A Rave Review

I have decided not to do a full kitlist from my recent Greece & Turkey trip (and yes I know I said I would) for the following reasons:

1. I have unpacked...and I dont remember what I packed.
2. My selection of gear is not based on it being the "best" or even necessarily the "best deal" - so I dont feel competent to preach about what people should be using.

So how do I select my gear then?  Well I believe there is a healthy balance that you can attain between quality and cost.  While I am on a very tight budget - I dont think you should necessarily buy the cheapest item you can find on the market if it means you are sacrificing on quality.  My number one requirement is that an item does what I want it to do - and that is prioritised over cheapness.  There is also the time factor to consider, just because I know I can find a better deal elsewhere doesn't mean I can always justify the additional time it will take me to find it.  So basically  I look for the best compromise between a quality, cheap and readily available purchase that comes as close to my requirements as I can find.  And my top tip - do your research so you know exactly what you require.

And the rewards of careful shopping?  Well...you end up with an amazing incredible wonderful product like Vibram Five Fingers (I have the KSO in black) at 20% of the retail price.  Good deal, great product.  I literally cannot recommend these shoes enough - if I didnt live somewhere so cold and wet I would literally wear them every day of my life.  They are super comfortable, your feet feel fresh and unrestricted in them and they are actually the best conversation starting item I have ever possessed.  By miles.  These things bring people joy!  They are super versatile, from boat trips on the Bosphorus to wandering the marble streets of Athens to hiking down death-defying vertical rock faces in Goreme they never let me down (which is just as well or I wouldn't be here!) Downsides - if there is water on the ground your feet WILL get wet.  And they do smell.  Which sucks.  But they are washable so all is not lost.  And no disadvantage can ever outweigh the indescribably natural way of movement and intense connectivity with your surroundings that they provide.  I love them.  

Putting my trainers on to go back to work was truly painful.  I miss my silly shoes!

I got some frogs for my tropical fish tank the other day.  They are super cute and they are doing a great job of distracting me from my grandad's funeral which is on Monday.