Written by: Daniel Thompson, Battle Born Customer

The Smell of Coffee

In the first half of my life, camping was all about a passion for the outdoors and everything that surrounded it. Growing up in Minnesota, I spent my early teens tent camping or sleeping under the stars in the woods. Those adventures took a pause when we moved to Chicago, but the memories—and my desire to be in nature—never faded.

Then life moved forward. Operation Desert Storm entered the picture, along with nearly a decade of service in the United States Marine Corps. That’s where my passion for coffee really took root. Once again, I found myself camping—sometimes in a tent, often just under the stars—but now in more austere environments. From the shores of the Pacific to the deserts of California, the slopes of Mt. McKinley, the Sierra Nevada, and the wilds of Nevada, the common thread was always the smell of coffee in the morning. That smell stuck with me long after leaving the Corps and continuing in public service. The ritual of lighting a stove or starting a fire for that first cup of coffee became a cherished part of any outdoor experience.

Eventually, life brought a wife and kids into the picture. We still camped in tents, watching friends enjoy the “Goodlife” in their travel trailers. That’s when the decision was made to make the jump—we bought a big trailer with bunk beds and a slide-out. But to chase that early-morning coffee smell, we had to fire up the generator. Loud, fuel-guzzling, and definitely not what you want echoing through the quiet wild. But it got us our coffee.

As the kids grew up and moved on, my wife and I kept chasing wild spaces. From Northern California to Nevada and our treasured National Parks, our adventures continued. As fairly successful adults, we finally made the leap to our dream travel trailer: an Airstream. With its timeless style and impeccable design, it was everything we wanted. It came equipped with two solar panels, a controller, a converter, an inverter, and a couple of lead-acid batteries. But the inverter only powered a few outlets, and the solar-battery setup wasn’t enough for long stints off-grid. That wasn’t a huge issue—we still had our trusty generator. But anyone who’s ever owned one knows: it’s bulky, it needs fuel, it makes noise, and it always brings a bit of the modern world into the peaceful outdoors.

That’s when we decided to fully upgrade our solar and battery system. After diving into research—YouTube, blogs, forums, and real conversations with fellow RVers—we learned a few key lessons. First, invest in quality electronics, which led us to Victron for our inverter/charger, solar controller, and other hardware. Second, maximize your roof space with solar—we fit six Zamp solar panels. And third, go with a top-quality, American lithium iron phosphate battery.

There was only one choice for us: Battle Born Batteries. Designed and assembled right in Reno, Nevada—basically our backyard—we were proud to support an American brand with a rock-solid reputation. After deciding on four Battle Born 100Ah 12V LiFePO₄ batteries, we reached out to their team for installer recommendations. Battle Born pointed us to Avalon RV in Benicia, California. Adam and his crew made short work of the install, outfitting our Airstream with a system built for serious off-grid use. Just a few days later, we were back on the road and headed toward our next adventure.

Our maiden voyage with the new setup took us to one of our favorite places—Death Valley National Park. We make it our first stop every RV season. The natural beauty, the stark solitude, and the endless hiking keep us coming back year after year. Normally, we’d have to fire up the generator to use the pellet grill, crockpot, or coffee maker.

But this year was different.

What blew me away was the sheer capacity and performance of our Battle Born system. The night before, we prepped the coffee maker. And in the morning? We woke to that same comforting smell of coffee—no generator required. The batteries powered the coffee maker, microwave, and the entire coach with ease. It barely made a dent in capacity. That day, we slow-cooked a pork butt in the crockpot using battery power. After eight hours of exploring the park, we returned to perfectly cooked pulled pork and a fully recharged battery bank—thanks to the sun and our solar panels.

We sat around the campfire that night, cocktail in hand, watching the sun dip below the desert horizon. I checked the battery status, and we were nearly back to 100%. That’s American performance, and the Thompson Clan appreciates it.

Now, a few years later, I’m retired and spending my time chasing upland birds across the western U.S.—from Montana sharptail in September to Arizona quail in January. And through all the miles, terrain, and weather, our Battle Born Batteries continue to deliver. As my friends crank up their generators for their morning brew, I’m already enjoying the smell of coffee. Quietly. Efficiently. Reliably.

Thank you, Battle Born, for giving us the freedom to roam without compromise.