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135 Van Life Essential Items and Beyond: A COMPREHENSIVE List + Links!

No affiliate links, no paid ads - this is a complete and comprehensive list, because we get these questions ALL the time after building 45+ custom camper vans!


lots of happy people standing in front of a camper van with camper van gear

In this article, we'll go over the necessary van life essential items you'll need for your trip so you don't have to worry about forgetting anything.


Sure, a lot of these items you can pick up at grocery stores or large outlets on the road, but thinking ahead and making a checklist will ensure there's less surprises and more money saved.


As an added bonus, you might even get ideas for items you never thought to bring!


camper van interior with decorations and essentials

Van Life Gear: What Do I Need?


Storage Supplies

Perhaps one of the most crucial parts of van life is how you store everything with such limited space.


More specifically, the storage containers you choose to bring are very important and will make a huge difference in your overall experience, as well as help you stay organized.


A few helpful tips:

  • Pack pots and pans with removable handles. Removable handles allows these bulkier items to fit in smaller spaces.

  • Use clear plastic bags for food storage instead of containers. Using bags allows you to stack and layer your food and fit more in your travel-size refrigerator or cooler.

  • Bring collapsible storage bins. You can find a foldable or collapsible container almost anywhere, and it's a good idea to bring extra bins just in case you acquire more stuff on the road.


Some Van Life essential items you don't want to forget:

  • Storage bins and containers (packing cubes are helpful)

  • Expandable utensil trays that can fit your camper van drawer

  • Seat back organizer 

  • Laundry bags for clean and dirty clothes

  • Hanging toiletry organizer

  • Ziploc bags (various sizes)

  • Extension cords

  • Water Hose to fill your water tank

  • Water Filter to attach on the hose (we give these as part of our goodie bag with the van)


van life essentials goodie bag with water hose, filter, extension cord and more

Emergency Kit

 It's vitally important that you pack a first aid kit, and as a plus, they don't take up much room.


Whether you're new to van life or one of the seasoned van lifers, an emergency can happen at any time and you want to be prepared for any scenario.


Or you might meet people along the way and be able to lend a hand!


Make sure you include essential items such as:

  • Band-aids (and other bandages)

  • Tweezers

  • Gauze

  • Pain relievers (include any other medication you might need)

  • Antibiotic Ointment

  • Bug spray, pepper spray, and bear spray

  • Whistle

  • Small flashlight

  • Emergency blanket

  • Firestarter

  • Smaller first aid kit for hiking

  • Satellite communicator



van life and rv essential emergency satellite messenger


Van Life Essentials for Cooking

It can be difficult to create a consistent routine for cooking when traveling.


Your camper van or RV may be equipped with all the supplies you need for cooking, but there are some items you can bring to make your life easier on the road.


These include:


bialetti mocha, pots, and van life essential kitchen items


Kitchen must-haves:

  • Pots and pans (induction compatible if you have an induction stove)

  • Small refrigerator or cooler

  • Hot water kettle

  • Knives (a variety for all types of cooking)

  • Dish towels (microfiber will dry faster)

  • Cutting board

  • Can opener

  • Bottle and wine opener


Make sure you don't forget the basics too:

  • Plates, cups, and utensils

  • Roasting sticks for marshmallows, hot dogs, etc.

  • Lighter or matches

  • Drinking water (in case you don't have access to running water)

  • Trash bags

  • Cleaning wipes


RV Essentials: Personal Items and Toiletries

Ironically, personal items are the easiest to forget, but also the easiest to find at stores during your RV trip.


So, don't fret if you forget some of these!


Here's your reminder to pack the following:

  • Shampoo and conditioner

  • Personal water bottle

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste

  • Soap

  • Feminine products

  • Hanging toiletry organizer

  • Towels (microfiber)

  • Sunscreen

  • Laundry detergent

  • Laveo cartridges if you're using the Dry Flush Toilet

  • Campsuds (we give our clients this all-in-one environmentally conscious soap that's biodegradable so they have more flexibility dumping their gray water)


campsuds biodegradable cleaners on top of bag of other van life essential items


Outdoor Gear and Equipment for Your RV Trip

What you choose to pack for outdoor gear depends heavily on what activities you like to do.


Whether you're a hiker, backpacker, avid camper, prefer to go off-grid completely, or enjoy a leisure drive to the beach, this list can apply to you!


Outdoor gear packing list:

  • Headlamp

  • Lantern

  • Foldable camping chairs and picnic table.

  • Picnic blanket


friends outside of camper van with camping gear, picnic blanket, cooler, foldable chairs, drinks

  • Window covers and blinds (Vanmade Gear is a great brand)

  • Mosquito zapper or mosquito net

  • Bug screens for doors

  • Firewood

  • Hammock

  • MaxxTracks to get out of sand


    van life gear for off-roading, includes maxxtracks, spare tire carrier, cargo and exterior storage


For hikers and backpackers:

  • Hiking boots

  • Hiking poles

  • Backpack

  • Small tent

  • Small first aid and blister kit (with tweezers for ticks)

  • Sleeping bag and sleeping pad

  • Water filter (Sawyer Squeeze works well)

  • Clothes: good top and bottom base layer, fleece hoodie, waterproof jacket, Darn Tough socks.


Clothing and Bedding

An easy way to save space is to check the weather where you're going - especially how cold it will get at night.


This will ensure that you don't overpack on bulky blankets that you may not need.


If you're going somewhere that will be cold, you can be smart about the type of gear you pack like a sleeping bag that has thermal lining.


The essentials:

  • Warm/cold clothes depending on where you're going

  • Undergarments

  • Wool socks

  • Swimsuit

  • Sunglasses

  • Hat

  • Warm blankets for when it gets cold at night

  • Pillows

  • Mattress

  • Guest mattress (LunoLife)


    inflatable mattress as a guest bed inside of a camper van

Entertainment for Rainy Van Life Days

Chances are you'll have some down time when traveling, so make sure to bring some fun items too!


Something really fun to do is have an outdoor movie night - set up some camping chairs, a projector, and kick back and relax with some popcorn.


Fun items to bring:

  • Books

  • Board games

  • A deck of cards

  • Art supplies (water color sets can pack small. One of our clients gave us one of her drawings. She had books of sketches and water color pieces)


van life art work done with water color

More Van Life Essential Items


Electronics Related

Make sure you pack the following:


Documents and Important Information

A few things you may not have thought of is bringing important documents, especially if you keep them locked away in a secure place at home.


You never know when you will need a copy of your medical records, your passport, etc.


Of course, you can include any pertinent information you think is necessary, but here's a list to get you started:

  • Driver's license

  • Debit and credit cards

  • Extra cash (in case you stop somewhere that doesn't accept cards)

  • Medical and car insurance cards


Tools and Gadgets

Even though you can't plan for something to break, you can prepare by having the necessary tools to fix it.


Bring the following:

  • Basic tool kit (hammer, wrench, screwdriver, etc.)

  • Pocket knife or multi-tool

  • Duct tape

  • Scissors

  • Small sewing kit

  • Telescoping ladder (to clean solar panels)


    camper van interior featuring essential items like a telescoping ladder

Optional:

  • Cordless drill

  • Tape measure

  • Electrical tape

  • Jump start kit

  • Extra fuses


Miscellaneous

Some items don't fit into the other categories, but are equally as important.


These include:

  • Air compressor

  • Compact fire extinguisher

  • Sewer hose if you have a blackwater tank


Van Life Packing List for Pets

We have done a full guide on how to Van Life with Dogs, so feel free to head down that rabbit hole. Although bringing your pet along adds a new set of challenges, there's also an extra level of adventure and fun too!


Similarly to how you pack all the necessary items for you, your pet has their own packing list as well.


Every pet is different with what they require for travel, but minimally you will need the following:

  • Food

  • Water and food bowl (use collapsible ones to save space)

  • Leash/harness

  • Poop bags

  • Toys

  • Vet/vaccination records

  • Medications or supplements


    dog on bed inside a camper van with essential van life dog items

Van Life Items That Are Helpful, But Not Necessary

Hey! If at this point you still have space in your van, then why not tack on a few extra items to make your day easier?


Some of these include:

  • Portable shower

  • Portable fire pit

  • Firewood

  • Portable space heater or fan


Brooklyn Campervans' got you covered with the Van Life Essentials

Here's a little plug: our campervans are fully self-sustainable and equipped with top tier van life technology, built-in appliances, and climate control.


Our 12v Starlink integration allows for a true Smart Home where you can remotely monitor cameras, security, battery levels, temperature, and so on.


The idea is that with a robust battery system and no black water you never need to be at an RV park or camp site again. Home is where you park it.


Your only limitation would be food and water (which you have a 40 gallon capacity).


A lot of our clients call beautiful landscapes their backyard. When they're done exploring or remotely working after 1-2 weeks, they simply refill on groceries and water and then continue.


We supply the essentials, and the customer brings what they need to enjoy the outdoors. If you're curious about what we build, check out the Sprinter camper vans for sale available.

camper van interior with essential items in kitchen like microwave

Additional Tips for Van Life Essentials

Understandably, you may feel overwhelmed with how much you need to pack, but don't worry!


Even if you forget some RV essentials, you will still have a wonderful time!


Here are some helpful tips to help with the stress of packing for van life:

  • If you feel like you can't pack extra items (such as a blanket, food, etc.) because of lack of space, then you can always stop at a store along the way.

  • Take note of the items you use on a daily basis. For example, don't bring a blender you never utilize because you might want to make smoothies. Chances are it will just waste space and sit there unused.


Don't Forget to Have Fun!

Van life isn't just about the destination, it's about the memories you make along the way.

Now that you're fully prepared and checked all the items off the packing list, you're ready for the RV adventure of a lifetime!


happy van lifers sitting on a camper van at the beach

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