Essentials for Van Life

When we got our camper van we purchased it already converted you can read more on the spec of the van and upgrades we have made here.

For our first trips we would load up with things from in the house but soon realised our preference was to not have to move things to and from the house so we gradually started getting things that we leave in the van. The idea is that we are basically good to go whenever we want!

Our Van Essentials

Here are some of the items we have purchased that we use on every trip and find super useful:

• Vango double sleeping bag – this was a bit of an impulse purchase as we had started by loading up the van with our duvet and pillows from home and then saw this in the bargain bin at Go Outdoors. This is a double sleeping bag and has another layer that you can either use as a mattress topper or for extra warmth. I have to say we love this sleeping system and it was a great investment.
• 230V electric cable – to use when we are on sites and require electric hook up. However, we do have solar panels and have found we can camp for quite some time without the need for electric hook up but this is still good to have in the van just in case.
• Mains convertor lead – to use with the electric cable.
• Gas bottle – we don’t keep ours in the van when we are not using it but necessary for using the hob. They come in many different sizes so we opted for one that sites nicely in the cupboard out of the way.
• Thule Levelers – these are amazing for when you have a pitch that may be on uneven ground and allows you to position under the wheels to make sure the van is level (and yes we have a spirit level in the van to check ha ha).
• Fire extinguisher – for obvious reasons, compact and made for car/van use.
• First aid kit – as above.
• Carbon monoxide smoke alarm – you are cooking and using gas in a confined space so this is an essential in our view.
• Plates/Cups/Glasses – we opted for melamine as it is durable and easy to clean and also got ours from Dunelm as we found the difference in price with normal shops and camping specific shops to be a lot.
• Cutlery – we purchased some bamboo travel sets, which have been useful although we also got some stainless steel sets too as the wood is not best for all food.
• Kitchen utensils – my husband stumbled on a travel set and it is perfect, and stores away neat and tidy.
• Pots/pans – we have a small saucepan but also found a pan from Ridgeway, which is multi function and means we can make most things when in the van.
• Camping mug – this has been with me on the bike also. I have one that I picked up in Starbucks but there are many out there that serve the same purpose.
• Kettle – call me old fashioned but I love the sound of the kettle whistling when the water is boiled. My husband is more of a coffee drinker so we also have a hob top single cup coffee maker.
• Windscreen wrap – once pitched this is an inexpensive way of covering the windscreen and keeping out light when sleeping and adding some more privacy for when you are in the van itself.
• Tyre inflator – this is for the obvious times you may need to inflate tyres but also for terrain where you may wish to deflate slightly for better ground coverage and traction.
• Recovery tracks – these are more one of those items you hope you will not need but ground is not always even and these can help if you end up on terrain where tyres get stuck.
• Tupperware – we keep a lot of non-perishable goods in the van like coffee, tea bags, snacks and have these in tupperware containers to save any spills and keep them fresh. Plus they are easy to store and fit easily in the cupboards.
• Cupboard essentials – things like fry light, washing up liquid we also keep in the cupboard.
• Thule straps – we also attached Thule straps to keep certain things in place like the gas bottle and other items.
• Chairs – we have a captains chair and also the bench seat but it is nice to sit outside and we purchased two chairs that we keep strapped in the boot area.