It is fair to say that with over 4 years and 450 nights away in our van, we are quite adept at packing the van for a trip away. However just like many things in life, the job is never done to perfection and we are always finding ways to make things slightly better or easier each time we go away.
Back in the early days, we had a physical checklist that we used to ensure that we remembered all the essentials, but now we go more on intuition and experience.
General tips:
Never fully empty the van- essentials can stay in the van ready for a quick getaway. All of our cooking equipment stays in the van, along with our dried/tinned food stuff all year round. The gear that we keep in the garage area remains untouched unless we are making seasonal changes for our trip.
Use storage boxes to organise your belongings so that you know where they are in the van. We had our cupboard shelves designed to fit storage box sizes.
Have ready stocked wash bags ready to go. Having duplicates such as tooth brushes ensures you can leave your normal kit at home.
Try not to rely on borrowing stuff from your house, it is often best to have van only equipment for cooking and eating.
Just because the van has space doesn’t mean you have to fill it- we always go for the mantra of less is more. Campervan life is meant to be simple, you don’t need to replicate everyday life. Even now, we always return from trips with clothes that we have never worn- when will we ever learn?
Pack for the duration of the trip- a weekend trip has different requirements to a month long road trip.
Pack for the time of year- winter is a very different proposition to summer.
Clothes
We generally try to pack as little as possible as we always find that we come home with clothes that we still didn’t wear. Try to make sure that all of your clothes are layerable for added flexibility. We both love merino base layers- admittedly me more than Jackie. They are so versatile- keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer. The added benefit of merino is that it needs less washing and never smells! A good starting point list is:
Shorts x3.
Long trousers x3. Remember when jeans get wet, they stay wet forever!
T-shirts x5.
Long sleeved T-shirts x2.
Hoody/jumper x1.
Coat x1.
Walking boots/shoes x1.
Trainers x1.
Flip flops x1.
Underwear x7.
Socks x7.
Swimmers.
Sun Hat x1.
Cold weather gear- hat/gloves/scarf x1
Toiletries
We have a set of toiletries that are kept exclusively in the van- it saves on packing and also means that we rarely forget anything!
Deodorant.
Toothpaste and brush.
Shampoo & conditioner.
Nail clippers.
Wet wipes.
Towel x1- we prefer normal towels but they take a age to dry in a van. Microfibre camping towels are much more versatile but do not feel anywhere near as luxurious!
Shaving kit.
Brush.
Moisturiser.
Loo roll.
Health
First Aid kit- don’t get us wrong- you should have a well stocked first aid kit, but remember that in real emergencies you would always call an ambulance or see a doctor just like at home. Some schools of though would have you equipped to perform advanced surgery from your kit- it is just not needed. We have a small first aid kit that includes a range of plasters, antiseptic wipes, scissors, a few bandages and other bits and bobs that have served us well over the years.
Pain killers.
Sun cream.
Sanitary products.
Bug products- this is a must in the summer and as you will see it is one of our obsessions! We regularly use citronella candles, the strongest bug juice available at pharmacies, Avon’s skin so soft lotion (it really works!), bug juice blended sun cream, bug juice wipes for easy application and an amazing post-bite electronic zapper that takes the fire out of a bite. Even after all this WE STILL GET BITTEN!!! Such is campervan life in the summer!
Bedding
The big question for all campervaners is duvet or sleeping bag? It is fair to say that opinion is fiercely divided on this matter with no side wanting to concede defeat. Sleeping bags are ideal for space saving storage and speed of setting up the bed. Duvets are more comfortable and cosier- they are less constricted and provide more of a home comfort. For us- we are duvet all the way! There is no better feeling than cuddling up under the duvet on wet day with cup of tea! To solve the storage problem, we have a really simple and quick set up. We have a Duvalet mattress topper, with sheet and duvet. To pack this away we simply roll it all up towards the back of the van and then fold up the rock and roll bed. The bed roll is then tucked away at the back of the van all ready to roll out the following night.
Pillows- these are an absolute home comfort that are essential for a good nights sleep- don’t ever scrimp on taking your favourite pillows!
Laundry
Most campsites have great laundry facilities so be prepared to do a few wash and dries when on the road.
Washing powder/pods/liquid- we prefer liquid as you can hand wash clothes in a bucket if required, but pods are the easiest to carry in a small bag- you don’t need loads.
Bucket- also work well for emergency pee stops!
Washing line- to be fair, we don’t have one, we use our expensive bike rack as a great place to dry things!
Laundry bags- we haven’t tried this yet but intend to do so, as we have realised that using a plastic bag does not allow dirty clothes to breath and actually causes them to smell more!
Cleaning
There is no getting away from it, there is still lots of cleaning to do when you are away in a campervan.
Washing up liquid.
Collapsible bowl- we never use the sink in the van to wash up- it is simply too small and impractical. A collapsible bowl provides a space to store dirty washing outside the van until it is time to wash up.
Sponges & scouters- take loads- we seem to consume them way quicker than at home.
Antibacterial wipes- an absolute god send- particularly after cutting raw meat.
Tea towels x5
Drying towel- a great little invention that replaces the need for a draining rack for freshly washed dishes.
Dustpan and bush- one of the most used items in the van, particularly when near the beaches.
Microfibre cloths- invaluable and can be used for cleaning up, washing the van/windscreen or using in the shower as a flannel!
Kitchen equipment
We love to cook and like to cook fresh food so we use a lot of kit. If you are more into reheating food, you could get away with less.
Pans and frying pan- these can take up so much space, so we sourced a high quality stacking set of non-stick pans from Tefal. 4 years on and they are going strong with no sign of wear or tear.
Soft spoon- we use a silicone one as they stay claeanr than wooden ones. It doubles as our serving spoon, baking spoon and spatula.
Sharp knife- particularly for cutting meat.
Chopping board- we have a sentimental one made by my dad for us out of the offcuts from our van worktop.
Glasses- again, there is a real split in the campervan fraternity on this one about real vs plastic vs metal glasses. For us, we do not choose plastic as it is too much of a luxury to lose. We always carry 2 glass wine tumblers in a storage box that has kept them safe for 4 years without a breakage. We also have 2 metal thermos wine tumblers that we tend to take on picnics- they are very durable and more like glass than plastic!
Plates/bowls/mugs- another area for debate between plastic, enamel and real. We use higher quality picnic plates (3 large, 2 small) and bowls (2 large) that feel life real crockery and we travel with 2 real mugs and 2 metal mugs.
Cutlery- enough for 2 people and a bit of extra for guests!
Kettle- you can boil water in a pan, but a stove top kettle is easier. Ours is a cheap as chips version that is going strong after 4 years of daily use.
Coffee making is becoming one of my little obsessions. When on the road there is no greater time than to go through the ritual of making really good, fresh coffee. You could go for instant if you are that way inclined- I promise not to judge you. Alternatively, you can have a stove top espresso, a french press or a filter cone option open to you. We use all three depending on how we feel. The latest addition to our kit list is a portable grinder to make sure we have the freshest bean to cup experience available!
Outdoor cooking
If the weather allows, we always prefer to cook outdoors. It keeps the smells out of the van and gives us a more authentic camping experience.
Gas Cadac BBQ- we use this all the time and accept that cooking on gas is not true BBQ, but it is quick, easy and in the outdoors. We an use the Cadac to BBQ, cook on a normal hob burner and also use the pizza stone as an alternative to an oven. All of this runs of our LPG point on the van.
Compact coal BBQ- a cheap compact BBQ is always preferable to the disposable BBQs we see so often used. On a compact BBQ you can set the coals to your preference, use as much or as little coal as you need and cook in a way that everything isn’t incinerated!
Tech'
A Campervan trip should be a way to get away from the demands of modern life- but for many of us, we still have a tech need to keep our lives ticking along.
Smarphone and charger- this covers all needs such as camera, satelite navigation, music, weather station and internet access for booking sites mid journey.
Laptop vs iPad- it may be just me, but an iPad in a campervan has a distinct advantage over a laptop- in the ability to be charged from a 12v system (just like a phone). Our laptops are a constant frustration, particularly when we are off grid and have no 240v system to charge from. Having to seek out cafe’s and bars to simply charge the laptops is annoying.
Chargers- if anyone has a way of organising charging cables that avoids a constant spaghettini tangle- please let us know as we have no solution to this yet!
Headphones- enables some privacy when you want to so things different to your travel companion.
Camera gear- our love of photography means that we always have a pack of camera gear to carry- we try to keep it all together so nothing gets forgotten.
Entertainment
There will always be time when we need entertaining in a van- it might be the 24 hours of rain or the long winter nights. Some of the things that we take include:
Playing cards.
Pass the pigs- if you don’t know what this game is- just get it- it is seriously addictive.
Journals.
Pens.
Reading books- although I prefer a well loaded kindle for storage space.
Music speaker- we love our Bluetooth speaker that links with our Spotify enabled phoned.
Sports kit- we carry far too much outdoor gear, bikes and inflatable kayaks…but that is one of the main reasons why we travel.
Outdoor furniture
This is where you can go seriously overboard if you are not careful. It is important to regularly review what you have stored in the garage of the van to avoid over packing for the season.
Table- we have done away with our integrated van table and just travel with a fold up table that can be used inside or outside the van.
Chairs- can take up a huge amount of space and cheaper chairs often lack durability. We have gone trough so many different sets over the years.
Fire pit- we love a good campfire, but to be responsible campers it needs to be a raised fire pit. For years we used an Aldi folding BBQ which was just great. We then used the gauze style pits that fold down to be tiny and are ace, but they soon burn out and only lasted us half a season of regular use. We have now got a luxury option of a Snow Peak fire pit that was a retirement gift. We have not used it much yet, but initial impressions are very positive.
Awning- as we travel only a couple and we rarely stay in one place for extended periods we only have a fly sheet awning. It is great for extending the living space for very little storage space.
Hammock- I love my hammock and use it whenever possible for afternoon naps in the shade!
Vehicle maintenance
As a responsible campervan owner, I should be able to advise you on all things van maintenance, but that is not for me- we just make sure we have good breakdown cover in both the UK and Europe!
Miscellaneous...
Rucksacks.
Duct tape- will pretty much fix most things.
Scissors.
Compass.
Lighter/matches and spares.
Head torch
LED lights- to save leisure battery power on a night.
Candles- for cozy nights in- can generate heat as well.
Carbon monoxide and smoke alarm.
Fire extinguisher/fire blanket just in case the worst happens.
One thing that helped us with the mess of connection cables and worked 'in our motorhome' was to invest in a few half length (50cm) lightning cables from Tesco recently.