60+ Van Life Essentials I Swear By (Get Your Checklist!)
After living in two vans, a Chevy Astro and a Sprinter, this is the van life essentials checklist we actually use: cooking, sleeping, internet, staying clean, safety, and the apps that find you camp.
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The real van life essentials come down to nine categories: cooking gear, a comfortable bed, internet, ways to stay clean, a few electronics, outdoor gear, safety equipment, heating and cooling, and the apps that find you a legal place to sleep for the night. You don’t need everything at once, and you rarely need the fanciest version of anything. What you need is gear that has been tested in a real van, by someone who had to live with it afterward.
I’ve lived in TWO vans: first a Chevy Astro van I got in 2018, and now a 2021 Sprinter van. I’m Kristin Hanes, a journalist, and I founded The Wayward Home in 2017 to cover van life, boat life, and tiny living. These days I split my time between the Sprinter and a 1972 sailboat, so every item below has earned its spot in a very small home.
This list is organized the way we actually live: the handful of things we would buy again tomorrow get a full write-up, and the rest of our kit is listed briefly so you can skim it. If you’re brand new to all of this, start with my complete beginner’s guide to starting van life, then come back here to build your kit. I’ve also put the whole thing into a printable checklist you can download below.
The Van Life Essentials Checklist at a Glance
Here’s the short version of our checklist, category by category. Every item on it is covered further down, with the exact products we use.
- Kitchen: two-burner camp stove, portable induction cooktop, roll-up camp table, one good knife, a big cutting board, cast iron skillet, insulated plates, sporks, a pourover for coffee
- Sleeping: a real foam mattress, cooling sheets, warm down sleeping bags, sleep mask, earplugs
- Connectivity: a reliable phone plan and Starlink for satellite internet
- Keeping clean: solar shower, portable bidet, body wipes, dry shampoo, a wash bag for laundry, travel clothesline, quick-dry Turkish towel, castile soap
- Outdoor living: packable camp chairs, string lights, an outdoor blanket, USB headlamp
- Electronics: the short list of devices that earn their space in a van (full list below)
- Safety: a tire repair kit at minimum (Fix-A-Flat and tire plugs once saved us in the Mojave Desert), plus the full safety list below
- Heating and cooling: a small space heater, heating pad, and a swamp cooler for dry climates
- Bonus, hiking and outdoors: hydration pack, trekking poles, binoculars, sun protection, a water filter (not core essentials, but if you’re anything like us, you’ll want them)
- Apps and guides: iOverlander, The Dyrt, and Harvest Hosts for finding places to sleep
That’s the skeleton. Now let’s get into what we actually use and why, category by category.
What Kitchen Gear Do You Need for Van Life?
We are super into cooking and cook way more than eating out when traveling around in our Sprinter van. We use both an induction stove inside our van and a portable camping stove when cooking outdoors. In the photo above, that’s the GSI Outdoors two-burner camping stove set up on REI’s roll-up camp table.
We typically cook inside our van during inclement weather or when we’re in cities and can’t set up our table and propane stove. But we love cooking outside whenever we’re at a campground or boondocking. Here are the four pieces of kitchen gear we can’t live without, and if you’re tempted by the fancy stuff first, read the van life accessories I think are overpriced before you spend.
This is the two-burner camp stove we now use in our Sprinter van, a wonderful upgrade from using a one-burner stove. This stove from GSI has better simmer control than most camp stoves we've seen and is really easy to clean and use. Highly recommend for outdoor cooking.
In the photo above, you’ll see me using my large Epicurean cutting board, along with my ONE good knife I keep in the van and on the sailboat. Yes, I carry the same one knife between my two tiny homes. The knife is a Wusthof German Hollow Edge Santoku Knife.
We have one cutting board in our campervan and it's this one from Epicurian. Sure, it's expensive for a cutting board but it's AMAZING. We chose a huge size, which covers half of our table when I'm preparing dinner. It's made of a paper composite material that's durable and easy to clean. The groove captures liquid from veggies like tomatoes, preventing spills on my van's floor. I just love this and would highly recommend as a van life essential for the kitchen.
We LOVE our induction cooktop from Sur La Table. When we're not cooking outside, we set this up inside our campervan and cook away. It does use significant power, but not something our 4 lithium batteries from Battleborn can't handle. I love that it doesn't need propane and doesn't create harmful fumes like our gas cooktop. It's super easy to use and cools off quickly.
As I mentioned before, we only use TWO pots in our campervan, a pressure cooker and this cast iron skillet from Staub. Both our pots work with our induction cooktop, and we love how easy it is to clean a high-quality pre-seasoned cast iron skillet. This skillet cooks food wonderfully.
The rest of our galley
These earn their space too, they just don’t need a paragraph each:
- Pressure cooker (we use this daily!)
- Hydro Flask insulated plates and humangear sporks
- Klean Kanteen insulated food container
Coffee in a campervan is one of my top van life essentials. I can’t start the day without a good cup of morning joe. While some van lifers love the Aeropress, it exploded all over me one time and I sent it straight to Goodwill. We make coffee with an electric kettle and a Melitta pour over. It’s super simple and easy to clean up since the grounds are contained to a paper filter. I grind beans with a manual burr grinder.
When I’m craving some espresso, I do have a Nanopresso portable espresso maker, which I LOVE. I bought the Nespresso adaptor, so all I have to do is pop a little Nespresso into the Nanopresso, and I have a tiny steaming shot of espresso.
If you're super into coffee like me, you won't want to miss this portable espresso maker. I bought the Nespresso pod adaptor, which makes a quick shot of coffee a breeze.
Want more options? Here are the best camper van coffee makers for the perfect cup on the road. The solar oven below rides with us too, in the van and on the boat.
What Do You Need to Sleep Comfortably in a Van?
A lot of people with larger vans will choose a different sleeping setup than what we have. Since our Chevy Astro van’s back bench seat folds down, we used that as our campervan bed, resting our feet and lower legs on two stools.
Now that we have a Sprinter van, we installed Flarespace Flares and a Lightweight Bed Panel System. We used camping mats and sleeping bags at first, but we recently upgraded to Sailrite marine foam for our campervan mattress.
While we LOVE our Slumbercloud sheets and blankets, we both still have a warm REI down sleeping bag for cold nights. The sheets get the full write-up.
The rest of the bedroom
How Do You Get Internet for Van Life?
We all know how important it is to stay connected while living the van life. I’ve tested several devices that keep me connected when I’m on the road so I can check email and run this website, and I’d deem van life internet my top must-have, because I run a business from the road.
After trying several phone plans, I’m pretty much sold on Visible for van life. You can read my entire Visible Wireless review here, and my Starlink review here.
Starlink has been a game changer of us and plenty of other nomads who work remotely. You can choose a Regional or Global "Roam" plan to use Starlink wherever you travel. We've been using Starlink for one year, and find that it offers very fast, high-speed internet as long as you aren't parked underneath trees!
How Do You Stay Clean Living in a Van?
Staying clean is a HUGE part of living in a van, especially when you’re living in close quarters with someone else. See our post on 11 ways to stay clean in your campervan for more ideas.
We’ve been using the same Sea to Summit solar shower for years, and love how it folds up very small when not in use. It’s also easy to hang from our side mirror and use as a hand-washing station. We typically heat up hot water on our camp stove, then dump it into the solar shower for a nice, hot shower at the end of the day.
We love this particular solar shower from Sea to Summit. It folds down tiny for easy storage, and holds enough water for one shower. Our only complaint is that the flow is pretty slow out of the nozzle, but that helps the shower last longer!
The rest of the bathroom and laundry kit
- a portable bidet
- Sea to Summit Wilderness Wipes and dry shampoo
- the Scrubba wash bag, a retractable clothesline, and quick-dry Turkish towels
- Dr. Bronner’s castile soap
Which Electronics Are Essential for Van Life?
There are a few electronic devices that make great campervan gear. Ours is a short list: a portable Bluetooth speaker, a Kindle Paperwhite, and an iPad.
Outdoor Camping Gear for Van Life
When living in a campervan, you’ll spend LOTS of time outside. It’s often said we are living out of our vans, not IN our vans. Pictured above are our Moonlence camping chairs, and we string up Luci solar string lights. A USB-rechargeable headlamp is part of the kit.
Our Nemo patio blanket is definitely one of our van life essentials, so it gets the full write-up.
I've been searching for the right outdoor blanket for months, and finally stumbled on this gem at REI. What I love about this blanket is that it has a fully waterproof bottom that resists dirt, sand and water. The mat also rolls up, keeping the dirty bottom on the inside and the colorful pattern on the outside. This ensures our van stays clean. We are so grateful we stumbled on this mat and now use it everywhere - it's even perfect for a yoga mat or two!
What Safety Gear Belongs on a Van Life Packing List?
Living the van life means you’ll often be heading down remote roads in search of that perfect boondocking spot. But what if your vehicle breaks down? What if you get a flat tire?
One time we were driving our Chevy Astro in the Mojave Desert and got TWO FLAT tires at the same time. We were thankful we had Fix-A-Flat and a tire plug kit on hand to fix the problem until we could drive to a tire store and get our All Terrain K02 tires.
Here’s the safety gear that rides in the van at all times:
- tire puncture repair kit, Fix-A-Flat, and a portable air compressor
- 12-volt jump starter and a roadside emergency kit
- first aid kit and a fire extinguisher
- Garmin inReach Mini, a satellite messenger for where there’s no cell signal
- magnetic spare key holder
How Do You Keep a Campervan Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer?
Here are the items we love using INSIDE our campervan. These items simply make life more comfortable for us. The swamp cooler gets the full write-up.
For cold nights we run a tiny Lasko electric heater when we’re plugged in and keep an electric heating pad for the bed. There are plenty of other ways to heat and cool your campervan that I haven’t tried yet; see the best campervan air conditioners for van life and how to stay warm in a campervan in winter.
Hiking and Outdoor Essentials for Van Life
If you’re anything like me, you’ll take advantage of living in a van by doing LOTS of outdoor activities. One of our favorite things to do is go hiking! Here are my favorite hiking essentials that I keep in my campervan.
- Osprey hydration pack and collapsible trekking poles
- Nocs compact binoculars
- Peak Design Capture clip and my Sony a6400 mirrorless camera
- sun shirts, a Sunday Afternoons sun hat, and Altra trail runners
- Platypus GravityWorks water filter
Which Apps Help You Find Van Life Camping Spots?
There are definitely some apps and books that are essential to our van life adventures. We use iOverlander predominantly to find both free and paid camping.
We hope you find this detailed list of van life essentials helpful for your campervan journey. Here are some other articles you might like:
- 40+ Ways to Make Money from a Campervan
- The Best Campervan Awnings We Recommend
- Campervan Kitchen Essentials: Our Full Cooking Setup
- Car Camping Essentials
- Pop-Up Camper Essentials
- 10 Essentials for RV Boondocking
Van Life Essentials: Your Questions Answered
What are the most important van life essentials?
Start with the things you touch every day: a way to cook (we use a portable induction cooktop inside the van and a two-burner camp stove outside), a comfortable bed with a real foam mattress, internet if you work on the road, and a way to stay clean, like a solar shower. Everything else, from string lights to trekking poles, is comfort you can add over time.
What should be on a van life checklist for beginners?
A beginner’s checklist covers eight categories: kitchen gear, bedding, connectivity, hygiene, electronics, outdoor gear, safety equipment, and campsite-finding apps. Buy the safety items first, a tire repair kit saved us in the Mojave Desert when we got two flat tires at once, then build out the comfort categories as you learn how you actually live in your van.
How do van lifers cook their meals?
We cook far more than we eat out. Inside the van we use a portable induction cooktop, and outside we use a two-burner camping stove on a roll-up camp table. We keep utensils for exactly two people, one good knife, a large cutting board, and a cast iron skillet. In sunny weather a solar oven can cook dinner for two.
How do you shower when you live in a van?
We’ve used the same Sea to Summit solar shower for years. We heat water on the camp stove, pour it in, and hang the bag from the van’s side mirror for a hot shower at the end of the day. Between showers, body wipes and dry shampoo carry a lot of the load, and public showers fill the gaps.
What apps do van lifers use to find camping spots?
Our three standbys are iOverlander and The Dyrt for finding campsites, including free ones, and Harvest Hosts for unique overnight stays. A campsite app is genuinely an essential: it’s the difference between relaxing at 4 PM and circling a town at 10 PM looking for a legal place to sleep.
I love this! My wife and I are trying to figure out how we can somehow achieve van life with 2 dogs and 4 cats haha.
Great list! I am so happy I splurged for the Yeti, only have to change ice once a week.
That’s amazing. I think everything Yeti does is quality.
My 50 dollar Coleman 5 day holds ice for (at least) 6 days. We camped for Thanksgiving and still had ice 6 days later. Very similar performance in Oregon when I headed up for the eclipse out near John Day Fossil Beds and then drove through Oregon and the lava beds near 395 on the way home. I didn’t endurance test that trip since we were out in the middle of nowhere – once an ice restock was available, we took it.
The most important cooler thing I’ve done is save a few of the big widemouth plastic jars that nuts come in from Costco. Once they’re empty, fill them with water (not all the way to the top!) and freeze them. Instant, non-pooling block ice. I have a half-dozen; they occupy the bottom of the cooler, giving me a level platform to put food on.
On the road, once they’ve finished melting, the containers can be refilled with party ice – and you still won’t be fishing your food out of sludge.
Great idea, I’ve always used milk jugs but wide mouths and flat tops sounds way better. Now all I need us a Costco membership.
We’ve been using Costco nuts containers for ice for years too. I love them!
You know, I’ve always wanted to get one of those Scooby Doo vans and drive it along the coast. I’ve actually seen a van with a paint job like that.
hahah that would be HILARIOUS. I totally remember that van. Apparently, when my Dad first moved to Portland in 1980 he lived in a blue van. Original van life 🙂
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I would definitely want some kind of porta-potty; there are some fold-up varieties that take very little space.
Interesting idea……I personally wouldn’t use a potty in my van but I know a lot of people like them!
Why wouldn’t u use a potty in a van? I been living in a van for years and always use one, I put plastic bags in it and just throw them away… Stop being a snob..
LOL I didn’t know preferring to go to the bathroom outside was snobby! I’d take a bush over the inside of my van any day. Just personal preference.
Some people don’t want to sleep with “an odor”. If you’re okay with that fine. Don’t be so judgmental.
I want to do this because I can not afford to rent anymore and hope to save a little money to move up to something a little better. I am 53 now and hope that I have a comfortable van life by the time I retire. Just the little things…
I am considering starting with my ford freestyle.
Happy Van life….
Good luck!! A lot of people really enjoy van life 🙂
Good article & an excellent way to articulate. Keep it up. Keep up the great work!
Hi Kristin! I follow you on Insta and am stoked to see your rad and extensive vanlife blog! I love the BPA-free collapsable water jug suggestion– finding collapsable items has been essential in fitting everything into my van home– bowls, to-go containers, cups– if it collapses, I’m in! Thanks & I look forward to future articles!
USA is a beautiful country, trust me, but paying mortgage and high rent, makes life miserable.
Boonducking is the solution.
The only problem is how and where to find safe spots for sleeping and using a decent toilet/disposable units. How is done this anyway?
First, get your windows tinted as dark as is legal. You can sleep anywhere, shopping centers, residential neighborhoods, etc. No one will see in and it will look just like a parked car. The toilet is a very personal decision. Some need the porta potty. I don’t have the space for one. I will buy one of those units that has 3 legs that fold out, and a bag repository, but I don’t have one currently. They fold up small when not in use. Some use a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat. It all depends on your sensibilities. Personally, I would only use one inside the van if were raining cats and dogs in the middle of the night. Who wants to sleep with “an odor”? Being an older man, I have a pee jar for use during the night. Or sleep in a 24 hour Walmart/grocery store parking lot and run inside if you need to.
Just to clarify, I prefer window tint to curtains. Just my preference.
Great article, thanks for the gear tips!
Thank You Thank You <3
You’re welcome!
Wow! Thanks for all the great info, ideas, cautions, suggestions, and the best gear to have! Truly amazing and complete! We’re retired; me, a Veteran Army Engineer [Viet Nam Era], General Construction Contractor, a piping design engineer, and also have been a Computer Architect [a busy life, LOL]. My wife is a “semi-retired” Dr. of Psychology so she still treats patients via TeleHealth.
I only mention my “experience” because you have enlightened me [us], in ways I never conceived! Your experience on the road in your Van Life is invaluable! I have made a list or links you have suggested for just about everything I can think of.
I purchased a low-mileage 1998 Ford E-250 “High Top” Van that was designed for non-emergency medical use. A conversion was started by a previous owner who really had no idea how to build it so I’m basically starting fresh – correcting the problems with the build and adding a complete [if necessary] off-grid rig.
Now that we’ve received the Covid vaccines and booster we’re ready to hit the road! We were quite concerned that we might unknowingly carry and infect our grand and great-grandkids. We feel good now to travel! Again Thank You! I will continue to follow your adventures! Ha, sometimes the old adage is true, “Too soon old – too late smart”. Thanks for the “smarts”!
You are so welcome! I’m really glad you found this list helpful and I hope you get to travel soon 🙂
Did you actually live in a camper van for 2 years? It’s amazing to find someone who has turned the van into a home. Such a great list of van life essentials can only come from someone like you.
It’s been more than 2 years now – 4!
I loved the advice you provided. I am a 72 year old newbie to van conversion and travel.
Thanks for the comprehensive list Kristen!
I was concerned if I’m ready to go out yet but I realized I actually have 90% items on this list and a few more other items of my own.
Happy camping!
Thanks exciting! Yay!
I would also recommend having a mini propane stove. It’s foldable and comes with a small propane tank. There are a couple of reasons.
First – if you want just a cup of coffee, you can get it ready in a few seconds.
Another reason – you can put it inside your backpack and take it with you on hiking. Let’s say, you will have a stop and you can have a hot tea there or even cook something.
Headlamp is real gamechanger imo. Used to just travel with normal flashlight, which becomes pain as soon as you gotta fix something during the night 😀 Also doubles down as a great tool for camping/hiking outside of RVing – if you never tried to make a tent when it’s already dark without a good light source you wouldn’t understand how challenging it suddenly becomes. I’m using a slightly different one(Streamlight Enduro) that I’ve picked up from nearby outdoor sport store but I kinda like one you’ve listed more since it’s more compact! I’ve literally picked up a random one without thinking too much, but it’s a tad bit bulky for times you gotta crawl under the van sometimes… Might get a new one 😀
Just a comment on your coffee set up. Drip coffee is wonderful and so is the Melita filter you suggest. But a step above by a long shot is the Clever Dripper (Find it on Amazon). It is a drip coffee set up just as easy as the Melita filter but it lets you brew the coffee first for an amazingly rich cup of coffee. I’ve used it at home and when camping for years now and will never go back! The glass version is worth every penny and is super durable, I’ve had mine for years! Check it out!
Thanks! I love coffee tips 🙂
There are maybe 8 to 10 items I would consider essential. Most of this stuff is way too expensive and really unnecessary.
I’m looking for a zip-in screen for the sliding door on my 2013 24 ft Mercedes Sprinter Airstream Interstate. It has an existing zipper, but the screen was missing when I purchased the van in 2023. I should have magnetic strips on the opening. Would be nice if it were cat-proof too!