseparable accessory for today's traveller and commuter. We've come to rely on these increasingly sophisticated devices, not just for simple voice and data communication, but also for photography, GPS mapping and social media sharing.

Portable and lightweight, they have have replaced many of the cumbersome and bulky kit we were once burdened with on our travels. Travellers in particular have become wedded to these accessories as part of their mandatory packing list. How do you get to the bus station or airport, convert currency or even translate phrases and instructions? Yep, how did we ever travel without them?

As connected travellers, we've all experienced the panic and frustration of trying to get that last email or text message as the battery warning light flashes urgently before we are cast adrift in an analogue no man's land of dark alleys and strange foreign faces. Did you bring your charger? Will it plug into the curious puzzle that is supposed to be a power socket? Can you sneak a USB cable into the back of a random TV without looking like a shoplifter?

In the last few years, we've seen a spray of portable batteries designed to rescue us at the last minute before our pixels fade into oblivion. Most are good enough to keep our device alive for the rest of the train journey home, but what about a transpacific flight, Siberian railway expedition or arduous desert trek? You need something with power reserve.

For the last couple weeks I have tested the sleek and powerful ChargeUp Digital 6,000 Portable Power Bank. It's light, easily packed and just has a confident feel. 6000 what BTW? This number refers to the current it can supply and for how long, measured in milliamp hours (mAh). Most 'lipstick' size units are rated at about 1000-1200 tops and we know from experience they don't cut the mustard on longer trips. Cygnett's range of ChargeUp Portable Power Banks start at a useful 2500 up to a mighty 10000.

This what they tell me and I'm inclined to agree:

Featuring the latest in Lithium polymer battery technology, the ChargeUp Digital 6,000 Portable Powerbank provides power at your fingertips for when you need it most. Ideal for when you're on the go, travelling for business or leisure, the ChargeUp 6,000 is slimline and compact, making it the perfect addition to every backpack, laptop bag, handbag or briefcase. It comes fully pre-charged for instant use and provides up to 3-4 phone charges before needing to be recharged. Thanks to a handy digital display you'll always know how much power you have left. The ChargeUp 6,000 can be used to power any device that uses a USB connection to charge, and with two 2A USB sockets can quickly charge two devices at once. Use it to charge a huge variety of gadgets from smartphones, to your GoPro, portable speakers and even a Fitbit or Apple Watch.

The whole range and pricing can be found here: https://www.cygnett.com/collections/portable-power-banks

Deadly Oceans: in search of the deadliest sea creatures

#expeditioncruising .

The world’s oceans are filled with an array of venomous and toxic marine critters, not to mention a whole host of apex carnivores.They continue to fascinate us with their magnificent appearance and behaviour, no matter how dangerous or shocking. Within the pages of Deadly Oceans you can join ace divers and wildlife photographers Nick and Caroline Robertson-Brown as they tour the world in search of the deadliest sea creatures.

They are not only looking at the marine life that is specifically a danger to humans, but also those predators with amazing adaptations that make them supreme hunters, marveling at predators that conceal themselves, perfectly camouflaged to their surroundings, waiting to strike, sometimes at mind-boggling speeds. Taking a look at creatures from beneath the surface that have developed toxins to prevent them becoming prey, and finally focusing on the organism that poses the greatest threat, not only to all marine life in our seas and oceans, but also to the planet itself.

Deadly Oceans is illustrated with hundreds of stunning images, chapters cover everything from jellyfish to sea snakes, and cone shells to crocodiles and, of course, a whole range of sharks while the most deadlyspecies of them all may or may not come as a surprise.

About the Authors

Nick and Caroline are both aware winning underwater photographers and have been diving together since 1995. Their scuba adventures have taken them to locations all around the world, but they also still love diving in their native British waters. Caroline has a BSc (Hons) in biology and an MSc in Animal behavior. Nick has a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Biology, a DipEd in teaching and is a Fellow of The Royal Photographic Society. Caroline and Nick are both conversation driven and are involved in several charities that strive to protect our oceans.

NEW HOLLAND PUBLISHERS | HARDBACK | RRP $65.00

What happens when the lights go out?

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Expedition Kitbag: Blackout Survival Kit

So if the power goes off and the lights go out at home, what do we do?

For most of us, it’s time to go looking for the flashlight, only to find there’s no batteries, or they’ve leaked inside the unit, rendering it useless. So we strike a match and burn our fingers looking for that pack of AAs we hid somewhere. Instead we find the scented candle left over from Mothers’ Day 1966 and it even if we find the matches, we know it’s going to smell like a smoldering funeral parlour.

At home, this situation is a comical inconvenience, but what if you are in a foreign hotel or a cruise ship and there is a total loss of power? What if the situation is exaggerated by a fire or other emergency? Stop laughing, it happened to me.

One of the must-pack items in my kitbag has always been a pocket torch and boy, was I glad to have it handy that night on 15th floor of the Westin Edmonton when power went out to the whole building just as I was packing to check out at 5.30am.

So when a product arrived on my desk called ‘Blackout Buddy’, I took notice.

Blackout Buddy

The 240V rechargeable, always ready emergency flashlight and nightlight

There’s actually two of these little ‘buddies’. One is a 240V night light, emergency (4hr) flashlight and blackout alert that you can leave plugged in at home or in your hotel room or ship cabin. If the power goes out the unit automatically illuminates. Endorsed by the Red Cross, it has a RRP of $25.95.

The second is a smaller, always-ready, single use emergency light that needs no batteries. The cute thing about this tiny Blackout Buddy H20 is that it is water (or any fluid) activated making it a much smarter alternative to matches or potentially explosive disposable lighters.

Just add water for up to 72 hours of light

It has a clever magnesium-oxide battery module that is free from mercury, hexavalent chromium, cadmium and lead. Just add water once a day to keep it alight for up to 72 hours. Note, that once turned on, you can’t turn it off and when it’s done, it’s done. RRP $14.95 each or $29.99 for a triple pack.

Now let’s say you need to keep an ear out for weather or fire warnings after the power has gone out. And let’s face it, no one ever has fresh batteries in the old tranny radio. So here’s the potentially lifesaving solution: the FRX1 Hand turbine radio and LED flashlight.

FRX1

You can charge this little jigger via the supplied USB cable while you have power, or turn the hand crank to charge the batteries when the grid goes down. You can tune into AM, FM or good ol’ shortwave if you remember how. The sound is not Hi-Fi by any means, but more than sufficient to hear emergency warnings or listen to calming music while you wait further instructions. RRP $74.95

All these items can be purchased from Anaconda Stores nationwide or online at www.anacondastores.com.au