Gotta Have It, Winter 2021 Edition
Original article posted on leisurevans.com
Editor’s Note: Bill and Denise Semion are sponsored members of LTV’s content team, The Leisure Explorers. Do you own a Leisure Travel Van and enjoy writing? Learn more about joining the team.
Ok, boys and girls, here’s my roundup of things you’ve just gotta have, or maybe want to have, for your LTV. I usually publish these once yearly (see my roundups for 2018 and 2019), but there are so many now that I may be doing this twice annually.
Many of the items listed are pretty common sense. Some I’ve tried, and some just look cool enough to warrant laying your credit card on ’em. Here we go:
Satellite GPS Communicator
Like to wander while you Wonder? So that meandering won’t get you in trouble, here are a couple of compact items that link up to satellites, so you’ll never be without a cell signal.
The Spot X 2-Way Satellite Messenger is a Blackberry-sized device that will connect your smartphone to email, message someone, send an S.O.S. if needed, and more. Cost is about $250.
The more compact Spot Gen4 Satellite GPS Messenger can send a pre-programmed message to friends or family, and can also send your GPS position to first responders, for about $150. Or, dial back expenses and have your own anti-RV-theft device with the $99 Spot Trace. It will send a message to you if it senses movement of your vehicle.
Where to Buy: Saved by Spot or at store locations including REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and others
Easy Ridin’
A recent federal order now makes it okay to pilot an e-bike on guided cycling tours within national parks, giving us more of an incentive to join the battery-assist bicycling crowd. While we still prefer the exercise from pedaling ourselves – our latest being a 25-plus-mile trip on the bike trails in Grand Teton National Park – the popularity of e-bikes is continuing to rise, and the group Escape Adventures will lead you on some pretty unforgettable two-wheeled journeys for folks of all abilities.
Options include multi-day mountain bike pedal treks through Canyonlands National Park, road biking through Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks, and even biking through Napa Valley wine country while staying at inns and resorts.
Where to Learn More: Escape Adventures
Ok, I’ll Bite
Here’s an alternative to sending that empty toothpaste tube to join an estimated one billion others that get tossed in landfills each year. Bite is a new toothpaste tablet, a promising zero-waste brushing experience. Bites are stored in glass bottles, and refills come in compostable envelopes. Instead of fluoride, it uses nHAP, which, according to research, provides protection that’s comparable to fluoride. Bite also offers plastic-free floss. The products are a bit pricier – a one month supply is about $20 – but you’re no longer filling landfills as you travel. There also are other brands available at places like Amazon, some without any nHAP or other decay preventer, so compare and contrast to your heart’s content.
Where to Buy: Bite
Charge Up
Here’s a neat take on all those lithium gadget batteries, each needing a charging station. So neat you wonder what took someone so long to do this. Pale Blue Earth batteries need no charger.
Each AAA, 9V, AA, D, and soon C battery contains its own mini-USB outlet and multi-plug charge cord. Simply plug it in to any USB, including vehicles, and charge three at once per cord. How cool is that? The sellers promise they charge full in about two hours and save space in your RV without those chargers. I think I have three and can now leave them home. Each packet comes with a charging cord.
Where to Buy: Pale Blue Earth AA batteries are $30 for four.