Brands We Trust
This page brings together brands we actually use and rely on—at home and on the road. Everything here has earned a place in our kitchen, our RV, or our day-to-day family routine because it works, holds up, and makes life with kids a little easier. No fillers, no one-off experiments—just products we trust and reach for again.
PlanetBox sets out to create a durable, plastic-free stainless-steel lunchbox, and a diverse array of additional food packing solutions designed to reduce single-use waste. We trust PlanetBox because their construction has held up to daily use with our four kids without cracking, warping, or needing replacement. Planetbox offers a convenient array of options to pack food in an eco-friendly, well-constructed containers, without disposable packaging, or plastic exposure. Plus, their designs are fun and fit all ages! We’ve been using PlanetBox lunchboxes and lunch bags daily for about 5 years now. These are sturdy and highly durable, and proved to be compatible from toddlers to teenagers, for school meals, for weekend excursions, and when we go on RV trips (snacking on the road or when we hike), where durability and easy cleanup matter even more.
Enjoy Life offers consistently high-quality, allergy-conscious baking chocolate made in dedicated facilities, which makes their products reliable and predictable. For us, this brand provides safe chocolate chips and mix-ins that work well for baking and homemade trail mix without worrying about cross-contamination (if we're hosting friends with allergies) or any animal products. We’ve used Enjoy Life products for years in home baking and for packing trail mixes and snacks for school, road trips, and hikes, and were never disappointed! We only hope they'll bring back their chocolate bars one day.
AllTrails is a trail-discovery and navigation app that helps people find hikes with clear information on distance, difficulty, elevation gain, and terrain, supported by maps and recent user reviews. We like the filter options in particular, such as visual and map-based previews of the trails, that accommodates our preference (so the trail includes waters, mountain view, wildlife etc) and allows us to pick trails that are the best fit. The combination of route previews, photos, and up-to-date conditions reduces guesswork when we’re traveling and hiking in unfamiliar areas. We’ve been using AllTrails for years, both at home and on the road, to plan family hikes and quick outdoor stops, and its consistency and practicality are what keep it in regular use for our trips.
KOA (Kampgrounds of America) runs one of the most dependable campground networks in the U.S. and Canada, with consistently clean sites, well-maintained facilities, and locations that are thoughtfully placed near national parks, scenic routes, and small towns. They are genuinely kid-friendly, with most campgrounds including playgrounds, bike-friendly loops, pedal carts for rent, mini golf, and open space to roam. We’ve stayed at KOAs across multiple states over the years, both for overnight stops and longer stays, and that combination of reliability, location quality, and family-friendly amenities is why KOA remains a default choice for our trips.
Jellystone Park camp-resorts are built specifically for families, with an emphasis on on-site fun that keeps kids engaged from morning to evening. Across the locations we’ve stayed at, the combination of organized activities, playgrounds, splash areas, themed events, and open space creates a true destination campground, where the park itself is the main attraction and there’s often no need to leave the site.
Kite Hill makes consistently reliable, dairy-free products with clean ingredient lists and a genuinely high-quality range. We especially love their creamy cheese options for both sandwiches and baked goods. Alongside that, their dips and yogurts come in a wide variety of flavors, which makes it easy to use the same brand across meals and snacks without things feeling repetitive. We’ve used Kite Hill products at home and on the road, and that combination of quality, versatility, and variety is what keeps them in regular rotation in our kitchen.
Silk offers a wide range of dairy-free staples that fit easily into everyday family cooking. For us, Silk fills many roles in our everyday meals - from plant-based protein-rich milks for cereal, to baking, and coffee, plus yogurts that work for breakfasts, snacks, and lunchboxes without needing special handling or extra thought. The variety of formats and flavors makes it easy to meet different preferences in the family while sticking to the same trusted brand. We’ve used Silk products for years, ever since we went vegan, at home and while traveling, since they are sold in most stores and offer easy-to-find staples that quietly support daily routines.
Follow Your Heart delivers dependable, dairy-free staples that are easy to use and are consistently well made. For us, their hard cheeses work especially well in sandwiches, baked goods and hot dishes, and their mayo and dressings are reliable everyday basics that don’t require recipe adjustments or workarounds. The flavors are balanced, which makes them practical for both kids and adults. We’ve used Follow Your Heart products at home and while traveling, and they are straightforward, high-quality staples that simplify meals (which is so appreciated on busy days!).
Disclosure: Some links on this page are affiliate links. We only recommend brands we genuinely use and trust.