Gear Sponsors and Testing on the Cam

We're delighted to announce that the Cambridge University Danube Expedition will be supported by two fantastic gear sponsors, Origin and Aquapac.

Origin Paddleboards are some of the best in the business; durable, inflatable and efficient in the water, they are perfect for international long-distance touring such as our planned trip. Origin have kindly provided two 12'6 Tour model boards for our expedition.

Aquapac are the proud makers of top notch waterproof bags in all shapes and sizes. Keeping camping, first aid and personal kit clean and dry will make our trip safe and much more comfortable than otherwise. We will be using a range of their bags, including phone cases, TrailProof dry bags and the 28L Tocca Daysack.

Now that exams are finally over, we have managed to put this new kit to the test on the River Cam in Cambridge. Navigating between the punts of tourists added to the prep of gear testing and SUP technique. But both the boards and dry bags performed fantastically - the latter being really put to the test by a couple of man overboard incidents...

Our phones remained dry and (bonus!) usable through the protective casing of Aquapac's phone bags - a phonecall after a wrong turn proved their usability without any issues of sound quality. The SUPs were light enough to transport them easily to our start point, but once inflated also sturdy enough to withstands a few collisions with punts. Having tried a range of paddle board brands on the River Lea training trip at Easter, we are sure the Origin touring board (12' 6) is the best around.

Our actual journey will be under different conditions but we now feel confident that we have the right tools to tackle those; both the SUPs and dry bags will be invaluable to the success of our exped. Many thanks to Origin and Aquapac.

Further gear reviews and updates coming soon...

Rosie and Alex