High tech: Khoo Swee Chiow

 
Khoo Swee Chiow uses his arsenal of sponsored gadgets extensively when travelling the globe to far-flung corners of the world.
But the 48-year-old adventurer, who's completed the Adventure Grand Slam by climbing the highest peaks on the seven continents and trekking to the North and South Poles, warns against becoming overly reliant on technology.
Khoo told The New Paper: "It certainly makes mountaineering a lot easier, but technology has the potential to give one a false sense of security.
"That's very dangerous when you're facing a challenge like climbing Mount Everest.
"You still need your skills, experience and wits when you're facing a life-or-death situation. There are no shortcuts to learning."

1) Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR

Even though it's capable of shooting at an eye-catching 21.1 megapixels, he values the camera's ruggedness the most.
He said: "The frigid temperatures at high altitudes mean that for other cameras, I'll usually have to keep the battery warm in my shirt pocket.
"On the other hand, the long-lasting battery of my Canon is very resistant to draining faster (at low temperatures).
"In fact, I was experiencing a storm on Mount Everest last year, the likes of which meant that suffering from frostbite was a real proposition.
"I was having a hard time just holding the camera steady, but I was able to shoot high-definition video (with the Canon) while facing freezing winds - now that's ruggedness!"

2) Garmin eTrex Vista HCx GPS receiver and Iridium 9505A satellite phone 

Khoo counts both gadgets as "old friends" as they've possibly saved his life and the lives of others on several occasions.
He said: "In a whiteout, visibility is atrocious and my GPS receiver, which can triangulate my position to within 5m, is invaluable for navigation.
"Even though I'm considering switching to a smartphone GPS app, my receiver is just so idiot-proof - slap in two AA batteries and you're good to go.
"It also has a barometer and altitude calculator, which is really helpful when I'm climbing an unmapped part of a mountain."
And when it comes to being connected, Khoo never fears being out of range of a mobile phone tower.
He said: "I've called my wife (Madam Tok Wee Leng) from the summit of Mount Everest!
"While serving as a mountain guide in Nepal in April this year, I also had to call for a medevac for a guy who required immediate medical attention."

3) Hewlett-Packard EliteBook laptop and Seagate BlackArmor NAS 400 2 terabyte storage server

With his extensive library of photographs and video footage, Khoo is grateful that his Hewlett-Packard EliteBook - with its shock-resistant solid-state hard drive - allows him to easily edit and process his photos.
He can also send e-mail and image thumbnails when his Iridium satellite phone is linked to his EliteBook.
And the Seagate BlackArmor NAS 400 storage server is where Khoo can archive all his data without worrying about storage capacity.
He said: "I don't think I've even hit about 10 per cent of the 2TB limit on my BlackArmor.
"I can just 'dump' all my photos and videos inside via wireless connection. It's even got Wee Leng's data inside."