Hey Reader!

As we journey north through the Sea of Cortez to haul our boat out at the boatyard, I'm starting to think about summer van life adventures.

I'm looking forward to easy access to hiking, jogging, and mountain biking, things that are harder to achieve with sailboat life.

By the way, if you don't have a van yet, I HIGHLY recommend renting one before buying.

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Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming. Here are the 5 van life essentials that I absolutely need:

​Portable Bidet​

This may sound weird to you, but trust me, this is the Best. Thing. Ever. Even if you don't have time for a full shower, you can still keep certain areas clean, anywhere. We have one of these on our sailboat and one in our campervan. Beats using a wet wipe every time!

​Starlink Mini​

We've been using our Starlink Mini for almost a year now, and it sure beats the huge old Gen 2 hog we used to have. The Mini is super easy to pack, doesn't require a stand, and doesn't do all that moving and turning the older Starlinks did. Since we spend so much time off-grid, where I need high-speed internet, this is vital for us.

​Electric Kettle with Melitta Pourover​

I'm totally obsessed with coffee. I hand-grind all my beans and do pourovers every day. Luckily, we have a powerful enough battery bank that I can use an electric kettle like this one. I also love Melitta pourovers - super easy and afforable. (Tip: Get coffee at Costco if you can. It's WAY cheaper than grocery stores).

​Pressure Cooker​

I use our pressure cooker every day, whether its for oatmeal in the morning or cooking soups, beans, lentils, etc. We often just use it as a regular pot without turning on the pressure function. I love that it has multiple purposes. This is one of TWO pots we carry around, nothing more.

​Turkish Towels​

If you're into microfiber towels now, you'll be even MORE into Turkish towels. They dry just as quickly as microfiber but feel way better on the skin and are way better for soaking up water. These are made out of very light cotton and I'm obsessed with them for van life and sailboat living.

What are some of YOUR favorite items? Let's learn from each other!

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P.S. I've been REALLY into learning how to better use my credit card points for travel. I've been doing it all wrong for so many years! If you're into traveling on points, I highly suggest you subscribe to The Daily Drop newsletter. It's totally free and they send out tips every day. I love it!