7 Things We Love About Vanlife

 Van life can be both adventurous and comfortable. We think you can have the best of both worlds especially with the help of some of our favorite W+W pieces. And don’t get us wrong there are pros and cons to downsizing and hitting the road, but ultimately your mindset will determine what kind of experience you have. If you remain open, keep a loose grip on your plans, and appreciate simplicity then embarking on a van life journey could just be the most life changing experience you can gift yourself. The road is not always perfect, but it certainly has been a rewarding journey for us so far. So here’s just a few reasons why we love this lifestyle:

Because travel excites us so much it’s easy for us to get carried away, planning every detail and creating huge bucket lists. Admittedly this is how we first started our van life journey and lap around Australia. When we started out our schedule was packed, we were trying to cover a lo​t of ground quickly, and in doing so didn’t really feel like we were unwinding like we thought we would.  

After a couple of months, we started to slow down, plan and research less, and even let go of bucket list spots in order to have more down time and enjoy ourselves. Our biggest piece of advice to anyone starting their van life journey is to slow down, take your time, and think of this as a lifestyle rather than a holiday. Some of our favourite moments recently have been pulling up in nature, hooking up our W+W hammock, kicking back and reading a good book. We are always reminding ourselves to take the time to enjoy the smaller moments along the way. 

 

There’s nothing better than parking up in nature, it nurtures the soul and makes us feel alive. We’ve been lucky on this journey to have found so many beautiful camping spots by the beach or amongst the forest. Australia is also full of stunning gorges, bushland trails and rugged coastline treks. We find one of the most immersive ways to connect with the diverse and dramatic landscapes we come across is to pack a backpack and set off on foot. It’s absolutely essential to stay hydrated on any trail so we don’t go anywhere without our W+W Double- Wall Insulated Stainless Steel Bottles. Not only do they keep our water cold during the hotter months but now that it’s cooling down in the South West they’re perfect to keep water hot and enjoy a toasty coffee mid hike to warm up and take in the views.

There is freedom and adventure that awaits you when you choose life on the road. One of the things we love the most about this lifestyle is the agency we have over what our days look like and a general sense that time is our own. We love our slow mornings waking up with the sun, making a delicious breakfast using our W+W Stainless Steel Cutlery Tool and just watching the morning unfold. When you live in a van endless possibilities for what your day will look like are open to you.

The van life gives you appreciation for what really matters in life. The people you surround yourself with, relationships and experiences. It’s the ‘little things’ that really aren’t little things at all: opening a good bottle of wine, sipping from our W+W tumblers around a cozy fire, watching the sun set, the waves rolling by, or listening to the sound of the breeze through the trees. These are the moments we live for on the road.  

Our decision to take our 2 year old German Spitz ‘Quinn’ with us on our lap around Australia was a non-negotiable. She’s our baby, and our heart, so there’s no way we could have left home without her. Having a mobile home means we get to take her with us everywhere we go and we’ve found along the way that with a bit of planning ahead you can find plenty of camping spots, beaches, cafes, restaurants, you name it that are dog friendly.

Living in a tiny home on wheels means owning less. For some this can be a big adjustment but for us getting rid of ‘stuff’ was truly eye opening and liberating. W+W have so many incredible tools that are great for simplifying your camping pack list. Our favorite is the W+W Stainless Steel Cheese & Wine Tool we love using with our cheese platters on the road (yes sometimes cooking dinner after a big day of exploring is just too much). This tool has a soft cheese knife, corkscrew, fork, bottle opener, spreading knife, slicer, and can opener all in one tool. It’s all about saving space and packing smart when living in a tiny home so this tool has quickly become a favorite of ours.

 

There’s something special about being able to flow wherever the road takes you. This lifestyle allows you to change plans at the drop of a hat, take the road less travelled, and follow what feels right at any given moment. Moments we’ve been loving recently are pulling up at a new camping spot in nature, grabbing our W+W Mini Expandable Camping Lantern, and creating our own little adventure. It’s easy to get comfortable and forget to leave your tiny home on wheels when you’re constantly exploring. It’s important to us to remind ourselves to stay curious and adventurous especially after a year on the road.