The Adventure Life with Steve CasimiroThe Five Best Things About Returning to Civilization CELEBRITY EDITION!

Nothing says home like a plate of steaming haggis.
—Adventurer Colin Angus

It only takes a couple weeks in the backcountry to make you—well, me—miss steamed milk, unmelted chocolate, and pillows. But what about hard-core adventurers? Maybe they’re so core, they don’t miss a thing. Maybe they make us look like the big, fat wussies we really are ... or do they?

Read on and see what these seasoned vets miss when they're out there.

Featuring: Adventurers Julie and Colin Angus; ice climber Will Gadd; climber Mike Libecki; surfer Kassia Meador; long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka

The Five Best Things About Returning to Civilization CELEBRITY EDITION!

Julie and Colin Angus, circumnavigated the globe under human power; currently rowing and cycling from Scotland to Syria (and our 2006 Adventurers of the Year)

5 HOT SHOWER After living in the same outfit for more than a week and being covered with a layer of grim that you mistook for a suntan until it washed down the drain, a little hot water and soap work miracles.

4 FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST  Oatmeal and cowboy coffee are great, but bacon, eggs, toast, baked beans, sausages, and real coffee are better.

3 READING THE NEWSPAPER  Because it’s nice to find out what happened in the world while we were away.

2 A ROOF  Because sometimes it’s nice to get out of the rain/snow/hail/wind.

1 A GLEAMING PORCELAIN TOILET WITH AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF TOILET PAPER AND TOTAL PRIVACY  Because, well, you know.

Will Gadd, a world champion paraglider who flew across the Grand Canyon; one of the world’s most accomplished, visionary ice climbers (watch a video of Gadd climbing Sweden's ice caves)

5 SEX  I'm probably the only one willing to own up to it, but post-trip sex is one of the best things in life.

4 WATER OUT OF A TAP  No filtering, no melting snow, you just turn on a tap and out comes water. Incredible invention!

3 OTHER PEOPLE  Strange how someone you normally wouldn't tolerate for more than 30 seconds can be extremely interesting after a few weeks off the beaten path.

2 PIZZA  I crave it on long trips—tomato sauce, pepperoni, cheese, cheese, and hot cheese! Cold beer, too, of course.

1 HEAT  When I get back from any multi-day winter trip, I always feel a moment when the car heater comes on that I realize I don't have to try to be warm anymore—there's an external heat source.

Mike Libecki, big-wall climber renowned for huge solo accomplishments, including 40 days spent putting up the first ascent of the 4,200-foot Viking Shield in Greenland

5 PAINTING, DRAWING, FLYING KITES, GARDENING, CAMPING, BAKING COOKIES with my daughter

4 PLAYING PIANO AND VIOLIN with my daughter

3 SWIMMING, GYMNASTICS, AND SOCCER with my daughter

2 DANCING AND LAUGHING with my daughter

1 BEING with my daughter

Kassia Meador, longboard surfing champion and nine-year veteran of the nomadic pro surfing tour

 

5 COOKING IN MY OWN KITCHEN  Camping food is fine and dandy, but nothing beats a home-cooked meal.

4 MY OWN BED

3 LYING ON MY COUCH  When you’re on the road, there’s no time for vegging out—it makes you appreciate being lazy.

2 A CLEAN TOILET WITH ACTUAL TOILET PAPER  I love camping and trekking around for waves, but being a girl makes it just a bit more inconvenient when it comes to certain activities.

1 AN EXTRA-LONG HOT SHOWER  Nothing beats it after you’ve been salty, dusty, and cold camping in Mexico.

Andrew Skurka, first hiker to complete the 6,875-mile Great Western Loop and the 7,778-mile Sea-to-Sea Route non-stop—and in one year (and our 2007 Adventurer of the Year)

5 BARS  Great places to find it all: beer, women, dancing, and mechanical bulls.

4 BEING LAZY  With 6,875 or 7,800 or 2,170 or 480 miles ahead waiting to be hiked, laziness really is not an option until I’m done.

3 INTELLECTUAL STIMULUS  Within a few weeks, I’ve walked off any pent-up stress or personal issues and I find myself wanting nytimes.com, non-fiction books, NPR Environment podcasts, and talkative people.

2 MEALS THAT REQUIRE THOUGHT  Balance Bars and rehydrated beans and rice offer lots of calories with minimum prep, but they don’t please the way that a plate of “real food” does.

1 WOMEN  The need to find water, eat enough food, and stay on course while hiking overshadows another basic need (or is it just a want?) that gains much more attention once I step off the trail.