Gifts for vanlifers, friends who love camping and outdoor enthusiasts in general are easy to find this year. We asked @venjatravel for the best gift ideas for campervan fans. Professional vanlifers Verena and Jan have been traveling the world with their two children in their converted Volkswagen T3 Syncro with camper cabin for several years now. Time and again, the four of them pause their everyday lives to explore for example the Panamericana or South Africa in their campervan. So they know all about finding gift ideas for all those who already have everything in their camper or camping equipment - or do they?
“Making someone happy by thinking about their preferences, wishes and dreams in advance can fill you with so much joy - especially if the gift is well received by the other person.”
New gift ideas from the Van Life professionals @Venjatravel
Let's be honest, giving someone a gift is probably the nicest thing you can do. And it doesn't matter whether it's time together or something tangible that the person has perhaps wanted for a long time but doesn't want to fulfill themselves. Making someone happy by thinking about their preferences, wishes and dreams in advance can fill you with so much joy - especially if the gift is well received by the other person. And yet this topic regularly gives us the willies. After all, what exactly is it that the other person wants or needs?
Every year again, I get nervous when the next birthday, anniversary or even Christmas is approaching! And yet every year, these events always come surprisingly unexpectedly because you barely have time to think about them in peace and quiet between your everyday life and commitments. Although it can be so easy to make your loved ones happy!
Top 5 Van Life gift ideas
#1 Washing bucket
Washing up when camping can be quite annoying and is certainly not one of our favorite tasks. Every camper knows those unstylish foldable plastic washing buckets that you carry with you to collect your dirty dishes and either take them to the nearest washing house or wash your dishes directly in them. We admit, we used to have one. Practical? Yes. Nice? No.
Until we discovered the waterproof fabric buckets from Roadtyping. They pack down incredibly small, have really beautiful and cool designs and are multifunctional. Not only can you wash your dirty camping dishes in them, but the kids can also use them to collect shells on the beach, store sandy and wet toys and much more. With the waterproof bucket, every camper will find a meaningful use and the best thing is that the buckets are handmade in Europe. What more could a camper's heart desire?
#2 VOITED 4-In-1 PillowBlanket™
We have been spending all our vacations in our campervan for seven years. Sometimes we've been away for a longer period, sometimes just for weekend trips. But on each of our trips, we had at least one (actually always more) blanket from VOITED with us. The blankets are multifunctional and for us they are actually an essential part of every camper's basic equipment. The CloudTouch® blankets keep you snug and warm in the van, or provide extra warmth in front of a cozy campfire. And if you don't need the blanket during the day, you can convert it into a fluffy cushion in just a few simple steps. This means that there is nothing lying around even in the smallest of spaces and you always have your blanket at hand. The blankets are made from 100% recycled material and are also water-repellent. This is a huge help, especially on a picnic with children!
#3 Popcorn machine
Do your friends love camping and sitting around a campfire with a cold drink? Then give them an outdoor popcorn machine as a gift. The idea is so ingenious that you don't even need kids to be happy about it! The pack size is actually very small, as you have to find a long stick yourself outside. Once screwed to the frame, all you need is a tablespoon of oil and popcorn corn and you can hold it over the fire. After just a short time, you can hear the corn popping and the popcorn is ready to eat. This is definitely a tasty alternative to stick bread or marshmallows and will excite both young and old.
#4 Fairy lights
Honestly, you can never have enough fairy lights! They simply turn any camp spot, whether campsite or self-sufficient, into a real highlight. It's best to use a battery-powered one or one with a USB connection together with a power bank. And it is very important to choose one with a warm white light. These create a cozy atmosphere and you can still see something in the evening. We always have several fairy lights in our luggage and simply can't have enough of them.
#5 Hammock
There's nothing better than parking your van between a couple of trees, taking out your hammock, hanging it between them and lying down in it. This feeling gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “to hang out” and is definitely one of every camper's must-haves.
We can absolutely recommend the VOITED hammock, not only because of its cool design, but also because its pack size is incredibly small thanks to the roll-top stuff sack and you can easily tuck it away.
The fabric is made from 100% recycled ripstop nylon, which feels so soft and cozy and is breathable at the same time. When you lie in the hammock and a gentle breeze blows, you feel like you're on clouds - no wonder, as the material is also used for paragliders.
A little tip from us: Give two of them to your camping buddies so there's no squabbling over space!
Want to know more about Verena and Jan? Visit @venjatravel on IG.
