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Hydration Packs

We have never regretted purchasing hydration packs for every person in our family. Each person carries their own water when we hike or explore. Yes we use them in cities, zoos, museums and often carry our picnic in them. Staying hydrated is important and with three kids we need a constant supply of snacks too. Sometimes we just bring one adult pack to hold water, food and camera gear. Other times we all carry a pack and we spread the weight out. Whether you get one pack or a pack for every family member, we highly recommend hydration packs.

Andersen Hitch, Weight Distribution, and Traveler Gear

When we initially decided to use a Nissan Armada to tow our trailer, we knew that tongue weight would be a limiting factor. We were ok with the weight the trailer would put on the tongue, but most the anti-sway setups were around 140 lbs! Then we stumbled onto the Andersen which weighs in at 60 lbs. After using it for almost two years, 42,000 miles and in 42 states, we know it works great. People come over and ask us what it is because we can hitch up and unhook so fast. Plus it is quieter than other weight distribution setups we have heard coming into camp. The levelers work really good too and a great friend even mentioned that he had level envy when seeing them in action. We highly recommend Andersen products.

Running Around with the Kids has Never Been This Fun!

We have met some great people on our travels. One of our fellow nomads had a set of laser tag guns and we fell in love with them. Every evening they would get them out and we had a blast running around till darkness fell. I was dying to get a set for us, but it wasn't until Christmas that we got some. An angel sent us a set and we have enjoyed regular games of laser tag. It gets everyone running till they are out of breath, which is really good for a body. The best part is sharing it with other families we meet on the road. After six months of regular use, we are happy with the quality of the toys and with how long the batteries last. We recently got together with another family who had a different brand of laser tag than we have and the two different sets still worked together!

Water Is Essential

One of the things we require no matter where we are camping is water. Although most of the time our campsite has a water hook up, sometimes we stay places with only a community spigot. That is when my trusty six gallon containers come in handy. Sure we stop off and fill the fresh water tanks before setting up came, but who wants to break camp to get more water? Yeah hauling water isn't ideal. It is worth it to stay a few more days in a National Park or other off the beaten path camp. Even when we have water hook ups, getting the right pressure to the trailer is important. That is why we always use a pressure regulator and we carry two 25' sections of drinking hose. The Y adapter comes in handy when we are staying with friends and family. When we hook into their water, I don't want to have to unhook when they want to water the garden.

Gather Round the Fire Everyone

We knew that we would be sitting around the campfire on a regular basis, so getting good camping chairs was a big must for us. Although we have several different brands and styles of camp chairs, the one that is voted the best by everyone of us is the Timber Ridge Directors chair. It has a neat side table that is perfect for setting the ingredients for Smores. Plus it is comfortable and easy to set up. We only have two of the Timber Ridge Chairs and those are the ones that always get pulled out and used. Of course since we have three kids, we also have three kids chairs. And along the way we picked up three beach chairs, so even when we have company there are plenty of chairs to go around. The memories made in our chairs are priceless and they have been worth every penny!

RV Travel Map of the United States

What grand adventure would be complete without a map? We got our early on and have had so much fun filling it out. Different people use a variety of ways to pick when to put up a state on their map. Since we are taking the kids to every single state capitol we decided to only put ours up after we visit the capitol building. So even though we have been in 41 states, we only have 36 up as I am writing this. The other thing we don't put up till we see in person is the Great Lakes, but hey if you have a map it's yours and can fill it in however you like.

Air Compressor and Battery Starter

We went back and forth between getting a generator or going solar. Either would cost some serious money, add setup time and weight, not to mention taking up space. We need a way to charge our devices when not hooked up to power. I have an air compressor back in storage, but it didn't make the cut and I don't regret it because it would have been too heavy. Problem is I have to fill the tires regularly on both the car and our trailer. These were two problems that I debated as we traveled from Ohio to Washington and then California to Texas. The worst was when we visited Joshua Tree National Park.  After a few days of dry camping the battery died on our camera with no way to charge it. Of course that was when a rare photo opportunity presented itself in the form of a Great Horned Owl perching right above our camp! Well I  was set to just buy a generator and then just keep filling the tires at gas stations (even though this can be quite difficult with a travel trailer) when I stumbled onto a battery jumper/air compressor that could charge my electronics and inflate our tires! Both problems solved with one machine and the thing weighs less than 20 pounds! I hope I never have to use the battery jumper or the work light on it, but in an emergency I could see them coming in handy. I am just happy to be able to easily fill our tires and when we are dry camping I will be able to charge our camera!

PowerStation PSX-3 18Ah Jumpstarter with Air Compressor and DC Outlet and USB Port - New Model 2013
I have the PSX1004, but I think that is the old model and this is the only one available now.

Slide Support Stabilizer Jacks

We didn't buy these until we had been on the road for a little under a year, but I wish we would have bought these right away! They are worth every penny if you have a super slide. Due to the size of the slides, the weight of the slide can cause the under flooring to get damaged. Eventually the floor will get soft spots and a major issue will develop. Beside saving the floor, these things are great for reducing trailer movement at camp and make the place feel more like a stationary home. Just make sure you pack them up before pulling in the slide.

Mini Dish Drainer and Drying Mat

Our trailer doesn't have a dish washer, so we hand wash everything. Having a good place to set the dishes to dry is important. We like the little Camco one because it fits in our sink on travel days. The drying mats are awesome and we just clip them up to dry out occasionally. These are important items for us because doing the dishes occurs twice a day and it should be as easy as possible.

Walkie Talkies

We have used our Cobra Walkie Talkies for years and they get the job done. There is no way we could have backed up into some of the camps we loved without a pair of good walkie talkies. They are very inexpensive these days and are worth every penny. Believe me they will save you time and trouble.

Vacuum Cleaner

Even though we ditched the 2300 sq. ft. of floors to clean, we still need something for our trailer. Our Dirt Devil Vibe has done the job for over a year and fits in a corner nicely. Some camps it has worked overtime and it still runs. Get yourself a light weight cleaning device because you will need one.

Travel Entertainment

Screen time is limited for our kids, so finding other ways to keep them entertained in the car is tricky. Luckily for us there are so many ways to occupy them and we just change it up regularly. After all, the license plate game is only good for a year or so before it gets a little old.

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Camping Toilet

Ok our travel trailer came with one, but sometimes things break or your setup might not have one. We have found a great resource to help you figure out which one will work best for you. Check it out at https://www.bestcampingtoilet.com/