贵辞谤听,听 is not about the van, or the Instagram听photos, or the custom builds鈥 it鈥檚 about living outside. She and her husband听Keith听moved into their 1990 Ford E350 (affectionately called 鈥淏ertha鈥) over a year ago听and now spend听their time working from the road and听exploring the American West.
They've made some minor customizations to Bertha but didn't go overboard.听鈥淚 see people doing months-long van build-outs, spending a fortune, and it鈥檚 totally unnecessary,” she says.
Here's the gear they use to keep it simple.
Yakima SkyBox 21 Cargo Box ($600)听
This was a huge game changer for storing all of our climbing and mountain biking gear. Before the , we had to transfer all the gear from our bed to the front seat before we went to sleep. Now we can keep it organized in separate backpacks in the SkyBox which locks, so we don鈥檛 have to worry about it getting stolen.
Garmin inReach Explorer+ GPS ($400)听
We spend half of every week out of cell service, usually in slot canyons. The inReach听is听a听that provides a lot of peace of mind for us and our families when we're off-the-grid.听
Hydro Flask Food Flasks ($30)听
We don鈥檛 have a fridge, but will keep yogurt and fruit cold for two days. They also keep leftovers warm in colder months.听
Rumpl听Puffy Throw Blanket ($100)听
It鈥檚 oddly expensive, and I scoffed at it at first, but is actually perfect for sleeping in the desert, where it starts off too hot for a sleeping bag, but gets chilly at 3 a.m. It鈥檚 also great for wrapping around your shoulders and staring off into the distance for the perfect #vanlife听Instagram photo.听
Yakima LoadWarrior Rack ($300)
If you have the space on top of your van, adding is the bee鈥檚 knees. We use this basket-style rack to strap down our off-road jack and shovel for hard times, and also for things like our Oru kayaks, which don鈥檛 fit inside the roof box.听
Coleman Classic听Camp Stove ($70)
We met a guy who told us he has had the same for 43 years. Apparently, these things never die. Now we're personally going for 44 years.听
REI Co-op Camp Roll Table ($65)
We used to put our Coleman stove on top of plastic food bins and sit in the dirt while we made all our meals. We recently decided to splurge for and sit in chairs like normal people.
Snow Peak听Folding Coffee Pour Over Brewer ($30)听
makes the best cups of coffee ever.