What to pack for Van Life | Squeezing your life into a Campervan

We are not usually ones to jump on a band wagon but when the wagon is so damn awesome, it’s too hard to refuse. You know what we are talking about, VAN LIFE. It’s taken the world by storm and for an extremely good reason. Hands down the best way to spend your days… If you’re into that sort of stuff!

And with the economy going hay wire, it’s the cheapest house you can buy! Not to mention the stellar views you wake up to almost every day. We should be down selling the Van Life so that we have less competition for the epic destinations we encounter, but we’re too nice for that.

There is one thing, however, that could hinder you in your decision to go the van way. And that would be if you have no idea where to start on what to pack for van life. Thats why we are here, to help you. Firstly, read our Van Conversion and then come back to find out what we would pack in that beautifully renovated home on wheels for an extended road trip.

THE TOYS

So we will start with the most important subject for any road trip…

This list will be different for everybody but no less important. When converting your van, make sure to start with where you want to keep your toys. For us, the most crucial thing was to keep our bikes inside. This limited the amount of space we had for our kitchen, but looking back we wouldn’t change our decision, if only for the peace of mind we have knowing they’re safe! Our surfboards and snowboards also needed a cozy nook. Here is every toy we’ve brought and its purpose;

MOUNTAIN BIKES

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If you haven’t realised, we are mad about bikes and wouldn’t go anywhere without them.

SURFBOARDS & SNOWBOARDS

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Luckily these two activities alternate because we don’t have space for both at the same time. On one hand we are shredding Thredbo Mountain and on the other we are carving the surf.

SKATEBOARDS

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For those lazy, bored afternoons in a beach car park when the waves are poor.

SNORKELS & FLIPPERS

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The incredible Australian beaches have some amazing snorkelling opportunities. You can pick up a cheap set at Anaconda, something we strongly recommend for every traveller.

YOGA MATS

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We need to loosen those muscles after biking and surfing somehow.

SAFETY

This is one topic that may seem like a hindrance to think about but one in which is extremely important. We decided to treat safety with the same principle as a condom. “You’d rather have one and not need it, than need it and not have one”.

Alright, we’ll attempt to be serious for a moment… Safety, especially on the road, is so important. Something that you’ll surely think about but may overlook some essential items. This list will be subjective to where you’re travelling, how old your vehicle is and what is packed inside.

The biggest debate we had was whether we needed an emergency device, a satellite phone or both. The pro’s and con’s of both are extensive and there is loads of information online. For us we chose an emergency device, as the only reason we would want a satellite phone would be for break-downs in out of service areas. However, we are equipped with 150ltrs of water and two bikes, enabling us to travel to reception or camp out for a while and wait for help. If you aren’t set up for camping remotely for a while, we would recommend getting a satellite phone. You could be waiting a very long time on some of the outback roads before someone drives by to help! You can hire the phones and emergency devices, or buy them outright. The company that we would recommend for their wide range and amazing customer service is Epirb Hire. This is our list of all the safety equipment we carry;

FIRST AID KIT

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What is essential in your first aid kit will depend on the activities you do. You can buy these online and customise them to suit your needs. However, a trauma kit for car crashes would be something we would never travel without. Our kit is small enough to take on our hikes, which is another important factor when buying one. These are the main things included in out kit;

• Asthma pump (great for tic’s).
• Trauma kit.
• Sporting compression bandage (can be used as a snake bite bandage also).
• Regular bandages.
• Peroxide and waterproof patches (don’t underestimate these items if you ride bikes, by far the most used part of our kit thanks to Dylan).

EPIRB

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which can also be called a PLB (Personal Locator Device). These will help ease your worried mind in sticky situations.

150L WATER CAPACITY

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this sometimes seems like an overkill but if you’re stranded in the dry Aussie outback, you’d be thankful!

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE

This follows closely with safety in our eyes. You could have all the safety equipment available but if you can’t give your car the quick fix it needs, that could be the difference of life or death. Ok a little dramatic, but at least you’re getting the importance of knowing a thing or two about your car before you set off. Here is everything we’ve got to get ourselves out of trouble;

CAR JACK AND WHEEL WRENCH

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These should come with every car but we recommend you check where they’re located.

TOOL BOX

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We have a standard set of tools including a socket set, screw drivers, different forms of pliers, allen keys, spanners, adjustable wrench’s and CABLE TIES (don’t underrate these babies).

JUMP STARTER

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Personally we don’t own one of these bad boys as our secondary batteries have the ability to jump start our starter battery.

JUMPER LEADS

The bare minimum you should carry to get yourself or a fellow traveller out of an unfortunate event. Luckily for us our batteries have the CCA rating (cold cranking amps ability) to start little old Percy’s motor.

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SPARE WHEEL

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Yep, we know this is obvious but have you checked its condition?

OIL & JERRY CANS

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These are not a necessity, but if you plan on travelling to remote destinations it may be a smart idea.

KITCHEN

Food is life. At least for us it is. We love to make extravagant meals and living the Van Life is no different. Thats why we’ve made sure to have enough room to fit all the essential items, which include;

MINIPRESSO

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If food is life, then coffee is HEAVEN! Our minipresso is the perfect camping coffee machine, working entirely through a pressure pump requiring only hand power. All you need is boiling water and your favourite ground coffee.

JACKEROO 3 BURNER GAS STOVE

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This is Coleman’s Aussie brother and works an absolute treat. Being a 3 burner, you have room to cook up a storm and the built in wind barriers prevent any chance of flame failure.

WEBBER BABY Q

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As much as the Jackaroo is amazing, nothing beats having a BBQ. Especially for a juicy steak!

360 FURNO STOVE

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This mini burner which uses butane gas is perfect for those quick mandatory roadside coffee stops. Also overnight hikes are more bearable with hot evening meals.

9KG GAS BOTTLES

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We have two of these because running out in the middle of no where would be a catastrophe for our tummy’s!

BUSHMAN DC130-X FRIDGE

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As we said, we love food and needed the biggest fridge/freezer we could which didn’t use a heap of electricity. This one is as quiet as a mouse and very resourceful.

LARGE & SMALL POTS

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We love making large one-pot-wonders with left overs. Lucky we have the big fridge hey?

LARGE & SMALL FRY PANS

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If you’ve got the room, it’s always good to have more than one of everything.

STRAINER

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Don’t underestimate these. Have you ever tried to drain rice without one?? Not fun.

CAMPING TOASTERS

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These are great and work perfectly toasting our sourdough on the gas burner.

KETTLE

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We couldn’t resist getting a whistling kettle and we don’t regret our decision! Better than waking up to birds tweeting.

CROCKERY & CUTLERY

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We aren’t going to tell you how many of each to take, but melamine plates have been our best friend and having more than two of everything has also been great for those lazy moments.

UTENSILS

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We have almost everything a usual household would have and can honestly say we’ve used every single thing. We wouldn’t recommend skimping on tongs, wooden spoons and the likes as it makes your life so much easier to have what you need.

A SHARP KNIFE

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If you’re planning to live the Van Life, buy yourself a good knife. You’ll be using it a lot and will get fed up quickly if you’re wasting time on hacking through everything!

WINE & BOTTLE OPENER

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Have you ever tried opening a corked wine bottle without one? It’s an adventure in itself, one that could cost you the wine.

STORAGE TUBS & CROCHET HANGING BAGS

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It’s going to get hot in your van! Avoid leaving many veggies in the cupboards, as they sweat and attract flies which produce maggots! Trust us, we’ve experienced this. You also need to be careful of rats and ants, so even on shelves use sealable tubs. We’ve also got ourselves a crochet fruit bag for some of our less perishable fruit and vegetables, in this they can still air and don’t get too hot.

CAMPING SET UP

We love living the Van Life and love spending time in our little old Percy, but it can get claustrophobic sometimes – especially living with a smelly boy. Having an epic outdoor camp set up is a respite to having just one room to live in. And who doesn’t love a camp fire at night? Here’s our list;

CAMPING CHAIR

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We chose a double chair for two reasons. It’s easier to set up and pack away, and Candace is mad about cuddles. This way she wouldn’t end up trying to share a single chair with Dylan.

TABLE

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We started with a Sonnenberg roll up aluminium table which was quite painful to set up. An upgrade to a Lifetime Bi-fold blow mould trestle table was a smart choice. It even has three heights to choose from. However, if you’re strapped for room the Sonnenberg is nice and compact.

PICNIC RUG

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This is your choice entirely but saves a lot of dirt inside if you place it underneath your set up. And if you choose a funky looking one, your photos look all the more impressive.

AWNING

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This may be a budget breaker but oh so worth it. That summer heat or the rain falling can really dampen an afternoon without one.

AWNING SHADE

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This addition was perfect for a little privacy, as well as securing the Awning better in wind.

HAMMOCK

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Just allow this luxury for yourself. You’ll thank us. You can buy hammock hooks from Bunnings which work a treat on any tree.

OUTDOOR LIGHTS

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A necessity if you don’t want to attract bugs inside by using those lights. Adventure kings LEDs are our choice and come with magnets or velcro, perfect to attach to any part of your van or awning.

CITRONELLA CANDLE

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Do not underestimate your need for this! Theres only so much bug spray your skin can handle. We’ve got every bug you could possibly think of here in the land down under.

FLY SCREENS

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While we are on the subject of bugs, these fly screens work wonders. Especially on those stifling days where you cannot cope with the doors closed.

ENTERTAINMENT

As much as you may love your travel buddy, some entertainment when you don’t want to talk anymore could save you from a good old fashioned tiff caused by boredom. Remember, you’re planning to live in each others pockets!

BOOKS

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Make sure to leave enough room for a book shelf. Or get yourself a kindle, an amazing travel companion.

CARDS

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Even if you’re not a keen card player, its a great way to meet new friends or while away a few hours.

BOARD GAMES

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We aren’t big on board games but having a couple for a rainy day is always good. Especially funny ones like Pictionary.

UE BOOM 2

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Who doesn’t love listening to music? This is one of our top priorities. We’ve even got a sony XB10 for back up. (I swear we do still enjoy talking to each other…)

LAPTOPS

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These are also used for work of course, but keeping a couple of movies on there doesn’t hurt.

PHOTO COLLECTION

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Make sure you take plenty of hilarious pictures and videos! You’d be surprised how much fun it is re-visiting old memories and laughing at yourself.

TOILETRIES

Yes, we have a shower and we plan to use it… once in a while. It chews through our precious water like nothing else. So when we can’t afford to drain our supply, we go back to basics. And there are some things we will never travel without;

BABY WIPES

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A lifesaver at the best of times. You can even use these gems to clean up a disgusting mess in your van.

DEODORANT

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Obvious but oh so important when you’re living so close to one another. Dylan tries to get out of it all the time. And succeeds!

DRY SHAMPOO

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Ladies, this is gold. Who wants to have to wash their hair on a regular basis? This stuff can get you through the good part of two weeks!

SEA TO SUMMIT ALL-IN-ONE DETERGENT

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This works for clothes, body, hair and dishes. And it’s environmentally friendly!

TOOTHBRUSH

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Obvious? Yeah we couldn’t resist putting it in anyway!

COMFORT

These are some of the things you could probably live without, but when deciding what to pack for Van Life, why would you? We’ve added a couple of obvious ones here too, we don’t know how much you’re counting on our list to pack with and we wouldn’t want to lead you astray;

FAIRY LIGHTS

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Give us a reason why not? They’re cute and have a great way of setting the mood.

FAN & AIR COOLER

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This is a trip around Australia remember? We started out with just a fan but have now upgraded to an air cooler as well. It works spectacularly when you’re fighting over the optimum position for the fan flow.

JOOLCA HOTTAP

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Our hot water system and shower. This was a luxury that we splurged on and are so grateful for. Especially for the fact that we are more often than not covered in mud from mountain biking.

HOME MADE SHOWER CURTAIN

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This was an addition that was brought in after a near miss situation. We thought we had a place to ourselves, only to discover it was quite a popular destination. This is our home-made edition made from a piece of wood, a hula hoop, a shower curtain, cable ties and magnets!

POP UP PRIVACY TENT

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Scratch the above, we tried and failed. With our tails between our legs we succumbed to buying one.

CAMERA GEAR

Our list of camera gear is fairly small right now but we intend for it to grow very soon. You’ll either be surprised by what we can do with the photos from these devices… Or you’ll realise why they’re not amazing.

DJI SPARK

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Our truely beloved Sparky (drone). These babies are gold. Quite small but still does the trick. We’ve only almost lost him a couple times in windy situations.

GOPRO HERO 7 BLACK

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We were surprised with the quality of the videos we can make with the hero 7 black, especially with the stabiliser. The one thing it lacks is landscape photos, but we expected that.

GOOGLE PIXEL 3A SMARTPHONE

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This takes better than exceptional photos for its price. For now it does what the GoPro cannot.

BITS & PIECES WE CAN’T THINK OF A CATEGORY FOR

CHARGERS

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Make sure to think of all the charging cables you need. After all, we live in a digital world these days.

PAPER MAP

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If you’re going anywhere near the west of Australia, don’t expect to have service everywhere. A map or a road atlas may save you from many wrong turns!

DUSTPAN & BRUSH

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For such a small space, this little home gets dirty so quickly.

EXPEDITION TENT

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Some places just can’t be seen in one day, or aren’t accessible by car. And for that, a tent is needed.

SLEEPING BAGS & LINERS

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The above may get a tad cold without these.

HIKING PACKS

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We’ve got a large pack for overnight hikes as well as two smaller ones for day trips.

CLOTHES

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If you ask Dylan, he will say 1 t-shirt, 1 pair of shorts and maybe a couple of undies…. If you ask Candace, she will say your whole wardrobe and more! So we will leave this one up to you, with one tip from Dylan – half of what you think, then HALVE IT AGAIN!

HEAD TORCHES

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Those toilets can be a fair way away from the car sometimes.

DOUG THE TOILET SHOVEL

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And for when those toilets are too far away. This could save you from a very uncomfortable situation.

Now that you’ve read our Van Conversion post and what to pack for Van Life, you’ve got no excuse not to do this for yourself! Please tell us in the comments below what else we should be packing in our cosy little home.