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When I used to be packing up my first Sprinter Van in 2016 for my first large journey, I struggled with determining what kind of van life gear I actually wanted to carry with me on the street. It’s really easy to overpack if you find yourself dwelling in a small house, and in the event you aren’t utilizing one thing no less than as soon as per week, it’s not likely definitely worth the valuable house that it takes up.
7 years and three Sprinter vans later, I’ve actually obtained my gear and group dialed. In this weblog submit, I share the perfect van life gear I’ve gotten from REI that I nonetheless use on the street.
Sponsored by REI Co-op
REI Co-op is our favourite outside gear retailer and a long-time supporter of our work right here at Bearfoot Theory. We admire their 1-year return coverage, their Member-only coupons, and the truth that REI Members obtain 10% again on their purchases yearly. We solely advocate merchandise we actually love and suppose you’ll love too.
Van Life Kitchen Gear
Eureka Ignite Plus 2-Burner Camp Stove
Even although I’ve a small induction range within the van, I favor to open air as a lot as doable to have extra cooking house, decrease energy consumption, and keep away from overpowering meals smells within the van.
I’ve had the Eureka Ignite Plus 2-Burner Camp Stove for a number of years and extremely advocate it. It has superior fine-tune temperature management, is extraordinarily fast to arrange, suits two 12″ pans, and simple to wash.
Shop Eureka Ignite Plus 2-Burner Camp Stove at:
YETI Rambler Mug
An insulated vacuum mug just like the YETI Rambler Mug is a must have van life merchandise for these early mornings on the street. It will hold your espresso sizzling for hours, stop it from spilling in your sprint, and prevent from utilizing disposable cups when getting your morning repair on the fuel station.
Shop YETI Rambler Mug at:
AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press
Finding the right espresso maker for van life is usually a problem – your conventional espresso maker might be too cumbersome and a glass French Press is a recipe for catastrophe. That’s why I really like the AeroPress Go Travel Coffee Press. It’s tremendous compact, light-weight, and simple to make use of, making it the right addition to your van life setup.
The AeroPress Go comes with every little thing you must make a scrumptious cup of espresso, together with a scoop, stirrer, and filters, all of which match neatly contained in the press for simple storage. Plus, it’s produced from sturdy supplies, so it may possibly face up to the damage and tear of life on the street.
Dr. Bronner’s Mild Liquid Soap
Did you realize you should use Dr. Bronner’s for dishes? Normal dish cleaning soap comprises a variety of nasty chemical compounds that may hurt crops and animals the place you might be tenting.
We use Dr. Bronner’s Mild Liquid Soap for our dishes and located that it cleans simply in addition to Dawn. And having physique cleaning soap that doubles as dish cleaning soap means you solely have to hold one cleaning soap bottle within the van.
Shop Dr. Bronner’s Mild Liquid Soap at:
Van Life Furniture & Accessories
Helinox Sunset Chair
A stable camp chair is a should for van life, and the Helinox Sunset Chair has been our favourite for a few years. I really like how supportive they’re and the excessive again lets you actually sit again and loosen up, which is sweet in comparison with a few of the chairs on the market with decrease backs.
At lower than 3 ½ kilos, it’s very light-weight and packable. The different factor I really like is that even when it’s put collectively, it’s not too cumbersome and we are able to retailer two of them on our mattress in chair kind. That means we by no means actually need to pack them down after we are transferring campsites and our chair is all the time able to go.
Shop Helinox Sunset Chair at:
GCI Outdoor Compact Camp Table
If you planning on doing a bunch of off-grid tenting, then many of the campsites you keep at gained’t have a picnic desk. This GCI Outdoor Compact Camp Table is a cinch to arrange, breaks down flat, and provides you a spot to place some appetizers and a drink when you benefit from the sundown.
Shop GCI Outdoor Compact Camp Table at:
CGear Multimats Original Sand-Free Mat
The CGear Multimats Original Sand-Free Mat is a superb choice for van life attributable to its sand-free design, sturdiness, versatility, and simple upkeep. It’s produced from high-quality supplies that resist water, UV rays, mildew, and mildew whereas letting sand and superb dust filter via the mat as an alternative of piling on prime. This mat is light-weight and compact in comparison with a conventional outside rug, making it simple to retailer in your van.
Shop CGear Multimats Original Sand-Free Mat at:
Rumpl Blanket
I’ve been utilizing Rumpl Blankets since I obtained my first Sprinter Van again in 2015, and I’m totally satisfied they’re the perfect van life blanket on the market. The two-person authentic puffy could be very heat and is barely bigger than a queen measurement.
It spans the width of a Sprinter Van, so that you gained’t be preventing together with your touring companion for covers. They are available a bunch of vibrant colours, however even higher, they’re mechanically cleanable and the fabric is ideal for many who have a canine that sheds. The canine hair doesn’t stick and you’ll rapidly give the blanket an excellent shake outdoors for a fast clear in between washes.
EcoFlow RIVER Pro Portable Power Station
The EcoFlow RIVER Pro is a compact moveable energy station that gives a dependable and environment friendly supply of energy for van lifers. With 720Wh capability and a number of charging ports – together with USB, USB-C, AC, and DC – you’ll be able to energy every little thing out of your laptop computer to your roof fan. BFT staff member Courtney makes use of the RIVER Pro in her van to cost all electronics and it makes an excellent backup energy supply even when you’ve got home batteries.
The RIVER Pro is extremely simple to make use of and might be charged utilizing photo voltaic panels, a cigarette outlet whereas driving, or a wall outlet. What units the EcoFlow other than different energy stations is that it may possibly cost from 0-80% in 1 hour if plugged right into a wall outlet – so in a pinch, you’ll be able to simply recharge at a espresso store very quickly!
Shop EcoFlow RIVER Pro Portable Power Station at:
MPOWERD Luci Portable Solar String Lights
Create higher camp ambiance with the MPOWERD Luci Portable Solar String Lights. We love these for stringing up at camp to have nighttime lighting, and the twine tucks into the unit making them tremendous moveable and simple to retailer when not in use. You can cost these string lights by way of the built-in photo voltaic panel or by plugging them right into a USB charger.
Shop MPOWERD Luci Portable Solar String Lights at:
Van Life Clothing at REI
REI Co-op Expandable Packing Cube Set
Packing cubes are a straightforward approach to keep organized if you find yourself dwelling in a van. In my Sprinter Van, Ryan and I every have two of those REI Coop Expandable packing dice units in several colours for our clothes. Pants go in a single giant dice, shirts in one other. Underwear, bras, and socks go within the small cubes. Get the gist?
Packing cubes imply every time you must seize a brand new pair of socks, you aren’t digging via an enormous messy duffel bag or drawer. Another large benefit is if you find yourself packing up your van for the primary time, the packing cubes allow you to set limits for the quantity of garments you will carry. I like that they’ve handles so in case you are staying with household and mates, you’ll be able to simply carry them into the home.
Shop Expandable Packing Cube Set at:
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Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket
Having a packable, light-weight, but heat jacket is a should for van life. I’ve worn Patagonia’s Nano Puff jacket for years and love how versatile it’s for mountain climbing, lounging at camp, and on a regular basis put on. It packs down tremendous small so it doesn’t take up a ton of room in your van, both.
Shop Patagonia Nano Puff Jacket at:
Selk’Bag Wearable Sleeping Bag
The Selk’bag wearable sleeping bag is a must have for van life as a result of it supplies each heat and mobility, permitting you to remain snug and comfortable whereas additionally with the ability to transfer round freely. It’s good for these chilly nights across the campfire and it packs down sufficiently small to simply stash away once you don’t want it.
Shop Selk’Bag Wearable Sleeping Bag at:
Van Life Bathroom & Hygiene Staples
Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Portable Toilet
If you’re the type of van lifer that wish to arrange store for just a few days in a single location, this Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Portable Toilet is an alternate answer for going #2. It’s a foldable bathroom that you could arrange behind a bush, and it makes use of a easy wag-bag system to gather waste. Once you’re again on the street, you’ll be able to merely throw the baggage into the trash, quite than having to search for a dump to empty your moveable bathroom.
By finishing up your waste, you’ll be able to decrease your influence on high-use areas. The wag baggage are type of costly, so it’s not an on a regular basis answer….however we stock this in our van simply in case.
Shop Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Portable Toilet at:
REI Co-op Quick Dry Multi Towels
No matter what else you pack in your van, quick-dry towels are a must have piece of van life gear. We have 5 or 6 of them stashed all through the van in several sizes. We use them to dry dishes, our canine, our our bodies, and to stash in our day packs for lake hikes.
They don’t get a cool musty odor like common towels, and if you must clear them, you’ll be able to rinse them with somewhat Dr. Bronner’s cleaning soap and they’re nearly as good as new. They additionally fold actually small, so that they don’t take up a bunch of room like a cumbersome seaside towel.
Shop Quick Dry Multi Towels at:
No Rinse Bathing Wipes
No bathe, no drawback. I had an indoor bathe in my first Sprinter Van, however I discovered I not often used it…so I scrapped the indoor bathe in my second and third vans.
At least as soon as per week, we discover ourselves at a campground with sizzling showers and swimming in lakes and rivers in between retains the dust at bay, however these No Rinse Bathing Wipes are additionally an excellent van life staple to have round for in-between showers. They are light in your pores and skin whereas wiping away the dust and dirt, making you’re feeling simply contemporary sufficient once you’ve gone just a few days with out a bathe.
Shop No Rinse Bathing Wipes at:
Geyser Systems Portable Shower w/ Heater
If you don’t have a everlasting bathe arrange in your van however need the posh of sizzling water waters, look no additional than Geyser Systems Portable Shower w/ Heater. BFT staff member Courtney has used the Geyser for over a 12 months and loves how versatile and simple to make use of it’s.
It can be utilized for quite a lot of functions, from washing dishes to rinsing off gear to bathing your self or your pets. And with an inner sizzling water heater, you don’t want to fret about chilly showers!
Shop Geyser Systems Portable Shower at:
Other Van Life Favorites at REI
Garmin InAttain Mini 2
One of the perfect elements of van life is placing your cellphone away and going to areas far-off from service. The solely difficulty with that’s what when you’ve got an emergency – whether or not that be a mechanical breakdown or a medical emergency – and your cellphone doesn’t work?
My companion Ryan is a Type 1 Diabetic, so being ready after we are within the van or mountain climbing is all the time one thing that’s on my thoughts. One of our most necessary items of van life gear is a Garmin inReach Mini 2. It permits us to ship customized textual content messages regardless of the place we’re or to name for medical assist if we’re in a severe scenario. It additionally has a GPS and a few useful navigation instruments for when your navigation apps in your cellphone gained’t load.
Shop Garmin InAttain Mini 2 at:
Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Hiker Medical Kit
Along with the Garmin InAttain, having a primary first support equipment in your van is necessary. The Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Hiker Medical Kit is an efficient place to begin with primary meds, blister remedies, and wound dressings. It additionally comes with a pocket information for primary wilderness first support.
While this equipment in all probability gained’t save your life, it might get you thru a pinch till you drive your van again to civilization. In addition, it’s all the time a good suggestion to complement your store-bought first support equipment with something that you just may want on your private medical wants.
Shop Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Hiker Medical Kit at:
America The Beautiful Annual Park Pass
An America the Beautiful National Park Pass lets you entry to over 2,000 federal recreation websites, together with nationwide parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and extra, making it a superb benefit for van lifers who like to discover and spend time in nature.
Additionally, the move can prevent some huge cash in entrance and tenting charges, which may add up rapidly in the event you’re visiting a number of parks. The move is legitimate for one 12 months, so in the event you plan to go to 3 or extra Parks, this move is the perfect deal.
Shop America The Beautiful Pass at:
Gerber E-Tool Folding Spade
Tools for Leaving No Trace once you go to the toilet are important items of van life gear. I’ve not had a everlasting bathroom put in in my final 2 vans, so this begs the query, the place do you go #2?
In order to ensure you are following Leave No Trace when pooping outdoors, you must dig a cathole utilizing a trowel (a shovel) and pack out any used bathroom paper. I just like the Gerber E-Tool Folding Spade as a result of it may possibly double as a shovel for digging your self out in the event you get caught or placing out campfires. Since it folds down, it’s simple to retailer in your van.
Shop Gerber E-Tool Folding Spade at:
National Geographic Road Atlas Adventure Edition
Google Maps tells you the quickest approach to your vacation spot, however in the event you’re trying to take the scenic route, it’s good to have a paper atlas in your van. This National Geographic Road Atlas reveals facet roads, public lands, tenting, and different websites of curiosity to van lifers and is one other good software to have if you find yourself out of cell service.
Shop National Geographic Road Atlas Adventure Edition at:
What are your favourite van life gear must-haves? Or what questions do you’ve about van gear? Leave a remark beneath and tell us!
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