15 Essential Items for Boondocking in a Campervan
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Updated August 2024
Essential items for boondocking
When you embark on a boondocking adventure across the US in a campervan it offers freedom to explore some amazing remote locations among some beautiful landscapes.
Whether you are camping for a couple nights or a whole month on rugged terrain or beautiful secluded beaches, it requires planning ahead to make sure you have essential items to make your boondocking experience more enjoyable and safer.
I have created this guide for you of items we have found useful while boondocking in the middle of nowhere. We have each of these items in our van and use them every time we are camping. We have taken short 2-week trips and month-long trips and have found each of these items necessary for life off grid.
I hope your camping trips are enjoyable and comfortable and that these items help make it much easier for you to enjoy your time camping.
When I finished the build of my van and was looking for a generator to charge my batteries someone suggested a WEN generator. This WEN generator is comparable to the Honda brand but much cheaper and is really quiet and easy to use. Once filled with gas it will run about 10-12 hours before the gas runs out. The generator also has outlets on it so you can charge your cell phone or plug something into it as it is charging. I have had really good luck with this generator and would highly recommend it.
2. Water Canisters
I needed to have water for cleaning dishes, washing our hands or emergencies while traveling so I purchased two 6-gallon water jugs. The ones I purchased are no longer available on Amazon, but this one is similar. These two slim canisters can sit side by side under my sink in our campervan allowing space for other needed food items.
3. Fans
I bought a couple different fans for our van over the years. I like to purchase fans that run off of battery or can be plugged in when attached to power. The batteries in the fan will last for a while depending on the heat. If it is super-hot, over 100 degrees, the battery will only last 4-6 hours. But without the extreme heat this battery will last for months. This fan is similar to the one we bought which is from Walmart, or you could purchase this one from Amazon that hangs from the ceiling, or this fan is similar to the one we use and can be purchased on Amazon.
DON’T FORGET EXTRA BATTERIES FOR THE FAN AND FLASHLIGHTS
4. Flashlights
When we are camping out in the middle of nowhere it can be so dark. This is great for stargazing but then you’re going to need a flashlight to see where you are going when walking outside. I am always cautious of animals, snakes, cactus or other people so I like to be able to shine a bright light wherever I go or where I hear a noise. We carry a couple different flashlights and keep extra batteries with us at all times.
5. Portable Shower
We use a portable shower bag to take a shower, wash our hair, or rinse sand off of our feet when traveling. We purchased two of these shower bags that we use every time we boondock. I like to have two in case one runs out of water before we are able to fill them up again. When we find a location to take an actual shower at on our travels, we use these mesh shower bags to carry our shower accessories.
My review of the bag is found at the link below.
Check out this blog post on ways to take a shower when boondocking.
6. Pop-Up Tent
I use a pop-up tent if we take an actual shower or need to change clothes in outside our van while boondocking. We have only used this a couple of times, but it works well when needed. If comes with stakes to put in the ground so it doesn’t blow away in the wind if you're leaving it up for a while. This tent is so convenient to use while traveling, but it takes some figuring out to close the tent to put back in the bag in comes in. I had to YouTube it to figure it out how to close it, but it does come with instructions also.
7. Toilet/Shovel for poo
We bought a Camco portable toilet to keep in the van for emergencies. We have not had to use it as we go to the restroom every time we get gas. This method has worked good for us as we travel. I like having the option of having a toilet in our van just in case we need it. If we stayed at a location for an extended amount of time, then we would use it during that time. With our summer travel we tend to move almost daily to a new location so do not have to rely on the portable toilet. If you feel that you would use a toilet often in your campervan, then I highly recommend this brand as lots of campers use it.
I also have a travel shovel in our van that we can dig a hole to poo into if needed. We have used this a couple times, and it has worked out great. There is a small ledge on one side of the shovel to make it easier to push into the ground to dig a hole. I also like this shovel because it folds up and fits into a small bag for easy storage.
8. Traction Boards
I bought traction boards for safety in case we get stuck while in the middle of nowhere. I am happy we haven’t had to use them yet as I do pretty good researching an area and use reviews to determine soft spots at boondocking locations. I recommend getting some just for peace of mind as most boondockers use these.
9. Fridge/cooler
I have a mini fridge in our van that we keep our food in as we travel. I love this fridge, and it has worked great for our space. It has a small freezer which will keep small amounts of food frozen (doesn’t work for ice cream) depending on the outside temps. The sides of the fridge do get pretty warm when in use, but it hasn’t caused any problems.
When we do not have power to keep food cold in our mini fridge, we use our RTIC 65-quart hard cooler to keep our food cold. This has been a great cooler, but you will have to budget ice into your travel budget as you will have to keep refilling it. It only keeps ice frozen for a little over 24 hours depending on the outside temps.
10. Foldable chairs
I love these compact foldable chairs. They fold down so small and are very easy to put together. They fold into their own bag which is only 14x5 inches and weighs about 2 pounds. You could easily strap them to your backpack to use while hiking to provide a place to rest when you need a break. They sit low to the ground, and it says they can hold up to 330 pounds. We love these so much that we have three of them.
11. Blankets/pillows
Make sure to have plenty of blankets and pillows. You never know what the temp might be where you are sleeping at night so have plenty of blankets. Nice wool blankets Here and Here are perfect for those cooler nights. When we were camping in Virginia, during the summer, we ended it up on top of a mountain and the weather got down to the 50’s and was so windy that it was cold. I am so thankful we had extra blankets in our van.
12. Sunshade
I love our sunshades we have for the van. The front sunshades work wonderful at keeping the sun out of the van. The side window shades (sold separately) are good, but the suction cups don’t stick after a couple years of using them, so I have to lean something up against them to stay on the window. (if you have a solution to help the suction cups stick again, can you please leave me a message in the comments). I can definitely tell a difference of the temp in the van when I use all the shades in the front of the van. It still gets warm in the van but definitely much cooler than not using them. They also provide privacy at night when we are sleeping.
13. Laundry bag/Laundry soap
On our travels we take time to do our laundry at least once or twice. Having a mesh laundry bag to keep our laundry in while we transport it into the laundromat has made it so much easier. We can put dirty laundry in the bag as we need to, so it is ready to go when we are at the laundromat. The first time we did this we wrapped the clothes in a bed sheet, but the mesh bag has been much easier, so I don’t have to undo our bed each time. We also carry laundry soap with us for convenience. Also, make sure you have coins for the laundry machines. We have done our laundry and needed quarters, dimes and at one location had to purchase a laundromat card to do our laundry.
14. Pots and pans/Plates/Cups/Silverware
While traveling we cook most of our meals in the campervan. We need several items in order to cook meals. I purchased a medium sized skillet, like this Rachael Ray nonstick skillet, to use for cooking our meals. I bought a campstove, brand new in the box, at a thrift store to cook our meals on which has worked great. The small propane bottles are needed for the stove and can easily be purchased online or at Walmart. It’s ideal to have plates, cups and silverware to eat on as you travel. There are many options out there from disposable to reusable.
15. Clothesline
We have used our clothesline several times while we travel. We use it to dry out our swimsuits or towels mostly. We have even washed clothes in the van sink and have been able to hang them up to dry as well. It is easy to use and makes drying our clothes easier. Just know that some campgrounds do not allow things to be hung from trees so check the campground rules before you hang this up.
Bonus items:
Mace
You need some sort of protection while traveling in the middle of nowhere. If you do not have a gun and need something to protect yourself, I would consider getting mace and also have some sort of whistle/alarm to call for help.
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Having these essential items can make your boondocking experience enjoyable. By planning ahead and making sure your campervan is equipped with the right items allows you to embrace the freedom of the road as confidently as possible so you can chase sunsets and explore nature along the open road.
I wish I could share with each of you in person how exciting boondocking is and how much I know you will love it too. It is so peaceful and most of the time we are camping by ourselves where no one is around, or they are at a far distance that it still seems like we are alone. I want to be able to share my experiences with each of you and encourage you to get out and go. My theme is Dream it, then do it!!
I truly believe if camping is something you want to do then you should make the plans and take the trip.
Enjoy your next journey,
Meet the author: Jennifer
I am a girl who loves to travel with my family 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. You can usually find me dreaming up our next epic vacation or outside exploring natural landscapes. I am a fearless roadtripper who isn’t afraid to explore new and off the path adventures.
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