How many people on your gift list are living, traveling, or dreaming about living and traveling, in a van?
After 35-years of van-life, I think I can make a suggestion or two for this season’s gift list for the vanlifer in your life. I also polled #vanlife on twitter and got a few great suggestions.
Jaymie Jarvis ( @jaymiejarvis ) responded on Twitter, “Money for more fuel!” That’s always an issue for those of us that are not independently wealthy – cash always comes in handy – for fuel, for supplies and food, for van repairs.
Tall Poppy ( @LAPDWifey ) suggested the Scrubba Portable Clothes Washing Bag that is linked below in the grid.
Cody Dawson ( @mr_oldblood ) suggested anything from @GoalZero. I would suggest asking your vanlifer about Goal Zero products as they are fairly specific and some are project oriented – flashlights to solar panels.
And then @KevsKampers just wants time to actually go out and road trip. He really only asked for a month, but any amount of time will do!
For those vanlifers who are free to travel throughout the US, at $80 per year, the National Park Pass is a perfect holiday gift! The Annual Senior Pass is $20 and the Lifetime Senior Pass is $80 – so if your vanlifer is 62 or over – make sure you get the deal! Just make sure your vanlifer doesn’t already have one, as they are non-refundable and non-transferable.
One of the reasons for living in a van, besides being mobile, is making a small footprint on the environment. “Stuff” is at a minimum because of the space issues, and everything that is in the van needs to be extremely useful in some way. Some of these gift ideas in the list are common sense, like the Swiss Army knife or the Leatherman, both of which I have and use almost daily. The Maglite can double as a weapon. The cast iron Dutch Oven can be used on stove or campfire and doubles as a pot and a skillet. A subscription for unlimited reading of Kindle books would cut down on space for books. Others may be extravagant upgrades that will help your vanlifer live easier, like the Yeti cooler.
Add your favorite wishlist items in the comments!
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