Here at Battle Born Batteries, our team enjoys seeing the adventures of our brand partners. Helping travelers like Bound for Nowhere’s MAK and Owen get out there and stay out there with our LiFePO4 technology is a feeling we never get tired of!  

Meet MAK and Owen: 

MAK and Owen have been on the road since 2016 with their cat Luna exploring remote places and living the digital nomad life. Their favorite places to visit so far have been Canada, Baja Mexico, and the deserts of the Southwest. Recently their travels have taken them to the areas around Moab and Monument Valley, near the borders of Arizona and Utah.  

When MAK was young, she recalls her parents fondly recounting a trip they took after they graduated college. They explored the country for a few months, getting a taste for all that the country has to offer. “When Owen and I started dating we were always excited by the idea of doing that,” said MAK. “We saved some money, borrowed some hand-me-down camping gear from my parent’s original trip and were able to make our trip last for 6 months.”  

During that time, they fell in love with the freedom that came with being out on the open road. Their overall goal was to make a lifestyle on the road as sustainable as possible. Working digitally is great for them and helps them achieve that goal because they can be wherever they want as long as there’s service and power. As creatives in the field of motion and graphic design, MAK and Owen find inspiration in the outdoors, and left their desk jobs in the city because it felt counterintuitive. “If you focus on what you can do and not on what you can’t, it brings so many possibilities and so many incredible experiences,” MAK said.  

What’s in Their Setup?

Of course Battle Born Batteries are at the heart of their system! Their current rig is a 2019 Toyota Tundra 4×4 with a Four-Wheel Camper Hawk Flatbed, which they’ve been in for almost two years. Nicknamed “Roxanne”, MAK and Owen describe it as the perfect combination of their previous three rigs. They just got an alternator charging setup configured this year, as the past two years relied heavily on solar charging. They can now get out there and stay out there longer during cold weather thanks to alternator charging! Here’s what MAK and Owen are running in “Roxanne:” 

–2 BB10012 Battle Born batteries 

–1 Victron BMV-712 Battery Monitor 

–1 Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 Charge Controller  

-AIMS Power 600W 12V DC Pure Sine Car Power Inverter 

As for solar, the desert has been a great resource for powering and topping off the batteries.  

“With our setup, we’re solid to work just about anywhere, as long as we have service,” Owen said. “But on the road, you kind of have to take the good with the bad.”  

MAK and Owen know firsthand that good and bad experiences happen often while on the road. When it comes to advice for their lifestyle, MAK believes that experiences on the road shouldn’t have to look any specific way, no matter what it may look like on social media.  

“I think that Instagram and other social places on the internet are an amazing place for inspiration, but a lot of times people feel like they aren’t doing it right because it doesn’t look like what they see online,” she said. “But that couldn’t be farther from the truth. If you’re out here and you’re seeing something new, then you’re doing it right.”  

“The main thing we always strive for is just to have fun,” Owen said. “As long as it’s fun then it doesn’t matter if it’s right or wrong. Don’t overthink things or be overprepared because it can get you into a trap.” 

What’s Next?  

Battle Born Batteries is proud to be a sponsor of their new YouTube series, A Summer Adrift. Inspiration from the series came from the genuinely jarring experience of quarantine. While the couple consider themselves to be incredibly independent, the experience showed them how there’s a lot they take for granted.  

“As things started to get really serious earlier this year, our access to basics like water and groceries was gone,” MAK said. “When we got off the road and were able to get back on it again, it really allowed us to get a lot of clarity to what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. We traveled with people this summer to feel a little bit more efficient and really boost morale.”  

The series focuses mostly on their overland travels from leaving quarantine in Long Beach, California in late May through the end of the summer at the Wind River Range in Wyoming. It documents their outdoor activities as they hiked, rock climbed and more, all while staying positive and healthy during a challenging time.  They spent the summer with fellow travelers and close friends, including fellow Battle Born Batteries brand partners Chase and Aimee of Tight Loops. 

Their project is power intensive as it uses a lot of camera equipment and software to make magic happen in post-production! Maintaining the workload is important, and with LiFePO4 technology in their rig, they can work longer. MAK and Owen have never felt more productive while being stationary, as they’re able to get their work done and really take their time on the series.  

“It also shows how together we can weather any storm, no matter now vulnerable or fragile we feel,” MAK said. “It’s great to realize that if we have people to lean on out here, we’ll be absolutely okay.” 

The trailer for A Summer Adrift is now available to view on their YouTube channel. The series will launch Sunday, December 6th at 5 pm PST with sixteen episodes planned. You can also keep up with their exciting and inspiring travels on their blog and Instagram!