Wondering what sort of gear Justine uses on and off the water?

	I use a variety of Valley seakayaks. The Avocet is a fun, lively kayak for kayaking close to the shore, surfing and playing in tidal races. The Nordkapp LV is a great kayak for longer distances, and it’s very quick. The Nordkapp is my expedition kayak of choice as it performs well and can store more gear than the Nordkapp LV. Northshore kayaks are also great, especially the Altantic LV ( formerly the Shoreline), which is stable, comfortable & responsive.
	I have been part of the Kokatat team for 4 years & am always impressed with the comfort, fit & design of their gear.  Kokatat’s dry suit with a drop seat is brilliant and keeps me dry and warm. The dropseat means I don’t have to fiddle about with taking layers off to pee when it’s cold and wet. When it’s warmer I often wear the kokatat sealskin trousers, shorts, and innercore layers.
	Mitchell Blades are made in Chester, UK. They are lightweight but tough and beautifully made paddles.
	Esquif sponsors “This is Canoeing” DVD. They make quality, high performance touring, whitewater and slalom open canoes.
	Hilleberg are sponsoring our expedition to Tierra del Fuego in 2011. We will sleep better in the strong winds down there, knowing we have one of the best tents in the world. We’re using the Tarra tent and a lightweight Tarp 10 UL.
	I use snapdragon spraydecks which I love because they don’t implode and they are easy to get on and off. I also really like their neoprene pogies because they are really easy to get on and off – especially important for me because I stop to film quite a lot. They also don’t drip on your hands or hold water.
	Reed make comfortable, light, waterproof kayak clothing & toasty warm thermals. They also have great accessories including emergency spare hatch covers. Barry is wearing all Reed kit for our trip around Tierra del Fuego.
	Oregon Scientific makes the ATC 9k action waterproof camera which can be mounted on a helmet or handlebar or kayak. It films in high definition to a depth of 20 metres and it has a monitor so you can see what you are filming and review the footage. Oregon Scientific are sponsoring our expedition around Tiera del Fuego with tow ATC 9k cameras and lots of spare batteries.
	I use a waterproof submersible GARMIN GPS. I enjoy navigating ‘the old fashioned way’ but this GPS is a fantastic back up. I sometimes use it to measure my speed or to check my progress on a crossing!
	I use a Casio PRW-1200 waveceptor watch which I love because it’s solar powered, waterproof ( including getting trashed in the surf proof!) & it has a 24-hour graph showing how the pressure is changing. This feature is useful while on an expedition and trying to predict how the weather will change. It also talks to a satellite every day to keep the exact time – accurate to the second!!
	I use an ICOM IC-M72 waterproof sumbersible VHF radio. The battery life is excellent; we used one almost every day on a 67-day circumnavigation of NZ’s south island and the battery only ran down once. Barry kept his in his buoyancy aid ( PFD) without an extra waterproof case and it survived big surf launchings and landings.
	In New Zealand MSR, thermarest and seal-line dry bags sponsored the trip and all the products were excellent. We used MSR dragonfly stoves and over 67 days, the stove started every time with no problems. The simmer function is excellent and makes the stove very fuel efficient. In Sardinia, when we ran out of ‘proper fuel’, we switched to petrol with no problems ( just a little more soot).
	Karel Visel from Israel, supports kayak expeditions worldwide via sms / text message with most up-to-date possible weather. Twice daily sms / text messages are sent to help the kayaker decide whether to continue the journey or seek shelter.
	Natural Balance Foods are a little young British company devoted to increasing world happiness with healthier snacks, humour and helpfulness. Their Nakd & Trek bars are full of all natural ingredients, no sugary syrups or additives. Each bar is one of your ‘five a day’. Their high protein content gives you sustained energy & of course, they are yummy!
	Icebreaker are giving us some lovely warm woolen thermals for our expedition around Tierra del Fuego. Not only are they warm and comfortable, they don’t smell anywhere near as bad as synthetic thermals so if we meet anyone on our trip, they will also be very thankful to Icebreaker!