Working on a new project. I will be traveling around the American Southwest to start. Will be traveling in my Land Rover Discovery II that I am currently building.
You didn't say if you are camping moteling or a combination of both. Nor did you mention how long you expect to be out in the field. All of this makes a difference.
Motels almost all have wifi and a grocery store of some kind nearby so you need to store food will be less. Many restaurants and grocery stores with a deli section and seating have free wifi.
Interested on opinions on the following-
-Internet while on the road. Someone mentioned Hughsnet? Not too worried about being able to drive and have web, but good quality with decent upload ability would be nice. I will be shooting extremely large panoramic murals for photographic prints, but I also shoot something else that requires the uploading of 5-700 jpeg images.
Is there a reason that you need to upload your large images while on the trail? You can save a chunk of money by waiting until you get home or making occasional stops at places that have a free internet connection. Computer related gear has a tendency to be expensive go out of date quickly. And some gear might not be able to handle a combination of dust, bouncing around and inside vehicle heat and cold cycles. I would not count on cell phone connected internet connections being there when needed because a lot of the South West is not covered by cell phone and when it is the coverage is really slow. If you are inside a canyon or behind a mountain you may not be able to get either a tower or a satellite.
Unless you have a manufacturer willing to give you free equipment or have a real need to be able to make a high speed internet connection at anytime I would not bother with carrying internet gear
-dual battery set ups/ solar recharging and battery type suggestion.
Everything you place in a vehicle takes up space and adds weight. There is not a whole lot of space in a Disco and you quickly find yourself having to decide what gear has to be removed to fit in another piece of gear. Anytime you can find a place to add something in a "non-cargo space" you are way ahead. so if you can find space for a second battery in the engine bay or in an empty space between body panels you are ahead of the game.
I have a dual battery system and prefer having one for the way I travel. The second battery is isolated when the engine is off and runs the refrigerator, interior lights (you want LED interior lights), water pump, radios and the auxiliary outlets. It can handle everything if I'm camped 24 hours, longer if the weather is cool. If I had one of the new more energy efficient refrigerators I could camp two days and maybe longer without recharging the aux battery.
Solar panels are dropping in price and I expect them to continue to do so. Right now you would be spending at least $800 for a controller and panels powerful enough to keep a battery fully charged that is running a fridge and your other electrics. Next year the cost for the system will likely be noticeably less. Of course you can put in a smaller system that will not keep the battery fully charged but add enough power that your battery will last longer.
Solar panels and a controller take up space and adds complexity. And you have to deal with setting them up, staying by your truck when they are deployed least they grow legs and they need storage space. Which is all well if you plan on setting up a several day base camp where someone is always going to be around. But if you are going to be on the move daily or at least every second day your engine alternator is all you need to keep the battery charged.
Your second battery will need to be isolated from the the primary batter when the engine is not running and it is a good idea to have a quickly accessible shut off switch that separates the secondary battery from everything it might power. It allows you to quickly cut power in case of a catastrophic failure of an electrical device or wiring.
There are many types of isolators and batteries on the market. Some battery isolators have a power drop that can keep the second battery from reaching a full charge and over time can reduce the storage capacity of the second battery. I suggest getting batteries that take a similar charging curve though you want the second one to be a deep cycle type. I'm currently running Optimas and am having good luck with them. But there are other batteries out there that will work as well or perhaps better together. Perhaps others can give you more information about other battery types. You should avoid mixing types of batteries such as a gel cell with the common lead acid & water batteries because their charging curve is different. You could write a small book on different dual battery systems and isolators but this should give you something to think about.
Ice coolers - cheap and often can not keep meats cool enough to store very long. Ice melts and the water needs to be drained daily and more often in warmer weather. The ice takes you storage space, requires frequent replacement and the melted water often ends up in your food.
Cheapo electric coolers - These guys are cheap, usually draw a lot of power and will often only drop the internal temperature 20 to 40 degrees below outside ambient temperatures. On a hot day they can not keep food warm enough. They are OK for a day trip in cooler weather.
Real chest refrigerators. These are energy efficient allowing them to run a lot longer without draining your battery and can keep food frozen if needed. They are pricy but rugged and can last for a long time. Mine is on its 21st year of use and still works like a champ. And this is inside a leaf sprung Land Rover that is no stranger to moderate rock crawling. If you are going to spend any time out on the trail I recommend ponying up for a quality chest refrigerator. I'm a fan of Engle refrigerators.
Light shining through a window onto a refrigerator and heat up the fridge's exterior causing it to be on more. Having a removable silver insulated cover that you can keep over the fridge helps a second batter last longer and it is way cheaper than solar panels.
I am always open to any locations that people might suggest.
You mentioned that you were after scenic panoramas but you didn't say of what. If you let us know what you are intending to shoot we might be able to provide suggestions.
