Gadgets and Gear we Love

Hey there friends and family!

With over 20,000 miles of road trips under out belt we have learned a thing or two about what three pieces of gear we believe everyone should have to make a successful road trip.

Dometic CFX 35-Liter Portable Refrigerator and Freezer

This is the only thing on this list that is non-negotiable when we travel. I would rather leave everything else home if it meant not having our refrigerator.

When we were interviewed for Subaru Drive Magazine back in 2020 we talked about the refrigerator so much they asked me to send them a picture of it.

We do not make this recommendation lightly. This is an expensive piece of gear that only gets more expensive if you buy the companion Dometic PLB40 Portable Lithium Battery Power Station.

The reason this is our top piece of gear is the time and money savings it provides. We have taken a refrigerator with us all 20,000+ miles of road trips. We load it with snacks, sandwich supplies, drinks, dessert, and leftovers.

We haven’t bought snacks, drinks, or fast food on a road trip in over 5 years. Austin even takes it on work trips to make sure he has cold drinks and healthy food when he stops to workout.

We have easily paid for the refrigerator and battery and then some.

Garmin DriveSmart 65 GPS with Navigation

“Why ANOTHER GPS device? My car has GPS and my phone has GPS.” We have heard this many times, but the Garmin GPS isn’t reliant on a cell phone tower or a car manufacturer updating their system.

Garmin has been at this forever and they are the gold standard in GPS for traveling. We have successfully avoided some gnarly traffic jams thanks to the suggestions from our trusty Garmin.

Austin has confidently traveled out of cell phone range in Utah and Colorado multiple times thanks to this device. You’ll want to buy this Nonslip Beanbag Dashboard Friction Mount and Hard GPS Case for 6-7 Inch Garmin DriveSmart so you can easily use this device in multiple vehicles and safely store it between adventures.

Cliq Portable Camping Chairs and GCI Outdoor Compact Camp Table 20

No matter how many trips we take there is always a moment where we just need a break. Having a table and chair makes any parking lot a rest area. (Especially when you have your own refrigerator!)

Buy one Cliq chair for each person in your family. They are SO SMALL and take up almost no room. I carry two of them in my car at all times. We have used them camping and tailgating, at concerts and tailgates, in our backyard, and countless parking lots and rest stops across the country.

While there are smaller and more rugged tables, like the NEMO Moonlander Table, you can’t beat the size/cost combo of the GCI. While you need one chair per person, you can likely get away with a single small table. (Maybe two if you have 4 people.)

Here are some examples of our set up in use:

Putting it all Together

With a refrigerator, GPS, and a table and chairs the entire world becomes a playground, living room, and dining room. Imagine being able to pull off at a state park, playground, or rest area and know you can get back to the highway, eat cheap and healthy food, and have a clean place to sit and relax.

What do you think? Would you like a refrigerator in your car? What about a table and chairs?

Bonus Items

Here are a few items that come in handy that we always have with us:

Black Diamond Miniwire Rackpack

NRS 1” Heavy Duty Tie Down Strap

Nomadic Original Towel

Coghlan’s Inside/Outside Camping Mat

UCO Utility Spork 3-in-1 Combo

Flexo-Line XL Travel Clothesline

What’s Next…

We are going to be sticking really close to home for the first month or so after the baby is born. We have tentatively scheduled a late summer trip to Asheville as our first road trip as a family of four.

This will be a good chance for us to see what needs tweaking in our planning and gear. Wish us luck!

Until our next adventure,

Austin, Courtney, and Willow