The Unexpected Luxury That’s Changing How to Camp in the Heat

Don’t let sweltering summer temps stop your next car-camping trip or overlanding odyssey. A portable air-conditioning unit can open up a new season on the road. Or, for a family who lives the adventure life full-time, traveling with the finest new wireless AC unit can be a “total game changer.” So says outdoor filmmaker Katrin York, currently based on Oahu’s Ka‘ena Point with co-director husband Artem and their toddler Molly. The family trio camps out of an FJ Cruiser rigged with powerful EcoFlow essentials—including the brand’s mightiest portable air conditioner yet, EcoFlow WAVE 3.

As longtime users of EcoFlow gear, York is grateful for the upgraded WAVE, especially when it comes to cooling in tough conditions. “The difference in real-world performance is huge,” says York, who tested WAVE 3 in the heat and humidity of the wild west side of Oahu. “It now cools small rooms—not just tents.” She also added that the unit is noticeably quieter and more stable, “and its new one-button drainage system is a major quality-of-life improvement.”

The family began kitting out their camp-mobile with EcoFlow gear starting with a pair of portable power stations (the RIVER and DELTA) plus portable solar panels to stay connected and charged while off-grid. When other work and family necessities called—e.g. comfort, cold food storage, on-demand ice, plus climate control for work equipment—more EcoFlow solutions swiftly filled the gap. They integrated EcoFlow’s WAVE 3 portable AC and GLACIER Classic portable refrigerator into their expanded setup, providing what York calls “a full-power ecosystem that allows us to work, travel, and live remotely with flexibility and comfort—and without compromise.”

Requiring no installation and about the size of a carry-on, WAVE 3 seamlessly combines power, efficiency, mobility, and wireless convenience. The upgraded unit boasts a whopping 6100-Btu cooling capacity with 6800 Btus of heating power for colder environments (like central Alaska, where the family will be soon heading). A host of other new customizable functions—higher air volume, remote monitoring, smart  humidity and temp control, leak-proof water drainage notification, and even an app-based “Pet Care Smart Switch”—can also help turn demanding outdoor work environments into a (literal) breeze. And easier days for York mean more family fun wherever their car, and cameras, lead them.

“One surprise we really appreciated was the built-in dehumidifier,” adds York, noting the humidity in Hawaii. “I used to run a separate unit before underwater shoots to prevent fogging inside the dive housing—and to dry gear before sealing it in vacuum storage. WAVE 3 now handles both jobs easily.”

She also calls out the new display and controls as much more intuitive, with features like Energy Flow monitoring and charge/discharge limits, “that provide a real sense of control—especially off-grid.” And when it comes to distance from the power grid, the WAVE 3’s optional 1024Wh LFP battery pack provides up to 8 hours of uninterrupted AC, and can be fully recharged in as fast as 75 minutes.

Speaking of recharging, the WAVE 3’s solar charging port now connects directly to the battery—meaning you can use the sun to charge it while using the AC unit elsewhere, plugged into a wall. “It’s super-convenient,” York says, “and the extra USB-A port is a nice touch too—perfect for Christmas lights or charging small accessories on the go.”

The latest upgrades to the EcoFlow GLACIER Portable Refrigerator also proved to be a major win for the family. Beyond the industry’s fastest cooling speeds, they appreciated the unit’s “way more road-trip friendly” redesign—including handier double-sided doors and space-saving sliding handles.

“It fits a 6-pack and pretty much all the essentials we usually take on trips—and it packs perpendicularly into the back of our FJ,” husband Artem raves of the compact fridge’s roomy 55L capacity. “That means, if we fold one seat down, we can actually use that space as a sleeping area or fit long gear, like C-stands or a surfboard.”

If there’s a single epiphany gained from equipping their off-grid occupations with these latest innovations, it’s just how compatible outdoor living can be with life’s essentials—and just how quickly every member of the family acclimates to it.

“It’s funny how normal all this has become for our daughter,” says Artem. “She’s growing up thinking this is just how life works—power and comforts-of-home anywhere, anytime.”

Same deal for mom and dad.

“Once we tried it, we quickly realized how much easier and more comfortable it made our life outdoors,” says York. “EcoFlow didn’t just change the way we work. It changed the way we live.”

EcoFlow is a leading provider of eco-friendly energy solutions, committed to powering a new world. Since its founding in 2017, EcoFlow has aimed to be the FIRST in power solutions—Flexible, Innovative, Reliable, Simple, and Thorough—for individuals and families, whether at home, outdoors or on the go. With a smart manufacturing center in China, and headquarters in the USA, Germany and Japan, EcoFlow has empowered over 5 million users in 140 markets worldwide.