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Useful Van Life Packing List Essentials

Tips and Guides, Van Life
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After more than two years, I’m now sharing this ultimate van life packing list essentials. All of these items are what makes my van easy and practical to live and travel in full time.

I’ve travelled over 50,000 km in my 1999 Ford Econovan over more than two years. In that time, I’ve done a full van build, and multiple fix ups along the way to add what’s necessary to make the van fully optimized for long term travel. And, fit for varying weather conditions, from hot and humid to chilly and dry, and everything in between.

Over that time, my partner and I have slowly been purchasing everything the van needs for long term travel and I’m sharing this entire van life packing list essentials now.

A few things to know about my van before moving on, it is medium-sized, which is a common and affordable style to buy. Because of the weather here in Australia, it’s convenient to spend lots of time outside. Despite not being able to stand up in my van, there is space to sit up so it’s a comfortable van to live and travel in full-time.

van life packing essentials
Our van looking pretty picturesque next to this pink lake in Western Australia.

Lifestyle-wise, my partner and I are quite active and go on hikes or walks whenever possible. We love visiting cities, but don’t spend as much time there.

This van life packing list essentials is broken up into different sections depending on what the items are for. This includes the kitchen, sleeping area, personal gear, bathroom, mechanical and more. Keep reading or use the navigation below to see the packing essentials in our van!

To see how all these items fit and work in my van, check out my Youtube video about my van!

van life packing essentials
This is what it looks cooking at night with both counters pulled out.

Kitchen Essentials

My kitchen area is in the back, and space is tight. Most things I use for the kitchen are within reaching distance, or extra food is in the middle section of my van. Normally, I have both counters pulled out to cook with and prepare food on.

Pro tip: When it doubt, buy collapsable!

These kitchen essentials make daily cooking easier and faster. Both my partner and I cook nearly all three meals every day. We try to take breaks, so sometimes it’s just reheating things or cold food. For this list, the most important thing is to only get what fits in your van! Start with just a few things and see what you need before buying extra. For the quantity of plates/cups I would just get one per person.

shelving unit feature low res
My bathroom essentials are located on my shelving unit I custom made for the van build.

Bathroom Essentials

Bathroom essentials are pretty important to staying clean and feel good. You don’t have to be into self-care, this is mainly about basic hygiene.

The items on this list are meant to make the van life packing list easy when it comes to personal hygiene and comfortable when it comes to living in a small space with limited storage. I have a small pocket behind the passenger seat in my van for everyday things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, sunscreen and deodorant so I don’t have to go in storage to grab them. I also have lip balm and hand cream beside my bed so it’s easy to access everyday. The rest of this list is in a shared bathroom box both my partner and I use, or our personal boxes.

To learn more about my van’s storage, check out my complete van build guide filled with all the DIYs I did for my van build.

  • Storage box for bathroom essentials
  • Sunscreen (body and facial)
  • Lip balm (and sunscreen protected)
  • Tea tree oil or other antiseptic
  • Bandages
  • Hand cream
  • Dental care: toothbrush, toothpaste, floss etc.
  • Hair care: shampoo, conditioner, hairbrush, hair elastic etc.
  • Deodorant
  • Tiger balm (best for any muscle pain/soreness)
  • Face cloths
  • Baby wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Mosquito/bug repellent
  • Toilet paper
  • Microfibre towels
  • Medications: ibuprofen, prescriptions etc.
  • Essential oils
  • Shower bag
The back of our van is compact and makes a perfect sleeping area.

Sleeping Essentials

There’s a lot of different sleeping set-ups when it comes to van life. I love looking at other vans and asking about the story behind people’s van builds.

My sleeping area is a stagnant space with lots of storage under and a full sized double mattress. I bought it brand new in the as-is bin at IKEA. I have a tiny board beside the bed where a few bathroom essentials are and my one-sentence journal. It’s also where some cutlery sits and my two bags hang above. The bags can be removed for the evening and I usually stick a small pillow over the cutlery so I don’t move it while sleeping.

Because of the weather in Australia—which can be all over the place—my van is insulated. I also only use one blanket for all year and push it to the side on hot nights.

  • Mattress
  • Mattress cover (at least waterproof, a full zip around cover is best)
  • Bottom fitted sheet
  • Blanket with cover
  • One pillow per person
  • Small pillow (used as lumbar support while driving and other uses)
van life packing essentials
Here in my drawer shows how deep it is for maximum storage. We scarified more headspace in our bed for this, which makes the storage space more useful.

Personal Gear and Clothing Essentials

While I’ve been living and travelling in a van I definitely focus on what’s comfortable and essential. I don’t have fancy clothing, it’s mostly sports gear or other clothing that’s both easy and comfortable to drive and move in.

This personal gear and clothing essentials list focuses on the major things that make van life easy and comfortable. Always try to find clothing that doesn’t wrinkle easily and can be used for different occasions. Sweat or moisture wicking clothing is especially helpful.

A personal favourite retailer of mine is Patagonia, which sells ethically-made outdoor clothing. It’s on the pricey end, but lasts for years and is totally worth the price. It means I have fewer clothing, but better quality.

For more on packing for travelling, check out my year-long packing list!

  • All weather clothing
    • Shirts, pants, shorts, tanks etc.
  • Weeks worth of underwear
  • Rain jacket/windbreaker with hood
  • Insulated jacket with hood
  • Backpack(s)
    • 65L overnight and 25L day backpack
    • My day backpack is the WANDRD PRVKE (which carries my camera gear as well)
  • Hiking boots (I use Keen)
  • Running shoes (I use Allbirds)
  • Sandals
  • Sunglasses
  • Micro sleeping bags and sleeping mats (for overnight camping trips)
  • Waterproof sack (which can be stored on roof with straps)

Van Life Mechanical Essentials

My van is over 20 years old, so it’s not perfect but being prepared makes travelling much easier. Being from Canada, but travelling in Australia, I don’t have family to call for help with my van, so I have roadside assistance in case of emergencies.

Because of my vehicles age I do tend to carry around a few things to make the journey easy, especially because I’m often in the outback.

  • Jumpstarter set
  • Extra fuel container (jerry can)
    • Filled with extra fuel and stored on roof
  • Extra oil and windshield-washer fluid
  • WD40
  • Solar set-up: including inverter, battery, dual-battery charger and solar panel
  • Cigarette plug USB charger (for small electronics while driving)
  • Cigarette plug battery voltage indicator (can be used for main, or second battery)

Extra Van Life Packing List Essentials

In addition to everything else, these are a few extras that I have all around the van. These are generally for everyday van life but are pretty helpful in terms of travelling and living in a van full time.

To learn more about van life, check out my list of eco friendly tips and my complete van build guide!

@gabtravelling