Vanlife is a pursuit in which minimalism is really important. More stuff means more weight and the heavier the van is, the fewer miles per gallon we get which in turn means coughing up more money for gas. It’s definitely a balance! So here we have compiled 6 pieces of vanlife gear that we think are worth the bit of extra weight.
Outdoor/Camping
Enlightened Convert Quilt/ Sleeping Bag
Living in a van, storage space comes at a premium. We have a ton of gear with us for climbing, backpacking, snorkeling, fishing, etc, so when we find something lightweight and compact that does the job we are stoked. My old North Face alpine sleeping bag had seen better days and wasn’t providing the warmth it used to. Enter Enlightened Equipment, a cool little company that makes great ultralight down gear in Minnesota.
Now, I’ve owned ultralight bags in the past but none of them even compare to our Convert 30. It’s ridiculously light and packable due to the quilt design and the lack of a hood. When it is in quilt mode, two straps hold the sleeping pad in and form a nice seal to retain heat while being super roomy. Alternatively, you can zip it up and use it as a proper sleeping bag. But it doesn’t stop there. We can use it as a comforter in our van, or bundle up in it together for a sunrise, or string it up using the included straps to use as a sun shade. It’s more than just a sleeping bag! On top of that, their construction quality is top notch and they include a lifetime warranty. They also have started making down jackets which we hope to get our hands on someday. Check them out if you’re into playing in the alpine, bike packing, or just want something super light and compact!
Kawartha Hammock
I’ve never been a huge fan of hammocks. In fact, I was downright anti-hammock back in Washington. The only people that bring hammocks to the crag up there are college kids more interested in shotgunning beers and taking selfies than climbing, and I generally steer clear of those people and anything I associate with them. Yes, I’m aware I sound like a crotchety old man. Yes, I’m okay with that.
On top of that, I very rarely find a hammock that is actually comfortable for me. Most don’t properly contour to your body and generally seem flimsy. But for traveling, we thought it could be a nice addition so we decided to try out a newer company, Kawartha. Somehow within about two weeks I went from being anti-hammock to using it EVERYWHERE. Our hammock is lightweight, comfortable, and comes with some very hefty straps to string it up. Lunch time at the crag? Hammock time. Need a seat while Steph takes photos in a cave? Hammock time. Not enough chairs on the porch of our rental house? Hammock time. The only problem is it’s so comfortable that hammock time quickly transitions into nap time.
The hammock itself weighs almost nothing, but the straps are thick, double stitched nylon webbing and include steel carabiners. If you want to reduce the weight for a backpacking trip you can always swap out the included gear with a couple double-length climbing slings and lightweight carabiners. With the addition of a small tarp this would be a great piece of gear for solo backpackers, bikepackers, through-hikers, etc.
COOKING
Prestige Deluxe Stainless Steel Mini Handi Pressure Cooker
Pressure cookers are so hot right now. Which is totally not why we got it, but it helps to have some options on the market! Uprooting our lives and deciding what kitchen items we really needed was difficult enough, and we really went back and forth on getting a pressure cooker. We kept hearing really good things about it, but then realized how bulky it could be and it’s a bit of an odd shape, which doesn’t help either. However Christmas rolled around and lo and behold James’ mom came in to rescue us from our indecision with a small 3.3 L pot, perfect for 2 people.
We easily found a home for the cooker in the van, and quickly learned the basics after downloading a pressure cooker recipe book. WARNING: the pressure cooker releases steam as it gets up to pressure and it’s super loud. The first few times we used it I expected the whole thing to explode, spewing hot contents everywhere giving us huge 3rd degree burns that forever scar our pretty faces. Fortunately, it didn’t do that…yet.
We love to cook, and back home it wasn’t uncommon for us to spend 2 full hours cooking dinner, which seems absolutely nuts now a days, as we use the pressure cooker and those big long drawn out meals get done in… about 30 minutes. We won’t go back!!! You want rice? Give us 10 minutes (normal cook time is about 30 minutes) You want dark, richly flavored ramen broth with pork that falls off the bone? 30 minutes! BAM! And the best part is we use almost no propane compared to other cooking methods. We left Seattle with a partially full propane tank, and finally refilled it four months later. With the number of people relying on disposable propane canisters, it seems insane that a pressure cooker isn’t a standard part of everyone’s camp kitchen.
Goodness awaits you… get a pressure cooker.
CREATURE COMFORTS
Ecoxgear EcoXBT Bluetooth Speaker
Congratulations, you’ve got a van, a hammock, maybe even a surfboard, and 20k Instagram followers (only 4,000 of which are your technologically-challenged aunt’s accounts). You’re really vanlifing the shit out of this vanlife thing. But something’s missing. The vibe just isn’t quite right as you brush coconut oil through your salt-fried hair or stage your coffee cup for that perfect sunrise photo. Duh, music! Enter the EcoXBT.
We actually had our speaker long before dreaming up this trip, and since we moved into the van it has become one of our best friends for two reasons. For one, the sound is surprisingly full for a small speaker. And for two, this thing is FUCKING INDESTRUCTIBLE! I can’t count the number of times it has flown off a shelf while driving down a bumpy road, ricocheting around the back of the van like a pinball. It’s also waterproof and I’ve used it in the shower countless times. On top of that, it’s been to Burning Man at least three times and still works perfectly, which is a feat for any piece of equipment.
So next time you need some Jack-Johnson-surf-beach vibes or mountain-highway-bluegrass vibes, look no further than this burly little boombox. Or just be like us and use it to lay around and listen to fantasy novels all day, it’s up to you.
Go-Girl
A must have for all the outdoor ladies out there!! I wouldn’t survive without this small easily concealable piece of gear.
Here’s how I found it. A few years back I heard about an illusive Shewee device from another outdoor lady while remote camping. I was always jealous of men that can just wee wherever they want, even in a bottle if need be with no problem, so this was a bit of a revelation hearing of this device. I knew for this large trip and other outdoor pursuits, this was something I needed to have so I did some research. Turns out there are a number of options on the market, although the Shewee seemed to be more widely known. I quickly took note that the Go-Girl design had a few extra perks than other options, so the Go-Girl stuck out to me.
The Go-Girl is made from silicon, unlike some of the other options on the market, which are made of a hard plastic. The silicon allows for better forming to the body for less leakage, easier cleaning, and flexible design that allows for small, inconspicuous storage. The funnel also has a small lip that keeps your liquid from tumbling out the top if you have a really full bladder, thus less spills!
Usability wise, the Go-Girl is really easy to use, but it did take a bit to get used to. The concept is, you take the large-mouth of the funnel and seal it to yourself by pressing it up to your lady bits from the front and the back narrow part of the device and hold it in place while you do your business. Make sure the funnel coming down is pointing slightly forward, if you have the device backward, it probably won’t work as well since it isn’t how it’s supposed to work. The first few times I used the Go-Girl, I was surprised at how well it worked with no dribbles! At that point, I think I got a bit cocky with it and got a bit lazy I guess… as I went through a period where using it did wield a bit of dribble. I revamped my technique quickly though and I’m back on track. Just be diligent, and don’t be lazy with your pose and you’ll do great!
Overall my experience with using the Go-Girl has been very positive thus far, so I’ll give some nitty gritty details for you readers. Living in a van would be impossible for me and my small bladder if I did not have this. Some of you may or may not be surprised by the news that I actually use the Go-Girl almost every day and many times multiple times a day while living in the van. I have found, that it’s just easier to to use than finding a public bathroom on the road, which many times we have to pay for, so thanks to our tinted windows and a jug, I can pee pretty much anywhere, anytime!
Body Back Buddy Self Massager
Years of sitting at desks for school and work plus not being able to afford a decent mattress can really screw up your back. Over the past few years even at the ripe age of 29 I have come across debilitating back pain that at one time had me off my feet for a number of days. I essentially have lived a lifetime with chronic neck and shoulder pain, and I needed to have something change. Traveling such as I do now definitely helps, but I also invested in a few key items to help prevent these horrible episodes from repeating. One of those items was the Body Back Buddy Trigger Point Therapy Self Massage Tool… let’s call it the S-Curve massager for short.
I first came across this strange device while eating dinner at a good climber-friend’s house. He was really stoked about this odd looking device that had helped him immensely with keeping his muscles loose after excessive bouldering, and I was in awe. I decided that this was something that could drastically help my life, and give James some relief from my constant requests for shoulder massages.
The S-curve massager is a fully functional tool to help you massage [essentially] any ache on your body. The design includes a few different handle grips for easy mobility in reaching difficult places such as mid-back, shoulders, neck, bottom of your feet, and more. There are perfectly placed nubs on the main s-curve that can tackle those annoying knots that build up over time. My favorite is the main nub which has a bit of a point and really helps to get up under the muscles and give you a good run for your money.
My one warning for those reading is this thing is a beast… and if you over use it, you can bruise. This happened to me recently as I wailed into a muscle on my back. The next day I had perfect loose muscles… but a nice little bruise left too. I’m a masochist when it comes to massages though so I would guess most people won’t come across this problem. All in all, this tool has saved my life from a lot of pain and thus, has made it onto our list of top vanlife gear as well as life gear. I’m never going without one of these ever again.