56 Campervan Essentials - Our Campervan Packing List
Michal Grupa
Campervan Whisperer
At Siesta Campers we’ve been building and renting VW campervans for 2 decades. Over the years, we’ve tested a variety of campervan essentials & camping accessories to find the highest quality gear available. If we need something that doesn't yet exist, we build it ourselves. We strive for perfection in everything we do and offer our customers the very best camping experience. Often this simply means comfort and peace of mind, so ditch your campervan packing list, travel light and enjoy the ride. Whether you want to hire a campervan in Portugal or Spain, or build your own VW camper, the below campervan essentials list includes our own tried and true recommendations that go into every van we build.
Campervan essentials & accessories:
We choose to build our campers in-house and know them inside and out. Unlike many of our competitors who simply purchase a finished product, we take pride in creating the safest, most comfortable and functional VW campers around. Even the VW-produced campervans like the VW California are improved upon as soon as we receive them, VW doesn't always get their campers right the first time! We improve things like the water pump, roof functionality and maximize comfort and ensure our fully equipped campervan promise lives up to the hype. When we say they’re fully equipped, we mean it! All the items below are included in the rental price.
1: Fridge - Go beyond a slush filled cooler and soggy sandwiches. Instead, opt for a 12v campervan fridge, featured in all models. Our fridges vary in size from the massive 70L in a Grand California to the compact 25L in a Beach van.
2: 2-ring SMEV Italian gas hob - Practice your chef skills in the wild with a quality campervan cooker (2.75kg gas bottle included). This is a 2 burner cooker with an integrated sink. The onboard fresh water & waste water tanks make prep and cleanup a breeze.
3: Shower - All of our campers come equipped with a shower, with the exception of our California which comes with an optional solar shower.
4: Leisure battery - Keep your gear juiced without worrying whether your van will start after a long stretch off-grid. Replenish with a campsite main hook up or during a long drive. Our Siesta Pacific has 2 big 110Ah leisure batteries and a 100w solar panel. A total game-changer for those wanting to work on the road!
5: Charging your gear - Many of our customers are surprised to find typical electrical outlets in the vans (while connected to campsite mains electric). The VW pacific has a massive 1000w inverter allowing you to use 240v while remaining unconnected from mains power in a campsite. All-new VW vans come with USB-C plugs so please bring your required adaptor. Keeping your gadgets charged is not an issue!
6: Swivel seats - Our modern campervans come with front swivel seats. These underrated VW campervan essentials allows for much better use of interior space!
7: Motorway toll reader - We Include a motorway toll reader for paying motorways. (20€ activation fee per rental if you use the motorway)
Our campervan packing list
Wondering what to bring camping? Beyond our tasteful equipment upgrades Our team diligently checks the campervan packing list prior to pick up. With so many of our customers arriving from outside Portugal, it’s simply not feasible to bring with all the necessary camping gear from home. We’ve thought of everything so you don’t have to!
8-19: Camping cooking set - Details matter so we made sure our camping utensils & cookware are durable, high quality and even feel nice to the touch. Our camping cooking set includes:
- 1 Frying pan & 2 pots
- Kettle for boiling water
- Salad bowl
- Full cutlery set and chopping knives
- Bottle and can opener
- Chopping board
- Real glasses & cups (Life’s too short to drink wine from a plastic cup)
- Ceramic plates & bowls
- Cheese grater
- A tea towel
- Moka coffee pot
- Pasta strainer
20: Sleeping in a campervan - You’ll surely appreciate some hidden upgrades like thermal insulation to keep you cool during hot summer days and toasty during crisp winter nights. Noise insulation is another life saver when camping near a loud group. What can we say, we just build them better! You also get black out window screens & curtains.
21-27: Camping gear - Campervanning can mean many things. For some, it’s lazy nights by a campfire. For others, it's access to remote beaches and a hunt for the perfect wave. Whatever your definition is, at the end of the day, it feels good to wash up, relax and melt into a comfortable chair. With these, we’ve got you covered:
- Folding aluminium camping table
- 2 folding camping chairs
- A mains extension lead
- Large washing up bowl
- Washing up sponge
- Washing up liquid
- A rollout sunshade that is an integral part of the van (California, Atlantic, Grand California, Pacific & Sierra only)
28: Protection plan - We include Basic coverage for free with every rental. We also offer Standard and Complete protection plan upgrades for greater peace of mind. Click here to see our protection plans.
Go beyond campervan essentials with our optional extras
Not all campervan hire is created equal and at Siesta Campers we offer the best vans and unmatched service. Our fully equipped vans are a joy to drive, relax and sleep in. If you feel certain key items may be missing from our campervan packing list, check out our optional extras for inspiration!
What you should bring
Firstly, ditch the giant hard-backed suitcase and travel with a collapsible rucksack or soft case that can be unpacked and then slipped out of the way. If you're in one of our smaller vans that big suitcase will really annoy you after day one. It's a great moment when finally you’re off in your van and have the pleasure of organising all your items into the compact storage shelves, cupboards and drawers. Our campervans are thoughtfully designed and everything will disappear into its place.
29: Small backpack for day trips + shopping (a reusable grocery bag is also great)
30: Refillable water bottle - Cut down on plastic waste when you are out and about ask any cafe to fill your bottle. Most will do so with no problem.
31: Lightweight beach towel - The new microfibre towels are so compact that they're easy to pop in your bag for the morning hike to that remote beach. Decathlon does a great line of these super lightweight towels.
32: 12V rechargeable head torch - Keep your hands free to organise late-night park ups and orientate yourself at a new campground. Look for a rechargeable USB one, and you can charge it in the van.
33: 12V charging cables and adapters for your phone, head torch etc remember that all modern VW’s have USB c plugs in them now. We run on 220v here in the EU so if you come from U.S or Canada make sure you have adaptors that work on 220v
34: Wifi Speaker - Bring your favourite
35: Ear plugs - Even if you sleep like a baby with the sound of the sea crashing, you can’t control when a drum circle may pop up next door or even worse the campsite Karaoke session. Spanish and Portuguese holidaymakers like to party until late in July and August.
Toiletries
Whilst taking your familiar cosmetics and toiletries is nice, don't stress about taking everything or forgetting something, as supermarkets here have a wide range of items.
36: Lip balm - You will be out in the fresh air and sun a lot!
37: Mosquito repellent and/or outdoor USB lanterns with mosquito zapper
38: Sunscreen
39: Moisturiser
40: Deodorant
41: Toothbrush + toothpaste
Medical
Siestas campers include a basic first aid kit, but it’s always great to have a variety pack of bandages to slip into your day bag.
42: Your favourite tea bags - Did you know that tea bags are great for your skin? After a refreshing cuppa, you can soothe and tone your face with a gentle wipe. Peppermint and chamomile tea bags are great to travel with as they can soothe stomach upsets very effectively, be used as a toner to brighten your complexion or act as a soothing antiseptic on small cuts or insect bites.
43: Essential oils - We love for the road: tea tree, lavender. Citronella is great for keeping the mosquitos at bay.
44: Paracetamol, ibuprofen
Playtime
Van life gives you the opportunity to unplug from social and rest the doom scrolling fingers. Embrace the change!
45: A good book to read (we have a book exchange in our bases!)
46: Sketchbook/journal, eraser, and range of pencils—Take time to discover your inner artist or just try some old-fashioned handwriting to scribble your way out of your life stress or dilemmas.
47: A4 paper - Can bring hours of communal fun with drawing games such as the “Exquisite Corpse,” invented by surrealists in Paris in 1925, where you fold a piece of paper into the number of players, draw a head in the top section, fold over so your drawing is hidden and then hand to the person next to you to continue with the body.
48: Games - Travel games like chess, checkers or a simple deck of cards can make a leisurely evening a family affair. Some of our favourites are Bananagrams (a simple + lightweight word game), Uno, and the travel edition of Abalone (known as “Push n Shove” in our family)
Clothing Essentials
Less is more and lighter is better! Make a pile of everything you’d like to bring and think you’ll need, and then cut that pile in half. One of the best parts of packing light is leaving space to bring home whatever it is you’ve found while on holiday. You’ll have the space to treat yourself to the perfect dress from a beachside stall, a t-shirt as the perfect souvenir from your adventure, or even a stylish Siesta t-shirt or organic cotton tote bag available at every base!
49: Sunhat
50: Shorts
51: Undies - but go easy on the socks, as you’ll only really need them for hikes!
52: Swimsuit / shorts—Whether you're a beach lover or an inland mountain roamer, you will discover plenty of wild swimming opportunities from the refreshing Atlantic ocean to the gushing crystal clear rivers and the expansive serene lakes or barragens, as they are known here in Portugal.
53: Sarong - this easy wrap-around fabric can be used in so many ways while camping, and not just for that bright, casual beach-ready look! These are great to fling around you when you hop out of the van at a campsite, to use as a lightweight towel after an impromptu swim or hike, and you can even use one to fashion a sunshade with the help of some driftwood.
54: Lightweight / baggy tops and trousers - these double up as pyjamas and are perfect for the at-home-in-a-van vibe
55: Lightweight hoodies - keep your warm layers light!
56: Flip-flops, crocs or slides - essential for slipping in/out the van
Keep it light!
You may recognize the phrase, “Pack for a day, stay for a week. Pack for a week, stay for a month.” This also rings true for road trips and campervans! Travelling light comes with a heightened sense of freedom, flexibility and spontaneity - if you’ve ever flown with just a carry-on, you know the feeling. When roadtripping in Portugal, the paradise-like weather day and night allows for many of the usual travel supplies to be left at home, providing you with a life with less stuff, less stress, and a more simplified day-to-day while on the road.