Spec me a video camera
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Soldato
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Your budget?
Man of Honour
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Well, no specifics but a few pointers -
you want a external storage format of some kind, which means SD card usually these days, that way you just swap cards and keep filming rather than having to empty a HD based unit to a laptop. Happily SD cards are also pretty difficult to break.
Depending on how extreme your route is you may want to think about a rugged unit of some kind, dust is the most likely issue here.
you want a external storage format of some kind, which means SD card usually these days, that way you just swap cards and keep filming rather than having to empty a HD based unit to a laptop. Happily SD cards are also pretty difficult to break.
Depending on how extreme your route is you may want to think about a rugged unit of some kind, dust is the most likely issue here.
Man of Honour
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Given my experiences of border posts in that region a laptop could give you fun and games, but I guess it does make things easier. For rugged, you could look at a Panasonic SW21 - standard def, SD and SDHC memory, waterproof and will survive a drop - it's not terribly cheap but you should be able grab one for £300 or so...
Man of Honour
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scratch that, can be found for £200 - it's a bargain at that price, I'm tempted to grab one myself.
Man of Honour
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Well my problems were particularly accute in the middle east on two fronts - it complicates things as some countries (Iran) like to search your luggage for things like any pornographic material, hence they will want to inspect your laptops contents and won't mind doing it while you sit in 35 degree heat for 5 hours.
A few other countries will also want some kind of deposit as a guarantee you aren't importing it (so you get it back on exit). Most waive that when you arrive by plane but it still happens at land crossings a bit more and you may have trouble getting it back (surprisingly I had this entering Israel).
My basic rule these days is the more fancy electronics you have the more trouble it will cause you at borders/customs/etc. I found travelling with a smartphone and compact camera to be hassle free, a laptop and SLR regularly meant a delay while they convinced themselves I wasn't a spy and wasn't a smuggler.
Your mileage may vary and looking at your route you're avoiding the middle east hotspots I had most trouble with, that said I hear from friends (who were also on the Mongol rally coincidentally) that some of the central Asian countries can be similarly troublesome on occasion but it's easier if you're in a convoy with other competitors.
Thanks for that - do you know if they fully search every vehicle?
I'm happy to ensure there is no adult material on the laptop of course! We'll be taking a cheap phone, sat phone, laptop, video camera and digital camera.
And any idea what these "desposits" are?
Thank you!
I'm happy to ensure there is no adult material on the laptop of course! We'll be taking a cheap phone, sat phone, laptop, video camera and digital camera.
And any idea what these "desposits" are?
Thank you!
Man of Honour
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Varies, depending on country, border crossing and boredom of border guards unfortunately. I would bet on getting searched myself and if you don't it's a bonus.
It's not so much there not being adult material, more the time involved in them verifying this - but as you're avoiding the middle east you needn't worry so much about that.
Deposits again vary somewhat from place to place - they can be substantial in some cases (ie, getting towards the value of the item).
I suspect you will be much better off for travelling with other competitors and being in a widely recognized competition.