Buff

I think I have been lucky enough to finally find the ultimate travel accessory and luckier still to be able to try it on my most recent trip to Asia. We all have personal items that we won’t leave behind when getting ready for a long trip somewhere. We all have our little packing rituals and, from now on, mine definitely includes packing my original Buff. For those of you that are not familiar with this particular item, you may have seen it worn on a number of discovery channel documentaries as well as the more populist TV series ‘Survivor’.

At first glance it has the look of a neck warmer but it does much, much more than that. In the words of its maker, the Buff helps keep its wearer comfortable, guarding against the cold, sun, wind or dust in a wide range of rapidly changing outdoor settings. The item we tested was the Merino Wool Buff which keeps you warm in the cold, wicks moisture and keeps you cool when it’s hot. This natural fabric is super soft, odour resistant, water repellent and offers UV Protection. Ingeniously the Buff can be worn in a multitude of different ways and - as a result – it has become widely known as the definitive multifunctional headwear.

There are officially at least 12 different ways to wear an Original Buff on your head. Some of the most popular uses include a hat, headband, neck gaiter, balaclava, sun, wind or dust screen, bandana, helmet liner, scarf, pirate-style cap and hair band. My personal favourite on this trip was the pirate-style cap… but then again it depends on where you are and what you are doing!

The most intriguing part of the Buff is that it has attained cult status with its wearers, people will notice and other savvy travellers will nod to you in approval. The site has an incredible array of colours available, there are designs and patterns for every occasion and even a custom design and print service for clients interested in promoting their own brand.

Have a look at the Buff website and start choosing yours now, you won’t regret it!


Technical features of our test item
Material: 100% natural Merino Wool (the best eco choice for us)
Weight: 48 grams
Dimensions: 70cm or 27.5” x 24cm or 9.5”
Sizing: Standard fits most adults
Seam Free: No irritating seams, flat hem to ends
Easy Care: Machine washable. Non-iron. Merino Wool Buff® is naturally elastic and will retain its shape
Colours: MERINO WOOL BUFF® is colour fast and won’t fade

Eco Speakers

This is a review that I think will be of some interest to those of you that, like me, have to spend a certain amount of time in front of their computer and for whom the little things that live on the desk are a source of interest and possibly even entertainment.

In a bid to further ‘green up’ my personal life I took an extraordinary amount of time in choosing a pair of desk speakers. I wondered whether anyone had bothered to think ecologically when designing this seemingly unimportant object and, just like that, I came across the people at Merkury Innovations. A short time later I am the proud owner of a pair of Cardboard DIY speakers complete with a set of pencils to really make them my own.

I was pleased with the simple design, the easy set-up and the creative imagination that must have gone into making something as simple as a small cardboard box into a pretty effective rudimentary amplification system for small speakers. I wondered how I would do them justice with my infantile colouring skills and whether I would draw a scene or a person or maybe an animal on them. In the end I liked them so much ‘au naturelle’ that they sit there in the same way they arrived: clean pure natural cardboard with a hint of eco chic. If you are of a more artistic disposition, there are six pencils in the box to get you in the mood.

What about the sound? Ok, they are not going to win competitions, they are not going to compete with B&O or with a set of Harman Kardon speakers, but for a pair of inexpensive, unpowered, computer speakers they do remarkably well. They are much better than any of the free pairs I have so often received with a new computer and even slightly better than a cheap pair of plastic ones people sometimes buy at computer shops. In an office with little surround noise they do really quite well.

I love the unexpected portability aspect, they can easily be clasped down and taken on the road, they can plug into anything with a standard 3.5 mm jack. They do perform best in an office though, where they wouldn’t have to compete with the sounds of the sea or traffic or people in general.

All in all this is a great little desk addition, they do the job they are supposed to do and do it very well indeed and you can rest assured in the knowledge that the components are as ecologically minded as possible. They are reasonably priced at 14.99 USD and are available from the Mercury Innovations website

Some technical specification:
• Made from 70% post consumer recycled material
• Runs off your device power supply
• No batteries required
• Frequency response: 400 Hz
• Speaker: 57mm speaker, 8 Ohms
• Rated impedance: 1 W
• Max power input: 2 W
• Plug: Stereo 3.5 mm

Product Review: TrekPod Go! PRO

Trekpod in use

From time to time a new product is launched with the aim of ‘converging’ two or more devices into one in the hope that it will make our life a little easier. More often than not these efforts result in disappointment as, in the style of the classic ‘jack of all trades’, the product will end up being ‘master of none’. This is not one of those cases. An inventive new company, Trek Technologies LLC, has taken two crucial products for the outdoor aficionado – the walking/hiking staff and the photographic tripod - and turned them into the TrekPod. Wow, they certainly knew what they were doing!

We planned a photo trip to test the Trekpod and we made it as complex as possible, we introduced long hikes, varied and difficult terrain, a difficult travel component and tricky photographs in which a sturdy tripod would be essential. We packed it in our suitcase, we carried it, we walked with it, we used every feature and possible adjustment on it and we were never disappointed.

The day it arrived we noticed immediately the incredible attention to detail put-in at the design stages. The TrekPod Go! PRO was presented in a clever carry case where each piece had a small sleeve that protected the product in transit and ensured it would not scratch. The strap made the travel case very easy to carry and the whole thing was small enough to fit in our hand-luggage. We inspected each item, put it together half a dozen times and, once familiar with the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of the TrekPod we then packed it for its long journey to the Pacific Ocean.

During this trip we used a Canon 50D with a 18-200 mm Canon lens. We knew it would be a heavy rig to mount and that only a sturdy tripod would cope. Once on location I went about preparing the camera with the enclosed mounts, the instructions were easy to follow and it was in doing this that I really started to appreciate one of the key features of this whole product, the MagMount PRO. This clever design feature will have you amazed; it will connect and disconnect the camera from the Trekpod quickly, efficiently and with the greatest of ease. After using it for 2 weeks I am still completely stunned at how well designed this is and at how sturdy a connection it makes. I would be comfortable connecting any size DSLR (up to 13.5 pounds in the literature) and it coped fantastically with our Canon. The whole operation can be done one-handed too.

Shot taken on Trekpod in tripod mode

Once on site we decided to test the capabilities of the TrekPod on the difficult Galapagos terrain. We organized a long hike with varied rocky paths; a walking staff was pretty much necessary, or at least advisable. The TrekPod was sturdy, it did not develop any annoying noises and did not wobble or bend, each connection was tight and the padded handle offered a good grip. I will say that as a trekking staff it does feel rather heavy but, with a little practice, you will easily get used to the extra weight. The rubber-tipped pole gripped well and continued to do so in shallow rock-pools as well as on dusty trails.

On our first photo opportunity I quickly released the tripod section at the bottom (kept together by a very fine Velcro system) and mounted the camera. I was up and running within 15 seconds. The camera felt safe and well positioned and I began taking a few landscape shots. With the wind increasing we decided to take a leap of faith and set up the TrekPod for a timed group shot, we trusted that it would hold well and it did. In essence it made a great tripod, sturdy and quickly adaptable, it beat the windy condition and, when positioned carefully, it gave a very agreeable shooting position. I also used it as a monopod support when in ‘staff mode’ which was great for quick wildlife photography using a large lens and no image stabilization.

Wildlife shot taken using Trekpod as Monopod

All in all the TrekPod Go! PRO gave a wonderful performance on the road; my only slight concern is the weight as a walking staff which takes some getting used to. The good news is that for those that find it too much to carry, the top designers at Tech-Trek have an XL version available made entirely of Carbon fiber and weighing-in at only 17 ounces (vs. the 30 ounces for our tested product). Genius!

We wish this product well and we feel that it is an essential item for those of you interested in the beauty of the outdoors; this is indispensable on your next eco holiday!

For more information see: www.trek-tech.com

Specifications for TrekPod Go! PRO:
Price - $229.99 US MSRP (including travel case)
Warranty – Limited Lifetime
Weight - 30 ounces / .794 kg
(including MagMount)
Height range in tripod mode - 39" to 57.5" / 99 to 146 cm
Height range in Hiking staff/
monopod mode - 42.5" to 62.5" / 106.7 cm to 158.8 cm
Materials - Various aircraft grade aluminum alloys, high strength polymers, stainless steel, nylon webbing (wrist strap), expanded foam (grip) and inject-molded polymer (palm rest).

Pros:
- An absolute triumph of convergence, excellent as a tripod and great as a walking staff
- Easy to pack
- Excellent use of high-quality materials, should last a lifetime
- Brilliant fast camera mount

Cons:
- A little pricey for occasional use
- A touch heavy as a walking staff

Product Review: The Agent18 EcoShield slider

Living with an Iphone, or any other expensive phone for that matter, poses the interesting question of whether you should do something to protect it - knowing full well that a case might spoil its design - or leaving it cover-less and thus open to danger.

I live with a white Iphone, it shows videos, it plays music, it checks my emails and generally does a good job of being a phone. It also happens to love finding new ways of scratching itself or getting dirty which has brought me to investing in a case. I am something of a purist and thought a case would spoil the look, I also happen to be ecological in my choices and those mass produced plastic cases were just not making me feel good about things. All this changed when I discovered Agent18 and the Ecoshield Slider case. If you are thinking about a case for your Iphone or Ipod then stop thinking and buy one of these. I will tell you why.

I have tested this for a few weeks now and I still like it as much as I did when I first opened the box. Let me tell you about that day. The case came in a pack with a screen protector, the case itself and a handy little stand. I must admit that the first night was completely frustrating, I am totally useless with patience-intensive exercises like fitting a screen protector and suffice to say I was ready to give up when I noticed that I would simply not be able to fit the screen protector without having some kind of air bubble in there. Anyway, a few minutes of help from a more patient and able friend and it was on. Fitting the slider is simple and it completed the all-round protection my phone needed.

The case is slim, very slim. It adds little to the bulk of the phone and everything is easily accessible, the vibrate switch is there, the volume keys are there (and protected) and your attachments will all work fine so no problems with the charger or anything else. It fits like a glove but gives the phone an added sturdiness you can really feel. So much so that I found myself being a little too cavalier with the phone and throwing it around much more than usual, I think I subconsciously decided it was now safe from all harm.

The plastic is made from recycled post consumer plastic bottles and it feels wonderful, it has a real non-slip form and feels like part of the phone rather than an addition to it. One minor gripe – which I am almost embarrassed to highlight – is that you can’t see the apple logo on the back and I say this not for advertising purposes but for the odd times when you want to check your hair before a photo in its mirror-like finish. I think that the vast majority of normal people won’t even think of this but it has to be said for the vainer readers out there.

In essence this is THE case for anyone out there needing to protect their Iphone or Ipod and who want to do so in the greenest possible way.

Pros:
- Secure locking mechanism – never again worry about your case sliding apart at an inopportune time
- Interior silicon pads to prevent product scratching
- Side grips to make sure this baby will never slip out of your hand again
- Made from post-consumer plastic bottles- which means this is a lean, green, protection machine
- Protective screen film and table stand included


Cons:
- Losing the apple ‘vanity mirror’ on the back of the phone

For more information see: www.agent18.com

Product Review: Freeloader PRO

Part of me is still amazed by the fact that what seems like a simple panel, left sitting in the sun, can store enough power to charge an ipod or a phone. There is something almost supernatural about using this kind of free energy, a feeling I really like!

A little while ago we decided to look for the ultimate personal solar charger, a unit that would do it all and do it in style. Our research took us to Freeloader, arguably the forerunner in personal solar technology. Their solar chargers are well known in the outdoor/adventure community and their new Freeloader Pro is regarded as the top expression of the art of personal solar technology. We decided to put it to the test.

It should be pointed out at this point that we carry a lot of technology on some of our trips. The nature of what we do and the areas we do it in means that we need a whole array of gear from portable GPS devices to the humble ipod and of course phones, laptops and cameras.

The Freeloader Pro is a welcome addition to our traveling gadget shop as it really is very portable; the shell is well designed and folded up takes no more room than a first generation mobile phone or PDA. We were rather worried at first, our research brought up a whole array of negative reviews on the first generation Freeloader model, people were getting varied results, especially in the UK and part of me felt the Freeloader Pro would have the same shortfalls, on the other hand it is the PRO version so expectations were high. That being said I packed it along with the all important camera battery charger, the AA battery charger (an optional extra) and finally the right connections for my iphone, now to find some sun!

This test was carried out in the middle of July in Europe so it probably won’t compare to what you would expect on a typical winter’s day in England, on the other hand it is designed for travel usage so some lucky people will end up using it on the move on some lovely tropical island. I allowed the charger its first full charge via USB (as specified in the instructions) then used it to power-up my camera battery which it did very well. The next charge was going to be fully solar. On a remote beach in France I set the panels for the first proper solar test (a little red double LED shows you the correct charging status) and sat the unit on my towel whilst I went about the typical tourist thing… I gave the unit a whole 6 hours of charge in direct light after which I checked the battery status: 2 out 4 bars on the light ‘halo’ (a neat charge indicator). Not a huge amount but it felt like it would be enough to power my iphone. At the end of a busy beach day I connected it all up and, hey presto, the phone lit up, in a few minutes I was able to charge the phone from half battery to full, for free. Very exciting for a solar newbie!

The next 4 days the solar charger was charged in a similar way, never really ever getting close to full charge, it powered my iphone (notoriously power hungry), my camera once and a portable usb speaker that was always fully charged in a matter of minutes. For my type of usage it turned out to be a nifty little gadget and well worth the investment. The price is a little on the high side when you compare it to the Freeloader and the AA/AAA battery charger as an optional extra seemed a little much but overall you do get the feeling the products are well designed and they don’t feel cheap in anyway.
I think that all in all it can make for an excellent addition to anyone’s travel packing list, it works extremely well as a backup charger and will give you that extra safety net when you are in a remote location. It would not be something I would rely on as my only means of power though, the AA charger never really worked for me, the charge was always minimal and never enough to keep the GPS unit’s high capacity batteries running. On the other hand, I will most definitely be packing it on my next trip, let’s hope it’s to a lovely Caribbean island!

Available from www.solartechnology.co.uk for £69.99 inc VAT

Technical Specification:
Technical Specs Freeloader Pro
• 200mA premium quality crystalline solar cells
• 1600mAh environmentally friendly Li-ion battery – typical battery life is 2 years.
• Freeloader’s solar panels can charge its internal battery in as little as 8 hours or 3 hours when using the supplied USB charging cable
• Supplied with a Master Cable for connecting to a device or CamCaddy and for charging Freeloader Pro from a computers USB
• Supplied with ten adaptors to fit the following:
1) iPod, iPhone, iPhone 3g, iPhone 3gs iTouch, Nano etc
2) Nokia phones using both standard and mini adaptors (2 supplied)
3) All current Samsung phones (2 supplied)
4) All current LG phones
5) All current Sony Ericsson phones
6) Nintendo DS Lite / DSi
7) Mini USB adaptor for Motorola phones, Blackberry and most smartphones, Garmin /
SatMap and most GPS, Bluetooth headsets, PDA’s
8) 4mm tip for Sony PSP, Archos and most MP4 players, 2 way radios, portable DVD players, e-books, digital cameras and PDA’s
• Impact resistant, rust free aluminium body.
• Freeloader holds its battery charge for up to 3 months
• Supplied with detailed user manual

Size – 150 x 63 x 20mm
Weight – 174g

CamCaddy (Included with FreeloaderPro)
• Max operating voltage – 9.5v
• Max battery depth – 67mm

Size – 130 x 71 x 30mm
Weight – 68g

Product Review: Aquapac Wet & Dry 25L

Our Thoughts

OK, I have to point out from the onset that I am a lifelong Aquapac fan, their products have followed me all over the world and have been there when I needed them most. Aquapac protected my Ipod in the Patagonian freezing rain, it saved my camera from the humidity of central India and it even saved my handheld GPS from a certain drowning whilst sailing in the Med last summer, you can definitely say that I am a grateful customer. I am also very fond of their ecological principles and their continuing efforts to become more efficient and greener using the latest available technologies. So, when the chance came to test one of their new limited edition products I was very excited indeed.

At first glance the Aquapac Wet & Dry is a very plain rucksack, there are no external pockets and no dangling elastics or bright crazy colours, it is a very pleasing and simple design that appealed to me straight away. It is also incredibly light, something that I have grown to consider extremely important, especially when you have heavy gear to carry or you have a long way to carry it to. Having used the classic waterproof canoe bags, I was already very familiar with the 3-roll seal, the idea being that on the last turn you clip the bag shut and create a simple yet very effective waterproof seal. And effective it really is, I had it with me through a grand storm in France just 2 days ago and if that wasn’t enough I then brought it back home and dunked it in the bathtub. Nothing, not even the slightest bit of moisture went in, very impressive.

I think you would have a tough time getting water in this bag when fully sealed and I would be very confident to take it anywhere in any weather. Inside the bag the spaces are divided through an inner and outer lining allowing you to store wet clothes away from dry or sensitive items. At the top of the bag there is a key pocket which I found very useful for storing money and other loose items, you do suffer a little for the lack of outside pockets (or mesh) and there are times when you might find yourself wondering if a second key pocket inside the bag would have been a useful addition.

On the outside there are plenty of places to attach things (GPS, water bottles, etc) through carabiners, one of them is supplied with the bag too. The back support can be removed to make the whole thing even more supple and to give you space to store a hydration bladder. The bag is fitted with a sternum and waist strap which are great for keeping the bag steady on rough terrain but are also the source of my only disappointment with the sack. I do wish they had been made to be removable; there is nothing more annoying than loose waist straps when you don’t use them and someone who is unlikely to use the bag for serious hiking is going to be forced to cut them off, which is never advisable. The price is also a little on the high side but then again you are paying for some serious technology!

RRP in the UK is £65.00 and in the US $95.00.
Click Here for US, Here for the rest of the world

Test results at a glance

Pros: Fantastic waterproof system, all weather and all terrain bag, perfect for any outdoor activity, stylish too!

Cons: Straps cannot be removed, slight lack of pockets and a touch on the expensive side

The Green Credentials (straight from Aquapac)

The backpack itself was designed to do a unique job (keep wet and dry separate), whilst using as little material as possible. This is with a conscious effort to reduce the usage of manmade materials, and also weight in shipping (and thus fuel).

Without giving away too many trade secrets, we specify all our materials from sources which provide an ethical and environmental code of practice. We do not use PVC or other harmful materials, and where we must use plastics we try to use those with the least harmful impact (TPU instead of PVC for instance).

We comply fully with EU end-of-life rules, and offer a recycling service for all Aquapac products at the end of their life.

We use minimal packaging - the backpack for instance is supplied with a single A4 sheet of recycled paper, printed locally to avoid fuel costs.

And perhaps most importantly, let's not forget that Aquapac is in the business of prolonging the life of electronics and other equipment, which otherwise might end up in landfill or polluting watercourses after it was damaged by water. Our cases have a small impact in order to gain a much greater saving on our environment.

For more information Click Here

Latest feedback from Acquapac:

You'll be pleased to know that v2 of the backpack, which is coming very soon, has a removable waist-strap, an internal key-pocket in clear material (so you can see into it), a yellow inner bag (so you can see to the bottom easily), and external mesh-pockets for water bottles or bicycle pumps. We took on board all the early blog and beta-tester reviews and we hope that v2 is the every-man bag that you all wished you could get.

Product Feature: Volvo S40 DRIVe

As the season for driving holidays is firmly coming along, climate worries as well as fuel efficiency and running costs are high on the agenda and for that reason we figured we would show you one of the greenest cars in current production.

The Volvo S40 1.6D DRIVe, featuring the new Start/Stop technology, has some very interesting green credentials that have helped it scoop up the ‘Green Car of the Year' award at the prestigious 2009 What Car? Green Car Awards.

The Volvo S40 DRIVe beat the BMW 118d and the Renault Megane to the top spot in the Small Family category and then stormed ahead to achieve victory over all the other category winners, including the Audi A8 and MINI Cooper S. The Volvo offers exceptionally low CO2 emissions of just 104g/km and returning up to 72.4 mpg on the combined cycle, What Car?'s judges praised the S40 DRIVe's unique combination of low emissions, practicality, safety and driver enjoyment as key reasons for the win.

Steve Fowler, What Car’s editor, heaped praise on the car. He said: “Volvo’s S40 DRIVe is one seriously appealing eco-friendly car. Its low emissions don’t come at the expense of quality, safety or driver enjoyment and it’s great value, too. It’s everything we look for in a Green Car of the Year.”

Upon receiving the award, Stuart Kerr (Regional President of Europe, Volvo Car Corporation) said “Volvo has a strong commitment to its environmental activities and we have worked hard to reduce the carbon footprint on all our cars by focusing on health, resource utilisation and the ecological consequences right through from production, use to disposal”

The Volvo S40 DRIVe is pretty generously equipped with the entry level S specification featuring ECC (Electronic Climate Control), power windows, plenty of boot space and all the safety systems that people have come to expect from Volvo, including DSTC (Dynamic Stability and Traction Control), SIPS (Side Impact Protection System) and Dual Stage Driver and Passenger Airbags. Prices for the Volvo S40 DRIVe 1.6D with Start/Stop range start at £17,495 for the entry level S specification.

You should also take note of the very reasonable running costs, with an annual tax disc cost of just £35, an insurance group 9 and a frugal diesel engine which gives a range of up to 800 miles between visits to the fuel station. Currently, drivers who are taking advantage of the Government scrappage scheme can trade in a car over ten years old and save a generous £4,377 on a brand new Volvo S40 DRIVe 1.6D S with Start/Stop, reducing its On The Road price to just £13,118.

How does Start/Stop work?

In order to reduce CO2 emissions to 104 g/km, the new S40 DRIVe has been equipped with a Start/Stop function that allows the engine to switch off when the car is at a standstill.
When the driver puts the gear lever into neutral and releases the clutch while at a standstill, the engine switches off. The next time the driver presses the clutch, the engine starts up again. Volvo's Start/Stop system also continuously monitors the comfort levels in the cabin and automatically reactivates the air conditioning if, for instance, the temperature increases in the passenger compartment.
This innovative monitoring system has been made possible due to an additional small battery which supports the larger battery by providing extra power. Thanks to this extra battery, Volvo's DRIVe models also feature particularly quick and smooth start-up. The audio system also remains unaffected when the starter motor is activated. This distinguishes Volvo Car's solution from other systems offered by the competition. The standard larger battery has also been upgraded to handle up to 175,000 Start/Stop cycles. The Start/Stop technology is also available in the Volvo C30 SportsCoupe and V50 Sportswagon DRIVe models.

For more information click here

Eco-Friendly Flying

When we think of recreational flying it would be hard to think of it as an environmentally friendly activity, yet one aircraft producer is proving the World wrong and doing it in style. Not content with winning a whole array of awards, including the super-prestigious NASA CAFÉ PAV Challenge 2007 and the NASA
GAT 2008 competitions for Personal Air Vehicles of the future, Pipistrel have now created the World’s first ever production two-seat electric powered aircraft. It seems like a small step, but we really are staring in the face of what could become the ultimate eco-friendly personal transportation device.

What makes this achievement all the more interesting is that it doesn’t cost any more than its closest combustion engine counterpart despite the incredible amount of R&D that the firm has put in. The Taurus Electro was built onto the company’s already very successful Taurus glider design; it uses a special lifting body shape concept and features enough room for an auxiliary, yet fully retractable engine leaving lots of space in the cockpit. The pilots in the Taurus are placed side-by-side for comfort and ease of communication, for added comfort they enjoy adjustable headrests, in-flight adjustable rudder pedals, separate vent windows and an incredible view - thanks to the large glass surfaces.

Pipistrel is a company that really cares about the environment and this product is not the only evidence of this. Their HQ in Slovenia boasts one of the most up-to-date research centres in the world designed to be completely emission free and self-sufficient. The heart of the building is Slovenia's largest solar power plant which, combined with a very sophisticated geothermal unit, makes for a totally energy-independent construction. Here at EHOTW we hope to see more aircraft manufacturers take on the environmental challenge and we salute Pipistrel for their excellent start!

For more info, click here

Natural Swimming Pond

What is a natural swimming pool?

A natural swimming pool/natural swimming pond is specifically designed so you can swim in pure, clear water with no chemicals. Its design can range from formal to entirely natural, and it is all at once a practical swimming facility, a beautiful landscape feature, and a wildlife sanctuary.

Natural swimming pools have the advantages of conventional swimming pools, but also look beautiful and respect the environment, offering a fresh and vivid display of nature in your own garden. They are the next step in man-made swimming facilities, combining design, an understanding of how ecological systems work, and the very latest in bio-technology to produce one of the most innovative and complete garden features available.

Case study

Foxhills is a 400 acre resort near Heathrow. We built a formally-designed 10m x 3m natural pool as part of their spa garden last summer.

Marc Hayton, Managing Director of Foxhills, says:

“Guided by our consultant, Michelle Hammond, we wanted to extend the spa experience into a beautiful private garden, enabling members to enjoy the space and fresh air. The Natural Pool combined the peace of water, the hydrotherapy benefits of cold water; being organic supported our focus on wellbeing and it's a real talking point. In a crowded market place, being the first club in the UK to have one didn't hurt, either.

Everyone loves it. Having an innovative product can lead some suppliers to focus less on the customer, but this is not the case when choosing GartenArt. Tim and the team were as excited about the Foxhills project as we were. They were a pleasure to work with and even attended the launch, following me into the pool one chilly November morning. True commitment.”

For more information contact:
gartenART Natural Swimming Ponds
020 7183 3333
www.gartenart.co.uk

Eco Lives: Howard Carter

I have always been fascinated by travel and from a young age became engrossed with books on travel and any sort of program or film on exotic locations. Then later as an adult whenever the opportunity presented itself off I went exploring all sorts of exotic locations and meeting all sorts of wonderful people along the way.

These days, like everyone else, I'm much more aware of the necessity to reduce air travel and these days I travel much less frequently and embark on train journeys when possible. This HAS led to a whole new and dare I say it, even more adventurous journeys and all sorts of exciting expeditions. For example traveling throughout India by rail as I did 3 years ago is truly both a humbling and simultaneously an exhilarating experience.

In fact it was during one of my extended traveling expeditions that I developed incognito - the one product that every eco conscious traveler should not leave home without! I developed this after contracting both malaria and dengue while using the 'recommended' chemical products and medication THAT did not protect me. So, I came up with something that is kind for me, my kids and the planet and best of all it works brilliantly. Just using the spray (along with other incognito products), following the tips I wrote on the 'Avoiding Bites' and 'How To Use it' Pages on my website is a fantastic way to prevent mosquito and insect bites and stings.

In fact incognito is now being used by all sorts of travellers in the know from Charley Boorman to the England Cricket team. Best of all is when people re-order having used it the year before or on their last expedition -as in the case with Charley. It's the best satisfaction of all and makes throwing in the towel in my marketing career worth it. Try incogntio and see for yourself.

www.lessmosquito.com