• Gobi Coolers 12th Apr 2011

  Do you remember us telling you about our web-designer Liz and her partner Chris deciding to go for a little bike ride? The one from New Zealand back to England?

  It was going to take them 18 months. That was 18 months ago. They have just arrived in Beijing.

  

  Luckily for us, Liz decided to come home for an extended Christmas break late last year, hence all the subtle changes to our site recently.  Chris, meanwhile, made a little detour through the Tibetan mountains.

  

  When we chatted to Liz about their next leg of the journey back home, she described how she’d fly back to China, meet Chris in Chengdu (apparently he looked wild when she saw him after 3 months apart) and then they’d ride through the Gobi Desert. In winter. Camping. With temperatures down to -40 degrees at night.

  

  Although we were worried about the well-being of Liz & Chris, they were primarily worried about the well-being of their kit at these temperatures – fuel bottles, drinks bottles, batteries, cameras and laptop.

  This called for some serious insulation. This called for Herdwick sheep!

  And so the Gobi Coolers were born.

  

  Chris turned out to be a designer’s dream, sending us a 4 page email with ideas, measurements and lots of detail from a Tibetan Plateau internet cafe, which we turned into some sketches. 

  Vera applied her magic in the garden shed once more and DHL managed to find their hostel in Beijing to deliver the survival package with 6 bespoke Herdwick insulated covers.

  Chris and Liz appeared to be delighted at first sight, although naturally the real test will come when they meet the Gobi Desert face to face very soon.

  

  We can’t wait to read their updates – follow their adventures via their Bikeabout website, and while you’re there, donate a few pounds to help them raise £20,000 to build a school with Child’s Dream in South East Asia.

  Anyone cycling through the Gobi Desert deserves our support, right?

  By Jorrit
  
  

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