Powertraveller: Giving FTFE the Power to circumnavigate the Globe

I am absolutely delighted and proud to announce that FTFE has an amazing new sponsor and supporter, Powertraveller.

Powertraveller is a British company based in Hampshire that design, develop and manufacture a range of portable power and solar chargers for mobile goods such as phones, cameras, iPods and laptops.

They have incredibly donated two powergorillas, a solargorilla, 24 powermonkey-eXplorers (one per crew member), a cigarette lighter charger and several monkeynuts connector tips for the expedition. The entire company is massively behind the expedition and will closely follow our progress with great interest.  This donation must not be underestimated. It is quite simply life saving, as I’ve gone on to explain below. The crew would have no choice but to buy this technology if it wasn’t donated. We are so incredibly lucky to have the market leaders of this kind of technology on board and we can’t even begin to thank Powertraveller enough.

However there is more. In addition and in some eyes most importantly, they have kindly given us our very own Powertraveller baby gorilla which I am delighted to say is now the official, “Follow That Fire Engine mascot”

The naming of this very cute cheeky fella, is currently underway via Facebook and Twitter. You can join in this very important competition via the link below.

I asked Expedition Leader Steve Moore why this donation was so fundamentally important to the expedition. Steve explains that, “until now the expedition was solely reliant on the Fire Engine to power everything and anything from our emergency satellite phone to our lap top”. If the Fire Engine breaks down in a remote area as well as being stranded we would also soon run out of power leaving us unable to contact anyone for help or advice. This independent power source removes our total reliance on the Fire Engine and is quite simply life saving”.

Expedition Director Amy Harpin adds that, “there are numerous examples of where Powertraveller products have been lifesavers in situations where the power supply has been cut, replicating what could happen if the Fire Engine breaks down. Just recently they have been vital in the Caribbean after a hurricane and in Haiti after the earthquake.”

Steve continues, “we will also be able to charge a few home comforts such as a mobile phone or ipod, but of massive importance is that we will now being able to use the lap top to write our blogs, sitting in a tent in the middle of desert without having to have the fire engine switched on to power it. So, as well as being incredible useful and convenient lifesavers, these energy efficient appliances and renewable energy devices will save the crew money and help cut FTFE overall CO2 emissions, which is in line with our Green strategy. It will also give the Fire Engine a well earned rest. Powertraveller have covered so many angles that they are truly are a pivotal part of our expedition”

Powertraveller, which counts Stephen Fry amongst its fans, has received numerous accolades for design and innovation. Of particular note is the Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Innovation in April 2009, and their fantastic portable charger the powermonkey-eXplorer (that we have 24 of!!!), beat hundreds of applicants to win the prestigious red dot award only a couple of weeks ago. The red dot design award ranks amongst the largest and most renowned design competitions in the world – this year over 1,600 companies from 57 countries entered.

For more information please do contact myself or any of the crew or go direct to powertraveller’s website at www.powertraveller.com

And remember the FTFE mascot. Please check outand Like the powertraveller’s facebook site at; http://www.facebook.com/powermonkeys