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Vanlife is better lived outdoors. Here are our outdoor vanlife essentials in our minivan build.
When building out a minivan into a camper conversion, you quickly realize the space inside the van is super limited. No matter how creative you get with your campervan conversion, you’ll likely be spending loads of time outside. Yes, maybe even more time than you originally may believe.
With that, it’s important to pack items in your campervan for being outside. As you could have guessed, smaller is best here.
When we first bought our outdoor gear, there weren’t many smaller options. The only compact chairs and tables were super pricey and built for backpacking. Luckily, more companies than ever make “backpacker” gear… AKA small, compact gear, so it’s much more affordable… and it’s absolutely perfect for life on the road.
Outdoor Vanlife Essentials in Our Minivan Conversion
A Closer Look at Our Outdoor Vanlife Essentials
Camp Chairs (1 each) | check current prices here
Campervan camp chairs are not your normal camp chairs. We’re big on saving space and the idea of smaller is better, so these compact camp chairs are perfect! We each have one similar to these and love how easy they are to set up and take down. They’re literally perfect in size to fit in the “garage” part of our minivan conversion.
Camp Table | check current prices here
We had no clue tables like this existed until we came across one in the clearances section at a store in Scotland. Small, compact, and lightweight, just like the camp chairs above… an outdoor camp table is an absolute essential for any van!
In our minivan conversion, we pull the wood tabletop/fridge cover from inside the van and set it on the camp table to create a sturdier surface. This works fabulously and is much easier to clean off spills than our camp table.
Luci Lights | grab yours here
Great for both indoor and outdoor use, Luci solar lights offer light powered by the sun. The original Luci is a soft white light that really sets a relaxing mood. However, since they’ve started ho, they’ve added so many options to their Luci light line, you can even get a solar light that also has a USB port to charge your phone while away from your van.
We honestly can’t talk highly enough of our Luci lights. To check out a very windy review of the Luci lights we have, watch this review video here.
Twinkle Lights | check current prices here
My sister gifted us these solar twinkle lights and we really like them to just add that extra touch to a campsite when staying in one place for more than a day. They really don’t provide much actual light, instead are just for a cozy feel.
We like to use these lights in the van as well when watching a movie or working at night on the computers.
Rug | check current prices here
A rug is your literal best friend while living in a van. This rug rolls up and can be tucked away when not in use, however, we keep ours out on the floor inside the van too for extra warmth.
Laying out a rug in front of the van door you use to get in and out of the van makes climbing in and out much easier. Especially if you don’t wear shoes in the van. It’s super nice to step out onto a run instead of trying to skip into shoes as you step out the door.
Outdoor Blanket | grab one here
This outdoor blanket is the style of the blanket we have in our minivan camper van. It folds up nicely and can be tucked into any space. The reason we specifically like this style of outdoor blanket is for the water-resistant side to it. The water-resistant side is great when laying out on the grass or for sitting on when a picnic table still has the morning dew.
The water-resistant side isn’t just great for the water resistance though. It also keeps the bottom side of the blanket cleaner. The material is easy to shake off and super easy to wipe down too!
More Details on Van Builds
How to Install Your Campervan Floors
How to Screw into Campervan Walls
Choosing the Best Toilet for Your Campervan Build
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