Van life packing list

For a trip in a campervan or motorhome, a fortnight or a few months. The van carries the weight, so this list is about the kit that keeps it running and the papers you'll want if you're stopped.

Different countries, different fittings

Gas bottles, their fittings and campsite electric sockets aren't the same everywhere. Find out how you'll refill the gas before you run out, and carry an adapter for the hook-up cable.

Some countries want a warning triangle and hi-vis vests in the vehicle by law, and the rules differ. Check the ones you'll drive through.

Level, then sleep

Levelling ramps are the thing first-time van people wish they'd brought. A slight slope you don't notice in the day is very noticeable in bed, and the fridge and the shower drain like a level van too.

What's on the list

Two weeks in a van, mild weather

Papers and money

Passport: Check how long it has left. Some countries want six months from the day you arrive.
Travel insurance details: The policy number and the emergency phone number, on your phone and on paper. Check it covers what you'll be doing.
Two bank cards, kept apart: If one is lost or blocked you still have the other.
Some cash: Not everywhere takes cards, and a card can be blocked just when you need it.
Emergency contacts on paper: If your phone dies, you'll still have the numbers.
Driving licence
Vehicle papers and breakdown cover: Registration, insurance and the breakdown number. Some countries want the papers in the vehicle.

Bags

Small day bag: For days out from where you're staying.

Clothes

Underwear × 7
Socks × 7
T-shirts or tops × 7
Trousers × 2
Shorts
Something to sleep in
Fleece or warm jumper
Waterproof jacket: Bring it whatever the forecast says. It's your windproof too.
Sun hat
Sunglasses

Footwear

Comfortable shoes for walking: You'll walk more than you think. Wear them in before you go.
Sandals or flip-flops: For showers, and to give your feet a break in the evening.

Sleeping

Bedding: Duvet or sleeping bags, sheets and pillows.
Earplugs: For thin walls and other people's snoring.

Camp

Camping chairs
Lantern

Food, water and cooking

Folding water carrier: Fill it at the last tap so you can cook and wash at camp.
Snacks: Something you'll still want to eat when you're tired.
Stove and fuel: Take enough fuel, and check the canisters sold where you're going fit your stove.
Lighter and matches: Two ways to light the stove, in different bags.
Pans, plates, cups and cutlery
Small knife
Cool box
Washing-up kit: A sponge, a small bottle of washing-up liquid and a tea towel.
Rubbish bags: Take everything away with you.
Folding shopping bag

Washing and toiletries

Toothbrush and toothpaste
Toiletries
Sun cream: When you're out all day you can burn even when it doesn't feel hot.
Quick-dry towel
Hand gel
Travel wash and a few pegs: This list assumes you'll wash clothes as you go.
Glasses or contact lenses, and spares: If you wear them. A spare pair saves a trip.
Period products: If you need them. They can be hard to find in remote places.

First aid and medicine

First aid kit: Plasters, a bandage, tape, painkillers and antiseptic wipes cover most things.
Your medicines, plus a few days spare: Keep them where you can reach them, not at the bottom of a bag.
Insect repellent

Phone and electronics

Phone and charging cable
Power bank: Maps and photos drain a phone fast.
Plug adapter: If the sockets are different where you're going.
Phone data for abroad: Check what your plan charges abroad, or get an eSIM or a local SIM before you go. A local SIM needs an unlocked phone.
Head torch
Charger with several ports: Campsites and cafés rarely have enough sockets.

Finding the way and safety

Offline maps on your phone: Download them before you go, while you have wifi.

In the van

Levelling ramps: So you're not sleeping on a slope.
Hook-up cable and adapters: Campsite sockets differ between countries.
Water hose and tap connectors
Spare gas bottle: Bottles and fittings differ between countries. Find out how you'll refill before you run out.
Toilet fluid: If the van has a cassette toilet.
Warning triangle and hi-vis vests: The law in many countries, and different countries ask for different things.
Basic tools and a tyre inflator

Bits and pieces

A few zip bags: For wet things, receipts, and a phone in the rain.
Book or e-reader
Needle and thread

Questions people ask

What do I need for a first campervan trip?

Levelling ramps, a hook-up cable with adapters, a water hose with tap connectors, a spare gas bottle, bedding, a kitchen kit, camping chairs, toilet fluid if it has a cassette toilet, the vehicle papers and a warning triangle with hi-vis vests.

Do I need an adapter for campsite hook-ups?

Often, yes. Campsite sockets differ between countries. Carry an adapter for the places you'll stay.

What papers should be in the van?

Your driving licence, the registration document, insurance and the breakdown cover number. Some countries ask to see them at the roadside.

How do I refill gas abroad?

Bottles and fittings differ between countries, so find out before you go. Some vans have a refillable tank that takes an adapter at the filling station.

Can I bring the dog?

Tick A dog under Anything else and the list adds what the dog needs, including the papers for crossing borders. Check each country's rules and how long they take.

Will the list keep for the next trip?

Yes. It's kept in this browser, and with your Pebbls account if you sign in. Untick everything before you set off again.

Lists for other trips

The other tools

Gear list: Weigh your kit and your pack
GPX tools: Open, fix, join and convert route files
3D film of a route: Turn a GPX into a flyby film with your photos
All tools

We make Pebbls, an app that keeps a map and diary of a trip as it happens. You don't need it to use any of this.