Top Things We LOVE For Our Travels
Full Disclosure:
These are affiliate links on products we love and use in our travels. Although I started with 20, this may grow a bit as we pick up new favorites along the way!
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
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!
Out of all the discount membership options, this is definitely a great one for getting campsite discounts. You can get up to 50% off at campsites, and we use this a lot in between our park campgrounds and Thousand Trails membership. If you use my member ID (R-0291087), you get six months free!
If you are curious if there are other families traveling the States, our best resource is the Full Time Families Membership Site. Click on the graphic above to access the site to see all the benefits of being a member (the biggest benefit for us is meetups, hangouts and rallies, where we meet other families. Our first rally had 85 families - over 160 kids!) There is is also a free Facebook Group you can join to get a taste of it -- you'll see there are many, many people who are interested or traveling already! Click here to access the membership site
Boondocking can be addictive. It's a super cool way to really be off the grid and do your own thing...and "BoondockersWelcome" is the place to get connected and discover all kinds of cool "off the beaten path" places to camp! Click here to access the membership site
This only gives you a 10% discount, but it's something! You also get discounts at Camping World, Overtons, and Gander Outdoors, plus several other perks, like discounted gas at Pilot. We use the Good Sam Roadside Assistance, which is definitely worth getting! Click here to access the membership site
Boondocking can be addictive. It's a super cool way to really be off the grid and do your own thing...and "BoondockersWelcome" is the place to get connected and discover all kinds of cool "off the beaten path" places to camp! Click here to access the membership site
This only gives you a 10% discount, but it's something! You also get discounts at Camping World, Overtons, and Gander Outdoors, plus several other perks, like discounted gas at Pilot. We use the Good Sam Roadside Assistance, which is definitely worth getting! Click here to access the membership site
Ashley takes families from surviving to thriving by helping them uncover how "the uniqueness in each of us strengthens all of us". She guides parents through identifying their strengths - and also their triggers - to live with intention and not simply reaction to the chaos of an ever-growing family. Through her podcast, blogging, coaching and personality "snapshots", she provides tools and action steps to aid families in creating a life they love to come home to.
Ashley, her husband (and podcast co-host) Nathan, their three unschooling daughters and dog are RVing the States full-time. They focus on authenticity, awareness, and embracing love in the present moment.
BONUS LINKS:
Some bonus links we use for planning our trips and navigation -
- RoadTrippers.com - where we map out (and share) our travels
- campendium.com - great place to scope out extra campgrounds that may not be on the beaten path - this includes boondocking (dry camping) sites and free places.
- iExit for Trucks app - I use this to find the diesel and travel centers on the highway - super helpful so we know exactly what to expect, because some gas stations are very difficult to maneuver a travel trailer around in!
This is the tip of the iceberg on tips and resources we've found that are great for our gypsy lifestyle. I know this will continue to grow, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] with your questions!