Campervan Essentials | Complete Packing List for Van Life

Two years ago we boxed up everything in our apartment. That meant going through every single drawer and deciding if an item was coming with us in the van, getting packed up and put in storage, or if we were just getting rid of it.

For van life novices, that was a daunting task.

We had to downsize dramatically, we had to do it pretty quickly, and we had no real way of knowing if something should stay or go.

The very last night of our lease turned into a semi-frantic race to clear out cabinets and closets. Things were getting packed into every nook and cranny of our van and tensions starting running high.

But we made it work. And, after two years of full time life on the road, we've gone through several rounds of clearing out the unnecessary to make room for what's practical.

We want to share our list of essential van life gear, to help ease that burden of deciding what to bring with you as you set out to see the world. We've broken it down into the below categories, naming the items we wouldn't leave behind.

For a full, comprehensive roundup of everything we would pack, download our complete van life checklist.

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Table of Contents

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1. General Everyday Essentials
2. Kitchen Essentials
3. Cleaning & Organization
4. Download: Complete Packing List
5. Safety & Maintenance
6. Outdoor & Camp Essentials
7. Power & Electrical
8. Apps & Memberships

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Everyday Van Life Essentials

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Personal Documents

In this modern digital age it's easy to overlook the importance of having personal documents on hand while you're out living van life.

It will, after all, be your home, so remember to bring along any important paperwork you'd normally keep around. That includes your passport, social security card, birth certificate, insurance cards, vehicle registration and a valid, up to date driver's license. Getting some of these documents while out on the road or updating them can be a hassle. Ask us how we know!

Consider having a physical copy of any emergency contact info as well. We rely so much on our phones these days, don't we?

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Money

Speaking of things we rely too much on: be sure to have at least one credit and debit card. We like to have a second option as well, but then again we're huge proponents of maximizing travel card rewards.

If you're curious, we strongly recommend Chase Ultimate Rewards cards, specifically the Sapphire Reserve and Sapphire Preferred. When we do book flights, we rarely pay out of pocket thanks to sign up bonuses and points earned on regular spending.

Keep some cash around, as well as quarters, which will come in handy at the laundromat, or if you’re paying for showers.

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Electronics

Obviously, you'll need a means of navigating all the time. A phone is more than capable enough, so continue on to the end where we suggest a few navigation (and specialty) apps.

To keep your electronics alive, have a small collection of appropriate cables and a quality charging bank. We use rechargeable AA and AAA batteries for things like our headlamps, computer mice, and a small kitchen scale.

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Water

It doesn't really get more essential than water, so let's discuss all the items we use to collect and purify it.

We prefer an expandable hose because of how compact they become for storage. Any time we're hooking up to a water source, even if it's considered potable, we attach our RV water filter, just to be sure we're catching any sediment and keeping contaminants out of our fresh water tank. A tank filling nozzle with a shutoff valve is super convenient and helps avoid spills.

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The Water Bandit is helpful when you encounter non-threaded water connections and a water key is our emergency insurance, in case we ever need to access a water source that requires it.

You might be surprised how often this collapsible bucket comes in handy. It can be used for collecting water, disposing of gray water, or putting out your campfire, and it packs down really small.

Lastly, all of our drinking water is filtered through a Hydroviv under sink filter. Installation of it was painless and swapping out a new filter is just as simple.

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Other Daily Essentials

Here's a list of things we use every single day in the van that make our lives easier and more comfortable:

Insulated window covers | For our Ford Transit we chose custom magnetic covers from VanEssential. They also sell them for the Mercedes Sprinter and RAM ProMaster.

Phone mount | We've always been a fan of models that attach to your AC vent, rather than obstructing windshield views.

Toilet | Well, it's a daily essential isn't it? We've been very pleased with our Air Head composting toilet. Other popular options for van life are the Nature's Head composting toilet or Cuddy by Compo Closet.

Chamois cloth | Condensation build up is an unavoidable reality. A chamois cloth is a simple solution when you wake up and your front windows are completely fogged up on a chilly morning.

Leveling blocks | Alright, so fortunately we don't need leveling blocks every single day, but your experience may differ. We can usually get the van comfortably level, but when we need these we're really glad to have them.

Projector | Our substitute for a big bulky TV is this ultra compact and rechargeable projector from Kodak.

Bluetooth speaker | We sometimes pair the projector with our Bluetooth speaker for better sound quality, or just use it for music.

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Kitchen Essentials

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Fridge

Our kitchen was built around our fridge because it's one area we didn't want to sacrifice space or convenience. When shopping for your ideal fridge make sure to look for a 12v compressor unit, rather than a thermoelectric or three-way fridge. They're more efficient and don't need to be kept perfectly level.

We've been really happy with our TruckFridge 130 liter model, however they're regularly sold out or backordered. A good alternative might be the Indel B Cruise 130 or Dometic NRX 130S. Dometic also makes a variety of very popular top loading coolers if you prefer that over a front loading fridge.

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Cooktop

Whether you choose to carry propane for your cooking or go the all-electric route like we did, you'll need a cooktop.

We have a single burner induction unit that's worked flawlessly for two years.

If you'd rather go with gas, check out this Dometic drop-in double burner or the sleek looking RecPro options.

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Ninja Foodi

We supplement our induction cooktop with this all-in-one appliance by Ninja. In fact, we actually use this way more often than the cooktop. It can bake, sauté, air fry, pressure cook and more.

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Other Kitchen Essentials

A few other kitchen items that we use all the time:

Collapsible dish drying container | Counter and sink space is extremely valuable in a van. After a year of washing our dishing and then leaving them on the counter to dry, we picked up this compact lifesaver.

Cutting boards | Another space saver: flat and flexible cutting boards.

Ice cube tray with cover | If your fridge includes a freezer section, do yourself a favor and buy an ice cube tray with a snap on lid.

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Cleaning & Organization

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Vacuum

Yet another hard lesson learned in the van: we thought we'd get by with a small handheld broom and dust pan.

Yeah, right. We upgraded to this small (but surprisingly good) rechargeable vacuum and have never looked back.

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Packing cubes

Compression packing cubes keep everything more organized and save lots of space inside cabinets or drawers.

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Scrubba Wash Bag

Sometimes it's not convenient to go seek out a laundromat or you just need to clean an item or two. The Scrubba wash bag makes it really easy and efficient to get a little bit of laundry done.

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Complete Campervan Packing List

Don't forget a single item by using our complete Campervan Packing List.

It includes all of the essentials you're reading about, but dives much deeper. We've included all the items we bring on the road with us, broken down by category, with links to all the recommendations we've personally used during two years of full-time van life.

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Safety & Maintenance

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Recovery boards

Self sufficiency is often necessary while living in a van. Getting yourself out of a sticky situation begins with having the right tools. For those moments that are literally sticky, or slushy, or sandy, you should have recovery boards ready to go. MAXTRAX are the most popular brand, if you don't mind paying a premium, but we've found that Bunker Industries have great reviews and are much more affordable.

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Jack

A high quality jack is also a good investment. That dusty old one that came with the van.. you know, the one you've never used.. might not actually do the job when it counts.

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Jump pack & cables

We've used jumper cables for ourselves and we've used them to help others out. But if we were stuck somewhere with no one else around, we'd break out our jump pack and still be able to get the van started.

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Tire pump

The vehicle's not going anywhere with a flat tire, so in addition to making sure you have a reliable spare, bring a portable air pump.

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Snow chains or socks

Since they're required in most places out west that see significant snow, it can actually be against the law to travel without traction devices. Rather than hauling bulky heavy chains, we opted for snow socks, which are also approved in every state.

Socks can provide just as much traction and be easier to put on, but they'll wear out faster. If you drive in the snow frequently, chains may be a better long term choice. Also, be sure to purchase the right size for your own tires and practice getting them on before the snow falls.

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Other safety & maintenance essentials

First aid kit | Basic first aid supplies are just a good idea. Get a full kit to cover all your bases, or buy a small packable one that can pull double duty on hikes.

Headlamp | Another tool that will help around the van and in the outdoors is a nice, bright headlamp.

Collapsible shovel | A shovel can help you dig out of snow or sand and is also useful for properly putting out your campfire.

Basic toolkit | Even if you're no mechanic, it's a good idea to have some basic hand tools for simple DIY repairs.

Long handled scraper & snow brush | Our van is 10 feet tall, so having an extra long, telescoping handle helps us clean off windows and brush snow off our solar panels in the winter.

Fire extinguisher | Yes, we've had to use it. No, fortunately it wasn't our own vehicle. Cheap insurance that could save your entire van.

Garmin inReach | Again, if you're an avid hiker or backpacker, this one could serve multiple purposes. When you're off-grid and there's no cell signal, the Garmin inReach puts you in touch with family or friends and can transmit an SOS signal for emergency rescue.

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Outdoor & Camp Essentials

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Camp table

We actually built a small table that's integrated into our bed. You could easily do the same by picking up a set of folding legs, but it will shorter than a standard table. Ours works perfectly with our camp chairs (below).

For something a bit larger, check out this folding table that still packs up nicely.

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Camp Chairs

Our Cliq chairs have held up for many years, they're comfortable, and really easy to set up or put away, while using up hardly any storage space.

A really lightweight option that you could also take backpacking is the Helinox Chair Zero.

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Towels

For an everyday towel, we just use a standard bath towel. But, when we're spending time outdoors, soaking in a natural hot spring, or hiking up to an alpine lake, we want something quick drying and packable. Our Laek adventure towels check those boxes and they look super cool. You can save 20% on them with our code LORJOR20.

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Power & Electrical

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Solar panels

Solar power is definitely a must-have in any van life setup. It's basically free electricity with minimal upfront costs.

The simplest way to start collecting solar is with something like these Renogy foldable panels. Just point them at the sun and plug in whatever devices you need to charge.

For a more robust system, you'll want to mount several panels to your roof, wire them together, and use a solar charge controller to keep a battery bank charged. Check out our full van tour to see more details on the electrical system we installed.

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Batteries

At a minimum, we'd recommend having at least one battery. That way, you can store up solar energy while you're getting it, then power or charge other devices later. Lithium batteries are more expensive, but the best option in our opinion.

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DC-DC Charger

We also strongly recommend a DC-DC charger, also known as an alternator charger. Basically, it takes some of the power from your vehicle's alternator while the engine is running and charges your battery bank. Without one, we'd be giving up a lot of additional power anytime we drive.

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Inverter

Having an inverter is necessary when you want to charge anything with a standard 120V household plug. We run everything in our kitchen on electric, so we have a beefy 3000W inverter/charger. It also enables us to plug into shore power and charge our batteries at a campground or someone's house.

For more limited needs, you can get by just fine with a smaller inverter. If you'll be charging a laptop or other sensitive electronics, look for the term 'pure sine wave' inverter, so you don't damage them.

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All in one power station

If reading all of the above gives you a slight headache, consider the option of just buying an all-in-one power station, like the ones from Ecoflow.

They combine lithium batteries and an inverter into one, and you can just plug your solar panels directly into them.

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Roof fan

Proper ventilation is a must in a campervan. Not only do roof fans help regulate the temperature, they pull moist air out of the metal box you're living in, which helps control condensation. Less condensation means less chance of rust. See why they're so important?

Hands down, the best choice is a MaxxAir fan.

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Heater

On the other end of the spectrum, a heater may be an essential piece of gear, depending on your environment.

We have a fairly complex hydronic heater that gives us both on-demand hot water and heating.

A more common, and slightly less complicated choice, is a diesel or gasoline air heater.

We would steer clear of catalytic style heaters, propane heaters, or anything with an open flame, which are not safe inside a vehicle.

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Starlink

Because we work from the road, we have two main options for connecting to the Internet. Starlink provides us with reliable, high speed connectivity even when we're out boondocking in the middle of nowhere (which is where we prefer to be).

It's pricey but, in this case, you get what you pay for. If you want to try it out, use our referral link and you'll get one month of free service.

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weBoost Cell Signal Booster

The second internet option we have is a WiFi hotspot that uses the T-Mobile network. That, paired with our weBoost cell signal booster, is sufficient for working from the road most of the time.

Our weBoost has pulled signal out of practically nowhere, giving us fast internet even when it looked like there was zero cell reception.

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Apps & Memberships

There are some really important van life essentials that you don't need to worry about hauling around.

They just live on your phone or in a membership card.

Seriously, we don't know how we'd do life on the road without the apps and memberships below:

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Harvest Hosts membership

Harvest Hosts is a network of farms, wineries, breweries, and other businesses that open up their property to the likes of us. There's an annual fee for access to the network and then, it's recommended that you spend about $30 with the owner in exchange for your overnight stay.

We've utilized it many times and stayed at some really unique locations. It's also super helpful when you're in a part of the country with fewer boondocking options.

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AAA or Good Sam membership

Roadside assistance is one of those things you hope to never need, but you're glad to have it when you do. AAA has gotten us out of some serious jams over the years. Some owners have reportedly been told their campervans weren't covered under a standard AAA membership. That can vary from club to club, so make sure to clarify the details when you go to sign up.

Good Sam also has a great reputation among the van and RV crowd. We haven't personally used them, but they cater directly to RV owners and some memberships even include campground discounts.

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America the Beautiful pass

Ok, so it's not a membership per-se, but an annual America the Beautiful pass is one of the most important things we keep in our van. Not only does it give you access to all the national parks, it covers day use fees at thousands of other federally managed locations, including national forests.

Visiting parks for just a few days out of the year easily pays off and makes this pass an incredible value.

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iOverlander

Now on to apps. iOverlander is how we find the majority of our overnight stays on the road. It's also really helpful in locating free water sources, dump stations, and more. The website is easy to navigate and filter out what you want to see. But most of the time we use it on our phones.

For years iOverlander has been providing incredible service to the community for free, through the work of volunteers and donations. Now, there are two versions of the app. iOverlander Legacy is the original, which is totally free and has no ads, but it's in the process of being phased out.

iOverlander 2 is the newest version. It includes ads but has an optional ad-free paid subscription. The paid subscription lets you download more info and save offline maps.

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Upside

Sometimes we're skeptical of apps or programs that offer rewards in exchange for purchases. But Upside is one of those almost too good to be true exceptions. So far we've earned back over $100.

We buy a lot of fuel. And any time we're ready to fill up we just check Upside for offers. They can range from a few cents per gallon to 10+ cents. We choose the offer we want, buy gas, and then a day or two later we get cash back in the app. It's really that simple.

You can cash out by having the money deposited into your bank account, PayPal, or choose from tons of gift cards.

Sign up using our referral code CH26X and you'll start off with an extra bonus on your first purchase.

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GasBuddy

A second fuel savings app we use is GasBuddy. It's similar to Upside, in that there are some cash back offers, which we take advantage of. But it's also really great for just showing you the best gas prices in your area. It relies on app users updating prices to give real time info.

Before filling up, we'll check GasBuddy for the lowest price, and then also see what offers are on Upside to really maximize our savings.

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AllTrails+ or Gaia GPS

For hiking, we're long time users of AllTrails. It has always served us well and with the added benefits of AllTrails+, you can download maps ahead of time and have an extra level of safety out in the wild.

We've also been playing with Gaia GPS and love the different map layers and level of detail. It helps us see exactly where boundaries are for BLM and USFS land, which is helpful for boondocking.

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Navigation & Travel apps

We've tried a few different navigation apps over the years, but Google Maps (despite sometimes driving us nuts and in the wrong direction) is still our go-to.

A couple other helpful apps we'll mention when navigating are: Highway Weather, which will give you the forecast all along your driving route, saving you from having to look it up in multiple locations.

Visitor Map from the USFS allows you to browse detailed maps of federal lands.

And the NPS app lets you download park information and maps for offline use.

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