36 Van Life Essentials for Life On The Road
Hitting the road? We’ve got you covered with a list of van life essentials from cooking gear to safety essentials and everything in between.
Are you dreaming of hitting the open road, traveling to new places, and living a minimalist lifestyle? If so, van life may be just what you need! Living in a van is a unique and exciting way to explore the world and experience a sense of freedom and adventure.
However, before you hit the road, you’ll need to make sure you have the right gear to make your van life experience comfortable, safe, and enjoyable.
The Bearfoot Theory team has over 10 years of collective experience traveling in all types of vans and in this blog post, we’ll explore the top van life essentials to help you prepare for your journey and make the most of your time on the road. From cooking and safety gear to storage solutions and outdoor furniture, we’ve got you covered with all the must-have items for your van life adventure.
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Van Kitchen Must-Haves
Camp Stove
Eureka Ignite Plus
This has been my go-to van stove for years. I love that it has an auto-ignition button (no lighter needed!), excellent simmer capabilities, and can fit two 12-inch pans. There is also a slightly smaller version available that fits two 10-inch pans.
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Water Filtration System
Clearsource RV Water Filter
It’s super important to have a water filtration system in your van if you fill up from public water sources like campgrounds and gas stations that may have old or rusty pipes. I just installed this in my third van and am happier with the peace of mind.
*Save $25 at checkout by using this link. Discount applied at checkout*
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Everyday Van Essentials
Portable Shower
Geyser Systems w/ Heater
If you don’t have a permanent shower in your van but still want the luxury of hot showers, this is for you. Geyser Systems uses less than 1 gallon of water and has an internal hot water heater. It’s perfect for rinsing off yourself, your pets, and your gear without wasting a ton of water.
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Portable Power Station
EcoFlow RIVER Pro
BFT team member Courtney fully powers her lights, fan, and electronics using the River PRO, but a portable power station is also great to have as backup even if you have a more robust system. We love EcoFlow because it charges from 0-80% in less than 1 hour using an AC outlet, which is significantly faster than other brands.
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Emergency Toilet
Cleanwaste Go Anywhere Foldable Toilet
Public lands are getting restricted due to trash and human waste being left behind. If you don’t have a permanent toilet system in your van, we strongly encourage you to travel with an emergency toilet when going #2 outdoors just isn’t possible, like crowded dispersed campsites or sensitive desert landscapes.
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Van Gear For Your Outdoor Living Space
Outdoor Mat
CGEAR Sand-Free Mat
Having an outdoor mat is essential for keeping dirt, dust, and sand out of your van (or at least creating a buffer 😉). We love this one because it’s more packable than a traditional rug and it filters out fine sand and dirt.
*Get 15% off with the code BEARFOOT15 when you order direct from CGEAR*
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Awning
MoonShade Portable Awning
Having an awning is essential if you’re traveling in hot, sunny places. We love our MoonShade because it’s portable and can be set up on your side or back doors, plus it packs down small. We even tested it in windy conditions and the MoonShade holds up!
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Where to shop
Portable Fire Pit
LavaBox
Want to have a safe campfire, even during burn bans out West? We travel with this small propane fire box that’s relatively compact and packs into itself for easy cleanup and it’s been perfect for Leave No Trace safe campfires year round.
*Use the code BEARFOOT at checkout to get 10% off*
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Van Life Clothing Essentials
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Sun Hat
Wallaroo Sedona Hat
Having a hat is great for sun protection when hiking and spending time outdoors, but let’s be real – we also love that wearing a hat can hide how long it’s been since we last washed our hair. I’ve worn the Sedona hat for years and it’s held up well on all my adventures.
*Get 20% off Wallaroo hats with code BEARFOOT20*
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Van Life Organizational Gear
Rear Door Rack
Flarespace nVader Rack
I have a different rack on my rear doors, but I’d get this one next time due to its versatility. It has endless mounting options for a spare tire, shovel, skis, bikes, traction boards, and more so you don’t have to store that dirty gear underneath your bed. The nVader Rack fits all 2019-current model year Sprinter Vans.
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Must-Have Recovery & Safety Gear
Portable Air Compressor
Viair Air Compressor
With the miles we put on our vans, tire pressure is something to monitor closely. Airing down your tires before driving on soft surfaces (like sand) helps you avoid getting stuck, however, you need a way to air back up your tires when you get back to pavement.
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Satellite Communication Device
Garmin InReach Mini 2
Having a two-way satellite communication device for van life gives ultimate peace of mind, especially if you camp often in places without service. A few years ago, our Sprinter battery died in winter when we were camped somewhere without service, and I was able to message my Dad with our location so he could reach out to AAA for us.
Where to shop
Where to shop
Carbon Monoxide Detector
Kidde Carbon Monoxide Detector
Living and sleeping in a small space where you may have a heater, fridge, or stove that uses propane means you need to install a carbon monoxide detector to avoid a potentially dangerous situation. We love this one because it has a digital display that updates every 15 seconds for the most accurate reading.
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Essential Van Life Memberships
Campsite Finder
The Dyrt Pro
The Dyrt is a really useful app for finding campsites (both paid and free) and their Pro membership also gives you access to offline maps, map overlays for NFS/BLM land, discounts on campgrounds, and more.
*Use our link to get 30 days FREE of The Dyrt Pro (Note: Use the code BEARFOOT if signing up on mobile.)*
Where to sign up
Campsite Finder
Harvest Hosts
Stay at more than 2,300 unique properties such as wineries, farms, breweries, museums, and more with a Harvest Hosts membership. You can also add on Boondockers Welcome which adds access to 3000+ private properties across the US as well.
*Get 15% off membership with our referral link*
Where to sign up
Hiking Trail Finder
AllTrails+
This is our favorite app for finding local trails while traveling. The free version provides basic functions like searching for nearby trails and getting directions to the trailheads, but the Pro version has a lot of extra features (like offline maps), which are especially helpful when camping off-grid.
*Get 30% off AllTrails+ with our referral link*
Where to sign up
Are we missing any van life essentials from our list? Let us know in the comments!
Excellent information a must read.
Thanks Ray!
Nice list of vanlife goodies!
Thanks James!
Great list – lots of stuff I’ve found useful over the years. $350 Maxtrax, though? I’ve had to use traction boards dozens of times. Once I used them to get a 9000 lb van over a ditch. Maxsa’s at half the price – which now come with steel studs – or without studs (which I have) at $129 (or about a third of the Maxtrax) are more than good enough. Check out the reviews.
Awesome article thank you! I was wondering where you purchased the thermal partition?
My partition was made by Outside Van – the company that converted my Sprinter
Excited to start my van life, thank you Kristen for helping beginners like me. God bless you all people and stay safe.
I’m excited for you too! Let us know how it goes.