Favorite must-Haves

I know. You've heard me preach about making due with what you have. Well there were plenty of things we did still need that we didn't already have. The point is that you don't need to buy out REI or Bass Pro Shops to have a good time. But there were definitely some things that were well worth the investment.

Brooke's List:

1. Mr. Heater- Little Buddy

Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B Little Buddy 3800-BTU Indoor Safe Propane Heater, Medium

The beginning of this summer was COLD! We hit a chunk of cloudy, rainy, windy days and without this little gem Scot would have had a very unhappy Brooke on his hands. Our nightly routine would include opening up our rooftop tent and me climbing in with this guy (I called him the heater buddy) and letting his sweet sweet heat fill the tent until I was nice and toasty warm. The heater attaches to a little propane bottle and is safe for indoor use. We used the same $6 bottle of propane all summer. I will keep this little guy close to my heart always!

2. Old School Hot Water Bottle

Hot Water Bottle mixigoo Hot-Water Bottle 2Liter Red Hot Water Bottle Hot Water Bag with Cover Large Hot and Cold Hot Water Bottle Bottles Rubber for Pain Relief Hot Compress and Heat Therapy

Are you sensing a theme here? Sometimes I ask myself "Why did you move to Alaska?". Being warm enough is a real issue for me. If you get cold- it takes me a really long time to warm up. In my normal not traveling life I take a hot shower right before bed EVERY sing night. Not having that was a big adjustment for me. I would get initially warm with the Mr. Heater Little Buddy but while the rooftop tent was really comfortable- it was still a tent so wouldn't retain the heat all night long. With one of these hot water bottles we'd heat some water on our little Coleman stove, put it under the covers and it would stay warm all night long. I first used one during one of my trips to Africa. The camp ladies would heat water over the fire and deliver them to our rooms. I thought I had just discovered the newest best thing. And then came home and learned they have been around forever. I would totally recommend one of the covers because against my skin it would get too hot but the cover let me snuggle up right next to it all night long.

3. ExOfficio Travel Underwear

ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Hipkini

I first bought a pair of these for my first trip to Africa. I knew I wasn't going to have the same modern conveniences like washing machines as I do at home. I read great reviews and gave them a try and loved them. They advertise as quick drying, breathable comfort, odor preventing, and fit for adventure. I'd say all of that was pretty accurate. I didn't have to invest in these for this trip because their quality was great! I own two pair and had a few pairs of my normal every day underwear. But these were definitely much lower maintenance when I was washing them in a river and drying them in bushes. They were the easiest to clean and the first to dry. By a lot. See- I do like other things besides heat sources...

4. MPOWERD Luci Inflatable Solar Lantern

MPOWERD Luci Lux - Inflatable Solar Light, Matte Finish

We didn't use this as much as we would have had we not been summer in the "land of the midnight sun". We really didn't live by any schedule at all though and headed to bed in the middle of the night. And inside the rooftop tent it still did get dark enough to need light. We also had a couple of "inside" days where it was rainy and gross outside and we just hibernated. This little guy was really cool because we just had to deflate it and it could stay right inside the tent when we folded it up. And solar charge? Perfect. Plenty of sun in Alaska in the summer.

5. Rumple Puffy Throw

Rumpl High Performance Indoor/Outdoor Blanket

This was probably my only impulse buy of the summer. We were in Fairbanks and I was having some sort of strange achy, hurt to walk foot issue. I was probably the most pathetic version of myself and I decided this is what was going to make me feel better. I was almost sure I was going to think it was a stupid idea by the morning. But I was grumpy and current Brooke didn't care about what future Brooke though. Turns out future Brooke loved it. It was an extra layer in the tent each night, I cuddled with it by the campfire, and nestled it in the hammock. Thank you past Brooke.

Scot's List

1. GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip

GSI Outdoors 79480 Collapsible Java Drip Coffee Maker

Coffee. I'm pretty sure if I had to describe Scot in 10 words something about coffee would be mentioned. In our just over 2 years together I don't think I have ever seen him miss a day without coffee. If it was the best an most efficient then we probably had it this summer. I will say this little pour over was really hand to.... watch. It literally does everything a real drip coffee maker does right over top of the mug you are using. It folds up in it's tiny case and is really convenient.

2. MSR PocketRocket 2

MSR PocketRocket 2 Ultralight Backpacking, Camping, and Travel Stove

This little guy was probably used to boil water for Scot's coffee  about 90% of the time and then a handful of times to boil water for my hot water bottle. For our big cooking purposes we used a Coleman stove. A super old school made in the 60's and still works perfectly stove. While it was old reliable it did take a while to get it up and running and then however long it takes water to bowl. This MSR PocketRocket 2 was perfect for a quick cup of coffee and boiled water in minutes. We use this little guy when we are backpacking and making Mountain House meals. It's small and really easy to use. The image of Scot getting up and pumping the Coleman stove and waiting for his water to boil over it is kind of amusing however. I think our mornings would have been much more colorful...

3. Fire Starter

Duraflame Quickstart Firelighter

So this was equally on both of our lists. I added it to Scot's so everyone didn't think I was a cold freak who obsessed over warmth and fire... Before we left for the summer Scot had a bag of tricks up his sleeve for starting fires. We'd camp for a couple of days on ideal weather conditions and make a few fires and life was good. I can't think of a camping day this summer we didn't have a fire. In fact we should have had a campfire count... Our firewood wasn't that cute little bundle that you purchase at the entrance to the state park or campground. We scavenged our wood from fallen branches and driftwood. Every single fire. We had fire in the wind, we had fire in the rain... We first bought it as a "just in case" and then decided they were magic and made our lives so much easier.