Currently producing over 800W of solar with the help of a tiny new 500W panel I’m testing from Bluetti, alongside 420W of rooftop Victron panels.

Ready 🏂

Gemini and ChatGPT have transformed #vanlife for us. These omniscient travel advisers allow us to spend less time planning and more time experiencing.

An absurdly beautiful way to wake up. #vanlife

I'm on day 44 of my European roadtrip. Here's a #vanlife video I did for work. www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMgy...

Last 24 hours of #vanlife in Croatia

Finally getting some kitesurfing in at this magical off-season spot in Viganj, Croatia

Behind the scenes #vanlife feature video shot in Croatia for @theverge.com

Testing out TCL's PlayCube projector in Croatia.

Hank doesn't care about optimizing solar input. #vanlife

Story coming up about how I power my van with all-in-one solar generators (aka, power stations) instead of a bespoke Victron Energy solution.

Like many #vanlifers, I just lost the free pause feature on my Startlink Mini Roam subscription. It's now $5/€5 per month for zero added value for a dish I don't use six months of the year. Feels like a clear bait and switch, to me, given the "pay as you go" promise.

Can't wait to have an Elon Musk alternative for #vanlife space internet. Still unclear what the schedule is for Europe or the US, and we don't have pricing or terminal specs anywhere. www.theverge.com/news/718816/...

I had mixed feelings about this BougeRV CRD2 fridge / freezer combo for #vanlife. It does all the stuff it needs to but there's an alarming inattention to detail.

A battery-powered Starlink Mini! Why doesn't SpaceX offer this? My review:

The enshitification of Instagram continues with these unskippable "Ad breaks" with countdown timers.

A bit too big for my Sprinter #vanlife adventures but my god is it impressive for a portable. My review:

Upcoming review

A tree, giver of life and enemy to solar panels, got aggressive with my van recently, shattering a panel and leaving a scar. #vanlife

Took a pre-production VanMoof S6 for a spin yesterday. All my issues with their previous e-bikes have been addressed, especially the automatic shifter. I'll also be doing a long-term review to see if claims of improved serviceability and longevity are true.

In additional to a 30A Anderson output for RV integration, I like Anker's gas generator passthrough feature and bidirectional inlet box for home backup: spend less on a smaller battery array that can be charged during a blackout while simultaneously powering critical devices inside the home.

Prior to this #vanlife review I was planning to install a permanent shower cabin in my Sprinter for about 10x the price. No more.

Behind the scenes: photoshoot for upcoming review.

My father left behind a typewritten memoir that I’ve returned to again and again since his passing so many years ago. Oh, how I wish there was a hand-written version instead of an impersonal Microsoft Word file.

They bring us to the precipice of being able to upload a 3D foot scan for made-to-order shoes printed exactly to our specifications, and I’m here for it.

Pope Low Earth Orbit.

“for anyone that needs to occasionally heat or cool small spaces in temperate climates, especially if they’re located off the grid.”

In for review: Adidas Climacool, a 100% 3D printed shoe that anyone can buy

The upside down.

I’ll be reviewing both: any questions?

It's an uphill king but a downhill menace. Tested it over 5km of walking up and down 5 and 10 percent grades with loads over 100kg.

o.0 "The world’s first purpose built mountain bike specific camper" escapod.us/trailers/top...

My own Freitag messenger bag has lasted 20 years. I expect the same from the new Henry model. Bonus pic of Hank.

FREITAG bag review coming this weekend on @theverge.com

Starlink Mini already transformed #vanlife for myself and others — can't wait to try Amazon's service launching this year.

“Personally, I go through about 1.6kWh per day when traveling in my modified Sprinter van.”

I didn’t expect to like it this much. A camplight for more than #vanlife

Home for a bit but still buzzing about this #vanlife stopover at Kaysersberg in the Alsace region of France.

This 360-degree wireless video surveillance solution for #vanlife made me feel safer and recorded furry nocturnal visitors. www.theverge.com/reviews/6361...

Hated leaving this place #vanlife

Some recent #vanlife and @theverge.com review pics from Switzerland.

Been testing this in Switzerland. Can you love and hate something equally?

“As someone who divides his time as a vanlifer and city dweller I’m smitten by Brompton’s electric G bike.” #vanlife www.theverge.com/reviews/6266...

Brompton says its new Electric G is “the most versatile bike in the world” — that deserves a test. Review coming. #vanlife

My water filtration kit for good times and the very bad

Upcoming review: So, I got to thinking: why not augment my emergency fresh water stores with a filtration and purification kit that can adapt to all the water sources around me. And since I’m a budding vanlifer, let’s make it portable so I can also use it whenever I head off the grid…

No finer journaling kit for adventures than the Traveler’s Notebook and Pilot V7 pen.

Never subscribed so fast. Charles Liu takes a cinematic approach to vanlife storytelling. Just one example: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKNG...

Perovskite solar cells are starting to appear in products with "30 percent better performance than crystalline silicon solar cells in bright light, and double the efficiency in low light." Sidenote: those shadows are wrong www.theverge.com/2025/1/6/243...

Guess which trip in my 2024 Google Timeline wasn't by van.