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šŸ‹ **ā€œThe North Face Base Camp Duffel ā€“ The Yellow Beastā€ (a.k.a. Solaris) ā˜€ļø

  • Writer: John Nickolls
    John Nickolls
  • Oct 12
  • 3 min read
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šŸŒž SOLARIS ā€” The North Face Base Camp Duffel (Large, Expedition Yellow)

The Sun in Fabric Form. The Vanguard of Order.


šŸ“ Vanilla Gear Inventory | Registered Asset of Nix Operations Division

āš”ļø IDENTITY REPORT

Codename: Solaris Classification: Clothing Command Unit ā€“ Primary Duffel Deployment Colourway: Expedition YellowTemperament: Fearlessly optimistic with undertones of industrial resilience.

Solaris isnā€™t just a bag. Itā€™s a declaration of intent ā€” a brilliant, burnished sphere of organised chaos designed to survive Himalayan summits, campervan festivals, and the occasional Stafford drizzle. It glows like molten gold in the back of Vanilla, radiating a sense of adventure that makes even a supermarket car park feel like Everest Base Camp.


šŸ—ļø CONSTRUCTION OF A TITAN

  • Material: 1000D TPE fabric laminate over an 840D ballistic nylon base ā€” waterproof, tear-proof, apocalypse-proof.

  • Volume: 95L ā€” cavernous enough for 10 daysā€™ worth of NC500 glory.

  • Access: D-shaped lid, wide enough to swallow a weekend wardrobe whole.

  • Carriage Options: Two alpine-ready shoulder straps + grab handles forged for the grip of legends.

  • Internal Command Structure:

    • šŸŸØ Main Bay: Clean, folded, morale-boosting clothing.

    • āš«ļø End Compartment: The quarantine zone ā€” for used socks and laundry exiles.

    • šŸŸ§ Mesh Top Pocket: Grooming kit, wet wipes, and dignity-preserving essentials.


šŸš DEPLOYMENT PROTOCOLS: VANILLA INTEGRATION SYSTEM

ā˜€ļø TRAVEL MODE (ENGAGED)

Solaris rides proudly on Vanillaā€™s rear seat, secured by its long shoulder strap looped through both headrests ā€” a safety harness fit for a champion.

  • Balanced perfectly between bulk and beauty.

  • Zero slide on corners, even under ā€œspiritedā€ A-road manoeuvres.

  • Keeps the floor clear for tech crates and Jackery operations.

  • Offers easy mid-journey access for hoodie retrieval or snack extraction.

Itā€™s like having a loyal golden retriever sitting behind you ā€” except this one holds your clean pants and smells faintly of adventure, not wet dog.


šŸŒ™ CAMP MODE (NIGHT OPS)

As dusk settles over the Highlands, Solaris shifts into Night Configuration.She is gracefully hung from the driverā€™s headrest, her bright yellow fabric glowing softly in the dim light of Vanillaā€™sambient LEDs.

  • Suspended neatly in ā€œhover mode,ā€ freeing the floor and keeping your space serene.

  • All contents accessible from the comfort of the rock ā€™nā€™ roll bed.

  • Adds a pop of expedition energy to Vanillaā€™s calm, warm interior glow.

  • The silhouette? Majestic. Like a NASA stow-bag aboard the ISS.

If the seatā€™s reclined or rotated for movie night, Solaris can be laid flat behind the driverā€™s seat, handles outward for swift morning access ā€” ready to deploy at first light.


šŸ’§ CLEAN OPS DIVISION

Solaris is the unofficial ambassador of field hygiene.

  • Dirty gear? Straight into the end-zone.

  • Fresh laundry? Folded like a naval inspection.

  • Emergency shower wipes? Holstered top-side for rapid deployment.

You could go a week without a shower and still smell like victory.


šŸ› ļø INTEGRATED VANILLA COMPATIBILITY MATRIX

Function

Role in Vanilla

Status

Clothing Storage

Primary

āœ…

Hygiene Containment

Secondary

āœ…

Rear Seat Mount (Transit)

Approved

āœ…

Driverā€™s Seat Mount (Camp)

Approved

āœ…

Floor Mount

Forbidden by the Ministry of Neatness

āŒ

āš™ļø MISSIONS COMPLETED (PROJECTED)

ā˜‘ NC500 Assault ā€“ September 2025ā˜‘ CamperJam Festival ā€“ Deployment Readyā˜‘ Highlands Ops ā€“ Pendingā˜‘ The Wildwood Pub Rendezvous ā€“ Always on standby

šŸ’¬ QUOTABLE FIELD NOTE

ā€œWhen Solaris unzips, the world gets brighter.ā€ā€” John Nickolls, Staffordshire Adventurer, Keeper of Vanilla

šŸŒ… AESTHETIC ALLIANCE

Solaris + Vanilla = The perfect symphony of form and function.The grey body of Vanilla meets the blazing heart of Solaris. Together theyā€™re a travelling metaphor for balance ā€” calm exterior, fiery soul within.

When the tailgate lifts at dawn and that yellow gleam spills out, itā€™s like opening a chest of sunlight after a long, Highland night.


šŸ”¦ END OF LOG ā€“ SOLARIS

ā˜€ļø Mission Status: Ready for immediate deploymentšŸŽ’ Base of Operations: Stafford HQšŸ’Ŗ Assigned Commander: John NickollsšŸ§­ Next Destination: Anywhere with a horizon

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šŸš VANILLA — THE ESSENCE OF FREEDOM

ā€‹People often ask where my drone footage comes from — how I find those remote beaches, quiet lochs, or golden ridgelines at sunrise.
The answer isn’t just in the air. It’s on four wheels.

Meet Vanilla — my VW Transporter T6.1 campervan, my rolling HQ, my drone command centre, and quite honestly, my partner-in-flight.

She’s not just transport. She’s the bridge between earth and sky — a machine that lets me live the story I capture through my lens.

Where It All Began

Vanilla came to life at Leighton Vans, where form meets finesse. She was sculpted with their LV-R bodykit, an upgrade that gives her those beautifully aggressive lines and that unmistakable road stance.
Her 20-inch black LV alloys anchor her to the tarmac with quiet confidence — purposeful, poised, and just a little bit smug.

The interior conversion came from Rock N Roll Campers, who turned an empty shell into something that felt alive — soft finishes, clever storage, a rock-solid bed, and that rare thing in a van: soul.

Later, the wizards at Supreme Conversions joined the journey, fitting the awning rail, upgrading her with Transporter HQ headlights and rear lights, and, most recently, installing the stunning Fiamma F43 Van awning.
It’s the kind of awning that unfurls with elegance, like a curtain revealing a stage — the stage where I plan flights, sip coffee, and wait for the light to get just right.

Inside the Machine

Vanilla’s interior is less “campervan” and more “creative sanctuary.”
Every inch is refined: Crib 5 insulation, full sound-deadening, soft carpet lining, and commercial LVT flooring over solid birch ply.
Her Egger HPL furniture gleams softly under warm LED lighting, and her Rusty Lee ¾ bed folds out like a promise of rest after a long day’s flying.

The Skyline pop-top opens to the sky — the same sky my drones inhabit — a seamless link between my ground base and my flying machines.

Outside, the Fiamma F43 Van awning rolls out to create an outdoor workspace: laptop on the table, controller in hand, the hum of the inverter behind me, and the quiet ticking of a cooling drone on the table beside a steaming mug of ginger tea.

It’s not camping. It’s creative engineering in motion.

Powering Creativity

Drone photography isn’t a 9-to-5 hobby. It’s early starts, late edits, and always chasing the right light.
That means Vanilla has to be completely self-sufficient — and she is.

Her power system is rock solid: an Exide EZ850 100 Ah AGM battery managed by a Victron Orion Smart DC-DC charger and Eco-Worthy solar controller, topped up by her XINGCO 120 W solar panel bonded to the pop-top.
It means while I’m flying over coastal cliffs, Vanilla’s quietly charging batteries, cameras, laptops, and the occasional air fryer.

Add in a Victron SmartShunt (so I can track every watt in real time), a Jackery Explorer 1000, a Jackery 240, an Anker 165 W power bank, and a YABER jump starter pack, and you’ve got enough power for a week’s expedition.

Every drone, every camera, every edit — charged, logged, and uploaded before the next take-off.

Fuel for the Pilot

You can’t create on an empty stomach, and Vanilla’s kitchen is a masterpiece of compact design.
A CAN twin hob and marine sink, powered by Campingaz 907, forms the core of her galley.
A 50 L compressor fridge keeps everything crisp, while a toaster, kettle, and Cadac BBQ handle the rest.

But here’s where the magic happens — the Cosori air fryer and Vango Sizzle Double induction hob.
The air fryer is perfect for hot chips at midnight or golden toasties on misty mornings. The induction hob? It’s quiet, precise, and efficient, perfect for cooking while editing the day’s footage in cinematic silence.

When the Fiamma awning is out and the Vango Faro Air III awning is set up alongside, Vanilla transforms into mission control.
Power. Food. Shelter. Wi-Fi. Everything I need to capture the world from above — all in one parked masterpiece.

Warm Nights, Cool Days

Vanilla handles Britain like a pro.
A Webasto diesel heater keeps her toasty on winter shoots, and the factory air-con cools her down when summer edits stretch into the evening.

Her Transporter HQ 69 mm dimmable LEDs light up the interior like a studio set, while BioLite and Vango lanterns add soft ambience — perfect for working late or simply reflecting on the day’s adventures.

Outside, those Transporter HQ Audi-style headlights — installed by Supreme Conversions — slice cleanly through darkness. Her rear lights gleam like runway markers. Her LV-R bodykit and alloys catch the glow of twilight like a film reel catching fire.

She’s not a van. She’s a silhouette of intent.

Connected Everywhere

Vanilla runs her own internet.
Her ZTE Link mobile Wi-Fi router keeps me online for live drone tracking, software updates, uploads, and the occasional cheeky YouTube binge.
She’s a digital basecamp — blending travel, work, and creativity into one smooth system.

After the flights, I unwind with the Nebula Capsule 3 Laser projector (Beamy) and Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (“Blazey”), projecting straight onto the pop-top.
A Bose Bluetooth speaker fills the cabin with music — sometimes Depeche Mode, sometimes silence, depending on the edit.

Vanilla doesn’t just take me to my subjects — she lets me stay there long enough to fall in love with them.

Safety and Smarts

She’s fitted with a Scorpion Tracker, adaptive cruise control, crosswind assist, and parking sensors — because adventures are better when you can relax behind the wheel.
Her systems talk to my phone via Victron Smart apps, and her power integrates perfectly with Apple HomeKit, giving me complete control even from the driver’s seat.

Out There, in the Light

Vanilla has been everywhere my drones have flown — the NC500, Cornwall’s cliffs, the Welsh mountains, the Lake District, and countless nameless lanes that all lead somewhere unforgettable.

She averages a reliable 35 mpg, purrs happily on long drives, and provides the calm between flights.
When I’m parked under her awning, the kettle bubbling, batteries on charge, and the drone footage downloading, there’s this moment — stillness, satisfaction, and gratitude.

Vanilla isn’t just part of the Nix Drones setup.
She is the setup.
Without her, half my story wouldn’t exist.

Her Signature

Her logo says it all — a clean white silhouette with her pop-top raised, VAN in orange, ILLA in white, and below it, her creed:
“THE ESSENCE OF FREEDOM.”

That’s what it’s all about — the freedom to chase light, to capture beauty, and to live unhurried in a world that’s always rushing.

VANILLA — The Essence of Freedom.
The road half of Nix Drones.
A creative base on wheels.
A companion built for the horizon.

Would you like me to finish this with a short homepage hero caption (like “My mobile flight deck — the campervan that powers every Nix Drones journey”) and a perfect SEO snippet to link Vanilla’s story directly to your site’s drone photography focus?

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