THE JOURNAL
Mr Levison Wood. Photograph courtesy of Belstaff
The wilderness expert offers his wisdom, whether you’re a low-key traveller or intrepid adventurer.
Adventurer, photographer and writer Mr Levison Wood knows how to travel. In the course of his career, he has visited and worked in more than 90 countries, and his exploits have ranged from street photography in Baghdad to scientific research in Central Africa and spending nine months walking the length of the Nile for a 2014 book and accompanying TV documentary. (He also managed to squeeze in a shoot for MR PORTER – you can remind yourself of that here.)
In the course of such peregrinations, he’s developed a good idea of what makes a great travel kit, which is why he’s collaborated with British brand Belstaff to create the Levison jacket, a light, all-weather cotton number that’s been coated with a special resin finish to provide water resistance while also wicking away moisture. In celebration of the latest iteration of this versatile travel piece (which has extra details inspired by Mr Wood’s 2016 trip from Mexico to Colombia), and the fact that it lands on MR PORTER today, we asked Mr Wood to share his thoughts on travel and packing, in the hope that it might be of some use to us mere mortals. Below is what he wrote to us from his latest trip (to an undisclosed location, no less), which will be the focus of a television programme later this year.
Where are you now?
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I’m in a secret location in the wilderness. I can’t reveal too much for security reasons, but it’s safe to say it has all the hallmarks of a great adventure. This time I’m travelling with the locals in a sort of by-any-means fashion. There’s plenty of walking, but not exclusively so. That way, I get to meet as many exciting and unusual characters as possible. There are mountains, deserts, forests, snow, ice and rivers, so it could be the most diverse yet in terms of landscape and cultures.
How important is preparation before you travel?
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It’s really important, especially because I tend to travel in politically sensitive areas. It means there’s usually a lot of bureaucracy and paperwork to get sorted before setting off. It’s crucial to know the lie of the land, the cultural nuances and dos and don’ts, as well, of course, as building the right team, getting a good local guide and making sure you pack the right equipment.
What has been your most challenging trip in terms of packing?
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Probably the Himalayas because you need all the technical equipment for getting up mountains – crampons, ice axes and the like – as well as dealing with a variety of temperatures and environments. Altitude changes are difficult because you need temperate-, warm- and cold-weather gear and clothing, so that can mean carrying a lot of stuff. My Belstaff jacket was a reliable staple and got a lot of wear on that journey, as did the new jacket in the Americas. It was light and comfortable to wear, but made of practical, hardwearing material. It was also easy to pack away. In terms of kit, I try to get equipment sent ahead or cached along the way. In the Himalayas, I was at an altitude of more than 5,000m with temperatures of -20°C, as well as in sweaty jungles. Not to mention the monsoon rains in India and Nepal.
**Have you ever had any packing disasters? **
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I once made the mistake of wearing the wrong boots for a high-altitude mountain. I underestimated the cold and got severe frostnip, almost losing my toes. I didn’t do that again. When I was a lot younger, I went backpacking and didn’t take enough water for a trek in the Grand Canyon. I didn’t have a filter or any purification system either, so I had to drink dirty water from the Colorado River squeezed through a filthy sock. Fortunately, I’ve learned a lot from early mistakes so that now I’m usually pretty well prepared. That said, we all make mistakes and expeditions are fraught with risks and obstacles to overcome, and often things are out of your control.
Has embarking on more adventurous expeditions made you better at low-key travelling?
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I’ve learned from my expeditions that with a bit of planning and preparation, you can usually travel light and pick up most stuff you need along the way. I try to plan my routes so that I can be within a week of a village in order to resupply with food – because that’s all you can really carry, unless you have a vehicle or pack-animal support. I like to travel light and not be encumbered with too much stuff. That’s part of the fun, finding a way of dealing with minimal fuss and gear and putting yourself at the mercy and kindness of strangers. For me, meeting local people is the really enjoyable part of low-key travelling.