The van life is more than just a cool way to travel. It’s about freedom, living with less, and exploring new places. When you’re living and working in a small space, it can take effort to stay organized. The trick is knowing what to keep and what to get rid of.

Thankfully, Total Storage Solutions’ guide gives you helpful tips on organizing your van, smart storage ideas, and ways to use storage for seasonal items like clothing and outdoor gear.

What To Store for Van Life

Every inch of space is important when working and traveling in a van. Start by figuring out what you need. Here are some must-haves:

1. Versatile Clothing

Van life organization means packing a small, useful wardrobe. Choose versatile, easy-to-layer, and simple-to-clean clothes! A few things you’ll need include:

• Weather-appropriate layers
• Comfortable, quick-drying everyday wear
• Compact workout clothes
• A couple of multi-use accessories like scarves or hats
• Stylish pants that can be worn in different situations
• A few shirts that are lightweight and easy to mix and match

2. Compact Cooking Gear

To live comfortably on the road, your kitchen setup needs to be simple and compact. Keep some of these things in mind:

• A collapsible or compact stove
• Versatile cooking utensils
• Reusable containers that double as bowls or storage
• Stackable or collapsible items like plates, cups, and food storage bags
• Nesting pots and pans to save space and offer versatility
• A multi-purpose knife and small cutting board for easy meal prep

If you keep your cooking tools small and can do more than one job, you can make meals without cluttering your kitchen.

3. Efficient Sleeping Equipment

In a van, make sure your sleeping area is comfortable and space-saving. Fold-up, table, futon, and flip bench beds are great choices. If your van has room, you can build a platform bed with storage underneath to keep things organized.

4. Portable Power Sources and Work Setup

If you’re living and working on the road, you need a mobile workspace that’s functional but not bulky. Keep your space organized by investing in the following:

• A portable power station or solar panels to keep your electronics charged
• A foldable or collapsible desk that can easily be tucked away
• A small laptop, tablet, or even a foldable keyboard
• Noise-canceling headphones for focus
• A storage pouch or cable organizer for cords and accessories
• A portable WiFi hotspot for reliable internet access

The key to working and living out of a van is flexibility. Create a workspace you can easily put away when you’re not using it.

5. Outdoor Gear

If you like hiking, surfing, or biking while living in your van, make sure your gear is lightweight and easy to pack. Store bigger items like surfboards outside or use bike racks to save space inside the van. You can also save space using folding camping chairs, portable hammocks, and compact tents.

Items You Don’t Need on the Road

Now that we know what you need, the next step is deciding what to leave behind. Keep things simple so your van doesn’t get cluttered. Here are a few items you should ditch:

1. Bulky Furniture

Leave behind furniture you can’t fold or store. Instead, pick multi-functional, space-saving items like foldable tables, stools that store things, or beds you can use for seating.

2. Excess Clothing

Don’t overpack if you live a simple, comfortable van life. Stick to adaptable, durable clothes and switch them out often to keep things tidy. Pack layers that work for all kinds of weather and focus on comfortable, strong clothing that you can mix and match.

3. Non-Essential Kitchen Appliances

It’s important to simplify your cooking routine in a van with limited space. Blenders, toasters, and large espresso machines aren’t necessary and occupy too much space and power. Instead, opt for a French press for coffee or a stovetop grill for cooking.

4. Unnecessary Paperwork

Going digital is a smart choice to keep your van clutter-free while working on the road. Instead of carrying notebooks and folders that take up space and can get lost easily, use an external drive, cloud storage, and apps like Evernote or Google Drive to store important papers like bills, invoices, and travel documents.

Van Life Storage Ideas and Hacks

Making the most of your van space requires creativity and smart space-saving ideas. Here are a few storage hacks to help you stay organized.

1. Use Vertical Space

Maximize your space by adding shelves or hanging organizers on the back of doors or walls. Hooks are great for storing jackets, hats, kitchen tools, and toiletries without occupying floor space.

2. Under-Bed Storage

If your van’s layout allows, adding under-bed storage is a great way to maximize space. This area is perfect for storing larger items like outdoor gear, additional clothing, and equipment. By raising your bed on a platform, you can store these things underneath and free up other parts of your van.

3. Collapsible and Multi-Use Items

You can save a lot of space in your van by using items that collapse or can be used in different ways, like collapsible water bottles and nesting cookware. Having these things fold flat or offer additional storage is helpful.

4. Magnetic Strips and Velcro

Magnetic strips and Velcro are great for organizing small spaces in your van. Use magnetic strips to hold utensils, tools, or knives to save drawer space and keep them off the counters. Stick Velcro on lightweight items like remotes, small mirrors, and electronics to stop them from moving when you drive.

5. Organize by Zones

You can create zones for cooking, sleeping, and working. For example, keep all your cooking items in a kitchen zone, your bedding and clothes in a sleeping zone, and your electronics and office supplies in a work zone. Make sure to label any bins you have to help keep everything in its place.

Stay Organized on the Road With Total Storage Solutions

With Total Storage Solutions, you can keep your van organized by storing the things you don’t need daily. We offer personal storage units for gear, tools, or sentimental items you don’t want to get rid of. We also offer vehicle self storage for vans when you’re ready to retire from on-the-road life.

Are you ready to make more space in your van for the essentials and enjoy a clutter-free, comfortable life on the road? Contact us to rent a self storage unit today and get the most out of your van life adventure with Total Storage Solutions!