Download Van Vibe for iOS or Android today.
The beauty of the campervan lifestyle is the freedom to get out onto the road and get away from everything.
But before you simply jump into your van or truck and hit the road, you should really consider what to take on a road trip so that you don’t find yourself without your basic amenities.
In this article, we discuss the types of things to pack for a campervan trip, from necessities to nice-to-haves to even comfort upgrades to make your life in your van just that little bit more luxurious.
Let’s get started with our campervan essential packing list.
Safety tools
When you think about what to pack for a road trip, you need to make sure that you’re staying safe out on the road. We wanted to prioritise this category, as safety always comes first.
We consider these to be must-haves to ensure that you and your fellow campers can all enjoy the peace of mind that should something happen unexpectedly, you have the right kit with you to help.
This is especially true if you’re going somewhere remote, as help cannot be with you as quickly as they could if you were camping somewhere close to a city.
Not only are these elements there to keep you safe, but some are also legally required in case of a breakdown, so please prepare yourself before you head out.
Our advice? Pack all the smaller items stored together in a waterproof tub or container. That way, you will always know where the documents or handheld tools are stored.
Safety essentials
- First-aid kit
- Medicine (paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin etc.)
- Emergency blanket
- Hi-vis vests
- Sleeping gear
- Warning triangle
- Carbon monoxide detectors
- Fire extinguisher
- Fire blanket
- Spare bulbs
- Starter cables
- Tyre inflator
- Toolkit
- Spare wheel
- Vehicle documents
- Insurance documents
Sleeping gear
The benefit of heading out on a campervan trip is the fact that you don’t have to worry about hotels being fully booked or having to deal with snoring neighbours in the room next door.
But if you’re preparing and packing for your next campervan road trip, you want to make sure that you’ve got the right sleeping gear for the trip.
Being kept awake because of the cold, or because of the rain beating down on your van can be very disruptive to your holiday. The better you sleep, the more you’ll enjoy it.
In the UK, temperatures can easily drop to single digits, even during the summer, so make sure you pack the right duvets or sleeping bags for the job. Spare blankets can never hurt either!
Coastal camping has some amazing benefits, but they can be brighter and noisier than other camping spots due to the seabirds out at the crack of dawn. Eye masks and earplugs are lifesavers, and you can thank us later for the tip.
When choosing the right duvets or sleeping bags, check out the Thermal Overall Grade, or tog. The higher the tog, the more heat they trap. Go with a tog of around 5 or 6 for summer and choose one between 13 and 15 for winter. You don’t want to mix this up, as you’ll find yourself freezing during the cold months or boiling during the hot summers.
Final pro-tip: bring a personal torch or headlamp so you can nip out at 3am for a quick loo visit without waking up the others in the van with you.
Essential sleeping gear
- Duvets or season-appropriate sleeping bags (check the tog!)
- Sheets
- Pillows
- Spare blankets
- Eye mask
- Earplugs
- Torch/lamp
Comfort sleeping gear upgrades
If you want a little bit more luxury during your resting hours, consider the following:
- Mattress topper (especially when renting a van)
- Bedside organiser or table
Cooking gear
You might not have the most room in your van to really lay out all your kitchen essentials. Bringing your toaster might just about work, but you will (likely) have to face life without your massive fridge or your dishwasher.
Eating out every day is a costly affair as well, so if you want to eat healthy and cost-efficiently, making sure you’re bringing what you need to prepare a healthy meal is essential.
Cutlery, plates, mugs and cups are essential, of course. But you’ll also need to clean them, so a tub, some washing up liquid and a sponge will get you a long way.
Make sure to bring some sort of chopping board as well, as you don’t want to dull your knives or make your surfaces dirty.
We can highly recommend bringing some extra lighters as well, as we know igniters are not always entirely reliable…
Another top tip is to bring some plastic resealable tubs. This is to prevent your food like bread from going stale, and allows you more efficiently stack items together.
Don’t skimp on the tastemakers, though. Bring some salt, pepper, oil and condiments to make your food pop a little bit more in the flavour department. They don’t have to take up a lot of space, after all!
Cooking essentials
- Two pots
- Frying pan
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Plates
- Mugs
- Bowls
- Cutlery
- Plastic tubs
- Lighter or matches
- Salt
- Pepper
- Oil
- Condiments
Cooking comfort upgrades
If you have a little bit more space in your van, or are a creature of habit that cannot start their day without their AeroPress coffee, you might want to bring the following:
- Coffee kit
- BBQ kit
- Griddle
- Fridge organisers
- Reusable foils & wraps
Entertainment and electronics
As we’re all aware when camping in the UK, the weather gods can be quite fickle.
You never know when a sunny 20 degrees Celsius turns into a massive rainstorm, and you need to be prepared to spend an afternoon inside.
Keep in mind that you will not have amazing signal everywhere, so while some electronics such as handheld game consoles or tablets might be fine, anything relying on a stable internet connection might be a bit of a risk.
We recommend bringing some analogue forms of entertainment, as camping is a great way to have a bit of a digital detox. Books, board games, some playing cards and pen and paper can be all you need for an entertaining night inside.
There are some electronics that can really elevate the trip, of course. Bluetooth speakers for example can really add that extra bit of ambiance to a nice meal with your camper neighbours.
Some apps are incredible additions to you campervan trip as well. Whether they are apps to display hiking routes or social media apps such as VanVibe, they can really help you get the most of your getaway.
However, we do know that electronics are more than just luxury these days. They can be quite essential to make sure your trip goes smoothly and stays fun. To ensure there are no issues with charge or power, we highly recommend you bring multiple charging cables and adapters, just in case they break down.
Power banks and 12v adapters that can charge devices while driving are highly recommended to make sure your kit has enough juice to help when you need them most.
Entertainment and electronic essentials
- Book or e-reader
- Playing cards
- Board game(s)
- Pen
- Notebook/paper
- Smartphone with VanVibe app installed
- Bluetooth speaker or other forms of music
- Charging cables and connectors
- 12v car adapter
- Power bank
Entertainment and electronic comfort upgrades
When you have a bit of extra budget or space, consider the following items to help with power management and entertainment:
- Solar panels
- USB hub
- Hook-up cable
- Tablet with games or movies downloaded
- Binoculars
Weather proofing equipment
Like we mentioned, you can never really predict the British weather.
It always pays off to prepare yourself for the elements and the season.
It’s not like you need to prepare for blizzards or tornados, but you still don’t want to get caught out by a cold snap without any way to defrost the van!
We want to break these bits and pieces out in 3 categories:
- General weatherproofing
- Warm seasons
- Cold seasons
This way, we can make sure you’ve got all the details you need to not get caught out by a sudden heatwave or unexpected snowfall.
General weatherproofing
- Waterproof clothing
- Quick-drying clothing
- Microfibre cloths
- Mud scrubbers
- Umbrellas
Cold season weatherproofing
- Thermal base layers
- Extra blankets
- Window covers
- De-icer
- Portable heater
Warm season weatherproofing
- Window shades
- Awning
- Small USB fan
- Outdoor chairs
- Outdoor table
- Insect repellent
Use VanVibe to share the good times
Like we mentioned above, VanVibe can really add a bit of extra enjoyment to your campervan road trip.
After all, a good holiday is meant to be shared with others, and VanVibe allows you to do just that. Take some pictures of the journey, post your highlights and share them with others in the VanVibe community.
Not just that, but also create a list of your must-do activities and locations you absolutely want to visit so you can tick them off when you’ve done them.
Download VanVibe on the App Store or Google Play today and start sharing your most amazing campervan road trip moments.
