Harlow Salvador Newton, 38
Noe Valley; Owner, Tico Guide Travel and Buenaventura Eco-Lodge and Retreat; Co Founder, SFStation.com

Obsessed with: Petzl headlamps, Leatherman multiuse tools, my little traveling Buddha
lucky charm.

In the last five years: Been to Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru, Uruguay, Ecuador, Belize, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia.

Best tip for airport navigation: Take red-eye flights out and late-night arrivals back, when SFO is a ghost town.

Most prized souvenir: My collection of six passports, the first issued when I was just one month old.

Your most unexpected adventure?

I was camping with my family at the national park near the base of Mount St. Helens when it erupted on May 18, 1980. We jumped in the car and sped away from the massive clouds of ash and rock. It’s a miracle we made it out alive.

Now top that.

Well, the most extreme rush found me at age 25, when I was traveling across the Gulf of Thailand on a ferry that got caught in a massive typhoon. The waves were straight out of The Perfect Storm. We endured five hours of holding on for dear life before making it to the island of Koh Tao.

Worst traveling romance story?

I once hiked with a girl for 10 hours down to Havasupai Falls in the Grand Canyon. By the fifth hour under the scorching sun, she was ready to kill me! Needless to say, that was the last camping trip we took together.

What are the ties that bind all adventure travelers?

Actually getting off our butts and taking the path less traveled. All adventures start with a dream and a brave spirit.