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SOLO OCEAN ROWER, FIRST WOMAN TO ROW ACROSS THE ATLANTIC OCEAN
DREAM TRIP "My next goal is to cross the Pacific. No woman has yet succeeded. I will row from Peru to French Polynesia—that's 4,320 nautical miles, which will take about five months. Crossing the ocean is a way for me to get back to what's essential in life." (Fontenoy began her journey on January 12; follow her progress at www.pacifiqueamainsnues.com.)
SLEEPING AID "I hang a South American dream-catcher—a gift from my family—inside my boat. It catches the good and bad dreams and helps me sleep."
ESSENTIAL GEAR "New technologies make it easier and safer to travel alone in risky places, but they can make a journey more difficult psychologically. I'm lucky to have my satellite phone and battery-operated GPS; they are important for my security. But when I call my family and friends, it's very hard to hang up and say good-bye. I do get very, very lonely in my boat."
FOUNDER/OWNER, PATAGONIA
DREAM TRIP "Alaska still has plenty of opportunities for real adventure. I'd like to climb the south face of Denali—I made an attempt on it once but got caught in a storm."
ADVICE "If you want to have an adventure, leave your gear at home. You have to allow for serendipity. The best trips are those where you take off with a goal in mind, and then something comes up and you go in a completely different direction."
PREDICTIONS "For clothing, the biggest breakthrough will be making things without sewing. We're already manufacturing jackets where every piece is glued together, and you end up with a garment that's completely waterproof and twenty-five percent lighter. That's the key advance in gear—going very light."
IN HIS BACKPACK "I've got an old German pocketknife made of carbon steel, with a corkscrew in it. I never go anywhere without it—I love good wines."
PRESIDENT, EXPLORER'S CLUB
INSIDER ADVICE "Don't overlook some of the American destination clichés: Hawaii, Alaska, the Grand Canyon, the Florida Everglades. I'd put each one of those places on a world-class level. Canoeing through the Everglades is still one of my favorite trips. And the best time to go dogsledding in Alaska is in March or April, when there's still a lot of snow on the ground but the temperatures are warmer."
AMERICAN DREAM "I'd love to sail between Hawaii and Alaska. Also, I haven't traveled that much in the Southwest. I'd like to go on a biking trip through some of the desert regions, like Monument Valley and Moab, and camp along the way."
IN HIS BACKPACK "The SteriPEN is the best and simplest water purifier I have ever used. It's perfect for camping—you don't need a cumbersome pump or those hideous-tasting tablets. And Ex Officio makes great underwear, in a synthetic blend that dries really fast, so you can wash it at night, and it's dry the next day."
MOUNTAIN CLIMBER, FIRST WOMAN TO SUMMIT EVEREST
IN HER SIGHTS "Currently I want to climb the highest peak in every country of the world. So far I have touched that point in thirty-four countries."
AMERICAN DREAM "I have climbed in Hawaii and scaled McKinley in Alaska, but I haven't made it to the mainland yet. Someday I would like to hike the John Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mount Whitney [the highest mountain in the lower fourty-eight states]."
IN HER BACKPACK "One item I love and always take with me on climbing trips is a colorful little lunch box made of bamboo. It's a round basket from Bhutan that carries my fruits and sandwiches. I like it because it is functional yet beautiful, and by buying it I was able to make a little contribution to the Bhutanese economy."
INNOVATIONS "Mountain-climbing clothing has improved—in terms of its function and materials. I have designed a line of clothes that also look good, on or off the mountain."
ADVICE "Be aware of your physical strength and choose experiences to match your abilities. I am always aware of the might of nature, and I remain modest in the face of it."
ASTRONAUT, FOUNDER OF THE SHARESPACE FOUNDATION
DREAM TRIP "After having already gone to the great extremes of hazardous environments—from the lack of pressure on the moon to the Titanic, deep in the ocean—I kind of like settling myself in a hammock on a peaceful South Pacific island, between scuba dives where I play with the fish and manta rays and contemplate the presence of sharks."
PREDICTION "Appropriate space tourism will satisfy the desires of both the private sector and the government. A high flight rate will benefit the government, and in exchange they need to subsidize the new industry of private space travel. We also need lotteries or sweepstakes to expand the availability of travel opportunities. This is the direction that we're heading, but we need real patience. I can see suborbital travel commencing before 2010, but it's going to be at least 2015 before we're able to finance, build, and develop the capabilities for orbital travel."
ADVICE "Most travelers, myself included, tend to overlook the importance of recording their experiences. Today I regret that I didn't record enough on paper, audio, or film. It's no big loss to me now—I just don't remember what I don't remember. But if I did remember, my life would be much enriched."
ALWAYS IN HIS BAG "My contact list and three cell phones. Why? Well, you never can tell. Three is better than two."
—Jaime Gross
Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.
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