All my photographic projects are a collaborative effort. Without the enormous assistance of others I would not go remotely close to achieving the results that are seen here. I have been very fortunate over the years to have had the assistance of some special people and organisations. These include:
The Kit bag - https://www.kitbag.com.au/ - I’m glad to announce a new partnership with Kit bag in Perth, Western Australia. It is a natural progression really as I’ve been using their gear since 2010 for my international work and survival walks I do back here in Australia. They sell top quality and functional tactical clothing and equipment to law enforcement agencies, first responders, tactical operators and recreational enthusiasts. I’ve used their clothing, hiking boots, survival gear: even a laptop bag (which is brilliant). For more information please visit their website.
Adventure Out - http://www.adventureout.com.au/ - Terry and Jack Hewett are special people with special skills and divide their time between raising huge amounts for charity through the conduct of large-scale abseiling events off major CBD buildings and teaching people roping and outdoor skills in the great outdoors. They also run trekking expeditions down the Kokoda Trail. Terry and Jack were able to get me working on the sides of 500 metre cliffs at very high altitude in Pakistan back in 2015. No small feat given that I had a massive fear of heights at the time. The lessons they teach expand far beyond mechanical skills. They teach valuable life skills that build measured confidence.
Bob Cooper Outdoor Survival - http://www.bobcoopersurvival.com/ - I've known Bob now for over ten years and he's one of those people that I trust implicitly when he tells me something. And there's not many of those people that I can say that about. His knowledge of wilderness survival is almost unsurpassed in Australia and he runs short and long form survival courses as well as snake handling courses throughout Australia and overseas. His ten day Pilbara survival course was rated by National Geographic to be the hardest civilian survival course in the world. I always consult him extensively prior to heading out on difficult and complex trips.
Bush Lore Australia - http://www.bushloreaustralia.com.au/ - In 2016, in preparation for a difficult upcoming trip, I undertook one of Rich Hungerford's courses on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. The topic was Hostile Environment Survival (one of many survival courses that he runs) and I learnt an enormous amount to help with making my developing and third world travel safer. Simple things but not necessarily intuitive things. Rich is a former patrol commander in the SAS and teaches throughout Australia and overseas.
Goal Zero - https://www.goalzero.com.au/ - have been a supporter of mine since 2015 and are the largest portable solar gear manufacturer in the world. For me, I need three things - reliability, functionality and portability - and that's why I have partnered with them. Their gear is light. It works. And it doesn't let me down.
Kestrel Meters - http://kestrelmeters.com.au/ - have been a supporter since 2015 also though I have been using their gear since about 2012. It is absolutely brilliant. Incredibly light. But incredible accurate and robust also. Their wind and weather meters are used around the world in a variety of applications including agriculture, military, fire fighting and elsewhere. I use them in the outdoors to help me read early significant weather changes and to make decisions about when and when not to move.
Lightforce - http://lightforce.com/ - is a global leader in portable professional lighting systems. For me I use their HTX driving lights and a series of other 4WD lights. Their driving lights are the best that I have come across. The LED part of the driving light is brilliant for lighting up the edges of the road from the moment dusk arrives - at dusk they come into their own - while the HID provides incredible distance. Both critical factors on dark outback roads with lots of cattle and kangaroos around.
Redarc - https://www.redarc.com.au/ I have been using Redarc products for nearly 20 years throughout Australia's outback. The build quality and reliability of their gear is unsurpassed and that's why I continue to use it. When you're out in the middle of the Great Sandy Desert and its 47 degrees in the middle of the summer you can't afford for batteries to be failing. At best the recovery effort can be expensive. At worst the recovery effort can be fatal. In my current 4WD set-up I have their battery monitoring system BMS1230, together with two 120 watt solar panels, a BCDC charger 1225 and a smart solonoid, CBI212.
Survival Supplies Australia - http://www.survivalsuppliesaustralia.com.au/ A criteria for any long term dealings that I have is that the people must be good people. I've not long dealt with Dennis but I was amazed to have him responding to my emails at near midnight on a Sunday night. When he heard about a project I'm currently working on he offered to help. No asking on my part and the goods and materials that he came through with were all of the highest quality. It was amazing. I could not recommend Dennis and his business highly enough and I'm fortunate to be associated with him.