ECOXGEAR Helps Sponsor Trip to Cambodia and Vietnam

Garrett Cooper and Matthew Smith are no strangers to adventure. Both Expeditionary Studies majors, Cooper and Smith have accomplished a lot, from being a member of a search and rescue team to guiding kayak tours. In their latest adventure, Cooper and Smith paddled 600 miles down the Srepok and Mekong Rivers through Cambodia and Vietnam.

Cooper had previously traveled down the Mekong River and had stopped at local villages along his way. Wanting to contribute something back to the people who had shown him kindness, Cooper decided to return with Smith and teach basic CPR lessons in several of the villages. Learning that the life of fisherman and children were dangerous in the area (with an average of 6 children drowning a day in Cambodia and 32 in Vietnam), Cooper and Smith hoped they could help save a life.

Wanting to help sponsor Cooper and Smith’s expedition, ECOXGEAR provided them with an ECOROX speaker. Cooper and Smith used the speaker so people could hear the audio for the instructional video they had made.

“When we started this expedition, I thought we would only use the speaker for classes but the surprisingly long battery life allowed us to listen to music and audio books.” Cooper continued, “Since the ECOROX is waterproof and floats, we could listen while we paddled without having to be overly cautious of dropping it in the water or getting splashed.”

While they had originally thought the ECOROX would just be packed out of necessity for the classes, Cooper noted, “The long battery life and great sound quickly made this one of my favorite pieces of equipment. Bringing it for my next month long expedition on the Amazon is a no brainer for me, now I just have to pick a couple audio books.”

Cooper’s next expedition is to the Amazon in Peru this coming September/October. To learn more about his adventures and the work they are doing, check out his blog here.