7 Essential Items for Van life in Australia

Traveling around Australia in a campervan is such an amazing experience! We did it for 2 weeks traveling along the east coast from Cairns all the way down to Brisbane. We laid by the beach, snorkeled the Great Barrier Reef, visited some incredible islands and saw so much Australian wildlife! If you are going to be traveling in a van there are a few things that will make your life so much easier! Here are 7 essential items for van life in Australia that will seriously make it so much more comfortable!

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1. Bug Spray

The bugs are the real deal in Australia so you will definitely need bug spray! No matter where you’re going or even if you never usually get bit you should always have it with you. This bug spray actually works although it does have a little bit of a smell to it so we wouldn’t recommend spraying it inside the van.

These bug spray wipes are amazing! They are little packets that are perfect for traveling. They don’t count as liquids so if you’re traveling with just a carry on bag they work great! Because they are wipes they are really easy to apply because you can wipe the bug spray on a small area. You also don’t have to worry about spraying everyone around you because it’s not a spray.

2. USB Fan

We started our road trip in Cairns which is located on the northern tip of Queensland, Australia. It was very hot and very, very humid. Our first night in the van the ‘feels like’ temperature was 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36 degrees Celsius). If you’re traveling to the northern parts of Australia that get really hot (especially in the warmer summer months) then you will definitely need some sort of fan to cool down!

If you’re driving during the day with the air conditioning on you’ll be comfortable. But as soon as you’re parked the inside of the van can heat up quickly. A small USB fan definitely won’t cool down your entire van but it can make you a lot more comfortable especially when you’re trying to fall asleep!

A USB fan is a good option because you can recharge it with a portable battery, car charger or from a power source like an outlet.

Travel Truth: We found it helped a lot to get up relatively early and then get out of the van for most of the day especially the hottest part of the afternoon. Then we cooked outside most nights to not heat the inside up too much and used the fans pointed at us when we were ready to go to sleep.

3. Sunscreen

If you’re traveling around Australia in a van hopefully you’ll find yourself on lots and lots of beautiful beaches. We had no idea there were so many islands off the coast of Australia and even though we only visited a few, they were all incredible!

So you’re definitely going to need to travel with sunscreen. We really like this sunscreen because it doesn’t immediately start coming off when you start sweating which you probably will if you’re out in the sun (or even sometimes just trying to put the bed away inside the van). We travel with it in this reusable container so that when we run out we can simply refill it and don’t need to worry about it fitting in our carry on size backpacks.

4. Car Charger

No road trip is complete without a car charger. It’s the easiest way to charge items such as your phone or anything else that charges with a USB port. If you’re traveling in a van having power is a luxury. While you’re driving is one of the best times to charge things as the car recharges the alternator and battery system (if your van has one). If your van has another battery that’s great but you will still want to take advantage of charging things especially on long driving days.

This car charger is amazing because it has 1 USB port to charge your phone, portable battery or anything else that charges with a USB port. Then it has 1 USB-C port that allowed us to also charge our MacBook laptops. We use our computers a lot so this was seriously the most helpful thing we had! We bought this and tested it before leaving on our trip and found it usually took around 60-90 minutes for a full charge of one of our computers which is impressive for a car charger!
- Having this meant we never had to go somewhere and sit and wait for our phones and laptops to charge which meant more time at the beach and exploring!

5. Bug Net / Screens

This is something that we definitely didn’t expect but we quickly realized it’s essential to have. You want to be able to experience the amazing campsites and landscapes around you which means leaving the doors of the van open especially at night to cool down. However, leaving the doors open invites all the bugs inside. Getting bug nets or screens allows the cooler air in without letting in all kinds of bugs.

We bought a bug net screen that’s supposed to go around a bed like the ones you see a lot of times at hostels in Asia. Then we cut it and outfitted it to fit around the doors. We bought it in Cairns because we quickly realized it was going to be necessary. But because it wasn’t meant to fit car doors it didn’t really work perfectly and it made it really hard to get in and out of the van.
There are a lot of places you can buy one in Australia. Look at places like Bunnings, K-Mart, and other outdoors stores. We passed a lot of camping stores in Cairns or you can order one online and get it delivered to wherever you are.

6. Flip Flops / Slip on Sandals

You definitely want a pair of flip fops or slip on sandals so you can quickly put on shoes to get in and out of the van. We actually found ourselves going barefoot a lot. But if you’re walking to the bathroom at a campsite or jumping out to grab a few things from the store you want a pair of shoes that you can easily get on and off.

I have these Birkenstock sandals and really love them! They are so comfortable and supportive, however, buckling the ankle strap every time I got in or out of the van got annoying really quickly! You can buy a cheap pair of flip flops from Target or K-Mart in Australia.

7. Closed Containers (Travel Mug / Food Containers)

Having any open container in a van is risky. A big bump and all of a sudden you’ll be drenched in whatever food or beverage you have. A travel mug that is closed and sealed is so helpful! If you don’t drink coffee or tea this one won’t apply to you. But we need coffee to function so this was a necessity. A travel mug was something we used all the time especially when we were driving. That way you can make your coffee or tea and don’t have to worry about chugging it before you leave or spilling it all over yourself.

We bought a really cheap one while in Australia. Literally any Target, K-Mart or even grocery store will have them. Or if you want to invest in a really good one we have these Thermos ones and they are literally the best. Seriously your drink will stay warm or cold forever!

You can also buy cheap plastic food containers in the grocery store. We bought a 6-pack in the grocery store for no more than $5 USD. I used them make breakfast in so I could eat it while Dave was driving in the mornings and they also work great for keeping leftovers. We also use this silicone reusable sandwich bag to bring sandwiches to the beach or if we’re going out for the day and want to bring food. It’s air tight so you don’t have to worry about bugs or sand or anything getting in it!