Ex-spy turned explorer nicknamed ‘real-life James Bond’ details his gruelling adventures – while revealing his three essential travel items

The name is Schiena, Tony Schiena.

A spy turned adventurer has been called the “real James Bond” for his penchant for adrenaline-pumping activities combined with a polite appearance when he returns to civilization.

South African-born Tony Schiena, who splits his time between the US and Europe, currently heads Mosaic, considered one of the largest intelligence and security consulting firms in the world.

Over the past thirty years, he has become one of the leaders in the crisis management industry, and now uses the skills he learned during undercover missions to successfully complete a series of personal challenges.

Tony recently completed Everest and one of the toughest foot races in the world, the Marathon Des Sables, which is equivalent to running six marathons in six days.

South African-born Tony Schiena currently heads Mosaic, which is regarded as one of the world’s leading intelligence and security consultancies

Over the past three decades he has emerged as one of the leaders in the crisis management sector

Tony tells DailyMail.com that his background as a spy helped him in the adventure, as he is used to operating in all kinds of extreme environments.

He explained: ‘From the beginning of my career I was pushed into a dark, secretive environment of smokescreens.

‘It was all accelerated by the possibility of civil war and I suddenly found myself in situations where I did not fully understand the seriousness of the possible consequences.

‘When you climb big mountains or run deep in the desert, you are exposed to a changing environment and potentially dangerous conditions.

‘High altitude mountaineering involves extreme weather changes, possible avalanches, falls into deep crevasses, etc.

‘In the desert you get sandstorms that can throw you completely off course. You can easily become isolated and run out of water.’

Tony says his wanderlust started at a young age. When he was at the airport with his family, he wanted to ‘stay there as long as possible’.

He recalls: ‘I was fascinated by the people and the planes coming and going.

Tony recently completed the world’s toughest running event, the Marathon Des Sables, which is equivalent to running six marathons in six days.

During his Everest expedition, Tony suffered from severe food poisoning, but eventually reached the summit

In Antarctica, Tony climbed Mount Vinson, the continent’s highest point at 16,050 feet

‘I come from a small town on the outskirts of Johannesburg, so getting out was a priority.’

After Tony fulfilled his dream of traveling the world, he wanted to share his knowledge with others.

He says one of the most beautiful places he has visited so far is Antarctica, where he climbed Mount Vinson, the highest point on the continent at 16,050 feet.

Of the otherworldly landscape, the adventurer said: ‘It was incredible to fly into the Union Glacier and land on the ice.

‘And then, when you get off the plane, you realize there’s no living thing where we’re going, not even an insect. Just pure white ice and 24/7 light.’

Tony believes that, in addition to Antarctica, everyone should ‘see a war zone, a conflict zone or an impoverished country once in their life to realise how lucky we are.’

His approach to travel is to combine wilderness living with a dose of luxury, so you can enjoy things when they are good.

He muses: ‘I’ve always prided myself on sleeping under a tree one day and in a palace the next, arriving on a private jet and leaving on a budget airline. It’s important to mix things up.’

When asked about his three essential travel items, Tony says his absolute must have is a “power source.”

His approach to travel is to combine the rough life and luxury so that you can enjoy it when things are going well

‘I agree that some people have an innate talent for intelligence or tactical operations, but that is not the case for everyone’

Looking ahead, Tony’s next challenge is to learn to fly and he will be ‘in safe hands with legendary Italian climber and pilot, Simone Moro’

The globetrotter explains: ‘Of course I pack my suitcases differently depending on the purpose of my trip.

‘In general, I think energy is very important, even if it’s not for work or extreme adventure. A power bank, whether it’s solar powered or not.’

His second favorite travel item is a “small pocket knife.” He says it can be “valuable for many reasons, especially if you carry it as inconspicuously as possible (in a potentially dangerous environment or in case you need to peel an apple).”

Finally, the former agent says that it can be very useful to “carry local currency or dollars with you,” especially if you’re traveling to a place that’s not for tourists.

For those who want to follow in Tony’s footsteps as a secret agent, he has this advice: ‘I agree that some people have an innate talent for intelligence or tactical operations, but that is not the case for everyone. For many, it means hours of arduous surveillance and waiting, very different from James Bond.

“I studied to eventually become a maritime lawyer. Would I see myself drawing up bills of lading in an office all day? No, that was definitely the path I had to take. It’s not for everyone, but it is for some.

“But as they say, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ I’ve lived on airplanes for many years and traveled the world, averaging about 40 international flights a year. Yet I still cherish the opportunity to wake up so seamlessly in another country or continent.”

Tony wants to take things up a notch in the future by learning to fly and he is ‘in safe hands with legendary Italian climber and pilot Simone Moro’.