500 Subscribers on YouTube. Genuinely Chuffed.

I can't take all the credit to hitting the 500 mile stone. It's taken 4 years, 219 videos to finally hit the magic 500 subscribers and half of those, if im going to be cynical are going to be bots, but thank you to each and everyone who's subscribed.

Thought Id share a little bit of the kit that I use to make the videos, when I get them edited seemingly on a time line longer than which the universe stretches

Camera - iPhone 16

Not long since I upgraded from the 12 Pro, and honestly there was no pressing reason to. For the content I make, and the content most people make, a phone is plenty. Mine is always with me, ready to shoot in seconds, and with a decent case and stand it just works.

I shoot 4K at 30fps in the standard app. If I'm feeling fancy and want to pretend I understand f-stops, I'll use the Blackmagic Camera app instead.

Sound - Rode Wireless Microphone

The Rode is a touch bulky, has a cable hanging out of it, and the battery gives up in the cold. Still does the job. Sound quality is more than good enough. My only real complaint is the wind guard, which is fiddly to fit and has blown off more times than I care to count.

My Van Life Blog Tip. Sound is MORE important than video. The brain is hard wired to make sense of images but when it comes to sound it's way less tolerant. When you watch videos full of wind sheer noise, mumbled or clothes scratching thats an immediate switch to the next video.

I've since moved to the DJI Mic Mini 2, mainly for the battery life and the size. The bonus is the battery indicator showing up on my action cam, so I know when it's about to die rather than finding out in the edit.

Camera Stand - Joby GorrillaPod

Not cheap, and mine last about a year before something snaps. While they're alive, though, the bendy legs get you close-up shots and let you hang the camera off almost anything.

Editing Software - Davinci Resolve

Free, enormously capable, and there are tutorials for every possible thing you might want to do. Runs beautifully on the Mac. I just wish my editing speed matched.

Laptop - MacBook Air M1

Bought a few weeks after release and still going strong five years later. Genuinely one of the best bits of kit I own. If I forget a charger I've still got most of a day in the battery, even with a service warning telling me it's down to 80% health.

Other stuff I use

Battery Packs - AllPowers R600 and AllPowers s2000 pro

Decent enough packs, and you can read my R600 review and S2000 Pro review for the full picture.

The major downside is the app. There's no way to cap charge and discharge levels, so you're always cycling the battery from full to empty, which does the cell longevity no favours at all. I've had to return the R600 as well — sometimes it simply refuses to switch on.

I also tested their 400W solar panel, which pulled a very respectable 380W on a sunny day right up until it broke. AllPowers still haven't responded to the return request, and I've offered to drive to Preston to swap it myself.

So What Do You Actually Need?

Less than you think. The kit you already own will do. If there's one thing worth buying, it's a microphone — everything else can wait.

10% of AllPowers Solar and Batteries. Code: AVanLifeThing

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