Despite what a certain Hollywood car-racing franchise might lead you to believe, Paul Walker is neither fast nor furious. He’s actually thoroughly mellow and relaxed — the proverbial nice guy. When we met at a Davidoff Cool Water event in Malibu, I was almost shocked by the complete lack of agents, handlers, or special requests on his part. Instead, Paul introduced himself with a handshake and a smile, then sat down next to the couch for our interview. Sitting cross-legged, we talked about his role as the cologne’s new face (he’s happy about it), his relief organization (he’s passionate about that), and here, the travel app that’s changed the way he hikes:

“When I was a young kid, my mother enrolled me in the Junior Rangers program. We spent a lot of our summers and spring breaks camping at various state parks up and down the California coast. I still love going on hikes and taking pictures. I used to travel with the Audubon field guides, so I’d have my pack with four books in it. After a while, your shoulders are going, ‘Holy hell!’ because those books are big. Now, I have Audubon apps on my iPhone. I’ll see something and wonder, ‘What kind of bug is that?’ and I can just look it up. I have them all, but the California field guide is awesome — it’s a really good reference guide. I’m a geek for that stuff.”

(Also, for the record and despite what many photographs of him suggest, he does usually wear shirts.)

Photo: Davidoff

Tags: california, paul walker, travel apps