Ben is proud to be a Brand Ambassador for Land Rover. For sixty years, Land Rovers have been used by explorers, conservationists and scientists all over the planet. In the UK, Land Rover offset CO2 emissions produced during vehicle assembly and offset emissions for the first 45,000 miles of use via the world class provider ClimateCare. They then take the vehicle back for recycling when it reaches the end of its life. All Land Rover products are designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK, and the company's Go Beyond spirit makes it the perfect partner for Ben's pioneering expeditions.
Bremont is a British brand designing and producing hand-made watches at its atelier in Switzerland. Only limited numbers are manufactured each year. Every watch leaving the Bremont workshop is a certified chronometer, with every movement reworked, modified, heavily tested and finished to aviation standards. All watches adhere to Bremont’s core values of precision, durability and individuality.
Mountain Equipment has been making some of the finest gear in the world since 1961. Their experience in equipping the world's elite for the harshest conditions on earth is legendary. ME have been part of more than 100 Everest expeditions, participated in every British first ascent of an 8000m peak, and equipped unsupported trips to both poles. Their customer list is a who's who of adventurers, people who need gear they can trust in any conditions and I'm proud to be associated with a brand I've worn since my first ventures into the mountains as a teenager.
Profeet create custom fitted running shoes and ski boots for both my training and expeditions, providing the ultimate in fit, comfort and performance. Using cutting-edge video gait analysis and foot scanning technology combined with biomechanical expertise they have developed the 3D FIT SYSTEM to deliver an incredible 360º fit.
Skins make the best compression clothing I've tried. I wear their clothing when I'm running, cycling, skiing and lifting weights, and I seem to live in their travel & recovery tights for the remainder of the time. I'm convinced their BioAcceleration Technology makes a genuine difference both to my performance in training and competition, and to my recovery times in between.
Cannondale are renowned in the industry as being the leader in innovation and technology, continually pushing the boundaries of design to bring greater performance to the rider. Be it on the road or dirt, products are developed with some of the best athletes and teams in the world, all of which are available though Cannondale's retailer network for every rider to enjoy. Ben spends a huge amount of time in the saddle as training for his polar expeditions.
Erskine Design created the website for my 2008 North Pole speed record attempt, and their support since then (including hosting this site) has been invaluable. The gang at Erskine were a joy to work with, and I'm looking forward to developing future expedition sites with them.
Science in Sport are leaders in the field of sports nutrition. I rely on their products to fuel the intense nutritional demands of both my training and expeditions. For the 2004 Serco TransArctic expedition, SiS stopped their entire production line to produce several hundred customised Go bars.
Polar is the world's leading manufacturer of heart rate monitors – founded in 1977, they pioneered the development of wireless heart rate measurement, launching the world's first chest strap transmitter and wrist based receiver in 1982. I've been using Polar HRMs as a key part of my physical training since I was 16 years old, and it's an honour to finally call them one of my sponsors.
Hilleberg is a family-run Swedish company that have been producing some of the world's best tents for over 30 years. I used a standard Nammatj 2 for both my 2003 and 2004 expeditions and it's still going strong after nearly 90 nights out on the Arctic Ocean. Incredible.
Gregory was founded by Wayne Gregory in San Diego, California in 1977 and they have been making some of the world's best rucksacks ever since. I tested their Denali Pro expedition pack in Greenland in 2006 – it performed faultlessly and I've been training with their packs ever since.
Jenex V2 Roller skis are handmade in the USA. I train regularly on a pair of V2 Aero roller skis, and they have stood up perfectly to my clumsy technique and months of abuse. Len Johnson, the company's founder, is a true gentleman and I'm hugely grateful for his assistance and generosity.© 2010 Ben Saunders. Published via WordPress under a cc Licence