Tough gets better?

Something new...
Olympus Cameras had announced their TG1-iHS weatherproof camera to cater for the serious crowd.
This one has 25-100mm zoom lens with a large aperture of F2.0.
That said, this is the 'fastest' camera in its class.

Shining star: Olympus' TG1-iHS

 The thing about all-weather compact cameras..
When you have a camera with a rugged housing in a small package, there are bound to be some issues.
So far, the best of the lot is the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS4. The rest are really crappy.
This Olympus boasts of fast optics and better image quality.
Best of all, you can accessorize it with a wide angle and telephoto converter.

The camera is GPS-enabled for Geo-tagging

A fisheye converter to complement the TG-1iHS

 What can we look forward to? 
All I can say is that a faster lens would put this camera one notch above the rest.
So far, Olympus has a wide range of compact cameras to cater for the outdoor enthusiast.
But, having tried their micro four-thirds, I am yet to familiarize myself with the controls, especially the exposure and focus lock function which is non-apparent on their cameras.
But that said, I can certainly look forward to a camera that can function at the high seas and in all weather conditions... Hopefully, this new compact camera won't cost a bomb!

Riding with the Backroller Classic

Finally! A chance to utilize my Backroller...
I am ashamed to admit that my Ortlieb Backroller Classic has been sitting in the storage room for nearly a year without seeing any action.
That said, last week's Bikecamping session was the first time the Backroller was taken out to serve my needs.
I packed nearly 30kgs of equipment - clothing, lighting, cookwear, utensils, stove, fuel bottles, food and bicycle repair kit in both panniers.
The Backroller has a capacity of 20litres per piece.
If you pack carefully, you can ride and camp out for two weeks.
This, I factored-in stuff like the lightweight dry-fit clothing and micro-fibre towel;
Based on a conservative estimate, the maximum load of a fully-laden backroller is about 30kgs for both sides.
Add the rackpack, your bike may weigh a tonne!

My Backrollers and Dahon Speed P8 on a North-bound train

The panniers on the rear traveler's rack

 I purchased my Ortlieb Backroller from Fall Factor in Singapore.
The prices were very decent compared to what I could find in Kuala Lumpur at the time.
Our bikes are outfitted with a set of frontroller and backroller classic including a rack pack.
We've been using the frontrollers a lot in our travels.
But, when you are bikecamping, additional space is needed to carry all the essential items.
So, that said, the backrollers came in really handy.
With the additional weight, covering flat ground is no issue.
But, when it comes to climbing, my bike actually ceased at steep gradients. Well, its actually more practical to push that to bang up some leg muscles...

My trusty 2009 Dahon Speed P8 with the Backroller Classic

Durability and water resistant factor
Pound for pound, the Ortlieb Backroller would take on any nylon panniers that are available in the market.
With a roll-flap closure, you need not worry about moisture seeping into the panniers.
Even with rain, the goods are dry.
This was proven with my trusty frontroller classic and with it, we've clocked a couple of thousands of kilometres.
The vinyl exterior of the backroller is pretty tough.
Just don't pack stuff that are pointy to protect your panniers!
As for care, there's little maintenance needed for these panniers..

Bikepacking stoves

The minimalist's set up
I purchased my Optimus Svea 123 Hiker's stove more than 15 years ago.
As far as I can recall, this little pocket rocket has followed me on numerous trips that required cooking and the heating up of processed food.
So far, it has never been a let down.
The initial investment was high.
At a price of 110 Euros, the Svea can put a dent on your wallet.
Nevertheless, this stove had served me very well.
My recent outing in Kuala Kubu Baru saw the revival of the Svea stove.
I used it mainly to boil water and heat up my sachet food.
It takes about 3 minutes to bring a pot of water (400ml) to boil.
On larger volumes, it takes less than 10 minutes to do so.
To carry the Svea, I use a Camping Gaz Globetrotter pot which I had decommissioned to housed the stove.
This provided protection for the stove and can be used to bring water to a boil on my excursions.

Classic design: the Optimus Svea 123

I use this CampingGaz Globetrotter pot to house the stove

Operating cost
For an overnight trip, I pack an MSR fuel bottle (small 500ml) and a Nalgene (500ml) red bottle to carry petrol and denatured alcohol.
Petrol is the fuel to burn (about 92sen to fill up 500ml) and the alcohol is used mainly for priming the stove.
A litre containing both propellants would weigh less than 1kg.
It takes about 200ml to fill the Svea's fuel tank and after priming the stoves, it will burn for 30-minutes under moderate settings.
Since it takes about 3 minutes to boil a pot of water, you can use it for 10 times before a re-fuel is in order.

The Svea in use...

 Summary
Given the weather conditions here, the Svea is one hardy stove.
You can leave it in the open and all you need to do, is to pour some denatured alcohol over the priming cup and its good to go.
The Svea requires very little maintenance and once it starts to clog, all you need to do, is to turn it up-side down and give it a couple of shakes.
This would clear the jet nozzle to allow fuel to flow freely.
As far as storage is concerned, the Svea takes very little space. 
But, when it comes to fuel, do make it a point to empty the bottles and let it air before you keep it.