Going on a camping trip used to mean compromising on most of your daily comforts. Damp stuff, uncomfortable sleeping setups, no “proper” morning coffee…! But times have changed (thank goodness!!). These days, camping doesn’t have to be an endurance test; it can actually be entirely comfortable and dare I say… a touch luxurious?
I’ve pulled together a list of the gear I genuinely love that comes with us in our VW California on every trip – the clever, convenient, sanity-saving bits and bobs that make life in a campervan or tent so much smoother. No gimmicks, just stuff that works. It is basically my personal cheat sheet for stress-free, minimal-faff adventures.
Some of the links are affiliate links, which means if you order through them, I’ll earn a tiny commission (at no extra cost to you). Basically, you’re helping fund my next coffee while I test out more gadgets so you don’t have to :). I use all of the products I’ve listed (or previous versions of them) and if you look hard enough you’ll see them on my instagram content! Anyway enjoy – and let me know if there are any essentials I’m missing here!
Go to:
SLEEPING
Sherpa Blankets
BENEFITS: PACK UP SMALL, COSY, EASILY WASHABLE
We have 2 of these gorgeous fleece lined numbers and tend to use them as our only bedding instead of sleeping bags or bulky duvets. They have an inbuilt bag that means they pack down small, and poppers if you want to “wear” them outside (or wrap yourself up in them like a sleeping bag in the van!). One of my favourite van items! (And machine washable).
Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe SIM (Self Inflating Mattress)
BENEFITS: PACKS UP TINY, COMFORT
I spent a lot of time (and money!!) trying to find comfortable sleeping solutions for our campervan and was so relieved when I found this. The downstairs bed on many campervans is so hard and uncomfortable, you need something supportive and forgiving if you have any sort of back or hip troubles (hi, being in your 40s..!). The Sea to Summit SIM was the ONLY mat that meant I could do long trips. I’ve already recommended this to a few fellow vanlifers and they’ve found the same. My only advice is not to inflate it too much as it gets too firm. Play around with the air in it until you’re comfortable. But once you find the sweet spot you’ll never look back! Ha. And I always put a normal bedsheet on top of it otherwise it can get a bit sweaty!! Bear in mind you can get lot of different sizes to suit your van. This one fits a small rock and roll style bed (or in our case, the downstairs bed of the VW California Ocean).
Coverless Duvets
BENEFITS: WARM, CONVENIENT TO WASH
We double up with additional bedding like this when the temperature really drops. These coverless duvets are soft, cosy and I love the fact that you just throw it in the washing machine to clean it. They’re great for having guests over so carry many purposes in our house!
Front Seat Child’s Bunk
BENEFITS: AN EXTRA SLEEPING AREA, PACKS UP SMALL
This has been a massive hit with us. My (now 8 year old) son loves sleeping on this, it’s sturdy, packs up tiny and is super easy to assemble. Simply slot the poles together and stick a sleeping bag and pillow on top. Loads of people have asked me about this and it’s genuinely been one of the most useful additions to vanlife for us!
KITCHEN
Dunelm Kitchen Organisers
Link here for larger drawer (£4)
Link here for smaller drawer (£3)
Before you buy these please check the size of your cupboards! These 2 fridge drawers fit either shelf of the VW California cupboard under the sink perfectly but other campers may vary in size. In the smaller drawer we have 3 melamine side plates, 3 enamel pasta bowls and 3 cereal bowls. In the large we have an assortment of mugs, plus salt & pepper mills and olive oil (staples we can’t be without). This is one of my favourite storage hacks, and you can just take the whole drawer out if you’re cooking outside for ease.
All in One Cooking Utensil
BENEFIT: ALL-IN-ONE UTENSIL SAVES SPACE IN YOUR CUTLERY DRAWER
This is brilliant for most of our cooking needs, and this accompanied by cooking tongs is all we ever need.
Cadac 2 Cook 3 Pro
BENEFITS: 2 HOBS, PACKS UP SMALL
We adore our 2 Cook 2 Pro and are considering getting this newer version as it comes with little wind blocks on each side (among other upgrades features). I love the 2 Cook because it means you can cook meat and veg or pasta/potatoes on separate heats… we have a couple of fussy eaters in the family so being able to cook stuff separately is definitely handy and saves arguments!! They come with the non stick grill plates as well which are brill. Cadacs are solidly built, pack away well and the power output range is very broad. It’s honestly like using your hob at home!
A Decent Frying Pan
BENEFITS: A PERFECTLY COOKED FRY-UP!
I’m all for space saving, but when it comes to food I’m not willing to compromise!!! 🤣. This (relatively cheap!) pan is a new acquisition to our gear as quite honestly we got fed up with trying to cook on tiny stackable pans. We cooked a big fry up at the weekend and this was epic – the non stick works brilliantly. So less scrubbing at the sinks too!
Omnia Stovetop Oven
BENEFITS: A SMALL OVEN FOR THE VAN, LARGER RANGE OF MEALS AND SNACKS POSSIBLE
I won one of these in a competition but had wanted to try it for ages. We’ve already baked cookies and pain au chocolates in it, am “hungry” to try more already. Love being able to broaden our meal choices in the van now, and the smells as it bakes are mouthwatering! Next up is calzone 😋.
Compact Nespresso Machine
A morning coffee is a non negotiable for us. I’ll probably get grief for this one as it is kind of the ultimate luxury but for years I’ve tried to find a decent coffee solution that means less faff in the morning… and quite frankly there is nothing quite like pressing a button and getting a coffee 🤷♀️. We have this one at home and it just gets packed into the van for trips now. But if space is at a real premium (or you’re going off grid with no electricity) our back up plan is always with us too….. (see next product).
Nanopresso Machine
BENEFITS: TINY AND PACKS A GREAT COFFEE PUNCH
This little piece of magic is a manual nespresso pod machine, using pressure from pumping a button that pops out at the front (I’ll never make a professional marketer will I?). You simply add boiling water to a small chamber at the top, add your nespresso capsule at the bottom, pump and hey presto! You have a hot shot of espresso, which even delivers on the “crema” on the top. We’ve used one of these for years and only recently decided to add the full machine (when we have electric hookup). But this is always in the drawer as a backup.
Yeti Stackable Cups
If you follow me on Instagram you’ll have seen these throughout my content quite frequently!! We use these stackable cups to keep morning coffees hot, gin and tonics / beers cold and all in between. I NEVER leave these behind and absolutely love the range of colours they come in. These ones are a great size for most drinks.
CLOTHES – PACKING AND DRYING
Packing Cubes
BENEFITS: SPACE SAVING, KEEPS YOU ORGANISED
You may well have seen these floating about the campervan community already as they’re BRILLIANT for trying to keep realistic about the amount of clothes you take on camping trips – but also each having your own bag (I write our names on the front with a Sharpie so it’s easy to find whose is whose). These are the exact ones we have and they’re well priced and a staple for us.
Hanging Clothes Dryer
BENEFITS: COMPACT, CONVENIENT
This old faithful IKEA Octopus joins us on all trips and is brilliant for drying smaller bits on – clothes, pants, dog collar, you name it. And it brightens the place up (we tend to hang it under the awning).
Retractable Washing Line
BENEFITS: SMALL, CHEAP, USEFUL!
The humble washing line!! In all honesty, we used this constantly on our last road trip (drying towels, swimsuits, life vests etc). Not to mention you get a load of pegs – and these can also be used to attach your fairy lights to your awning 😜. And to secure food packs once open. So many uses!
Changing Robes
BENEFITS: MULTIPLE USES, KEEPS YOU SNUG
Sorry, haters! This one is here to stay. How could you not love these things? They keep you warm in the evenings sitting outside, coming out of the sea in the cooler months and they also double as extra blankets if you get really cold in the van. I need not justify my position on this product anymore!! 🤣 (particularly useful for my 8 year old who gets very cold very quickly!)
COMFORT
Collapsible “Sofa”
BENEFITS: ULTIMATE COMFORT
This 2 seater “sofa” goes everywhere with us. It does take up a bit of boot space but we are always glad we’ve taken it and it’s one of the first things we put up in our set up. Lots of people comment on how comfy it is. Lazy mornings and evenings sat in front of a fire are just not the same without it! And if just one of you is in it you can lounge lengthways along it and have a nap!! 🤣 We’ve had this for years and it’s still going strong.
Olpro Camping Table
Having surface area at your campsite pitch is invaluable – cooking, prepping food, eating, just dumping stuff down. This table is a great size but packs up small – and is super sturdy giving you options for different heights.
String Lights
BENEFITS: LOOKS PRETTY, PROVIDES LIGHT
No camping pitch is complete without at least one set of fairy lights. For that cosy outdoor setting, and lights that seemingly last for ages, I love these! They have a little inbuilt solar panel and are also USB chargeable. And you can have different colours to suit your mood! Perfect 🙂
Hoola Air Freshener
BENEFITS: YOU’LL BE THE ENVY OF THE CAMPERVAN COMMUNITY.
I mean. What would we do without Lula on our trips? she’s provided plenty of entertainment and photo opportunities!! Unfortunately the glue holding her skirt in place melted on our last trip leaving her a bit inappropriately dressed but she’s soldiering on nonetheless. A campervan must-have.
The Touring Bulls 