What’s that? The van’s squeaked through her MOT again? With only 230k on the clock, your trusty old girl never lets you down. Apart from that time on the No. 4 autobahn near Eisenach. And that time on Four Elms roundabout. And… some other times.
You wouldn’t dream of revamping her exterior – she’s patinated, is what she is – but truth be told, a little internal glow-up might not go amiss before the season starts in earnest.
Not all camper vans come with a cooker fitted – in fact, one of the best wagons we ever had was an ancient little Toyota Hiace (with flames hand-painted down the side, of course) where you had to stand at the back and cook on a Pocket Rocket in the boot.
If you’ve been making do with a budget gas ring from the petrol station (you know, the ones with those plug-in canisters that barely do two meals and a brew), then an upgrade to a Primus stove will be an absolute game-changer. These Swedish legends have been kitting out world-class adventurers since 1892, and they’ve got several models that are ideal for vanning and car camping.
The dual-ring Moto provides fantastic performance for the price, and runs off refillable propane bottles for cost-effective catering. If you’d rather have the convenience of cooking off standard camping gas canisters, opt for the single-burner Moja or larger Kinjia twin stove.
At the higher end of our range, the Selkirk dual-burner from GSI Outdoors boasts impressive heat control and distribution, while the Primus Tupike II is a thing of beauty with a sleek stainless-steel body, oak trim and brass details.
Remember, we’re one of a comparatively small number of online retailers who will ship camping gas canisters, so don’t forget to stock up before you hit the road.
Anyone who’s driven any distance with crockery rattling in the back of the van will know how quickly it worms its way into your soul. Late at night, long after you’ve stopped moving, it’s still all you can hear.
Which is why the Detour range from Sea to Summit is absolute genius. Specifically designed for vanlife, not only do these pots, plates, cups and utensils all nest together neatly to save space, but they’ve also got rubberised contact points. Which means no more pothole Buckaroo, and glorious silence even on the most hobbledehoy roads.
If your in-van aesthetic leans towards kitsch, then nothing says ‘Great British Summer Holiday’ quite like enamel crockery and cookware. Falcon is the most famous name in the game, but we also love the minimalist Japanese style of Kinto’s Foris enamelware range.
Now you’ve got the plates sorted, it’ll be the hodgepodge of mis-matched cutlery and utensils that’s letting the side down. Do yourself a favour and grab one of these neat little kits from the Nomad’s Kitchen – along with a travel spice rack and the obligatory bottle of ferocious hot sauce.
Sure, the bed in a high-end van will be pretty much as comfortable as your one back home. But let’s be honest – not all of us are driving that sort of van, are we? From jerry-rigged plyboard contraptions to gappy rock-and-roll pull-outs, most van beds could do with a mattress on top for a decent night’s kip.
Fortunately, some of the big camping mat brands have spotted this gap in the market – bringing the quality and performance of their backpacker mats to more luxurious models for road warriors.
The absolute Rolls-Royce of airbeds is the Exped Megamat Max Duo – a self-inflating, super-supple sleep platform with 15cm of depth and 4-season insulation. The old blow-up mattress from your parents’ loft this is emphatically not.
The Nemo Roamer is similarly plush, while the standard Megamat Duo and Sea to Summit Comfort Deluxe offer great comfort at a slightly lower price point. If space or funds are tighter, we might be tempted by the Big Agnes Divide – a simple airbed for vanning and car camping that still offers 3-season insulation.
As far as bedding goes, we’ve got a huge range of sleeping bags on WildBounds. Weight and pack size are less of a concern in the van than they are for hikers, so you can afford to go for something really comfy like a Big Agnes Dream Island double bed, or their Echo Park single-bed version.
Some brands have also been experimenting with more unusual sleep systems for van-dwellers that mimic a real bed. The Frontcountry Bed from Sierra Designs is a roomier, more van-friendly take on their tried-and-tested Backcountry Bed, while the Snow Peak Grand Ofuton is a Japanese-style futon translated into a camp classic.
Just between us, some of the best value sleeping bags on the market come from Kelty. In terms of insulation, their bang-for-buck is unbeatable, and while they can be a bit heavier than other brands, they’d be top of our list for vanning.
Straw poll: how many people began their camper van ownership by buying a cheapo set of battery-powered fairy lights?
Nothing takes your humble home from camper van to glamper van quite like a bit of mood lighting – and if those Christmas tree lights from the middle of Lidl are due an upgrade, how about a set of robust string lights?
The Edison string lights from Barebones Living have a retro, sort-of-steampunk look to them, while the Claymore Cadena UF5s feature a more modern, tulip-shaped design. Both have a degree of weatherproofing for rainy evenings under the awning, but if you think they’ll get a lot of use outside the van then the Claymores are more waterproof.
In fact, for general illumination around the van and campsite, South Korean brand Claymore are in a different league to most camp lighting we’ve experienced before. They specialise in versatile hanging units like the 3-Face Mini, 3-Face Neo, Ultra Mini and Ultra 2. Weatherproof and long-lasting, their lights double as quick-charge power banks, so you can also run your string lights or other gizmos off them.
Inside the van, a bit of extra light in dark corners never goes amiss – whether you’re cooking up late-night Super Noodles or reading a tatty paperback you found in a phone box library. A Barebones Beacon is great for clip-anywhere convenience, as are the Black Diamond Moji or Snow Peak Mini-Hozuki.
Finally, for nostalgic camp vibes, you just can’t beat the warm glow of a lantern. Claymore has various options including their Selene or Cabin models, while the Forest and Railroad lanterns from Barebones have oodles of vintage charm. If you want to go really old-school, you could even opt for a gas-fuelled hurricane lantern from Primus – though these ones are obviously for sitting out in the open air rather than the confines of the van.
The overriding appeal of a van is that it offers the best of both worlds. You’ve got the comfort and protection of the indoors, but in the outdoors.
What you haven’t got is space – and when you pitch up at a campsite, it’s nice to be able to expand into the open air. A simple tarp will keep the sun and rain off, or you could go for a more substantial bolt-on like the Kelty Highroads shelter. This crafty piece of engineering attaches to the back of your van, and you can even use it to convert your old Landy or hot hatchback into an impromptu camper.
Then, of course, you’ll need something to recline in while you sip your plastic beaker of Shy Pig Crisp White. We’ve got almost a hundred different camp chairs in our warehouse, but for vanning, we’d skip the ultra-light backpacking models and ramp up the comfort with something like a Helinox Savanna or Nemo Satellite. Kelty do a great range of chairs aimed at van and car-campers, including some amazing outdoor sofas in two-person and three-person sizes (the larger one was a big hit with one of our dogs.) Don’t forget a packable table too.
As evening draws in, a cosy blanket will keep the chill at bay. We’ve got lovely lightweight synthetic ones from Voited, alongside classic wool and cotton models from Atlantic Blankets and Öjbro Vantfabrik. Our absolute favourites, though, are the Hitch & Roam UK National Park blankets. Each blanket is made from 100% pure new wool and spun in Yorkshire by one of the UK’s last remaining fully vertical woollen mills.
Oddly, it’s the ‘boring-but-important’ stuff that really elevates your vanlife game. Storage, for example. Bulk-buy plastic crates from the handyman store are alright to begin with, but they look ugly – and by the time you’ve left them in the sun, sat on them, hefted them in and out of the van a few dozen times etc., the cracks will (literally) start to show.
Though they’re best known for their backpacks and duffles, Gregory do a fantastic range of camp storage equipment, including their robust and weatherproof Alpaca boxes and their clever collapsible gear totes. For more serious trips where ‘vanning’ tips over into ‘overlanding’, RUX are a popular option, especially their 70L soft-sided gear boxes with modular accessories. And as usual, our old friends at Kelty have nailed the van storage market, offering useful boxes alongside fun solutions like their Camp Galley and Chef Roll.
Speaking of food prep, a hot day and a pack of chicken breasts in the back seat do not a happy holiday make. Keep your perishables un-perished and your Desperados chilled with a cool box from Stanley or Dometic. Or for a serious step up, how about an actual fridge/freezer in the back of your van or car? Dometic’s CFX5 electric coolers provide incredible performance, and will run off a 12-volt supply.
Even the most hard-grafting digital nomad needs to balance work with play, and we’ve got all the packable toys for your camper van. How about a folding kayak that fits under the bed? Or a flat-pack firepit? At the very least, you’ll want a lightweight parachute nylon hammock to string up and take a siesta.
All that’s left is to stick a Stanley travel mug in your cupholder, blast a bit of WD-40 under the bonnet and offer a silent prayer as you turn the key. The open road awaits…
As well as being one of WildBounds’ principal copywriters and a regular contributor to our Journal, Joly Braime is an author, editor and sometime adventurer. He’s also an inveterate traveller, with years of camping and campervanning experience. Formerly the owner of several classic Volvo estates, none dating from later than the mid-90s, he recently upgraded to a comparatively modern Land Rover Freelander (a 3-door Td4, which they stopped making in 2006).
