This post contains Affiliate links! These are our essentials.
1 – Ecoflow Delta with/without Ecoflow 220W Solar panels.
There were a few options when configuring our Hymer Free s600 to upgrade the battery system. You could add a second battery or upgrade to some very expensive Lithium options. We are by no means experts when it comes to battery systems so we did not think the extra price was worth the upgrade and stuck with the standard habitation battery. We thought more about this as time went on through our build and finally came to the conclusion to buy a battery separately which we could use to power our accessories and also use it outside of the van with the thought that we could take it to the beach in the summer or in the garden in the evenings or even power the house in the event of a power cut (call me paranoid). This is where Ecoflow came in. I was looking at various brands such as Bluetti but the Ecoflow seemed to stand out so we purchased a Delta 2 a long with 220W Solar panels from Ecoflow. The price for both was cheaper than upgrading during our van build and allows us to stay without electricity for much longer (3/4 days longer). When the Delta runs low, we can charge it via mains (charges to full in an hour), we can charge it via 12v socket when driving (normally to top it up on longer drives) or we can use the solar panels next to the van when we are stationary for a longer period. We use the Delta daily when in the van and it has been fantastic which makes it part of our essentials list. It has also allowed us to bring a small air fryer in our van which has been a game changer for lunch/dinners.
2 – LE rechargeable Magnetic Light
We bought this light on Amazon over 5 years ago for when we were camping in our VW California and it came in useful so many times. It is definitely an essential for us. It was particularly useful in our awning tent to light the area and it is very bright for its size. In our Hymer, we try not to use the leisure battery so we can stay off the grid longer so we use this light when we need to see in all areas of the van. It has hooks which pull out, it has strong magnets which are perfect for sticking it to the van. It charges from a built in USB cable which wraps around and it has two light modes and an SOS mode. The magnets hold it onto our drying pole in the bathroom to light the whole bathroom and if we need light when cooking it sticks to the sliding door. It is one of those things we did not know we needed until we had it. For such an inexpensive light, it is extremely useful for all sorts of outdoor camping or camper van adventures.
3 – Ridge Monkey XL
The Ridge monkey was recommended to us by a fellow Campervanner when we were in our VW California Ocean 6 years ago. Since then, we have cooked countless meals and snacks using it. It works similarly to an oven which allows you to cook all sorts of things. There are dedicated posts which provide a variety of recipes to try as well. For us, it is very handy as it allows us to cook things like chips or chicken nuggets for our children when you just need that quick meal. They are also great for toasties. We recently upgraded our Ridge monkey to a newer model after 5 years and the new one comes apart giving you two non stick surfaces to cook with.
4 – Yeti Mugs
Since owning Camper vans we have always wanted Yeti mugs however the price of them always put us off, but after buying our Hymer, we had a sudden splurge and bought ourselves two Yeti mugs. There is nothing better then drinking your morning coffee out of a decent mug and an ick of mine is mugs that are too small so I am glad Yeti have a larger option as well as a smaller one. They keep our coffee warm for hours and seem very well made and durable for drinking on the move. They also have a well sealed lid which is not entirely leak proof but helpful for the many knocks we get when living in a van with 2 young children. Our mugs had to be on this list purely because we use them daily and make life just that little easier when in the van.
5 – Kyloe Sunglasses (not affiliate)
Or just sunglasses in general are essentials. I don’t understand how people can drive in sunny conditions without them. In the past I have had various Oakley polarised sunglasses which were great at reducing glare from oncoming traffic or for spotting things in water. My wife recently introduced me to Kyloe in the wild sunglasses which , at the time of writing, are offering 2 for 1 deals for polarised sunglasses. After she received hers I knew instantly that I had to order some for myself and also for our son. Now the whole family has them. They feel well made, have a variety of colours and options to choose from and I have been very happy with them so far.
6 – Baby Carriers – Osprey Poco & LittleLife Explorer.
We own two travel prams which we take everywhere with us when travelling and they are also essentials. They fold up small and we have beaten them up on woodland and gravel tracks more times than I can count. But sometimes it is not always possible to take the prams. Especially during our more recent adventures where we wanted to get out for longer walks. We have had our Osprey Poco carrier for 2 years and it does a great job of supporting both our 1 & 3 year olds and is very easy to adjust. More recently, we purchased a Littlelife carrier and we tend to use the Littlelife for our daughter and use the Osprey for Our son (3) as the Osprey feels like it has a more solid frame and support. Both carriers have been great and allowed us to get to places we would not normally be able to reach. The kids also fall asleep in them when tired if we are on longer hikes. The Osprey has a stand which means it stands on its own so we can place a child in it safely if they need to sit down to eat, drink or relax. They both fit in the van nicely. The Osprey folds almost flat and the Littlelife can be squeezed down to save space. We would be much more limited without them.
7 – ZTE mobile hotspot
For many years in our VW California we simply swapped our Jersey SIM cards with a UK one when travelling and enjoyed Vodafone’s big value bundles to give us unlimited data and internet. Unfortunately while Vodafone is still great in the UK, Brexit has changed the rules with the introduction of fair usage policies in certain countries in Europe. The other annoying thing about swapping your SIM card is that the person using it has to turn on their personal hotspot in order for the other person to use the internet, which drains battery FAST. We bought the ZTE from amazon to give it a try and simply topped up the SIM card on our phone then plugged it into the ZTE and we have been very impressed with it so far. We can all connect to it like Wifi and when it has signal, it just works. In Europe we will put a different SIM card in and continue to use it the same. It holds its battery fairly well (not amazing) and lasts us on our days out but most of the time we have it plugged in and on charge. I would recommend getting a hotspot device to other Campervanners if you do not wish to spend all your money on Starlink.
Living in a tight space comes with its challenges and one you need to stay on top of daily is hygiene. both personal hygiene (which is easier now we have a shower) and keeping the van clean and tidy. We use this hoover daily to get rid of crumbs and dirt which builds up very fast. The battery life could be better, but it does a good job of keeping things tidy.
