Resources

A carefully curated selection of gear may be the difference between whether a journey is memorable for the right reasons or the wrong reasons. My approach to gear is to invest in those things that provide the most value or utility – and hopefully serve more than one function.

Some of the resources in this section may be affiliate links in which case I may earn a commission for the referral. I only recommend products or resources that I believe to be valuable and helpful.

Recommended Gear

Electric

• Bluetti EB70S Portable Power Station
• Bluetti EB3A Portable Power Station

Safety

• ACR ResQLink 400 Personal Locator Beacon
• Spot GEN3 – GPS satellite messenger to provide location updates or call for help when you don’t have a cell signal

Vehicle

• HeatShield – Window shades that are made to fit your vehicle
• Auto Ventshade – AVS side window rain deflectors

Navigation

• Garmin GPS – Satellite GPS navigation for those times when you don’t have a cell signal
• Benchmark Road & Recreation Atlas – Detailed paper maps for exploring the backcountry

Apps & Websites

Campsites

• Campendium – Free and inexpensive campsite directory. Available for iOS.
• iOverlander – Apps for iOS and Android with a focus on free, primitive campsites.
• Allstays Camp & Tent – Campsite directory from AllStays. Available for iOS.
• Allstays Truck & Travel – Directory of truck stops and travel plazas for overnight stops. Available for iOS.
• Park Advisor – Directory of RV parks and campgrounds. Available for iOS and Android.

Travel & Trip Planning

• US Public Lands – Interactive public lands maps from Two Steps Beyond. Available for iOS and Android.
• Avenza Maps – Interactive, downloadable maps to help you know exactly where you are traveling or camping. Available for iOS and Android.
• CoPilot GPS – GPS navigation for your iOS or Android device that works even when you do not have a cell signal. Download maps in advance and use the GPS features in your smartphone or tablet to reliably navigate wherever you travel.
• Google Maps – Perhaps the best known map application, Google Maps is our most-trusted and most-used navigation app. Google Maps is available in a browser as well as an app for iOS or Android.
• Coverage? – Cell coverage maps from Two Steps Beyond. Available for iOS and Android.
• GasBuddy – Never pay too much for gas again. Available for iOS and Android.
• Speedtest - This app by Ookla allows you to quickly test the data speeds of your cellular network. Avaialable for iOS and Android as well as on the web.

Phone & Internet

• Mobile Internet Resource Center – This comprehensive site by Cherie Ve Ard and Chris Dunphy of Technomadia provides top-quality information on cell/data plans as well as devices from hotspots to boosters. This is my go-to site for accurate and reliable information on all things related to cell/data plans and related devices. Mobile Internet Resource Center is a membership site, but there is a lot of free content available. It is probably worth joining though if you are concerned with the most up-to-date and advanced information.