Here's a stat that might change how you pack: the average Australian caravan trip is now just 3.4 nights.
We're not doing fewer trips — we're doing more of them. Shorter, closer to home, and often decided on a Thursday for a Friday departure. The big lap is still the dream, but the long weekend away is the reality most of us live.
And that changes everything about packing.
When you're away for three nights, you don't need the kitchen sink. You need a van that's always ready — where the essentials live on board, everything has a home, and hitting the road is a 20-minute job instead of a two-day production.
Here's how we do it.
Rule 1: If it doesn't have a home, it doesn't come
Overpacking isn't really about bringing too much stuff. It's about bringing stuff that has nowhere to live. That's what ends up rolling around drawers, sliding off benches, and turning your van into chaos by day two.
So flip the rule: everything that stays in the van gets a permanent home.
Cords and chargers are the classic offender — phone cables, the drone charger, the Starlink cord, all tangled in a drawer. A cord storage bag like Corey keeps the lot in one spot for under ten bucks. Toothbrushes and bathroom bits get a no-drill caddy. Towels get a suction hook instead of a heap on the bed.
None of it requires drilling a single hole in your van.
Rule 2: Pack for the bumps, not the driveway
Your packing looks great parked at home. The real test is 200km of corrugations later, when you open the cupboard and cop a water bottle to the foot.
A cupboard protector like Rod is the cheapest insurance going — it holds everything in place when the road gets rough, so what you packed stays packed. Same logic in the bathroom: a silicone toiletry bag means no shampoo explosions through your gear, and no digging for the toothpaste.
The less time you spend re-packing on the road, the more time you're actually on holiday.
Rule 3: One item, two jobs
The fastest way to cut what you pack in half: stop bringing single-purpose gear.
This is the whole idea behind Maggie — an insulated coffee cup that's also a cocktail shaker. Coffee at the lookout in the morning, margaritas by the fire in the arvo, one cup in the cupboard. Pair her with Rita, our insulated cocktail cup, and drinks are sorted for the whole trip with two items.
Same goes for Harry the laundry bag — hands-free laundry runs at the caravan park, but he's just as happy hauling beach gear, firewood or the kids' wet clothes home on the last day.
Rule 4: The essentials list (keep it boring)
For a 3–4 night trip, the van should carry:
- Kitchen: one insulated cup per person, one pot, one pan, the basics — not the full drawer from home
- Bathroom: toiletry bag, towel per person, hooks and caddy already in place
- Storage: cord bag, cupboard protectors, laundry bag — living permanently in the van
- The fun stuff: camp chairs, and a marshmallow fork — because campfire time is the reason half of us go
Everything else — the "just in case" gadgets, the third frypan, the inflatable kayak you've used once — stays home. If you find yourself missing something two trips in a row, promote it to the essentials. That's the whole system.
Starting from scratch?
If you've just picked up your first van (welcome to the club — there are more of us on the road than ever), the Caravan Storage Starter Bundle covers the storage side in one hit, for less than buying the pieces separately.
Set the van up once, and every trip after that starts with a 20-minute pack. Which, when the average trip is 3.4 nights, is exactly how it should be.
Free shipping on orders over $150, shipped within 48 hours. Designed by an Aussie family who tows, camps and does laundry at caravan parks just like you.
