
Top Things We LOVE For Our Travels
This list just keeps on growing - the longer we've been on the road, the more tried-and-true favorites we love. Check it out, and know this list will continue to be added to!
- Travel Days
- In the Rig
- Kitchen
- Outdoor Goodness
- Internet
Backset Car Organizer
My girls were thrilled to have their own organizers in the car to put their things for travel days and keep it all from just falling to the floor. Of course, we were thrilled to have a spot to stash their stuff as well!
WALKIE TALKIES:
These have been fabulous - we use them while I direct Nathan on backing into campsites, and all the girls have one whenever they are out of our sight (and site). This allows them the freedom to run around the campground a bit more without us worrying about where they are. These are waterproof, have a long range (although 35 miles is a stretch), and have been wonderful to have on hand for all the places where we are out of cell service.
Kohree 12V LED RV Ceiling Dome Light Fixture, RV Interior Lighting for Trailer Camper with Switch Natural White 3 Packs
I tell you what, we put off switching out lights and tried a ton of different LED light bulbs in hopes of finding something we liked. And what we found is that these lights are so, so worth it. No more flickering lights, and about twice (if not more) as bright!
These are excellent - you can get them individually for under $14, or this three pack, which is a great deal. If you're thinking you'll just 'make do' but it's a little dark and you have the obnoxious strobe light thing going like we did, go ahead and get these. You'll thank me.
ECHO DOT:
I have to be honest. I am not a fan. This spooky little thing in our home listening to everything we say. However, if you love Siri and use all that jazz, I’d say it’s pretty stinkin’ handy to have around. When we had one, w would ask what the weather was for the day, play Pandora and just tell it to “thumbs up” a song, ask random questions, and we set the timer on it all the time. It’s great not having to run over and fiddle with anything and “poof!” music plays! It’s small as well, so it's great for RV living, but packs a lotta power in such a little thing.
EXO GEAR:
I highly recommend bluetooth speakers. There are all kinds of awesome ones, and it's great to have one to move around in the camper, or take outside for entertainment. Even with built in speakers in our rig, we don't really rely on them for quality. We love these for inside as well as outside, where it doesn’t matter if it rains or it’s a dirty mess, and out and about wherever we feel like playing music. It’s durable and has great sound, and you can pair two together for “surround sound”. Ours we got at Costco and it has a light on it as well - super cool.
YOGA MATS:
These can be used for a ton! As an assistant at a yoga studio, I gathered a TON of mats from the lost and found. Many found ways to great causes through donations, others found homes with my friends, and I STILL had extras! They have come in handy so many times.
I’ve posted here my favorite brand to use for actual yoga - and picked the cheapest of these pricey suckers. However, we have also used yoga mats as extra support under RV mattresses and couches, as cushiony floor mats under rugs (we have outdoor rugs inside for easy wash-down), also for kids to tumble around on, to wrap around bikes, etc for travel protection, and so much more.
Turkish Towels:
I love these towels - they don't take a bunch of space, dry quickly, and look great. Perfect for small space living!
LED Candles
I love candles. Yet in small (and flammable) spaces, having fires lit can be quite the safety hazard. So, I've fallen in love with LED ones instead!
These are great for both ambient lighting as well as for boondocking and going with minimal electricity.
Moon Night Light
This was a sweet gift my brother got us, with the great idea to get something for his kids AND their cousins. It's fun to have matching gifts, so we started this tradition of sharing those special things - the gift we're excited about giving our own family we do a duplicate for his!
These moon lamps have been great for a nightlight, and also have come in handy when our power has gone out, or we're boondocking! It's great for ambient lighting and pretty sturdy!
Tongue Drum
Here is a bit more affordable option, although in our home we love the Hapi brand tongue drums. If you're wondering about a musical instrument for your kiddo but not sure what you want to be stuck listening to, get a tongue drum! It's hard to make them sound bad. Even a toddler can make beautiful music, and it's so soothing and melodic you can get into a trance just playing!
Added plus...it's small. There are no guitars, drum sets and grand pianos in our rig, so we've gotten creative with musical instruments!
Berkey Water Filter:
All those people that have the InstantPot...often have a Berkey as well. We started out lugging around 5 gallon jugs of water, and were constantly looking for somewhere to fill up again. Finally decided to invest in the Berkey and...WOW. Absolutely love it. I'm pretty certain it's the best tasting water ever, and the filtration is super impressive.
It's a big investment, but we justified it because no matter where we will live, this will be our go-to method for delicious (and safe) water. We believe it's worth it.
VITAMIX:
Now, when I first got married, I believed every kitchen needed a KitchenAid. Then I started eating a wee bit healthier and not baking so much. Then it was the Vitamix. I have to say this has now moved to right below the InstantPot on necessities, but it’s still pretty high up there!
Our favorite uses for it are for making homemade hummus (dried chickpeas cooked in the InstantPot, of course!) and banana “ice cream”!
ESPRESSO COFFEE MAKER:
We talk a lot about “dummy-proofing” our mornings by prepping the night before. Every time we clean out this stovetop espresso maker, we go ahead and prep it for the next morning.
We love the process of hearing it brew, and having that one perfect cup in the mornings to start us out!
FROTHER:
Now, for us, we like it fancy. We are vegan at home, so no animal products, but we warm up a cup of almond milk with a splash of maple syrup and froth that baby up for a fancy cappuccino!
TAMPER:
And the tamper helps to ensure we have that perfect brew. It’s the little things.
Blackstone Tabletop Grill
We LOVE this tabletop grill. We use it outside, or just take off the cast iron grill part and it fits perfectly over our stove inside. We use it all the time! This took the place of our outside kitchen grill - it's a beast that we're so glad we got!