Hey There!
It's Curious Karli and I want to talk to you guys today about things that I touch every single day living in a van. I have been on the road for 2 years and a lot of these items have been with me since the beginning.
So let's get right into what I use every single day.
First off lets talk about hygiene. I have tooth-brush, tooth paste, hair brush, personal mirror, and Pure N Gentle wipes. You can find all of these at your local store.
Next is kitchen utensils, I use a heat resistant silicone spatula, metal forks, knifes, and spoons, cutting knife and a can opener. To clean my utensils and dishes I use disinfecting wipes and paper towel.
For water I use a Primo hand pump on top of a 3 gallon Primo water bottle. Both items need to be the same brand because they fit together. I found both at Wal-Mart but at different locations.
My most frequently used item in my Camelbak Eddy Water bottle. It works amazing for me and has held through some pretty tough conditions.
At night I need light especially when it is getting dark around 5:30pm. For my main light source I use a Coleman battery powered lantern. I do also have a custer of different battery powered lights to light up my whole van including led string lights, mason jar lantern, a small desk lamp, and a black diamond headlamp.
For pots and pans I use basic stainless steel 1 quart pot and a 2 quart pot each with lids. I have picked them up at thrift stores as I go. My frying pan is an 8" Lodge cast iron skillet. I have been through many pans trying to find one that won't warp on my Eureka camp stove and the cast iron is awesome!
My dish ware includes a 12 piece set of speckled enamel and metal plates, bowls, and mugs. I try not to have any glass or ceramic because of the possibility of it falling and breaking while driving.
For power I bought a Goal Zero Yeti 150 generator. It's a fully contained battery, controller and inverter. I have two solar panels to charge it. Including the Nomad 20. I recommend having a larger set up if you are wanting to do more than charge your phone or tablet.
Everyone needs to take a seat so I have a $5 camping chair and a little stool to carry around.
Next in my essential items is the two coolers I use basically as cold, dry storage. One is a Colman and the smaller is an Igloo Quantum. When it gets below 45 at night I open my coolers to let the chill air in and close them up during the day. Having things like cans will stay cooler longer.
Pot holders are very important for handling hot pots and pans.
Having a variety of shoes is necessary because of weather changes and different terrains. Birkenstock Arizona sandals, Keen women's hiking shoes, Lamo fuzzy boots, and black casual shoes.
My bed is a youth Sleep Harmony memory foam mattress. I love it! It fits perfectly in my van.
Some bonus items are my small power packs the Venture 30 by Goal Zero and the Insignia. Both do a good job charging my tablet and phone. I try to charge them off of the Yeti 150 during the day so I have them to power my things at night.
For the most part I shop at Walmart and sometimes thrift stores. I worked at a camping store before I went out on the road 2 years ago and I still use a lot of items I bought from there.
What are your "go-to" daily items? Where do you shop for them?
Stay Curious
-Karli
Disclaimer: I have included amazon associate links from which I generate a commission from. The prices of the items do not change because of this.
Comments