Maybe it’s precisely because it is the end of summer that I have a major case of wander lust and a hankerin’ for an adventure. It could be my daily addiction to travel blog Upgrade that is urging me to fly the coop, or the extensive LA Times article “It’s Dream Trip Time” about how flight and hotel prices to Europe are really really low.

Will I jet set outta here? Who knows. But here is what I would pack for a super travel adventure.

Packing

A true intrepid traveler doesn’t have frou frou luggage. Naturally, that doesn’t count the ultimate round the world must-have, the Louis Vuitton travel trunk.

Of course, if you’re more of a fly-by-nighter than all one really needs (and by ‘one’, I mean Indiana Jones) is a sturdy leather duffle bag. Joe Floto says his Floto Venezia Duffle (yes, he designed it) is “…perfect for a weekend escape. I take mine everywhere and the more I toss it around the better it looks.” I just love the striped lining and that beautiful brown leather.

Caryl Chinn is a worldly traveler with the coolest job ever. She has these tips for essential packing items: a passport with extra pages, (“The US Passport Agency now offers passports with 48 pages instead of 24. Just in case you get a bad case of wanderlust.” ) and Lotus Tissue Travel Packs (“No comparison to the wimpy American versions. My friends even know to bring these back for me now.”)

Travel and adventure writer Shanti Sosienski should know a thing or two about packing travel essentials - her must have is Alka Seltzer Gold because “no matter what the belly ailment and where I am in the world Alka seltzer (and it has to be the branded kind) works wonders to get me back on track when I feel like funky, whether self induced (partying) or bad food (scary nasi goring in Bali?)”

Speaking of scary, sometimes sleeping conditions can be less than savory.  I love this silk Dream Sack for just those occasions. Crawl into your own cocoon of roach-free bedding and sleep peacefully where ever you head may lie.

Clothing

For a true adventure – you gotta pack light. Life-long traveler and Peace Corps vet Susan Eckart recommends a lightweight and wrinkle free shirt from Travel Smith to carry you through safari terrain and jungle rains. For sun, rain, wind and mosquitoes, she relies on her trusty Tilley T3 hat.

For those “cool nights in the Himalayan foothill” be sure to pack a North Face El Cap shirt. And when the temperature drops and rises faster than a cab fare in Marrakech you gotta have Ex Officio’s Amphi Pant which zips off into shorts, and packs lightweight.

Survival Tools

So what happens when the Land Rover breaks down 200 miles outside Narobi? You better be prepared with some key survival essentials.

To GPS or not to GPS? You have two choices really, chance it with the locals and the stars, or stow away this Brunton Atlas MNS GPS which Kasha Rigby says is “simple, light, portable, technical—it works!”

On ThisNext, the Camelbak Hydration Pack is a definite must have. Whether it’s Camelbak’s Unbottle which is streamlined to carry 100 oz of water and nothing else, or the Camelbak Blowfish which allows you to pack a first aid kit, cell phone, snacks and whatever else you need on the road.

Luke Miller always packs Krazy Glue, believe it or not. He says “It’s crazy what you can fix with this stuff: Cameras to cuts on your feet!”

Nicole loves her SideWinder Emergency Cell Phone Charger, which is not only small enough to pack anywhere, but a green product to boot!

And finally, no adventurer would be caught dead without a reliable flashlight. Our very own Eric Hammond suggests the Luxeon V-5 Watt LED Hand Torch, saying “Blinding white light (120 lumens) in a compact hand-held torch. If you’re going to spend $100 on a small flashlight, this is it.”

Oh, the lure of the open road!! I can just smell the crowded streets of Hong Kong now…

Next up: guides and exotic places to stay!