A Few of My Favorite Things
- Rachel
- 12 hours ago
- 6 min read
The things I still pack after two summers in my Dawn
This is the second summer with the Dawn, and it feels different than the first. Last year, everything was new: the Dawn still had that showroom smell, and half of what I packed came home untouched, unused, still in its wrapper. This year, the learning curve has flattened out. Penny knows the routine before I do. Luna is catching up fast. And the list of things I actually reach for, the stuff that has earned a permanent spot in the Dawn, has gotten shorter and a lot more specific.
So here it is. Not aspirational gear. Not what looks good in a flat lay. (Except my gold Taylor Swift heart hands. Those earn their spot in this rig, no explanation needed and no questions taken.) What has made my life easier, and what I would replace immediately if it broke. Organization deserves its own post entirely, bins, hooks, pouches, the whole system, so that one is coming separately. This is everything else.
There is another thread running under all of this too. I have been thinking more seriously about rooftop solar for the Dawn, and more power only helps if I am not adding weight I have not accounted for. So this list is not just what stays. It is the start of an honest inventory, the first real look at what is actually in this rig and what it weighs, before anything goes on the roof.
Just a heads up:
Affiliate Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through my link, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend gear I personally use and love.
Power and Solar
Figuring out my power situation has been one of my biggest challenges to date. When you boondock for weeks at a time, and work remotely, you need a reliable system. I have added a propane generator to the mix for when the weather really does not cooperate, or when it is so dang hot I need some AC to cool off my hot doggies. But mainly, I am one hundred percent solar.
The BLUETTI Elite 300 and I did not get off to a good start. It took some real troubleshooting before I understood how to actually run it right. But once it clicked, it has been nothing but ease since. It quietly became the thing the whole system runs on now.
The Renogy 400w solar blanket is the opposite kind of good: no drama at all. It is light enough that I do not think twice about pulling it out, and just as easy to fold up and get inside before a storm rolls in, which in Wyoming can happen faster than you would like.
I love my Renogy solar blankets so much, especially now that I know I can connect two together, that I may have just ordered a 200w blanket to fill any gaps I may have.
The Goal Zero Crush Light was a true sleeper that made a world of difference for nighttime lighting. No harsh blue tint, not blindingly bright, just a soft lovely glow. It packs down flat and never seems to need charging when I actually reach for it.
Kitchen
I used to have a real kettle, and finding a place for that sucker to fit was a headache. My collapsible kettle collapses down to almost nothing and is plenty big enough for multiple cups of coffee. It is the version I reach for when the propane is already on.
But when I drove across the country, I relied heavily on a completely different kettle, a collapsible electric one that needs no propane or open flame at all. It solved a real problem last fall, driving east, when I did not want to turn on the propane every single morning just for coffee.
One of the things I love most about this adventure is having to problem solve, finding gear that is lightweight and durable and actually does its job well. That mindset is exactly how I got lured in by the siren song of the Stoke Voltaic electric cook set and kettle, a separate setup entirely that I am still deciding how much space it earns.
The same goes for this set of pots and pans. Easy to clean, easy to store, and none of the warping or sticking I dealt with before.
Dog Gear
Skout's Honor's Dog of the Woods scent shampoo has become the non-negotiable after a muddy hike. Simply put, it has the best smell of anything I have tried. It actually cuts through whatever Penny and Luna have rolled in and does not leave behind that heavy perfume smell that some dog shampoos do.
And a shout out where it is due: Penny and Luna's BarkBox subscription. The toys are genuinely hilarious, squeaky, ridiculous, exactly the kind of thing that gets destroyed within a day and is worth it anyway. The dogs lose their minds over the treats every single time. It has become part of the rhythm, a small monthly reminder, on the road or off, that they are just as much a part of this life as I am.
The newest addition is a Paw.com waterproof blanket, and it might be the most luxe thing either dog owns. Penny and Luna love it, and I love it more, because it is fully waterproof and keeps the wet and mud off the actual bed underneath. Muddy paws, wet fur after a storm, none of it makes it past the blanket.
Muddy Mats solved a problem I did not know I needed solved until I had it: two Weimaraners tracking mud through a space that is supposed to feel like a sanctuary. And honestly, they are not just for the dogs. They catch just as much mud off my own boots. They live by the door now, and they have kept the inside of the Dawn actually clean, humans included.
Comfort and Downtime
The Vevor clamshell tent (12x12) has become our outdoor living room. It goes up faster than anything I have used before, which matters a lot when the sky changes its mind, and it has genuinely become an extension of the living space, not just a shade tent. I just picked up a footprint tarp to go underneath it too, and I am looking forward to trying it out, since keeping the dirt out of a space that functions like a real room matters more the more time we spend in it.
The pouf ottomans are just over the top luxurious, and they make the seating in that tent so much more comfortable. They deflate down for storage and inflate into actual, real lounging in minutes. After a full day outside, that matters more than it should.
And these rechargeable lights give off a soft glow, a nice change from the blaring outdoor lights on the Dawn. Those are great when I think there is a bear out there, but not exactly the vibe when I am just trying to chill by the fire.
Your Turn
This list is mine, built from two summers of trial and error and a few things I would not do again. I know it is not the whole list. So tell me: what have you found that you cannot camp without? What is the one piece of gear that earned its place in your rig the hard way?
Drop it in the comments or send it my way on Instagram or Facebook @thesolwanderer. I read all of it, and the best ones might make it into a future post.
This whole life is a constant evolution. You use what works until you find something that works better, or something smaller, or something that just does not eat up half the room for what it gives you back. You start hunting for gear that pulls double duty, because out here there is no patience left for one trick ponies. The pouf ottomans are the one exception to that rule. They do exactly one thing and nothing else, and they get to stay anyway, no questions asked.
So this list is not a finished answer. It is just where things stand right now. Some of this will get replaced. Some of it already has, twice. And that constant re-evaluating, figuring out what still earns its spot and what quietly needs to go, is the same instinct behind the weight inventory I keep circling back to. Before rooftop solar happens, I want an honest answer to what is actually still working in this rig and what is just taking up space.
Keep Moving.
Rachel
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