During childhood, electricity intrigued me to the point that nothing electronic was ever safe in our household. I would tear things apart to see how they worked and use their components for other experiments. (Much to the displeasure of my parents.) Along with a fascination for electronics, I also had a strong curiosity and love of nature. Learning to live with and benefit from nature took a priority during my childhood. Often, I would not see my family or friends for weeks at a time because I was "camping out," exploring remote areas and the varied wildlife of my native home in the northern, lower peninsula of Michigan. When I became older, I realized all the activity I chose naturally as a child provided me with everything I needed for my journeys as an adult.

My training and survival skills were really finely tuned after I moved to Southern California when I turned 18. There, I built a bamboo hut in a jungle-like river bottom to live in. The hut was like my laboratory and was equipped with a microscope, a stack of biology books, an old typewriter and two surf boards. I went through intense training to track, stalk, and study the animals in the San Luis Rey River Basin. At that time, my fascination with electronics would have been a distraction.

I formed invaluable friendships with some unlikely individuals who lived near me in that river bottom. These men were transient. Some were immigrants from Honduras or Mexico, but about half were either local or from other parts of the US. Some were drug addicted, some were mentally ill, others were alone and desperately poor or just eccentric like me. There were over 20 of us altogether. All but a couple of us worked regular jobs and regardless of what we spent our money on, we all had to eat.

The large, healthy variety of local animals helped us to survive. I taught most of the men how to hunt successfully with a slingshot. We fished and trapped also, but bringing deer down by spear was something only I was able to accomplish. We maintained high protein diets and got very strong.

After 7 years of working as a carpenter for the Benedictine Monastery on the hill above my home, I had saved enough money to purchase 80 acres in remote Montana. There, I built a log cabin out of material I harvested from my own property. Survival was almost too easy there. I had so much time on my hands due to the close spring and easy kills with my rifle that I bought a transistor radio to occupy some of my time with entertainment. Then there was the Game Boy. My fascination with electronics came back full-force and I was set to add electronics to the development of my dream to explore our nation on horseback.

I started out with basic solar panels and each year, I would add a few electronics that I could afford. I now tote around a Macintosh PowerBook G4 laptop, Alpha Smart word processor, DVD player, Grundig YB 400PE Shortwave Receiver, AM-FM radio, Realistic pro 51 Scanner, RCA 5 inch color TV, Citizen 1.5 inch TV, Uniden two-way radios, Kenwood 2-meter ham radio, Uniden ham radio, Magellan 310 GPS, Sony digital still camera, Cannon GL-2 digital video camera, Infrared burglar alarm, WiFi finder, Garrett Ace 250 metal detector, LED flood light, LED flashers, Xenon strobes, MP3 player, Game Boy, radar detector, cell phone, Micro RC helicopter, Digital recorder, Vantec power inverter, Jensen headphones, DC/DC power converter, and a microscope.

My ever-changing saddle has fiber optic lighting, a xenon strobe, radar detector, GPS, altimeter, compass and a car horn. All these gadgets really fit in well with my riding attire, which is sponsored by Thor Motorcycle Racing and my "sick" skateboard helmet that sports a headlamp, flashing lights and internal speakers. The pack boxes on the horses now have radio controlled turn signals, a flexible PV panel and 100,000 candle power Xenon strobes. The strobes also come in handy if I want to host a wilderness disco party for some of the hikers I meet in my travels.

When most people think of a horse packer, they imagine a scruffy, holy mountain man walking along with a couple mules. His packs consist of sawbucks and diamond hitches. His clothing is denim, cotton, leather and worn. The majority of packers that exist today still fit this description. In fact most "cowboys" are dressed in blue jeans and cowboy hats. Packers in the mountains of the US can be found carrying around coolers full of beer, big canvas tents, cast iron skillets and dutch ovens. They pack all the traditional necessities of a fun wilderness outing.

When a fellow packer sees us, they really don't know what to think. First, my attire is loud and looks out-of-place in the wilderness. The wires and accessories on my saddle, which is Peruvian to boot, always produce quizzical looks and many smiles after a short demonstration. After seeing my TV, one person sarcastically said, "I come to the mountains to enjoy nature and leave the TV for home." This may be true, but this gaffer would soon be back to his recliner chair and 200 channels of satellite on a widescreen TV. My Expedition is out for the duration and any bit of technology I add makes my life easier and more enjoyable on the trail. The electronics don't take away from my natural experience. They enhance it.

My solar array has grown to three 10-watt photo-voltaic panels and a one 20-watt panel. The solar panels charge three large battery banks, one for each of the pack horses. The solar panels are attached to the top packs allowing the batteries to charge while riding. At camp, the whole system can be set out in the sun to charge.

I also have a medium size battery bank and two small banks that all produce 12.5V DC. The larger banks each have an internal controller to prevent overcharging and damage to the batteries. They have a voltage meter and ammeter to monitor the battery and PV performance. I hand make all the battery banks with parts from Radio Shack.

Modern technology can get in the way of observing the incredible wildlife that surrounds me all the time. It is all too easy to get carried away with Game Boy or spend too much time listening to the radios. These modern luxuries that I pack also help me track storms and wildfires. They are not just for entertainment or something to do in poor weather. They actually are necessary to our safety and are essential to documenting the trip. Even outside the modern mainstream, I have learned that moderation is one of the greatest virtues there is...