How To Pack Wardrobe Essentials According Overlanding Or Van-Life
Since overlanding could be one of the best vacation opportunities after Coronavirus (staying at remote places), I would like to give some advices on how to pack wardrobe essentials according overlanding or van-life. Overlanding has been rapidly growing in popularity before Covid-19, particularly amongst adventures looking something different. So read on, if you are interested…!
On our very first overlanding trips, it was very difficult for me to keep my clothing choices to a minimum. But from time to time I minimized my clothes, which was still pretty challenging. But if you have to downsize everything from one day to the next it might seem overwhelming, especially if you want to pack for a extended trip. Therefore, I would like to give you a few tips to make it easier for you.
We’ve been doing overlanding on and off for more than a year, and I’ve learned exactly what I need to get by and feel good about what I’m wearing. I learned that fuctional basic pieces that you can layer and be worn with a lot of different items is the key.
In this post I share one of my perfect overlanding-countryside-outfits in order to show you how to pack wardrobe essentials according to an overlanding trip. Actually this might work for van life as well as classic camping.
Before I get started I should mention that this post is probably more interesting for adventurous overlander, van-lifer or camper, who prefer to spend their time exploring and discovering nature than cities and people.
But I think even if we prefer more comfort and functionality for that purpose, it can still be a bit fashionable...right? Otherwise this outfit wouldn’t have been worn by me…;-) I already wore that pair of shorts on the same trip as a jumpsuit set combined with the wrapped blouse made of the same linen fabrics. As I say before combining with other items is the key.
A little fashion is ok but I also don’t want to hide from you that you shouldn’t mind wearing dirty clothes. Because most of the time especially after a few weeks on the road you gonna wear it.
So this are my overlanding clothing-basics tips for minimize your wardrobe:
Keep it simple with solid colored or simple patterns that can go with everything. As my black tee from Passages Clothing, which I can combine with linen shorts like here, all kind of denim or functional waterproof outdoor pants.
Only pack wrinkle-free or at least clothes that can be wrinkled like my self-sewn linen shorts.
If you have a piece you really like bring two or an extra in another color. It will make getting dressed very easy. I pack always some oversized basic tees in grey, beige or black.
If you don’t wear it often already at home leave it.
White clothing is not our best friend. Maybe just to wear it underneath.
Choose pieces that aren’t too bulky so you don't waste space. The hat is actually quite bulky but since it lays always in front on the dashboard. It’s ok.
Pay attention to materials, quick drying clothing you can also wash by hand.
It’s ok if you wear your pieces multiples times. When living outdoor, it happens that your clothing items will quickly show some stains, and that's totally okay, too. If your clothes don’t smell bad yet but have one or other stain on it, it not necessary to change. Get rid of wanting to wear clean clothes when you're traveling by overlander or van for weeks.
Make sure you plan for you change in season. You should always pack one or two warm pieces of clothing, like a warm sweater or jacket and socks. Because often the temperatures can drop unexpectedly. Especially here on the Canary Islands at this time of year during the day you can have a sunny and warm day over 20 degrees but in the evening when the sun goes down especially in the mountains it can be single-digit temperatures. You will be happy to have a warm jacket. I always pack my very light jacket from Coalatree with a long-lasting insulation that keeps me warm and I can also turn it into a small travel pillow.
Shoes should be able to put on quickly, especially if you have to go out at night to pee. That's why I always pack one pair of sliders, the one you can also wear with socks. But you also need a pair of solid shoes, like sneakers with a good tread or hiking boots. I wore my classic Vans, which was totally ok for that trip.
As Accessoire I always pack a hat to keep the sun off my face and a warm beanie for nights.
For people who like to spend time on the water bring a swimsuit or if you can just go naked…;-)
Finally every overlander or vanlifer needs a backpack. I always use my beloved backpack from passenger to pack my wardrobe essentials.
Bellow you gonna find my packing list, but this is just for 1 week. Feel free to adjust for more weeks, based on destination, personal preferences and activities.
2 tank-tops
2 tees
1 long-sleeved shirt
1 sweater
1 warm jacket
2 shorts
1 long pants
1 dress
2 pair of socks
Underwear you need
1 sunhat
1 beanie
1 swimsuit/bikini/board-shorts
1 pair of sunglasses
1 pair of sliders
1 pair of sneakers or hiking boots
1 Backpack
I hope this post gives you some solid help to pack you wardrobe for an overlanding or camper trip.
If you got some questions or you want to leave a comment. Leave a note below.
Have a nice weekend,
Katy!!
Pics by Daniell Bohnhof
Text and styling by Look2 Ocean