My husband Hector and I semi-retired in 2012 and went on a walkabout in a class A diesel pusher for almost four years. When we bought a house in New Mexico, we downsized to a Class C sprinter and updated some gear to better fit our smaller space. Here are some of our old and new favorites.
Yakima Roof Rack System
Early in our fulltime adventure, we purchased a couple of kayaks. These replaced an inflatable kayak that we carried in a cargo box alongside two bicycles on a Yakima roof rack. The base rack consisted of Yakima Round Crossbars. The crossbars were mounted on a Yakima Baseline Tower (these may vary by vehicle).
We sold the cargo box so we could carry both the kayaks and bikes on the roof. It was as easy as changing out the mounts from the cargo box mount to JayHook Kayak Racks. We combined the kayak mounts with the Highroad Rooftop Upright Bike Mount for our bicycles.
Six years later, our Yakima roof rack system had safely carried our kayaks and bicycles as far South as Key West in the East and Cabo San Lucas in the West and as far North as the Gaspé Peninsula in Québec in the East and the Arctic Circle in the Yukon in the West.
Happy Campers Organic RV Holding Tank Treatment
Another early acquisition. We haven’t used anything else since we found this product in Quartzsite.
Enviro-Bottles
Since we boondock and dry camp often, we save water in our freshwater tank by carrying our drinking water separately. That also means we have pure drinking water. We love the 2 Gallon Enviro-Bottles. These BPA free, rectangular bottles tuck easily in tight corners and make pouring easy.
Double-Walled French Press
Another item that’s great for boondocking and dry camping is the Sterling Pro Double Walled Coffee Press. It makes great coffee and I like that it’s metal, not glass. And this 1-liter size is perfect for my coffee guzzling husband in the mornings.
Insulated Thermos
Once we make coffee in our coffee press, we pour it into the Manna Keg Growler where it stays hot forever.
Refrigerator Thermometer
The AMIR Refrigerator Thermometer helps us maintain proper temperatures in our fridge and freezer.
Water Wipes
Our friends here at Campendium turned us on to WaterWipes Sensitive Baby Wipes. I have sensitive skin and steer clear of long ingredient lists. These wipes “contain 99.9% purified water and a drop of fruit extract and are fragrance and alcohol free”. They are perfect for us sensitive skin types for freshening up anytime.
We keep the water wipes by our bathroom sink in this OXO Tot Perfect Pull Wipes Dispenser.
Wash Bag
The Scrubba Wash Bag is great for washing a few items when you’re dry camping without having to use a public sink or if you just don’t want to go to the laundromat. Just pour water in it up to the fill line, roll and clip it shut, open the valve to let the air out, then rub and shake and rinse. It has “an internal washboard” (scrubby plastic bumps) inside to help loosen dirt on extra grimy items.
Weather Station
The Fanju Weather Station gives instant weather information and weather forecast for the next eight-hour period. We keep the outdoor sensor under our steps to keep it out of direct sunlight.
For Ladies Only
I discovered the pStyle though another friend prior to our recent trip to Baja California. Great for the outdoors and I especially liked it for our kayak outings. I also got this carrying case for it.
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