Storage on 8 square meters can be tricky. Especially when you have too much of everything in your old household. You had to be prepared for big dinner parties, right? And it gets even trickier if you are emotionally attached to things (as i am). But let's face it: What is the basic equipment that has to be in our van? 

On the topic of "too much stuff", also see our post: How to prepare for vanlife

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Kitchen area

Well, you probably won't host Christmas dinner parties for your family in your van. Even if you like to invite friends and fellow campers, they will often have their own cutlery since they travel in a camper as well. For our two person van household this is all the cutlery we need:

• 2 plates 
• 2 big bowls (great for musli, salads, soups, dessert etc.)
• 2 bread knives
• 2 regular knives
• 2 sharp veggie knifes 
• 2 forks
• 4 small spoons (extra spoons for dips etc)
• 2 big spoons 
• 4 chop sticks
• 1 spatula
• 1 soup ladle
• pasta/salad tongs

You get the picture. After usage, we wash our dishes directly. There is a) no dish washing machine to store dirty cuttlery and b) no space to leave it lying around all day, especially when we move on to another campsite. This means we really only need what we have to use for one meal. After washing up, it is ready for the next round.

For our cooking sessions

• 1 medium sized pot with steam top (Amazon.de)
• 1 large sized pan with a high border (Amazon.de)
• 1 strainer
• 1 stick hand blender (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• 1 wine bottle opener
• 1 tin can opener (even though we try to avoid cans, but you never know) 
• 1 pair of scissors
• 1 lemon squeezer
• 1 ceramic grater for ginger, garlic, nutmeg etc. 
• 1 small portable gas stove for emergencies (e.g. weeks without sun)

You won't need more than one pot and one pan, especially when you limit yourself to one hob, like we did. What really comes in handy is the steam cooker, which you staple on top of the pot. It allows you to steam veggies while the side dish boils below - saves both time and energy. The pan should be as large as your hob allows. This way you can cook more food for meal prepping and you can also use the pan to store leftovers until the evening or next day. However, please think about your sink size ;). We made sure our pan would still fit inside our sink, a normal sized one, so that we can clean it easier. 

For our coffee taste buds

• 1 italian espresso maker (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• 1 travel french press that doubles as a travel cup (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• 1 milk foaming machine (ok this one is optional but we did not want to miss a foamy oat or almond latte, and it is also perfect for making hot cacoa)
• 2 enamel cups (that can also serve as wine or juice glasses)
• 1 KeepCup for coffee on the go (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)

The other storage space in the kitchen is taken mostly by plastic storage boxes. A few of them have a vacuum function, which helps in preserving food for a longer period of time by sucking out the oxygen with a small hand operated pump. This way, you need less space in the fridge, which means you can go with a smaller model. In fact, if you do not eat any food that perishes quickly (like meat and dairy products) these storage boxes can easily replace a fridge, if you don't mind having your drinks at ambient temperature.

Clothes and gear

Honestly, we packed way too much clothes. I have read before that you should take as much clothes as you need for a 3 week vacation. However, standing in front of my closet, I couldn't do it. So I stuffed every corner of my new tiny closet in the van with all my belongings. I really thought, or maybe only wanted to believe, that I would need all the shirts and shorts and sport gear. Let me tell you: I do not. I should have listened to the blog posts that told me to only pack for a 3 week vacation. For us, it should have been for a three weeks summer vacation (since we try to avoid winter) plus some comfy warm sweaters and maybe a scarf. We still have to face chilly nights and cold days. That is why you might need a little bit more clothes when you travel through different seasons. But otherwise, you wear your favorite clothes and then you wash them and you wear them again. There are so many pieces I haven't touched yet and probably never will. So pack lightly. You can use the extra storage for climbing or surfing equipment - or unique pieces you come across while travelling.  

Activities and leisure

This one is fairly easy: Take whatever you like to enjoy your time. Don't cut short on your equipment you need for sport, climbing, surfing etc. That is what vanlife is about: More joy in life. Now you have the time for game nights or handicraft and things you have always wanted to try.

The only limiting factor is of course storage space, duhh. That is why I have one recommendation here: to take an e-book-reader instead of "real" books. I definitely prefer storing more veggies (or chocolate) over books. 

Of course we haved packed things we did not use in the end: tennis rackets for example. We haven't played any tennis since we left Germany - but that is ok. I did not miss it. There are so many new and interesting things to do and see. Next time we are back home, the tennis rackets will stay with friends or family, and we will have more space for new equipment like the Ukulele I bought ;). 

By the way: Definitely take bikes with you. They are perfect to explore cities and as well rural areas. We would have not seen as much of Barcelona and Valencia without our folding bikes. Best and cheapest medium of transportation. 

Toiletry

If you have special skin conditions and need some extra lotions, take them. But otherwise: Pair-down a lot! Really, you, your skin and hair, and the environment will thank you. Take bio-degradable organic basics and you are all set. Maybe you can do with just one soap for every use case like Dr. Bronner's 18-IN-1 natural soap? That would be awesome. Maybe we will reach that one-soap-for-all state at some point in time. But until then, we still have and share

• bio-degradable hair shampoo
• bio-degradable soap for body/hands/clothes (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• mineral sunscreen
• tooth paste 
• body lotion 
• mosquito repellent
• lip balms
• self made deodorant cream

When your vanlife begins and you still have lotion leftovers, take them with you and use them until they are done. But take my advice to not buy in bulk beforehand. Other countries have interesting brands and products you never heard of before. You will want to try them. Or...

Do it yourelf

When it comes to toiletry, you can actually make many things like deodorant, tooth paste or cleaning supplies yourself. Use what nature has to offer. This way, you will save money, produce less waste and protect the environment. For this purpose, we always have sodium bicarbonate, vinegar and citric acid on board. 

Tools

We store items we don't need every day in our "garage" under the bed. The garage houses our fresh water tank, battery and folding bikes as well as a heavy duty storage slideout with things like tools and cleaning supplies. In a self-built campervan you always have to repair bits and pieces, so tools are quite important. We have stored:

• mini screw driver and socket wrench set (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• lineman plier (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• cobra plier (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• butyl tape (Amazon.com | Amazon.de) or
• sealant cartridge for potential leaks in skylights and windows (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• industrial adhesive cartridge (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• cartridge holder (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• duct tape (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• hemp and plastic fermit sealing paste (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• digital clamp meter (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• wire stripper and crimping tool (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• carpet knife & blades (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)
• wood wax and oil for repairing scratches (Amazon.de)
• OBD2 scanner (Amazon.com | Amazon.de)

That's it.

Over time, we leave things behind and take new things along but the basic equipment stays the same. And with pretty much just the basics like clothes, food or tools inside our van there is not much space left. Do not let a tiny space fool you: It can still take ages to find the object you were looking for, even with only this few belongings. That is why it is important to have dedicated spots for the must have items.