What’s better than a little shopping for nomads to distract us from spiraling into the world’s abyss right now!
In part one of Nomad Shopping, I shared purchases I’ve loved and purchases I’ve ditched over the years. Check it out: Nomad Shopping: Things I love and things I’ve ditched.
After I published that article, I kept coming across items in my van that I love! Now as anyone who knows me can tell you, I’m not big on shopping for shopping’s sake. In fact for many years, I detested shopping.
As a newbie nomad I fell into the trap of investing money in nomad gadgets I didn’t need, so now I don’t spend money on nomad shopping unless I feel my purchase:
- Is useful and not just a fad that everyone has to have.
- Will improve the quality of my nomad life, and
- Brings me ease and comfort.
Nomad life is challenging enough, if I can find reasonable products to make it easier, I’m all for it. I repurpose and use as much as I can, but sometimes you just have to part with a few bucks!
Here are some more of the products I love! (These are all affiliate links, if you click and buy I get a few cents back from Amazon! Click on the underlined links or the pictures to right to Amazon!)
Magnetic Sun Shades For Front Windows
This was a recent purchase, and I absolutely love these things! These sun shades take two seconds to get up or down, and give me privacy plus protection from the sun beating into my van, a must in the bright Southwestern sunshine! Right now I’m sitting in my van writing this, in a busy little park, and I have them up for privacy. At night I leave them up, along with the front windshield screen, to prevent anyone from being able to peer in to my cozy little abode.
Window Screens
I’ve had the same window screens for over three years, and they’ve taken a beating! Although the elastic is starting to wear out, they are still holding up. If it’s buggy with mosquitoes or flies or other creepy crawlies, I can put my front windows down for ventilation but with these beauties be protected from the crawlies.
Storage Units
I’ve gone through so many configurations of storage in my van over the years, and this storage cart has turned out to be my hands down favorite! I used bins for years, but it was such a pain to move them around and dig for the items I needed. These drawers provide storage at my fingertips, and once I had it all organized I could just slide out a drawer without digging though bins!
My food pantry, pots pans and kitchen stuff, miscellaneous items you would find in your kitchen cabinets are all stored here, along with other necessities like first aid kits, glue, tape, extra books, you get the idea. I have a smaller one next to the van bed with hygiene items and other daily necessities. They were easy enough to assemble by myself, and don’t add a ton of weight to the van. Downside: the screws wiggle loose occasionally and it’s a project to tighten up the frame when that happens.
Stunner
I’ve written about safety on the road, and this batton stunner was another recent purchase I’m happy to have invested in. I also have a smaller hand held stunner, and both of them would intimidate any troublemakers.
Coleman Butane Stove
An oldie but goodie! I’ve tried other brands of stoves but they haven’t held up as well as the Coleman so I keep going back to them. I get a lot of use out of my single burner butane stove and it’s my go-to for coffee and smaller one pot meals. I remember my parent’s old Coleman stove, which lasted them a lifetime, but unfortunately they aren’t built like that anymore. The one I have now will be my third, but it’s still the best investment for the money.
Fridge
I started out with this Alpicool model and when I upgraded to a slightly larger fridge this smaller one was still going strong. I sold it to another nomad for a bargain! I used an ice cooler for the first few years I was on the road, and was so happy when I got my solar and was able to upgrade to a real fridge!
Arm Sleeves for Sun Protection
These arm sleeves were a quirky little nomad purchase that turned out to be surprisingly useful! I bought them a few years ago and I’m still finding ways to use them. On my recent drive cross country it was bright sunshine most of the way, which was great until I felt my driver’s side arm starting to get a sunburn! I slipped one of these babies on and problem solved. They also provide a slight layer of insulation for warmth under clothing! I wouldn’t depend on them if you’re spending hours baking in the sun, but they do provide some light coverage, my arm didn’t burn and I was comfortable driving with the sun blazing in on me.
Rain Guards
These rain guards were valuable right from the get go when I became a nomad. If it’s warm weather but raining, I can still have my windows cracked a bit for ventilation and the guards prevent the rain from soaking my front seats. After a few years the glue didn’t hold and I lost one of them driving down the highway, but I’ve only replaced them once in 7 years of nomad life. Downside: If it’s torrential rain you’ll still get raindrops sneaking by them.
So that’s it, unless I come up with another batch of nomad shopping I love or have ditched! Happy trails!
If you’re looking for a good nomad read, filled with practical advice from a seasoned nomad, nomad philosophy, and Life Coaching tips, here’s your next read!
