There’s a specific moment when a cabin weekend clicks into place. For me, it happens on the first evening — cooler full of food, fire going, porch chair creaking underneath me, and the kind of silence you forget exists when you live in a city. But getting to that moment? That requires gear. And not … Read more
I’ve been driving the same crossover for five years. It’s fine. It gets me to the grocery store and back, handles the occasional weekend hike, and the cargo area has swallowed enough camping gear to justify its existence. But last month, halfway through a 14-hour drive to Utah, I realized something: my car wasn’t built … Read more
There is a particular kind of dread that settles in when you notice water dripping inside your campervan. You spent weeks measuring, cutting, and installing windows. You checked the weatherstripping. You tightened every screw. And still, after the first real rainstorm, there it is — a small trail of water working its way down the … Read more
Why Your Van’s Electrical System Matters More Than You Think There’s a moment every van builder hits: standing in an empty cargo van, staring at bare metal walls, trying to imagine where the wires will go. It’s equal parts exciting and terrifying. The electrical system is the nervous system of your camper van. Get it … Read more
I’ve been doing this travel thing long enough to know that the difference between a trip that sings and one that sputters usually comes down to what’s rattling around in your trunk. Not the destination, not the playlist — the gear. And with Amazon Prime Day rolling in June 23rd through the 26th, I’ve been … Read more
It was 103 degrees in Rome, and I was standing in line at the Colosseum wondering if I’d made a terrible mistake. My shirt was soaked through, my energy was tanking, and the couple next to me looked remarkably comfortable — each wearing a sleek device around their neck that was quietly blowing cool air. … Read more
There’s a specific kind of freedom that comes with turning on a faucet in the middle of nowhere and watching clean water flow out. No hookups, no campground fee, no ranger telling you to move along. Just you, your van, and enough water to cook dinner, wash the dishes, and maybe take a quick shower … Read more
I’ve been dangerously sick from bad water exactly twice in my traveling life. Once from a seemingly innocent tap in a coastal Mexico town, and once from a backcountry stream in Wyoming that I was too tired to filter properly. Both times taught me the same lesson: clean water isn’t a luxury, it’s the foundation … Read more
The first time I pulled off a dusty BLM road in southern Utah and killed the engine, the silence hit me like a physical thing. No highway drone. No neighbor’s TV. Just wind through the sage and a horizon so wide it made my chest open up. I’d spent months planning that trip — studying … Read more
Breathing easy inside a campervan isn’t something most travelers think about until they’re gasping for fresh air at 2 a.m. in a humid Florida campground. The difference between a van that feels like a sauna and one that stays pleasant through every season comes down to a single component that costs less than a night … Read more