The Essential Van Life Packing List

Packing for van life can be daunting — how are you supposed to pack everything you could possibly need in one small van? After going on several months-long jaunts in our Sprinter, I think I’ve finally gotten it down to a science. Below is our essential van life packing list!

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How this van life packing list is set up

I’m going off of the assumption that there are two people traveling in your van. This checklist falls somewhere between minimalist and not minimalist. Personally, I’ve found that it includes everything we need without lugging around unnecessary items.

Remember, you’ll be taking all of this stuff everywhere with you. The more weight you pack, the more you’ll be spending on gas in the long run.

Kitchen

Having a well-stocked kitchen makes all the difference when you want a bit of comfort on the road. Here are our essential tools and items that make cooking and eating in the van a bit easier.

Cookware

Dinnerware + storage

Utensils

Equipment + accessories

Bathroom

Personal hygiene is extra important when you’re on the road for a prolonged period of time. Here are our must-have van life bathroom items.

Bedroom

Having a comfortable sleeping area is an absolute van life essential. If you can’t get a good night’s sleep, your trip will be miserable! Here are the items we use to be more comfortable.

Closet

This is a tricky category to write about since everyone’s style and needs will be different. Here is what I personally bring with me every single time we take a trip in the van. Feel free to change this up based on your climate, season, or activities!

With any clothes you pack, make sure that they’re comfortable. Layering is great (especially for New Zealand van life because the weather changes so frequently).

Clothing

Shoes

Accessories

Laundry

To be honest, we don’t do laundry all that often in the van (we usually just overpack our clothes). If you have the motivation, however, doing laundry is a great way to feel refreshed on the road.

Cleaning

A clean van is a happy van. One of the biggest benefits of van life is that cleaning is a piece of cake!

Electronics

These are the electronics that we use all the time. I realize this may be a lot for some people. Feel free to scale back if you want!

Van life packing list for pets

We don’t have a pet (unfortunately!) but I wanted to include this section anyway for people that are traveling with their furry friends.

Safety + maintenance

These are very important to have on hand in case of emergency.

Other random things we love

Here are the random items we love traveling with. We keep all of these underneath the bed in the back of the van.

Thanks for reading this van life packing list! Look out for more van life content, including itineraries and meal guides, coming soon!

xoxo Niki

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