Top 10 Van Life Essentials

Here is a list of our Top 10 Van Life Essentials that any van lifer needs.

1. Compact Water Filter

Having clean water to drink is critical for a healthy life. We love this water filter because it’s super compact and hardly takes us any room in our van storage. It’s simple and easy to use, simply hook up your hose to any water source and connect this water filter to the other end of your hose before attaching it to your water tank. Because of this filter we can shower and drink straight from our water tank and love not having to worry about finding clean water.

2. Toilet

There are many different kinds of toilets you can go with when living on the road. We cover these options in great detail on our “Toilets & Showers” page here. Overall, having a toilet in your van is a complete game changer and makes all the difference affecting your day to day lifestyle. We went with a portable toilet because they are on the more affordable end of the spectrum of toilet choices. We also like it because it’s super easy to empty, clean and fill. We do live by the rule, #1 only but that doesn’t have to apply to you. We store this in our shower and simply remove it to create more room when it’s time to take a shower. You can dump it at any restroom and don’t need to worry about finding grey water tank dump stations. For anyone embarking on van life, we highly recommend looking into your toilet options.

3. Rubber matts

These rubbers matts have a huge impact! Simply cut to your desired size and place inside all of your cabinets and drawers to keep anything from sliding around while the vehicle is in motion.

4. Mini Broom

I can’t emphasize this enough, you MUST have a broom when living on the road. Because you’re traveling and constantly getting in and out of the van it’s staggering just how much dirt you can drag in on the daily. Remember, this is not just a van, it’s your home. So expect to be sweeping at least once a day to keep everything nice and tidy. We love this broom because of it’s compact size and we actually hang ours on the wall to save drawer space!

5. Velcro

If you’re thinking about living van life get ready for a LOT of velcro in your future! Velcro is a van life secret! We use it to hold everything on our countertops and walls together. Be sure to look for the industrial strength (also sold at any Home Depot) because that kind can withstand the crazy motion of a heavy moving vehicle. Be sure to keep some extra on hand after you start van life. Trust me, you’ll find a need for it.

6. Propane Stove

This two top propane stove is great for anyone living on the road. It has a very simple and easy set up and cooks food fast! The propane is sold separately and lasts a while. We loved using this to cook all of our meals because of how strong the propane flame is, it made cooking quick and easy.

7. Carbon Monoxide Detector

Following the propane, is of course a carbon monoxide detector. If you have any propane within your van it’s imperative you also get a carbon monoxide detector. This way you can sleep sound at night knowing you will wake up the next morning or be alarmed if there is a leak.

8. Camping Chairs

This should be obvious, but you’ll need a chair to sit outside in, unless you plan on never leaving our van. We love these camping chairs because they fold up nice and compact and are extremely comfortable to sit in. It’s a pricier chair but because we spend a lot of time outside sitting in them we feel the investment was way worth it. This is also coming from someone who has gone through two cheaper chair options and them both breaking or having issues. This is by far our favorite!

9. Magnetic Window Covers

Privacy is an important feature when living in a van. This lifestyle isn’t all glamorous, sometimes you have to sleep at Walmart’s or stealth park. These curtains are a bit on the expensive side and if it’s too pricy don’t worry because there are many ways you can DIY your own on a budget. We love these, we use them everyday because they not only are black out for privacy but works as insulation to keep warm or cold air out of the van.

10. Hotspot

Last but not least is our Verizon hotspot. We love this thing! Because we both work remote we need reliable WiFi. We use this hotspot to work from almost anywhere. Be aware that we’ve found even with this plus t-mobile, sprint & at&t unlimited data plans there are some places in the US (mainly national parks) that are impossible to get service at. Other than those places, this hotspot has been totally reliable.