Must Have Campervan Travel Necessities
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Campervan Travel Necessities
Traveling in a campervan is an exhilarating experience as you take on the open road and travel to faraway places where you can get a sense of adventure or slow it down and find peace in nature as you explore this great land. We have been lucky enough to travel across the US a couple of times in our Ram ProMaster during holiday breaks from school. Check out this post on how we converted a commercial van to a campervan that allows for function and comfort.
During our travels, I try and utilize items that would provide us with some comfort and a sense of safety. You can never be over prepared for campervan travel as weather and road conditions and cell service availability can change at any time. I did extensive research before our first campervan travel, and I was fully prepared and had everything we needed to make our first trip successful. I have adjusted some of those items and added more practical items for our next couple of trips.
Here you will find a great list of items that I highly recommend you purchase if you are just starting out on your campervan adventure. These items can be useful for any camping experience, not just a campervan.
These items would also make great gift ideas for any adventurer.
Travel items
Here are several items we use while camping. I recommend you checking each item out and purchasing the items that will be helpful to you while camping.
Hydrapeak Water bottle This is the water bottle that I use on every trip. The ice will stay in it for 24 hours unless you are exposed to extreme heat over an extended period during the day (such as when we hiked Devil’s Bridge, and the temp was 113 degrees).
WEN Generator We have gotten a lot of good use out of this generator. It is super quiet and easy to use. It charges our batteries that power the lights and refrigerator in our campervan. If I had to purchase this again, I would upgrade and get a generator with a little more power, hoping it would charge my batteries faster, otherwise this has been the perfect generator for us.
Solar portable shower is the perfect set up to use when camping. We have two of these and we use them every time we go camping. We use them to rinse off our feet of sand or to shower/wash our hair while traveling. Check out my review of this shower bag.
Camp Stove I purchased our camp stove at a thrift store for $7 (it was brand new when I purchased it). We use ours every time we travel so we can fix our own meals instead of eating out. You can purchase the propane bottles on Amazon or at Walmart. Always carry two bottles so you don’t run out while cooking. Check out my list of super simple camping foods.
S’mores campfire sticks are perfect for cooking marshmallows or hotdogs on the campfire. This allows the perfect opportunity to sit around the campfire and enjoy time as a family.
RTIC 45-quart hard sided cooler has been the perfect cooler to keep our food and drinks cool as we travel. We have used this cooler often and it will keep our ice cold for about 24 hours. If you prefer YETI brand cooler, you can purchase your cooler at REI.
Hammock I love the option of lying in a hammock and watching the ocean waves crashing on the beach or lying in the woods overlooking beautiful mountains. The only thing I don’t like about this hammock is I feel the sides wrap you like a burrito. My daughter loves it but I prefer to see my surroundings, so I stick one foot off the side some to keep it from wrapping around me. Otherwise, I definitely recommend a hammock.
Kelty 4-person tent has been the perfect tent when all of our family travels and we need extra space to sleep in our campervan. This tent sets up so easily and is the perfect size to fit 2-3 twin-size blow-up mattresses or 4 sleeping bags. The space would be crowded for 4 people but works perfectly for 2-3 people. There are mesh pockets on the inside to fit keys or a phone and there is a clip on the ceiling to hold a light. You can also purchase this tent on REI which is where I bought mine.
Birkenstocks I use these all the time when we are in a shower house or washing our hair with our shower bag. I worry about fungus on bathroom floors, so I always wear water shoes and it keeps our feet from getting muddy when we wash our hair in the wilderness. Learn about how we shower/wash our hair on the road when we are boondocking.
Teva’s are my go-to shoe for walking in water and even hiking. I love them!! I wear them all the time! I have hiked several miles and through red sandy/rocky conditions, and I have walked through water at The Narrows at Zion National Park, and they have been the perfect shoe for each of those conditions. They also have kids Teva’s that are perfect for the little ones.
Waterproof rain poncho comes in handy when you are traveling and come against some heavy rain. We have used them a couple times during our travels.
GPS Handheld device This is a wish list item for me. I have not used one of these, but I have read many bloggers talk about how much they love theirs. This is a huge must for safety reasons if you are going to be hiking long distances or staying all night where there might be no cell signal. There is a smaller version the Garmin inReach mini 2 that is also a good option that many travel bloggers recommend. This does require a small monthly fee in order to access the satellite that provides the GPS and cell service.
Patagonia jacket This is a nice lightweight jacket needed for those cooler mornings or evenings while traveling or hiking.
Stand Up Paddle Board My kids have used their paddle board many times and really love it. The stability of an inflatable paddle board made me nervous at first, but they are actually very sturdy and of good quality.
Snorkel mask My youngest and I have really enjoyed snorkeling lately as we search for seashells along the coast of Florida. This mask is great to use for that purpose and fits snugly on our face as we swim in the ocean.
Ultra light compact folding chair I have found this chair to be super convenient as it folds down so small for travel and fits into its own bag. It is easy to set up and take down. It does sit low to the ground, but it feels secure, and we have used this chair several times while camping.
Microfiber travel towel I have been using this towel for over a year and I love it. I use this towel every time we take a shower while camping, and it dries me off quickly and the towel itself dries really fast. It comes with a small washrag and although the towel itself is not large, it works well for what it is intended to do. It comes in its own bag and folds very small for easy travel. I also use this mesh bag to carry all of my shower items in.
Inflatable Kayak I love these kayaks. We have two of them and they are so easy to set up and take down. It does take a little more effort to set up as you have to pump each piece up separately but totally worth it. We have used these several times and they have worked well. They feel sturdy and easily fit two people. They come in their own bag, making it convenient for travel. The bag is rather cheap, but they have lasted a few years since we are aware of their quality and use them carefully. They work perfectly on the lake as we enjoy the peace and quiet of our surroundings.
Silicone wedding bands When I travel, I do not want to wear my wedding band for fear of it breaking or losing it as we are hiking and climbing over boulders. These silicone wedding bands have worked so well, and they have lasted through several travel adventures. Amazon has many different styles to choose from. My husband also wears the men’s silicone wedding bands for work and travel, and they are comfortable for each of us to wear.
Backpack Having a backpack while hiking is super useful. We add our water bottles, first aid kit, tissues and more to our backpack as we travel. Backpacks come in all different sizes to meet your needs. I recently have been wearing a Lululemon belt bag while doing small hikes and it is the perfect size for carrying my phone, keys, Kleenex, maps and more.
Dry Bag is used when we are kayaking to keep our items dry especially if it was to fall in the water. Once you Velcro the top, you roll it over a couple of times and snap it together to help keep your items dry. We use this bag every time we are on the water.
Single Person Tube with mesh bottom. I like the tubes with mesh bottoms, so my little one doesn’t fall out as we are floating through the water. It can also prevent items you are carrying with you from falling through into the water when there might be rapids. This is the perfect tube for river tubing.
Road Atlas has come in handy several times when we were traveling, and we lost cell signal. I was so glad we had an atlas so I could find our way back to the main road, so we didn’t get stranded.
Traction boards (not pictured) are a necessity item that I always carry with me when traveling. I am thankful that I haven’t had to use these items, but I carry them with me in case I was to get stuck in sand or mud, it would help me get out.
We have personally used all of these items with the exception of the GPS device. I recommend you purchase each of these items as they will come in handy for you as you travel across the US. I love adventure and I will drive on any back road that my campervan can, but I want to be prepared so I can have the best adventure and be comfortable in doing so. Traveling is such an amazing adventure that anyone can have with a little planning.
Bookmark this page so you can come back to it the next time you need a gift idea for your favorite traveler. Don’t forget to add these items to your Amazon shopping cart so you can purchase these items for your next camping trip.
Enjoy the journey,
Meet the author: Jennifer
I am a girl who loves to travel and enjoys sharing expert family travel advice. I am a content creator and influencer on Instagram with years of travel experience and provide readers with advice, tips, and details on adventurous family travel and tips on saving money while boondocking or traveling across the US. Pic: Hillsborough River State Park
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