I read again and again on other blogs of digital nomads that you should not take so much with you, because you can buy everything on the road. Unfortunately, I can't confirm that from my own painful experience. Quite the opposite. And even worse, you can't even assume that you can get things fixed on the road. Or it takes several weeks, and so long we do not want to stay in any place.

One of our MacBooks had problems with the screen in Bilbao. I'm not talking about a beach on a desert island here, but a major Spanish city with 345,000 inhabitants. The local Apple Store would have been happy to help us, but they don't have a repair service. They would have sent the MacBook to Barcelona. It would have taken at least 2 weeks. Maybe 3. That was not an option for us. So we bought a new one. Have you ever had a notebook with a Spanish keyboard? I'm telling you, it's not funny. 

Have things sent is also not as easy as you think. We have often met people who actually also like to stand wild & free, and then waited for weeks on a campsite for a package. 

Light

The large topic of light is divided into the following areas for us:

Exterior lighting Bulli

On this topic you will find here more about our Lazer Lamps: LED auxiliary headlights LAZER - ST-4 Evo for the front grill of the VW T6.1 

Interior lighting Bulli

We are well provided for, because our SpaceCamper really has a perfect LED lighting package incl 4 gooseneck reading lamps and LEDs on the roof frame. But we still wanted to have a small Tolomeo on board for nostalgic reasons. We had some Artemide lamps in our Cologne apartment, and did not want to do without them in the van. Now we have a small Artemide Tolomeo Micro Faretto with switch on board with an LED bulb. 

So that this does not fall over on the way, we have attached it with self-adhesive magnets and a magnetic plate for smoke detectors. Simple, for little money, without drilling and holds super! 

We have chosen round and white. And will soon get a small, white in addition. Because ours is unfortunately badly bent, probably it has once been on the bed and a butt has sat on it. But it still works.

Would you also like to have a Nuindie? Just send us an email to contact@planbwagen.de with your address and which Nuindie it should be:

• NUINDIE: 38cm high and available in 11 colors: cool black, chic white, sunny yellow, classic anthracite, fresh pink, vibrant green, stylish red, royal blue for 80 € - and in royal gold, shiny silver and bronze matt for 95 €.
• NUINDIE Mini: 25 cm high - 6 colors: Bronze, gold, silver for 105 €, white, gray and red for 95 €.
• NUINDIE angular: 37 cm high - 3 colors: White, anthracite and black for 85 €

Flashlights

Zweibrüder Ledlenser S: For only just quickly is always this small flashlight in our cigarette lighter, probably a woman thing. Big advantage: It is always charged. 

For everything else, or rather for all cases, we have a Zweibrüder Ledlenser X21R on board. Lies with a little over 3kg well in the hand.

The headlamp is always handy when you want to have your hands free. Also works very well on the arm when cycling.

I find it a great convenience not to have to buy a ferry ticket, but simply drive to the ferry without a ticket and check in automatically via the Telepass lane. Have we experienced so at the ferry between Sicily Messina and San Giovanni. We liked it very much.

Conveniently, billing takes place once a month. It is simply debited via paypal. The whole costs 1.70 € per month driven, but 0, - € in the months in which we do not use the badge. I find fair! Because for us is now...

"I'd rather be with a snake in a car than a car in a snake".

Electronic devices - alphabetical checklist

If you look at our packing list of electronic devices, it quickly becomes clear why we need so much energy.
For the sake of clarity, we have sorted them alphabetically.

Cordless impact drill

Opinions are certainly divided on whether you really need a drill in a van. But in addition to its classic function, this one also serves us as a motor for a Gardena drilling machine hose pump. We didn't really trust the various 12 V submersible pumps. What we use them for, you can find in our contribution to the Water Packing List: Drinking, Showering & DIY Solutions.

Projector & Screen

Our motto is and remains, rather Sunset than Netflix. Especially since Netflix is a challenge for longer tours outside of Germany, due to the data volume. Yes, we have a data flat rate. But most of these so-called flat rates are limited abroad. With our contract, this is 40GB. Sounds like a lot, but it's not. From time to time it comes over us. Then, of course, it's nice to be able to experience the cinema experience as such.

This is made possible by our mini home cinema projector PHILIPS PicoPix Max PPX620

This recommendation applies only to those who are on tour for a longer period of time. Otherwise, a beer or wine and then sunset. Back to the projector, this projects in Full HD with 1080 and 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. For me, the following combination was decisive: Brightness 800 Ansi-Lumen | Lamp life 30,000 hours | Light source LED and automatic keystone correction | Contrast ratio 10,000:1 | Airplay

And for those who do not want to do without Netflix, the streaming app is already preinstalled.

Box

Bose Soundlink: Small portable box for listening to music, connects via bluetooth. If you do not feel like playing guitar around the campfire. Although a bit older, but the newer have a larger pack size. And the sound is great!

Drone dji Mavic Air 2

If you've been following our blog for a while, you know this isn't our first drone on board. Our first, a dji Phantom 2 I have already disassembled at home in the front yard. No. 2 should have accompanied us on our tour around the Iberian Peninsula. But on the 63rd day she threw herself down the cliff in Portugal. It was surely suicide.

Conclusion: There are many aspects that speak for our new dji Mavic Air 2, extremely high resolution, since 1/2-inch image sensor, 48 megapixel photos | 4K videos at 60 fps | Over 30 minutes flight time...

But for me, two other factors were and are much more decisive. It has a significantly improved obstacle detection and, more importantly, it is damn stable. It has survived two other crashes. Because yes, I even manage to outsmart the APAS 3.0 obstacle avoidance.

Do you even need a drone on board? Although the legal rules are becoming more and more restrictive, there are simply moments that you want to capture for yourself or others. Moments that no other camera can capture. Therefore, for us a fixed component of the packing list.

If you decide to buy the Mavic Air 2S, I can only recommend the Fly More Combo. Here are already included bag, 3-fold charger, 3 batteries, additional propellers and filters. Under the link you will also find the different varieties.

Tip: We also once thought about the Mavic Mini. However, this is soo small that you can hardly see it in the sky. 

Epilator

Braun Silk Epil - woman wants to be well-groomed on the road. I have no cosmetics with me on tour, not even mascara, but I indulge myself. 

dji pocket 

Small and handy. The gimbal stabilizes when you are in motion. Quasi the predecessor of the Insta 360 One X2.

E-Reader 

Even though we like to have a real book in our hands, the Kindle is simply practical on the road. For us, the following factors were decisive: Small and light, always an argument on the bus. Waterproof, so also suitable for the beach. The integrated light turns out to be more important on the road than you think: You can still read something when your partner is already asleep. 

external hard disk

Better safe than sorry. Especially when the amount of videos once again exceeds the size of the MacBook. 

Radios

We would not have believed at first that you really need these things. But for off-road driving really very useful. Or when the phone is in use elsewhere, e.g. for flying a drone. 

GoPro MAX

For Torgit, it's just off-road driving fun stuff. For me, it's toy stuff de luxe. 😉
Yes, I confess, new gadgets excite me. We have the GoPro MAX on board, alternatively a waterproof 360° camera or a classic GoPro. What I think needs improvement, however, is the editing program. This is not included with the GoPro MAX. For GoPro fans, this is certainly a must-have. But we will switch to the Insta360 One X2.

Hair clippers

If there is no hairdresser or barber nearby, or they are closed for some reason. 

Insta360 ONE X2

This camera can also take 360° pictures as well as wide-angle shots. However, the topic of AI image processing seems to reach a new level here. We will see what it is capable of.

iPad & Pencil

We use quite little. Actually only for signatures.

Camera & Memory Card & Tripods

Sony RX100 VII | Small, compact, fast, accurate & versatile. The Sony CyberShot is our camera for everything that is not snapped or filmed with the iPhone. The high image quality, the very high continuous shooting speed with the very fast and versatile autofocus justify the price: Premium Bridge Camera (1.0-type sensor, 24-200mm F2.8-4.5 Zeiss lens, eye-tracking autofocus for humans and animals, 4K movie recording and tilting display). 

For the fast camera, you also need a particularly fast memory card.

Headphones

Bose QuietComfort Noise-canceling earbuds for Torgit and the Apple AirPods Pro for Marc. Wtorgit wants to hear the same thing or just have some peace and quiet. We used to love it in the sauna.

Chargers and charging cables

We have several USB C sockets in the SpaceCamper and no longer want to miss them. For this we need the following cables:

Charging cable USB C fast charging cable for iPad Pro 2020 and MacBook Pro

USB C Lightning Cable for iPhone

USB C to Micro USB B connection cable

To speed things up, we also have two Dell 450-afle car charging cables on board. This provides 65 W adapter to a USB C cable via the car socket. Note: Only suitable for devices that like such a high charge. For example, our MacBook Pro. 

MacBooks & Protective Cover

Marc uses a MacBook Pro (15 inch, 2019), 2.3 GHz Intel processor, 500 GB hard drive and 16 GB memory. Something solid. However, it is already two years old and thus stone-age. We have linked the current version for you. 

Anyone who takes a look at the MacBook Air will quickly realize that this is a damn good alternative. Torgit finds the small one more handy. The new model is also linked here.

On the road, everything is more stressed than at home. After a MacBook broke on our first tour, we looked around for a stable protection. The solution Urban Armor Gear (UAG) protective cover. The durable outer material meets the drop test standard of the US military. What is suitable for the military should also protect my MacBook. In addition to the outer shell, there are shock-absorbing pads and shock-resistant rubber edges. There's really nothing more that can happen. And the weight of only 400g is of course also important in a van, camper, van & Co. Of course, there are cheaper models, but this one has convinced us in terms of fit and design.

Smartphones 

We come out of the closet. Yes, we are Apple fans. We are well aware that this does not always have to do with rationality. Apple's service is mediocre. You notice this at the latest when you want to have a backup done in the service department. Yes, I know Timemachine. But installing a device with it is not as easy as some people think. 

Nevertheless, the devices are top-notch. That is why we can expect a new iPhone 12 Pro Max on our next visit to Germany. This one is alternatively available with 128 | 256 | 512 GB. Despite the fact that the 6.7″ Super Retina is also supposed to be super hard, mine again gets both a protective case and a protective film. Know me 😳

Why the Pro? First, I like something bigger in my hand and second, the camera. I am especially curious about the night mode. Supposedly, the camera takes better pictures than ever in extremely low light. Let's be surprised. The iPhone is never cheap. But who wants that?

Vacuum cleaner 

Dyson V7 - You don't treat yourself to anything else - Of course, you can discuss whether a hand brush isn't enough. But I already loved our Dyson in Cologne. That's why the little one had to come along on tour.

Sockets

We no longer charge much over 230V, actually only the Cooler box, the Dyson and the toothbrushes. For this we have a 3-way power strip 2 m cable - and very important: The super extra-flat plug. A normal thick plug would not have fit with us.

Fan

Who does not know it: Summer, sun, sunshine - and in the van, camper, & Co. it is simply much too warm. Remedy is this small fan. With only 200g a true lightweight, it can be attached anywhere with its 3 gorilla legs. Simply charge via USB and you can choose from 3 speed levels. In addition, there is LED light, also in 3 levels. This makes it the perfect gagdet for every camper.

Toothbrush

We use electric toothbrushes. And we allow ourselves the luxury of each having our own. Yes, you read that right: We have 2 identical electric toothbrushes on board.

Note: Our packing list contains our personal product recommendations with so-called affiliate links. Don't worry: Nothing will change for you. The products will not become more expensive. If you buy something through one of these links, we get a small commission. It doesn't matter if you buy exactly the linked item or something else. In 2020, we have earned € 29.87 😉 Maybe we will still be rich. Since we live on our savings, you support our planBwagen and we can take you even longer on the road. Thanks a million!