The Rough Guide

Can tech help you survive in the uncompromising wilderness,with no idea where you are or where youre going?

- Michelle McLaren

It’s unbelievably early on a Friday morning and I’m being bundled into a car, given a blindfold to put on and driven… Somewhere. After hours in the car, during which no-one gave away any information, we arrive... Somewhere. The sun is coming up and the first details of my challenge are revealed: can I survive and navigate alone in the wilderness, and return to my starting point safely, with only tech to help me?

Well, I won’t actually be alone. I’ve got a buddy photographing this entire expedition, documenting everything using the new Fujifilm X-E3, and who I’ll yell at for help if I end up in a 127 Hours-type situation. But he’s been told not to help me with this task.

The team hands me a pair of Salomon X Ultra Trek GTX hiking boots (miraculously in my size), an Arc’Teryx Beta AR Jacket and an Icebreaker Cool-Lite Mira Pullover Hoody. I assume I’m at risk of getting wet, because they then give me a Patagonia Stormfront backpack... And there’s more tech goodies inside.

I’m starting to feel apprehensive, so the team finally tell me the final part of the challenge: I need to find my way to the top of the huge mountain in front of me, and back down again, but on a completely different route.

RABBIT OUT OF A HAT

Going through my backpack full of tech, I first pull out a Black Diamond Revolt headlamp. It’s light out, but only just, so I pop it on. The Revolt has multiple LEDs for different levels of illumination. I don’t need the ones designed for better navigation at night (I hope I’ll be back down by then!) but it’s helping to make things clearer now.