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You’ve painstakingly spent the last several months crafting your dream camper van & you’re ready to hit the open road! Right after you pack. It’s everyone’s least favorite part of travel. But just what are the “van life essentials“?
Ultimately, deciding what to bring on the road and what qualifies as a van life necessity is up to you. Van life is a very minimalist lifestyle. Mostly because living in 35 square feet (if you’re lucky) doesn’t allow for a lot of extra clutter.
But whether you’re just starting a long-term road trip or transiting to full-time van living, there are definitely some van life must-haves that will make life on the road easier & more comfortable.
Your Complete List of Van Life Necessities
Making the assumption you’re looking at a very empty van right now–here’s my complete van life packing list with links to products we have & love.
Van Life Sleeping Essentials
For a comfy night’s rest no matter if you’re sleeping in a parking lot or scenic viewpoint.
Down-Alternative Comforter
Unless your van life itinerary is only taking you on a road trip through Florida, it’s going to get cold. This blanket has kept me warm through snowy nights in Glacier National Park and Grand Teton without a heater.
Throw Pillows & Sleeping Pillows
This doesn’t seem like a van life sleeping essential but it is. Throw pillows make good cushions to sit on when you’re hanging out inside the van & also back support when sitting on the bed. You’ll want some comfy pillows to make nights in the van easier.
Magnetic Bug Screens
For those days & nights you want airflow but don’t want all the bugs that come with it.
Lightweight Throw Blanket
For those not so chilly nights. This throw is versatile, stain-resistant, & comes in a variety of colors to match any decor.
Window Covers
You’ll likely make these during your build. You need them for privacy while stealth camping in the city.
Van Life Kitchen Essentials
Everything you need to have a fully stocked & fully functional van kitchen.
Fridge
We use & love this fridge. It doesn’t suck up a lot of electricity & we’re able to keep veggies, beer, & leftovers nice & cold.
Melamine Dinner Set
Obviously, you need plates. These dishes are shatterproof (essential since they will be stored in a moving vehicle) & easy to clean.
Insulated Water Bottle
One thing I hate about van life is drinking lukewarm water. But this water bottle can keep your water ice cold for days. & you’ll want a bottle to keep up front with you on those long drive days.
LifeStraw Water Bottle
This is not only one of the best gadgets to van life it’s also a staple in every hikers backpack. Lifestraw water bottles filter the dirtiest water into clean drinking water. I used mine when I wanted to drink from our sink since we didn’t install a water filtration system.
Van Life Safety Essentials
Van life necessities aren’t all about comfort. These 4 items are absolutely MUST-HAVES to live safely in a van.
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Often overlooked in the van build, most first-time van lifers don’t realize you need a CO detector. Leaky propane or exhaust can cause asphyxiation while sleeping.
Bear Spray
Bear spray has a multitude of uses for van lifers. You can use it for protection against wildlife while hiking or in place of pepper spray in case of intruders. Just be sure to not discharge it while you’re inside the van.
Snow Chains
Never leave home without your chains. You never know when you’re going to cross an unexpectedly snowy mountain pass or get stuck in a freak storm.
Neat Van Life Gadgets for Safety
For many female van lifers safety is a major concern. I have always felt safe on the road but here are a few extra gadgets that anyone can use to keep themselves and their stuff secure.
Alarm system
Although it can be tricky to install, if you’re looking to create a panic button situation for your van this is the best you can get. For those of you who are looking for something a little less technical, cheaper, & more of a simple loud noise deterrent, I recommend the Hootie. It’s more of a personal safety device but it’s loud enough to scare away intruders.
GPS Tracker
Hide this GPS tracker underneath your vehicle & if (god forbid) your van ever gets stolen you’ll be able to track it down.
Van Life Cleaning Essentials
Van life can stink. Literally. Small spaces need to be kept very clean or you’ll be living in filth before you know it. Here is my quick checklist of van life cleaning essentials.
Keeping the Van Clean
- Febreeze.
- Meyer’s Multi-Purpose Cleaning Spray.
- Dish Sponge.
- Dish Scrub Brush.
- Paper Towels.
- Lots of Kitchen Towels. We like to keep two for hand towels and at least 4 for spills and random leaks.
- Trash Bags. We just reuse any paper or plastic shopping bags.
- Broom & Dustpan.
Keeping You Clean in the Van
- Laundry Detergent.
- Hand Soap.
- Biodegradable Dish Soap.
- Microfiber Towel for Showers.
- Baby Wipes. For when you can’t shower.
Van Life Organization Essentials
Van life involves fitting a million things into a teeny tiny space. Good organization is essential. Different systems are required for each build but here are some things we do to keep our van highly efficient and organized.
Silverware & Small Items Organizer
Depending on if you’ve built drawers, shelves, or some other form of storage for your kitchen goods…it’s always important you have some small containers for loose items & little things like silverware.
Key Rack Or Jar
We hang our keys on these nifty little hooks. Having one place you always put your keys is essential for van life organization. There’s nothing worse than misplacing the keys inside the van.
Other Van Life Storage Ideas
- Build lots of shelving along the tops of your walls.
- Utilize overhead storage space.
- & various built-in storage options. For us, it’s the benches we built, kitchen cabinets, & the organizer that covers our engine block.
Van Life Road Trip Essentials
These are the van life essentials for road trips. Because like it or not (hopefully, like it) you’ll be spending a lot of time behind the wheel.
Car Power Inverted
Conserving your battery life on your electrical system is essential. Why not charge your laptop or other high energy usage items while you drive?
A Few Good Books
Because the passenger needs something to do right?!
& if you’re anything like me, you’ll be spending many evenings in the wilderness with a good book. Here’s a list of all my favorite non-fiction travel books to get you started.
Download Some Podcasts
I’ve listened to thousands of hours of podcasts on the road. If you’re looking for recomendations these are our favorites.
- Stuff You Should Know. Quirky informative podcasts about literally every topic. From the Dyatlov Pass Mystery to How Grass Works.
- Criminal. We named our van after the host–Pheobe Judge. She has the most soothing voice while she spins true stories of crime & murder.
- Dirtbag Diaries from Patagonia. From stories of climbing to van life to kayaking, it’s a podcast for adventurers.
- Ologies. Alie Ward asks smart people dumb questions. I love her upbeat science forward podcast.
- Serial. Because we can never get enough true crime.
I also like to keep a driving map (for the times you lose service), a notebook for journaling & plenty of road snacks.
Best Van Life Accessories & Extras
Van life isn’t all minimalist and utilitarianism. You have to make it feel like home if you plan to spend any amount of time in the van. Make your home a little more cozy with these van life accessories.
Wall Hangings
Van Plant
Be sure to pick plants hearty enough to handle the extreme heat and cold of van life.
Rug
Our decorative rug does more than just tie the room together. It also prevents the floor from scuffing, keeps my feet warm in the chilly mornings, and helps keep the dirt down.
Best Van Life Tools to Have on Hand
Tools are important to have on hand as a van dweller. Because sometimes breakdowns don’t happen in convenient places. Here’s a list of must-have tools to keep laying around.
- Scissors.
- Zip Ties. They come in handy often.
- Duct Tape. For the things you can’t fix.
- Hammer.
- Caulk. Leaks happen.
- Jumper Cables.
- Lighter.
- Flashlight.
- Screw Driver.
- Shovel.
- Spare Tire & Jack.
- Extra Fuses.
- Items from your build. We brought picture wire to repair any of our curtains, extra velcro for the window covers, and small nails in case we needed to repair any walls.
Van Life Essentials for Entertainment
Okay, maybe these aren’t essential for van dwelling…but they make life on the road much more fun! This part of the list all depends on the kind of activities you plan on doing while on the road.
General Van Life Packing List
When it comes to packing, everyone is different. Personally, I dress very casual and athletic. On our last 3-month road trip, I didn’t bring anything that wasn’t stretchy. So, I’m not going to tell you what to wear. But here are a few general packing essentials you should bring no matter what your travel style is.
- Rain Shell.
- Toiletries. (Toothbrush, paste, deodorant, etc.)
- Lotion.
- Sunscreen/Aloe.
- Sunglasses.
- Anti-Itch Cream. For insect bites.
- Hiking Boots.
- Warm Insulated Coat.
- Earplugs.
2 Things You Do Not Need for Van Life
I’ve spent the last several thousand words explaining all the essentials for van life, but here are a few things we were recommended by others that we literally never used.
Sheets
Our bed converts into a table. Because of this putting sheets over our cushions that already have removable covers seems like a pain in the ass and overkill. It turned out to be more effort than it’s worth.
Electric Kettle or Water Boiler
We thought this was an essential van life item. But it turns out that they use SO much electricity it was more convenient to boil water on the stove top rather than waste our precious electrical juices.
Converting Your Own Van?
You’re in for a wild ride. We spent three months demolishing and then rebuilding our 1994 Dodge Ram Van & since we had absolutely no experience we definitely made A LOT of mistakes along the way.
Some of the most helpful van build sites we used (aside from random Youtube vids) were:
Van Life Power Essentials
Power has always been a huge sore spot for us. Mostly because we made the mistake of not opting for solar. But Bluetti Portable Power Stations are the solution for everyone.
The EB55 will extend your power supply a few days on its own (a huge plus when going off-grid) but it also connects easily to solar panels making it the perfect way to upgrade your rig + allow you to recharge without leaving the woods.
Van Life Road Trip Inspiration
Confession. We’re part time van lifers. We hit the road for a few months at a time on long term road trips. These are some of our favorite road trips to date.
- Great American Foodie Road Trip.
- US National Park Road Trip.
- Utah’s Big 5 National Parks.
- Oregon’s Highway 101.
- North Cascades National Park Itinerary.
- South Dakota Road Trip.
- Florida Road Trip.
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