Our Staff’s Favorite Adventure Travel Necessities

Welcome to another installment of Staff Picks from our Outdoors and Fitness team. Every other week, we select our favorite pieces out of the gear we’re testing, mainstays in our kits, as well as items on our wish lists. It’s like a sneak peek at the gear we’re testing and what we’re stoked on. Have something you think we should check out? Or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at [email protected].

Citizen World Perpetual A-T

A trusty watch in the wild is a valued commodity that every adventurer should have available to strap on their wrist. And they don’t come more reliable than one with Citizen’s Eco-Drive technology that powers the watch via any light source. The Citizen World Perpetual A-T also offers atomic timekeeping for pinpoint accuracy when you need it most: in the outdoors. Water resistant up to 333 feet, the classic World Perpetual A-T, with its stainless steel case and bracelet, is an under-the-radar option as a take anywhere timepiece. One that can serve you well on hikes, snorkeling excursions or just laidback days spent at the beach. — Gear Patrol

RMU Core Pack 35L

RMU’s Core Pack is the perfect pack for adventure travel. It seamlessly transitions from the airport to an overnight hike without screaming “I’m going backpacking!” while you’re in urban environments. All of its more technical features like a waist belt, compression straps, a helmet pocket and gear attachment loops all tuck away to keep the bag sleek and minimal. It comes in three colors: maroon, blue and black (we’re partial to the black colorway). Its 35 liters of storage are surprisingly spacious, and offer more than enough pockets to keep you organized. — AJ Powell, Assistant Editor

If you’re looking for something similar, but the pick above isn’t quite right, try these alternatives: Cotopaxi Allpa ($190) | The North Face Alpine 50 ($240)

Spy Optics Hi-Fi Sunglasses

To me, adventure travel is one of the trickiest trips to pack for — what exactly am I doing and what do I need to take to new city or location? Does everyone wear hiking boots to the bar? What about leggings or a pullover sweatshirt that also happens to be sweat-wicking? Finding the gear that works on the mountain and also blends into whatever surroundings I head to next before returning home is a challenge I welcome. One product that I’ve found helps me look like a local is a pair of sunglasses that look stylish, but will still work on a bike, run or hike. These sunglasses from Spy Optics work just as well for a bike commute as they do for a long run, and then seamlessly transition to an urban environment if I have to grab groceries or meet a friend for drinks. The 100 percent UV protection is a no-brainer and the strength of the frame is tough to beat.— Meg Lappe, Staff Writer

If you’re looking for something similar, but the pick above isn’t quite right, try these alternatives: Roka Phantom TI ($310) | Revant F1L ($155)

Foehn Nelson Pant

To me, adventure travel means leveraging the most function out of the smallest amount of gear. For instance, a single week in Ecuador might involve trekking through the altiplano at 13,000 feet, wandering the streets of Cuenca and surfing a break on the Pacific coast. You could bring multiple 50-pound bags of gear, but it wouldn’t be practical. I aim for items that fill more than one need and serve in multiple environments, like Foehn’s Nelson Pant. The pants are optimized for movement with four-way stretch, and they’re both rugged and good-looking too, which means you can rock them nearly anywhere. — Tanner Bowden, Associate Staff Writer

If you’re looking for something similar, but the pick above isn’t quite right, try these alternatives: Mountain Hardwear AP Pant ($90) | Fjällräven Vidda Pro Trouser ($150)

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