Gear & Resources

The equipment and tools that keep our adventures running smoothly, tested through thousands of miles and dozens of campgrounds.

RV Setup

We have a low footprint philosophy

  • Trillium Outback 2024 – this is a fiberglass, light weight camper trailer
  • Equipped with solar panels and two 6 volt GC2 batteries connected in series.
  • Pulled with a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

Additional Equipment

  • EF ECOFLOW Solar Generators, DELTA 2 Portable Power Station with 2PCS 100W 12V Solar Panels, 1024Wh LFP Battery, Fast Charging, Power Station for Home Backup, Camping&RVs
  • weBoost Drive Reach Overland – Cell Phone Signal Booster for Off Road Vehicles (mounted on our Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness). In the past we had no signal in big swaths of Michigan’s UP, and last trip we were always connected (there does need to be at least some signal for it to work, though)

Apps & Services We Rely On

  • AllTrails – Subscription based system that helps you find and track trails. We also use it to track our kayaking sessions (Activity type: paddle sports)
  • Claude – AI chatbot from Antrhopic. I use it to help me organize the trip schedules and find interesting spots
  • eBirds – Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s free global platform where birders record their sightings, creating the world’s largest real-time database of bird observations. For travelers, it’s invaluable for discovering what birds to look for at your destination and finding the best birding hotspots nearby.
  • Merlin BiedID – Cornell’s free app that identifies birds from photos, sounds, or descriptions. Simply upload a photo or describe what you saw, and Merlin suggests likely species with photos and sounds for confirmation. Essential for travelers wanting to identify unfamiliar birds encountered during outdoor adventures
  • Bird Tracker – Web app I created that allows you to chose a location and a radius of analysis, and gives you all the bird reports for the area (from eBird) displayed in a map as well as analyzed by AI. Contact me if you want access.
  • Harvest Host – Harvest Hosts is a network of farms, wineries, breweries & distilleries, golf courses, community hosts and more that invite RVers to stay overnight, giving Members safe, convenient, and unique places to stay during their travels.
  • Recreation.gov – the government’s centralized travel planning platform and reservation system for 14 federal agencies, offering the tools, tips, and information needed for you to discover destinations and activities, plan a trip, and explore outdoor and cultural destinations in your zip code and across the country. Find and reserve incredible experiences that help you bring home a story through Recreation.gov!
  • TheDyrt – Subscription based system that lists places to camp: State Parks, National Parks, RV Parks, Glamping, Free Camping and more.

Discounts

America the Beautiful Interagency Pass. Covers entrance fees and standard amenity fees (day-use fees) at Federal recreational sites, including national parks. Available for Seniors, Military and People with disabilities

Note: Recommendations are based on our personal experience. We do not receive commissions or compensation for these.