Do you have a friend or loved one that lives #vanlife, and you’re not quite sure what to gift them for the Holidays? Living tiny, means just that - a tiny space, that requires small but useful gifts.
As Van-lifers, we can attest that if we don’t have a purpose for an item, it quickly makes its way out of the van. For that reason, I've put together our list of the most useful items we use in our van, to give you some idea of what to buy for your favorite nomadic wanderer!
This thing is TOP of the list, and for good reason! This little lantern doubles as a bug zapper, which is absolutely crucial for camping in the summertime. Van-lifers love the ability to keep their doors or windows open throughout the day, only to find that pesky little flies can use that as their opportunity to make it in! What a party crasher! While small, this bug zapper works WONDERS, and has eliminated our need for a fly swatter, and running around the van trying to swat the little buggers. The best part - it’s USB rechargeable, and can be cleaned by rinsing it with water! Incredible! Find it here.
If you’re anything like me, mosquitos are bound to find their way to you anyway, and their bites will have you scratching non-stop. It must be because they know how sweet I am - inside and out. ;) This handy little device has lived in my pocket since I got it. It’s a suction tool that allows you to suck the poison right out from any bug bite, which is what causes the itch. Just place it on the bite, pull, and relief is on the way. What a concept! Find it here.
When we first moved into the van, I was bummed to not be able to keep our diffuser running 24/7… until I found one powered on USB! Most van-lifers generally have limited power and plugs, which results in the items we might’ve used everyday in a house, turning into a luxury item. For us, that item was our essential oil diffuser. Well let me tell you - we are living in luxury, these days! As soon as I found one powered by USB, the game was CHANGED. Find it here.
We tried many different types of phone mounts in our van, until we found the right one. We love that this one mounts by suction cup, so it opens up the options of where it can be placed. But what sold us on this particular one is that it actually holds your phone in place. We found that when we were on bumpy backroads looking for the perfect camp spot, our phones would fall out/off the mounts we were using previously, and we would be blindly reaching at our feet to find it. We also love that this one is spring-loaded so we can easily pop in either of our phones, which are different sizes. Frick yeah! Find it here.
Now, these may seem like a boring gift to get someone, but I promise, they WILL be used! We use these Magnetic Carabiners so much, we had to buy another pack of them! With limited space in a van, it’s important to utilize ALL space, including the space above. We use these carabiners to hang up our bags and backpacks when they aren’t being used, towels while they’re drying, and have even used them outside of the van to construct a makeshift awning! These guys do it all! Find them here.
Speaking of towels… Turkish cotton towels are on our wish list this year! Living in a van means you want to reduce the amount of moisture that builds up inside of your van. These towels have very advanced technology that dries you off without holding onto the excess water. Because of this, the dry time is cut down, and the risk of mold (on the towel, and in your van) is minimal! Find them here.
While tracking travels on social media, with a journal, or even saving spots on Google Maps (like we like to do) is fun, there is nothing like seeing your progress on a physical map. We bought a map of the US that also has the US National Parks as stops to scratch off. We love when we make it to a new state or visit a new park, and can come back and scratch it off, like a tick off our list! If you do gift this to a Van-lifer, just make sure it’s a small one (ours is 18” x 24”)! ;) Find it here.
I think absolutely every Van-lifer NEEDS a Lap Desk. Even if they already have a designed work space, a lap desk is more than just a desk. Our lap desk often also plays the role of cheese tray, manicure station, or small dinner table. It also gives you a portable desk to quickly take outside on a beautiful day! We use ours on the daily. Highly recommend! Find it here.
If you aren’t a Van-lifer yourself, you might be surprised at how often we need to climb up to the roof of our van. You might not be surprised to know we would look like dying seals trying to flop ourselves up there. While a ladder is on our list of improvements down the line, this little step has been very helpful in the meantime. All you do is hook it on your door latch (guaranteed to hold like a ton, so there’s no risk of breaking it), and you now have one more step up to the top! Score! Find it here.
Still can’t decide? Let them make the choice! We all know gift cards are the easiest way to gift them exactly what they want. Your favorite van-lifer will always appreciate having the choice of what they bring into their small space.
Found this helpful? Think I forgot the hottest new item? Want to wish us a Happy Holidays? Leave a comment below to let us know!
Comments