RV GPS: 

We started our travels with a regular ole’ GPS, and we got into trouble fast!  Navigating a travel trailer is more like a semi, and we needed to know bridge clearances, what the shoulders were like, if there were diesel gas stations along the way, etc.  We opted for a Garmin RV one…and shortly after got the Rand-McNally RV option as well.  Perks for both. With the Rand McNally, it is easy to see campsite recommendations and anything RV-friendly.   

GARMIN:

The Garmin is our main choice - it’s easier to navigate and not so complicated in options. We ended up selling the Rand McNally and just opting for this one, and then cross-referencing with Google Maps on our phone. 

Similio Headsets For Kids

I love these headphones for how well they work, plus the fact that they have sharing ports, so you can plug one into the other so kids can listen to the same thing - that has been the biggest frustration with headphones - only having one kiddo able to listen at a time. 

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!

INSTANT POT:

Ask 99.9% of RVers what their top go-to is and they will swear by the InstantPot. I don’t care if you’re vegan or eat meat as your sole sustenance, you will love this baby. Crockpot, steamer, pressure cooker, yogurt maker and more, we use ours almost daily.  

Our main go-to is for rice and potatoes, but it’s awesome for cooking dry beans as well - you can go from completely dry beans to cooked and fabulous in under an hour!  Also wonderful to throw veggies and grains in for a beautiful pot of veggie soup. So many options it’s incredible.

Mealthy Air Fryer:

Oh my gosh - bought this on a whim and we've been having a blast with it! So far my husband and daughter have made french fries, tator tots, toasted bagels, eggrolls, fried okra, zucchini fries, pretzels and more - it's been great to have a little addition to the InstantPot that essentially can turn it into a little toaster oven or fryer. It's been awesome!

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!

SWELLS:

I got my first Swell in a lost and found, having no idea of how great it was. After our morning cuppa Joe, Nathan and I fill these babies up with Green Tea and a few drops of peppermint essential oil. We sip on these the rest of the day for our energy and water intake, and it stays piping hot!

COCONUT OIL:

If you’ve seen “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, you know the joke about how Windex “cures everything”. Well, we’re that way with Coconut Oil - it’s our go-to for dry skin, rashes, cooking, lubing a squeaky door (and…um…anything else that may need, um…lubing), etc

Nutiva Buttery Flavored Coconut Oil

Oh my gosh this is amazing. I figured it was full of odd chemicals for artificial butter flavor, but it's actually a crazy combo of mint and sesame oil that gives it the buttery flavor! Mix this with some honey for delicious honey butter, or garlic for some yummy garlic bread!

HONEY:

On the same note - our #1 go-to for healing is our only animal product in our home - honey. We keep raw honey on hand for wounds, and I’m telling you, it’s incredible.  

One day I walked in from a conference in San Diego to see Nathan all white and covered in sweat. He had just tried to wrap up his finger where he had literally filleted the knuckle of his pointer finger right off. He quickly put honey on it and slapped that puppy right back on. And, get this - you can barely tell he sliced it off. He has full feeling in it and it looks great. 

It worked miracles. A month later, same thing - Juliet, our then 4-year-old, fell off her two-wheel bike and split her forehead open. She could have used one stitch. Yet in weighing the drama (and pain) of going to a hospital, we used honey and a butterfly bandage. You can barely see the scar.  Honey has incredible healing properties. 

State Map Stickers!

I love this one that highlights all the maps. Our rule was that we had to spend the night in the state before we could put a sticker on! 

BEACH/CAMP CHAIRS:

There are a gazillion options out there.  My favorite one is a discontinued REI one - however here are the things I love - it’s low to the ground - whether it’s to put my feet in the ocean or get close to the fire. It has a drink holder. And LUMBAR SUPPORT.  I sit in these babies a lot, so the lumbar support is the biggie!  Oh, and it’s foldable for easy storage.  

BEACH/CAMP CHAIRS:

This is another great option. I don't have this exact one - I got the one from REI, but having these super lightweight ones are great when you're needing to walk a bit before you sit.

They are super lightweight and set up in seconds.  

Double Hammock With Space Saving Steel Stand Includes Portable Carrying Case:

We love our hammocks. And...we've found that not every campground allows us to hang them in the trees...or even has trees. This hammock stand is lightweight and portable, making it super easy to travel with. This doubles as my office on beautiful days. :-) We switch out the cloth hammock with a nylon one for a more waterproof option as well. The stand alone is worth the price. 

HAMMOCKS:

We love our hammocks and use them all the time!  We have two basic outdoor hammocks, and then our sweet Hennessy Hammocks for real-deal overnight camping free from bugs! 

WISE OWL BRAND:

We’ve created hammock villages whenever we have trees around our campsites, and honestly, these have provided more play/entertainment than any “toy” we have!

Aurora 18.5-Inch Steel Gas Firebowl, Rubbed Bronze:

Sometimes bonfires aren't allowed. And sometimes, you want something that just lights up fast. This little firepit has been great for a quick little fireside hangout. It has a locking lid so it travels well, and we've enjoyed having the ease of this for fires without all the prep work and begging for s'mores.  

SOLAR LIGHTS:

This serves no major practical reason, but we love them! It creates a sweet homey feel every evening out our front door, and we love that we don’t have to mess with them at all.  

I’m posting my Amazon links for all of these, but people - get to an Ikea store. I can’t believe they are going for $50 on Amazon when you can get them for $8-$25 in the store!!

CAMELBACK BACKPACK:

These so come in handy for hiking - not just in the woods, but in the city! They saved us in the heat of Washington, DC, and are so much easier than lugging around water bottles for everyone!  

Inflatable Paddleboard

I absolutely love paddleboarding - it's such an awesome way to see the water. This inflatable is super sturdy, easy to set up, and amazing for paddleboarding in the ocean, lake, or anywhere else. We loved our for being able to look into the water for starfish in the Florida Keys, and to see all the gorgeous fish and the manatees in the Weeki Wachi Springs!

QUICK-DRY TOWELS:

Small spaces don’t like big towels.  Especially when you have a family of five and don’t have a laundry machine to do loads all the time!  And…on this note, it’s not only helpful to have quick dry towels, but quick-dry everything! 

We love quick dry clothes - the girls live in those, which makes it super easy to not always be scrounging up bathing suits - we’re ready for anything, and if they get food on their clothes, we can easily wash it out without having to do a whole load of laundry and/or wait for it forever to dry.  

Cooling Towels

We love having cooling towels for hot days and hikes - it really helps our youngest children manage the heat and keep moving. There are a ton of options out there, and I haven't really found a lame one - so pick a towel that works for you - these come with their own storage bags!

KEENS:

Okay, so I’m all for second-hand. I’ll post a link to Keens on here, but let me tell you my little secret - FaceBook Marketplace. Pin the area you are in and search Keens.

These shoes aren't the cheapest, yet I have been able to outfit the whole family in Keens for under $20 each. Make sure they are waterproof, and these will be your go-to sandals.  

We’ve basically reduced our shoes down to a pair of flip flips or crocs and these. I always find them at Once Upon a Child and Kid to Kid for the girls, and FB Marketplace always has them for sale as well.  

Just keep looking and you can get a deal.  Or, if you want new, try my link, and know that if you ever have issues with them, contact Keen and they will replace them for free. Yep, great customer service!

Barker 4-Wheeler Tote Tank - 42 Gallon capacity

We scrimped on this and got a cheaper model. And...our hope is you don't make the same mistake. If you are going to be staying at no-sewer locations and need to use one of these, don't go for cheap. There isn't much worse than a faulty or leaky blue boy. Seriously.

Novatel Verizon Wireless Jetpack 7730L 4G LTE Advanced Mobile Hotspot

This is my newest upgrade - according to my internet connection, this one is 2 models newer than the 6620. Although that one gave me no issues, this one means I can pick up all five of Verizon's bandwidths, as opposed to only two with my 6620L. I've been using this for the past few weeks and have been very pleased with it! 

Wilson Electronics Wideband Directional Antenna

This may not be the most elite out there, but in over a year of travel, this has been the rockstar that has gotten me through it. We attached this to our TV antenna (which we don't actually use) and I just twist this up to get the best signal. 

weBoost Drive 4G-X RV 470410 Cell Phone Signal Booster

This is what the RV internet gurus swear by. I have been able to make-do with a basic antenna, but if you are serious about reliable internet, the weBoost is what you want to add to your list of must-haves.