When you have a campervan and kids (and a dog), you feel like you need to pack ALOT of stuff. But the truth is with a bit of planning and clever packing you can save space in a small campervan. This post will talk through our clothing must haves for vanlife with kids – including a Vanlife packing list, and those essential items to enjoy vanlife with kids.
I have just returned from a campervan trip to Anglesey. We stayed for a week and I felt like I had packed for a month. The weather in the UK is variable most of the time. You never really know if you are going to be greeted with rain, snow, wind or beautiful sunshine. We have a VW T5 campervan for a family of five (and a dog), so we end up with a lot of ‘stuff’ in the camper, and I won’t lie, our campervan is not always tidy, and therefore I won’t be giving you any tips on how to keep a small campervan tidy anytime soon!
I loved working with Very on their recent summer campaign. They have an amazing range of holiday essentials for travelling with kids. I have collated a vanlife packing list with clothing items you may need to campervan with kids including five top camper packing tips and tricks.
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My plan is that one day I will have everything in the van ready to go, but I haven’t managed this so far and always end up throwing whatever I might need for five of us on a road trip. Just one word of advice. Make sure that when you pack all the items into a packing pod – you actually pack ALL of the packing pods in to the campervan and don’t leave any behind (I am speaking from experience here).
So here goes our selection of items that we love for campervan travels with kids …. are you ready?
VANLIFE PACKING LIst – clothes for kids
- Coats
- Hats
- Swimwear
- socks
- Pjs/nightwear
- underwear
- Shorts
- skirts
- tshirts
- leggings
- jumpers, hoodies and fleeces
- rucksack/bumbag
- trainers/walking shoes
- beach shoes/sandals
- wetsuit
- dry robe for kids/ towel
vanlife packing list – other must have items
- travel games
- Ipads/tablets
- Books
- colouring and sticker books
- travel journals
- collapsible buckets and spades
- chargeable fan
- snacks and drinks
- swimwear safety armbands/lifejackets
- headphones
- beach games
- torch
- bags/rucksack/bumbag
TOP TIPS for vanlife packing
Layering
I always pack items that layer well. Leggings and tights can be worn under shorts and skirts. Vests can be worn under t-shirts and then layered with a fleece or a jumper.
mix and match items
For the kids I tend to pack mix and match items that can be worn more than once, rather than dresses and outfit sets. Shorts can be worn with various t-shirts and hoodies or jumpers and work well with coats and waterproofs. They can also be layered.
Use packing pods
I know I always talk about packing pods but they are a lifesaver when it comes to clothes storage and organisation of clothes in a campervan. We all have a packing pod each and what doesn’t fit in the packing pod, doesn’t come with us.
Store hoodies and coats in cushion covers
I learned about this little campervan storage hack a while ago and it is a brilliant idea. Packing blankets, fleeces and coats into cushion covers is an amazing storage idea for a campervan or caravan. Anything that is soft and doesn’t crease can be packed in a cushion cover.
You are very welcome.
Invest in hamman towels
Hamman towels are amazing for vanlife. They pack light, dry really quickly and are absorbent. They can also be used for very wet and sandy dogs, and also double up as a beach mat.
good shoes/trainers
We love trainers. They work well for outdoor life, are comfortable and literally go with any outfit. Our converse trainers just get thrown in the wash and wash really well so work great for campervan trips. The kids love them too.
What is your top tip for packing for a holiday with kids?
Disclosure: This post is a collaborative post with very.co.uk
