Travel Essentials - Ambassador Peter Amend

Travel Essentials - Ambassador Peter Amend

“Peter

What one item do you never leave home without (in life or travel)?
​A reliable watch, and sharp knife. I like the SOG Flash II in a straight edge blade.

What three items would you bring along with you to a deserted island?
A slack line, boombox, and a Kammok hammock - since the boat is on the way to pick us up!

What’s the next travel destination on your list and how do you start planning for the trip?
Since having a baby, travel might be different now—but ​next month ​we're ​headed to the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon for some paddling and hiking,​ then​ ​a low key ​Mexico surf trip in February, and planning a road trip in a van around New Zealand once she's a little bit older! Not sure how having an infant will affect travel—I suppose it'll just be ​slower paced, with bigger backpacks.

Where is your favorite “hidden gem” to visit?
M​ineral King - Sequoia ​N​ational Park. Alpine Meadows, rugged peaks, snowfields, all tucked into a tiny corner of the Sierras in Central California. ​ Also, the west side of Oahu near Makaha has some incredible free diving and open beaches, away from the hustle of the city.

Paper map or GPS and can you offer any words of wisdom why?
The convenience and versatility of the GPS is amazing, especially with the ability for tracking and SOS communication, but I always ​like to ​have a paper map as a back up for redundancy. Battery life can be fickle in extreme temperatures and there's nothing like spreading a map open on the picnic table to plot out your journey. Also I just have a hint of nostalgia from learning ​orienteering in Boy Scouts.

Travel Moments - Captured

'"Some of my favorite moments in the water during a week in Oahu"

Follow along @peteramend

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