Camping on the beach, watching the sunset over the ocean horizon and falling asleep to the sound of the waves in our campervan. This is literally my favourite thing to do. And waking up and jumping your bare feet straight into the sand … I just love it. I’m all about that #vanlife. We have spent a fair amount of time living on the road in our campervans (Letoya, Delilah and Big D) over the years and there are a few key things I have learnt from it.
1 Embrace the freedom
The absolute top thing I have learnt is to embrace the feeling of freedom. There is an unrivalled sense of freedom you gain from living outside without all the mod cons we think we need to survive. When you go back to 4 walls and a roof you suddenly feel incredibly caged in and isolated from nature. Breathe it all in, forget your creature comforts and enjoy this beautiful world.
2 Caveman life rocks
The cavemen got it right. Rising with the sun and settling in at sunset. We should be listening to our inner caveman and circadian rhythms more. It’s amazing when there is no Netflix and no alarm for work you naturally want to get to bed early and rise early. Plus waking up as sunrise totally has its perks.
3 Problem solving and resourcefulness
Our campervan is tiny. When designing and building our campervans we have had to be smart and resourceful with space. In our most recent Delica (Big D) we have managed to keep the rear bench seat giving us a total of 5 seats plus still having a double bed and storage space for kitchen equipment, food and a tonne of 4WD recovery gear. Adding in all of our gear is a bit like playing Tetris but we are now pretty good at it.
4 Meal planning is key
Fridge space is a premium on any camping or road trip. During our first couple of trips around Australia we didn’t even have a fridge and totally relied on daily visits to supermarkets and packing in ice (I don’t know how we did it). These days we have a small 25-litre fridge so we can go a few days without the need to restock. Meal planning is key so that you fit enough fresh produce in the fridge and not be wasteful. After all, we need space for cold beer!
5 Becoming a navigating pro
Ok, not quite a pro but we have acquired a pretty awesome sense of direction. Yes, I admit that most of our navigating is thanks to Google Maps these days but the first time we toured Australia back in 2010 we didn’t have smartphones or a GPS and navigated using maps. Yes, a physical paper map! We were probably the last millennials in the western world to use a map! We have gained a knack for feeling out the right way. If we are ever lost, we always know to head towards the ocean so we just know where the sun should be in the sky to help us navigate.
6 Life is so loud
This might sound like a strange one but think about it. When are you or your surroundings completely silent in everyday life. You don’t realise just how noisy modern life is until you are 100kms away from the nearest town. No traffic, no phone, no distractions. Silence suddenly makes you instantly feel calm and centred. Shaun and I love sitting in silence, staring up at the stars and enjoying the absolute serene silence.
7 Get back to basics
I’d say we are pretty pro at camping these days after spending months on the road at a time. It took me a fair while to realise that I didn’t need my entire bathroom cabinet and 20 changes of clothes. Forget my 6 step beauty routine and a full face of makeup it can all stay at home. It’s actually very freeing to go bare-faced, comfy and back to basics.
8 Water is precious
When living on the road, especially in Australia, you realise pretty quickly that water is a precious commodity. Our top priority is ensuring that we have enough water for us as well as extra water for the campervan. We don’t want an Inbetweeners 2 Movie situation! That means carrying enough clean water to drink, to wash dishes, to wash ourselves and to top up the van should we need to. Always be prepared!
Do you love the #vanlife as much as we do? What have you learnt from camping or campervanning? Comment below.
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