There is no need to give up everything you enjoy when you move from an apartment or house to a camper van. It is because I live in my van, full time that I know this for sure. In the last few months, I have spent a lot of time looking for the best van living accessories. I was able to make my van into a comfortable and pleasant small house on wheels because of these things.
To help you decide what to put in your van, I put together this list of the x things that will make your life easier when you’re on the road in your van. The best part is that all of them cost less than a hundred bucks.
1.A daypack.
You’ll need this if you’re going to be off and on the van a lot. This will keep your things safe (like a book, lotion, a sweater, wipes, etc). You can throw all your things into it quickly if you want to go for a short hike or just want to do any important stuff by the roadside. If you look around, you can get it for $20.
2.Packing Cubes.
Every blogger and their mother seem to be talking about packing cubes these days. But, one thing is for sure, the hype is real. These things are so cool! They just help me stay very organised and make things fit better than if I just threw them in a bag on the go.
Even more so in van life, where everything must be kept in its place or things will get messy and disorganized quickly. Then, it’s also much easier to grab the packing cube you need while you’re changing, rather than having to shuffle through a lot of clothes when you change. Shopping for cheap packing cubes is easy. You don’t have to spend more than $50 on them.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife Essentials
3.A good toiletry bag.
In most cases, you’ll be going to public or camp bathrooms to brush your teeth and wash your face. Make sure you have a good, waterproof toiletry bag that you can quickly grab and go with! Double-check that it’s waterproof, because if something spills, you don’t want to clean up a huge mess. You can easily find it for less than $30.
4.Waterproof shoes.
Based on what you’re going to do and the weather, you’ll need either waterproof sandals or waterproof hiking shoes for your outdoor trips. This is one of the most important things to have. Despite the fact that waterproof shoes can cost a lot of money, you can also get some for less than $100.
5.Slip-On Shoes.
If you want to go outside quickly, slip-on shoes are better than hiking shoes or sandals that take no more than five seconds to put on. If you need to go to the bathroom in the woods and it’s an emergency, slip-on shoes are best. There are very cheap and you could easily get it for less than 100 dollars.
6.Shower Shoes.
Even though you don’t know what kind of dirt might be on the floor of a public shower, quick-drying shower shoes are a must. Cheap flipflops are all you need. You don’t need anything more fancy. These flip-flops have holes on the bottom, which makes them dry a little faster. They are usually cheap, and you could get one for less than $100.
7.Some sort of hat.
You will travel through a lot of different places and all thanks to climate change, weather can turn around in a couple of hours. You really never know what can happen! If you can’t shower for a few days and your hair is a little oily, hats can help. You don’t need anything fancy, and you could get them for less than $30.
8.Comfortable Pants.
Even, if you don’t want to pee and poop many times a day, you’ll want pants that don’t put pressure on your stomach when you sit down for a long time. If you look hard enough, you can find it for less than $100.
There are a lot of yoga leggings from Old Navy and H&M that you’ll love. You can wear them for bedtime or in the summer. I packed gym capris, high-rise jeans, all of which are fine for everyday use, but not so great when you’re on a two-hour road trip and have to hold your pee until you reach a rest stop. This is why I didn’t pack any pants that were too tight.
9.Car Charger.
You can always get one from the garage at the last minute, but you’ll spend too much money and it’ll most likely break.
It’s important for everyone to have a USB charger with them at all times.
If you have a power bank, you need to remember to charge it, or it will be useless.
It’s important to keep your USB gadgets charged while you’re driving. Make sure you choose a charger that is both durable and long-lasting, too. For two hours, you think your phone is being charged. Then 20 minutes into this trip on a rough road, you find out that the plug is broken. If you don’t want to spend a lot of money, car chargers are cheap. If you look hard enough, you can find it for less than $100.
10.Bluetooth Speaker.
A lot of people don’t think about this but a Bluetooth speaker is extremely important for the entertainment aspect of the journey.
If you don’t plan to use your speaker for a lot of people, you can buy a cheap one, or you can spend more money on a high-quality one that is waterproof, strong, and very easy to move around.
Netflix nights and campfires are great places to use a speaker. You’ll keep using one even after your vacation is over, so it won’t be a waste of money to buy one now. It can be bought for less than $100.
11.Power Banks.
Most people (including, most likely, you, if you’re reading this) use their phones every day.
Because today’s smartphones don’t last as long as old Nokia phones did, you’ll likely need to charge your phone at least once a day to keep it going.
You may only be able to use your electricity when you are driving or when the engine is turned on.
When you’re out, you can use your phone all day long without having to worry about running out of battery life before you get back to your van or vehicle. A power bank also lets you do this.
Most likely, you’ll be using your phone for a lot of different things during the day. You’ll likely be taking pictures, using it to navigate, and even paying for things. It’s important to have a lot of battery life. Power banks are now very cheap, and you can get one for less than $100.
12.Global Mobile Hotspot.
People these days can’t do anything without help from the internet. Some people hate it, but others love the fact that they can stay connected at all times. You can get one for a lot less money than $100.
I think it’s very important to be able to connect to the internet when you’re on the road.
Whether you’re alone or with your partner, there are a lot of things to watch out for.
Most of the places you’ll see when you go on a road trip are likely to be far from civilization, so be ready for that.
I think it’s good to have access to emergency hotlines, friends and family back home, and even Google if you need an answer quickly to a very important question.
When you’re 100 miles away from the next town, having the internet as a back-up is very comforting.
Then, when you’ve pulled into a parking space for the night, it’s also easy to download movies, listen to music, and look for recipes.
People who live in a van enjoy having fun and being able to do what they want. If that means looking at Instagram for an hour before going to bed, WiFi lets them do that.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife Essentials
13.Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer.
People who live in a campervan will have felt the need of hand sanitizers at some point during their journey. Bring some hand sanitizer in your car because you’ll be hiking, setting up campfires, and maybe even working on your car. This way, you can quickly kill germs without using up limited water resources.
It’s also a good idea to quickly wipe down your steering wheel, door handles, and other things that you use every day. Bacteria grows quickly, and you don’t want to be sick on vacation.
It’s also possible that public restrooms on parts of a deserted road won’t have soap, so it’s better to clean up with your own hand sanitizer to avoid getting dirty.
14.Van Tool Set.
It doesn’t matter how much you’ve been around the world, living in a van can be a lot of work. It’s important to keep your independence because you aren’t at home, and you need to be able to fix any problems that come up.
Check to make sure you can do important things like changing a light bulb and tightening loose knobs and hinges before you leave.
Before you go on a trip, make sure you know how to drive and use your tools. This way, you won’t get stressed out when things go wrong. The van tool set is very handy and you should not compromise on it. You don’t have to get a very expensive one as even below $100 one will get your job done.
15.Reusable water bottle.
Despite the fact that everyone knows that plastic is bad, a lot of people keep buying single-use water bottles.
Having a lot of water on hand while you’re on the road is very important. Also, make sure you drink a lot of water every day while you’re on the road.
Most long trips happen in the summer, which makes it easy to get dehydrated, especially if your car gets hot and stuffy.
When you buy a good, long-lasting, high-quality water bottle, you can make a big difference. There are no longer any reasons to do what you did. It’s important to be able to fill both your tank and your bottle at the same time.
Campsites and caravan parks will always have a steady supply of potable water. Not all water that is portable is good for drinking, but campsites and caravan parks will always have a steady supply of portable water. You can easily get them for less than 20 bucks.
16.Camping Chairs.
Most people who live in a van want to spend a lot of time outside.
All kinds of outdoor activities happen on a road trip. You’ll need some sturdy seats to eat and drink outside, as well as to play games and even cook (campfire smores, anyone?). Camping chairs can be stored in a small space when they’re not in use. Choose ones that are lightweight and easy to fold up. If you look hard enough, you can find it for less than $100. Don’t select the ones without cupholders.
17.Solar Lights.
If you’re not an experienced RVer, it’s very likely that you won’t have enough light for those times when you want to relax in the fresh air.
Grab a pair of these solar-powered lights so that you can have a supper outside or just to help you find the bathroom. As long as they are portable and are waterproof, you could even take them swimming in the dark to have some fun!
Because they are inflatable, their small size and ease of use are because they are small and easy to use. They are usually cheap, and you can get one for less than $100.
18.Head Torch.
When you live in a van, an LED head lamp might come in handy. For example, when you need to go to the bathroom at night or when the battery runs out of power, for example.
It will be a lifesaver if you have electrical problems in your car and need to get through the evenings without taking a break. A rechargeable head lamp will be very useful. Before you use it, make sure it’s fully charged. If you look hard enough, you can find it for less than $100.
Related Link: Kev’s Vanlife Essentials
