How to Pack for a Campervan Holiday Without Overpacking
A campervan seems to have a lot of space until it’s filled with all your belongings, at which point you’re playing a game of Tetris with an added suitcase under your feet, wondering why you brought five pairs of shoes, and debating the need for five different jackets.
Packing for a campervan holiday requires a complete overhaul of your packing mentality for a typical holiday. What works in a stationary setting where you have a room the size of one half of the campervan will not work in a rolling vehicle with maybe 20ft of space. On the bright side, once you get an idea about how much space you have and how much you need, it’s much easier to pack!
Know What Space You Have (and Don’t Have)
Most campervans have strange storage opportunities. There may be some cabinets above the seating area, storage under the seat cushions and maybe a closet the size that holds three shirts. Nooks and crannies are available, seemingly cut out to swallow all those little items you probably don’t need in the first place.
You’ll be lucky if you get a trunk big enough to hold your entire wardrobe. That’s your mentality. You’ll be more than okay to wear the same items more than once and nobody on a campervan holiday expects high fashion on a beach day. If you’ll be doing some coastal exploration, for example, this Campervan Hire Cornwall service lets you know the specific storage of their campervans so you know how much space you’ll be working with in advance so you don’t stuff everything into bags.
Realistically, you’re working with about as much storage as a large coat closet. Perhaps less. If you’re someone who packs for a weekend and it’s still too much, you’re going to have a hard time adjusting your mindset.
Reality About Clothing
You need far less clothing than you think. For a week’s adventure, you’ll survive on:
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Three or four tops (mix and match!)
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Two trousers/shorts depending on the weather (yes, you’ve read that correctly – only two).
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One warm layer (fleece or hoodie).
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One rain jacket/waterproof jacket.
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One underwear pair/sock pair for each day (or close to).
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One comfortable walking shoe pair (maybe flip flops or sandals).
That’s it!
You will likely go to one nice restaurant and probably repeat outfits but guess what? Nobody cares what you wear when you’re standing on the beach or walking up a hill.
What’s difficult for most people is the idea of "what if?" What if it gets cold? What if we go somewhere nice? What if I want options? Stop it. You will be wearing the same comfortable clothing daily because guess what? You’re on holiday, and comfort is key!
What may work in your favor is wearing quick-drying clothing as you’ll need fewer items if you can wash something in the sink of the campervan (and it dries by morning). Merino wool works better than cotton; quick drying synthetics can help, too.
Kitchen Needs
Most campervans will come equipped with some pots, pans, plates, cutlery, etc., but they won’t come equipped with all your favorite cooking gadgets and 17 spices. Pack a few essentials such as salt, pepper, olive oil, maybe some dried spices if you’re going all out but do not pack like you’re setting up home – kitchen style. You can pick up condiments and essentials along the way.
Packing too much food initially is also an error made by many travelers; mini-fridge space equals limited square footage – think your fridge at home versus the one at work/maybe at best it’s borderline better than your work fridge so better to get fresh ingredients every couple of days instead of packing up for the entire journey on day one.
You can pack reusable containers for leftovers; good water bottle per person; maybe a decent coffee setup if that’s necessary to start your day nicely but skip over any gadgets unless it’s overly necessary for your happiness.
Outdoor Supplies
This depends on what you’ll be doing! Beach? You need towels (they take up A LOT of space), maybe beach chairs, swimwear (reduced packing option), etc.; hiking? Good boots and maybe a daypack will cut it.
But do NOT pack for every occasion – pack for what you’re actually going to do. If you’re maybe going to hike once, you don’t need full hiking gear – we’re talking trainers and light backpacks will most likely do just fine.
Towels are bulky when dry (and even worse when wet). Microfiber travel towels pack smaller and dry quicker; yes they’re softer and feel funny compared to standard bathroom towels – but who cares? Space savers when traveling are key.
The Bathroom
Tiny toilets are usually in campervans. Like tiny! Barely enough room for one person to turn around – never mind everyone’s toiletries being involved.
Travel sizes only – or fill small travel containers with your originals at home. Do NOT bring full-sized shampoo containers unless you’d like them falling down on your head during every cabinet opening!
One wash bag per person is better than distributing items everywhere; keep it simple: shower gel; shampoo; toothbrush; toothpaste; deodorant; sunscreen; basic needs. Leave the seventeen skincare steps at home.
What You’ll Do/Extras
Books are heavy and bulky; if you’re someone who reads books constantly while away then e-readers work better; same with tablets versus board games; a deck of cards takes no room and provides hours of entertainment.
Do not pack "just in case" items – the portable speaker you’ll use once; games you could play but probably won’t; crafts for rainy days. Every item must serve its purpose to justify its space and "maybe we’ll use it" isn’t helpful enough.
In an Ideal World
Best case scenario? Pack everything you think you need then take away about a third – harsh, I know – but you’ll be thankful when you’re not tripping over bags just to get to the bathroom. Use soft bags instead of hard suitcases – easier to squish into unique spaces! Packing cubes are worthwhile items.
And if you’ve forgotten something – oh well! Most places have stores. You can live. If you’ve underpacked – who cares? You’ll manage. But overpacking means you’ll be miserable the entire time without space.
The joy of a campervan holiday is all the freedom you’ve got – and you cannot have freedom if you’re bogged down by things – in every meaning of the phrase.
