We're delighted to name Roz Savage, ocean rower and environmental campaigner, as the Aquapac Outdoor Champion of 2010. With the title comes a cash award of $1,500 in recognition of Roz's achievements. We caught up with Roz as she travelled between Copenhagen and California, and managed to ask a few questions:

Aquapac: You're best known for your epic rowing voyages across the world's great oceans. Tell us first about your Atlantic row. Roz: At the age of 37 I set out to row solo across the Atlantic - a distance of 3,000 miles. I'd rowed before, at college, which was enough to give me the happy delusion that rowing across an ocean was something I was vaguely qualified to do. But of course rowing on the River Thames and rowing across the Atlantic are wildly different propositions!

all images © Roz Savage

Aquapac: So how did it go?

All four of my oars broke - before halfway - as did my camping stove, stereo, and cockpit navigation instruments. A month before the end, my satellite phone also broke, severing all communications with shore. Everyone - including me - was vastly relieved when I rolled into Antigua considerably thinner and more weather-beaten, but hopefully also a bit wiser, than when I'd set out from the Canaries 103 days before.

Aquapac: Sounds like quite a baptism of fire. Have you always been such an adventurous person?

Roz: Don't tell anybody, but I'm really not adventurous or 'outdoorsy' by nature. I'm perfectly comfortable sitting in a nice warm house. But I'm so glad I've chosen this outdoor, adventurous lifestyle. It has definitely forced me to become a stronger, more fulfilled person. Nature has taught me so much - particularly that humans are still a part of nature, no matter how much we might think we are in charge. There is nothing like 20-foot waves and a gale-force wind to remind me who is really running the show.

Aquapac: So that was the Atlantic. And now you're rowing the Pacific. This is a work in progress - how is the schedule panning out?

Roz: There was an early false start in 2007, but since then things are back on schedule. In 2008 I rowed from San Francisco to Hawaii and in 2009 from Hawaii to Kiribati. This year I intend to complete the final stage, setting out around April 15 to row from Kiribati to Australia.

Aquapac: And When you're not on the great oceans, have you travelled widely in other (dry land) parts of the world?

Roz: During my former life as a management consultant I went to all kinds of countries. But I wouldn't really say I travelled there - I was just on vacation. My first 'proper' travelling experience was three months in Peru, in 2003. I went there with the specific purpose of writing a book about my travels, which gave me a really interesting perspective. I was willing to try anything, provided it would make interesting material for the book. It helped me to be much more adventurous than I would otherwise have been, and not to be too attached to the outcome. I knew even at the time that the worst experiences would make the best stories.

Aquapac: Along with your writing and rowing exploits, you're now famous as an environmental campaigner. How did this come about?

Roz: My environmental awakening actually happened before I even dreamed of rowing oceans. I was going through a kind of early mid-life crisis, and really re-evaluating what I was doing with my life. One day I sat down and wrote two versions of my own obituary - the one I wanted, and the one I was heading for - and I saw that they were very different. I realised I needed to make some big changes if I was going to end up with the kind of life I could be proud of. It was around this time of increasing clarity that I read about the Hopi tribe of North America. Like many indigenous cultures, they know that we have to look after the planet if we want it to look after us. And when I read that, it made perfect sense to me. I was suddenly horrified at how careless I had been about my impact on the Earth, and resolved to do better. This was why ocean rowing seemed like the perfect activity for me - it was environmentally low-impact, and would enable me to demonstrate that you don't need to tread heavily on the earth to have a happy, fulfilling life.

Aquapac: And on the topic of treading lightly, your most recent adventure involved walking from London to Brussels, and towards Copenhagen. Tell us a bit about this.

Roz: I was on my way to the COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, so to me it seemed most logical to travel there in a low-impact way. So with five women companions, I walked from Big Ben to Brussels, from where I caught UNEP's Climate Express train to Copenhagen. The walk took us 2 weeks, the weather was often cold and wet, and at some stage every single member of the team struggled with injury or blisters. But it was a fantastic experience. We all supported each other, and together we made it. As I do most of my outdoor adventures solo, it was a really powerful lesson in how much can be achieved when a group of people are working together towards a shared goal.

Aquapac: So that was Copenhagen, and before that London, and now you're in America. When you're not rowing, campaigning and travelling round the world - where are you based?

Roz: I'm genuinely a wandering nomad. I haven't paid rent anywhere since 2005. I have a few things in my mother's house in England, and some more in a friend's garage in San Francisco. And my boat is in Kiribati, awaiting my return. Apart from that, I just live out of a suitcase. I like having the freedom to travel where the opportunities arise, and I don't like having to rearrange my life around 'things'.

Aquapac: And if you're not addressing audiences, campaigning, writing a book or working on your website, what do you do to relax?

Roz: Relax? Hmmm. An interesting concept! No, really, I do like to relax when I can. Big treats for me are dinner with friends, or seeing a film (I went to see Avatar recently, and absolutely loved it!), or if I'm feeling extravagant I'm an absolute sucker for a good massage.

Aquapac: Tell us about the Aquapac products you use. How did they perform on your recent journeys?

Roz: I don't know how I would manage without my Aquapac bags. After spending cumulatively over 300 days on my rowboat, I no longer believe in the word 'waterproof' except when it comes to Aquapac. Seawater always ends up where it has no right to be, so after many bad experiences I now have just the bare minimum of electronics fitted to the boat - everything else is hand-held, and lives in Aquapacs and Pelican cases when not in use. In 2008 my boat's chartplotter broke on Day 2, so I navigated the rest of the way to Hawaii using a TomTom satnav out of my old car, which I kept in an Aquapac for safekeeping. It was ideal being able to use the TomTom without taking it out of the bag except for recharging. The large Seti bags are also brilliant - I use one for the ship's logbook and another for my MacBook. But the most important Aquapac of all is the one holding my iPod.

Aquapac: Tell us what's on your iPod.

Roz: I am a huge fan of audiobooks, and listen to about 70 on each crossing. On these long voyages, my mind craves the escapism of a different reality, away from the never-ending sky and never-ending sea. I rarely read fiction on dry land, but on the ocean I really enjoy authors like Terry Goodkind and Richard Russo. It's the one time I can 'read' fiction without feeling guilty - rowing 12 hours a day is challenging enough already, without feeling obliged to read worthy books all the time!

Aquapac: Tell us about the books that have inspired you.

Roz: I've had a lot of inspiration and guidance from books. My favourites include: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield The Art of Effortless Living by Ingrid Bacci Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley Conversations with God by Neal Donald Walsh The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight by Thom Hartmann All of these have helped me see the world in a slightly different way. The one thing they all have in common is that they emphasise the connectedness of everything and everybody. Everything we think, say and do has consequences, which is a pretty intimidating but also an extraordinarily empowering idea.

Aquapac: And if you want a break from reading?

On the music side of things, 100+ days at sea gives me plenty of time, so there isn't much I don't listen to! Favourite bands are Evanescence, Snow Patrol, Oasis, and all the golden oldies from the Eighties and Nineties.

Aquapac: Looking back at your outdoor adventure career so far, can you pinpoint a happiest moment?

Roz: The highlight of the Atlantic crossing was definitely the end! I had found the crossing so tough - many times I thought I had hit my absolute limit, but had little choice but to carry on. It seems that with any huge challenge the sense of accomplishment is directly proportional to the struggle you've gone through to get there. So the euphoria of the welcome in Antigua was just phenomenal. Since then I've found many ways to reduce the mental burden of spending 100+ days alone at sea, and am starting to find little moments of joy along the way. In 2009 I had a magical moment as I crossed the equator. I opened a little goodie bag some friends had put together. Amongst other things, it contained a mini bottle of champagne. I hadn't had a drink in 3 months, so it went straight to my head, and I prattled away happily to my camcorder about my marvellous life and all my dreams coming true.

Aquapac: And a worst moment?

Roz: A third capsize on the thwarted start to my Pacific row in 2007 was a very low point. I'd knocked my head, and the boat had suffered some damage that made me concerned about my safety if I'd carried on. So it seemed better to abandon the attempt and live to row another day. It was one of the toughest decisions I've ever had to make. But as the Chinese say, fall down 9 times, get up 10. So I brushed myself off, picked myself up, and tried again. And made it.

Aquapac: And finally, your latest 'adventure' was having your bag stolen in Copenhagen. and with it went your iPhone and computer, as well as lipstick and several other important items. The responses from the people who follow your blog was amazing. Tell us what happened.

Roz: I was at a private function in a restaurant - ironically the only remotely exclusive event I went to the whole time I was there. I put my coat and bag with everyone else's on the coat-rack, but at the end of the evening both were gone. I was devastated. As a perpetual traveller, I can't get insurance - so I had lost around $6,000 worth of stuff, with no money to buy replacements. Generally I am not attached to material things, but my laptop really is my 'home'. It is where I keep everything that matters to me - contacts, appointments, plans, and so on. And it is the way I communicate with the world, through blogs, Tweets, videos etc via my website at www.rozsavage.com. I wondered what on earth I was going to do. But a wonderful fan of my podcast organised an online whip-round, and raised enough money to replace everything that was taken.

Aquapac: Did any of the stolen stuff ever turn up? Roz: The one truly irreplaceable item was my journal and all the thoughts, dreams and jottings I'd scribbled in it. On the day that I left Copenhagen a woman contacted me via Facebook to say her nephew had found it dumped near their house. We met up and she returned it to me. How lucky was that! Aquapac: So once again, positives from negatives? Yes. After the incredible stress early on, the experience turned out to be definitely a net-positive. Not only did I replace all my stuff, but I also found out that people really appreciate the 'service' I provide through my blogs and other social media, so much so that they were willing to contribute money so I could continue providing the service. And the messages of love and support that I received were incredible. The best Christmas presents I have ever had!

all images © Roz Savage