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Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

Adventurous Slomad Travel

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Our Top 10 Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials

Last Updated: October 19, 2021 · Van Life

Looking to furnish or decorate your new van but don’t want to buy crappy plastic products? We have the perfect list of eco-friendly van life essentials for you!

When Paul and I bought our van, we knew we wanted to keep the style minimal and eco. As much as possible, we set out to purchase only eco-friendly materials and items we needed.

Our hunt for the best sustainable van accessories ending up being a huge run-around… Turns out, it’s way harder to shop for eco-friendly van essentials than we thought!!

To save you from making the same mistakes, here is our quick list of what we consider to be our top 10 eco-friendly van life essentials.

Table of Contents show
10 Awesome Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials
1. Organic Pillows + Organic Linen Duvet Cover
2. Bamboo Bowls + Cutlery + Cutting Board
3. Reusable Cotton Mesh Bag/Hanger
4. 4Ocean Reusable Water Bottle
5. Dr. Bronners + Biodegradable Wipes
6. Organic Cotton Bath Towel + Wash Cloths
7. Jute/Bamboo Placemats
8. Natural Storage Baskets!
8. Handmade Yarn Rug
10. Portable Solar Shower
Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials BONUS! – Allbirds Shoes
What Are Your Top Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials?

 10 Awesome Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials

We are still finding new brands that offer eco-friendly alternatives to traditional products (plastic-free, ethically made, etc.), so bear with us as we add to this list over the next few months!

But so far, these are our favorite eco-friendly items that we use every single day in our 1990 Roadtrek van (except for the solar shower!).

Check them out!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

1. Organic Pillows + Organic Linen Duvet Cover

The right pillows and set of sheets make the van feel cozy and homey. But we didn’t want to buy plastic polyester pillows or cheap bed sheets.

Moreover, we didn’t want to just toss out the items we already had like the quilt that came with the van! Sometimes being eco-friendly means keeping and repurposing what you already have, rather than buying new. You can do that once the item wears out and then buy an eco replacement.

Finding eco-friendly bedding for our van was super important for us! After searching both online and in all types of stores, we ended up finding both organic cotton pillows and an organic linen duvet cover at Target.

The organic linen duvet cover by Magnolia Homes set us back at least $75 (Queen size), twice the price compared to the non-organic version.

Finding organic alternatives sometimes mean paying a higher price tag. Other times the price is about the same – like our organic pillows for example!

  • cozy van life bedding
  • eco-friendly van life essentials checklist
  • eco-friendly van life bedding
  • organic van life bedding

2. Bamboo Bowls + Cutlery + Cutting Board

Van lifers recommended buying lightweight, unbreakable plastic dishware since things tend to fall and move around while on the road. But we hate to buy plastic if we can avoid it.

So we went on the longest goose chase to find a sliver of an “eco-friendly” plate, bowl, and cutlery. We ended up finding glazed ceramic plates and mugs in Wal-Mart and large bamboo bowls at IKEA.

As Paul and I say, if you can’t buy 100% eco-friendly, at least buy better!

We didn’t have the time to ship this eco-friendly dinnerware on Amazon to our address before starting our van life travels. If we had, we probably would’ve chosen those!

As for cutlery, we kept the stainless steel knives, forks, and spoons we already had but made sure to buy bamboo kitchen utensils instead of plastic ones.

We also found a bamboo cutting board to complete our organic bamboo kitchen set.

3. Reusable Cotton Mesh Bag/Hanger

A fun bonus eco-friendly van life essential which saves us space (and looks cute too) is our reusable cotton mesh hanging bag.

We picked these up in IKEA and they’re made from natural cotton – not organic from what I understand, but it’s better than plastic alternatives.

These hangers are great for storing our rolling produce – aka our fruits!

The cotton mesh bags give an earthy touch to the van which I love. Plus, we can always see if we have fruit left without having to dig through our cupboards or fridge! 🙂

  • van life essentials - organic fruit mesh bag!
  • cozy van life interior

4. 4Ocean Reusable Water Bottle

I was given a 4Ocean reusable water bottle for Christmas last year and I take it everywhere I go.

Most people have a reusable water bottle nowadays, but the cool thing about 4Ocean is that your purchase goes toward helping remove 1 pound of plastic from the oceans.

You might have already heard of the brand as their recycled conservation bracelets are quite popular!

5. Dr. Bronners + Biodegradable Wipes

Using biodegradable soap for all of our uses – body + hair washing, dishwashing, cleaning, etc., – is really important if you take on the van life.

Chances are you are going to shower outside at least once (if not regularly) and it’s important to use eco-friendly soap for that! When we do not have the opportunity to “shower” outside, we wash up in our sink.

We then dump that sink water in the dump stations at campgrounds. Even though this water goes into a specific tank underground, it’s important to use biodegradable soap nonetheless. It’s more eco-friendly and it is healthier for your skin, too.

eco-friendly van life essentials -biodegradable soap, baskets, and more!

6. Organic Cotton Bath Towel + Wash Cloths

Sure, you can easily find bath towels in practically every department store. But finding organic cotton towels? Now that’s extra special!

In our mission to only buy organic for the van, we luckily came upon our organic cotton bath towels in Bed Bath & Beyond. Again, since we couldn’t shop from eco-friendly online stores, we had to go to the commercial stores. And as you know, these massive stores usually don’t stock eco-friendly products. So we were stoked to find these organic cotton towels for the van at the last minute.

Most van lifers usually recommend getting microfibre towels as these save lots of space. But Paul and I decided hey, we’re already living in a van, let’s take luxury where we can find it.

And by luxury, I mean a large, fluffy bath towel that we don’t have to feel so guilty about buying because it’s organic. 🙂

7. Jute/Bamboo Placemats

My favorite eco-friendly van accessories we bought are our natural table placemats and storage baskets.

As part of our low-key DIY van conversion, we ripped out the white cupboards to achieve a more open aesthetic. Not only is it more convenient for us to grab or find something, the openness definitely adds to the coziness of the van.

We found eco-friendly jute placemats at Pier 21 and then found bamboo placements at IKEA a week later. We ended up with both!

  • eco-friendly bamboo bowls and placements for van life
  • blueberry pancakes and jute placements - eco-friendly van life essentials
van life dinner with eco-friendly placements

8. Natural Storage Baskets!

As for our eco-friendly storage baskets, these were much harder to come across.

We ended up finding the closest thing we could find to natural/eco-friendly at TJ Maxx – a secondary department store where they resale unsold items from all sorts of brand names. Turns out, their basket section was just what we needed!

We ended up buying several natural woven straw baskets to store our food, bath stuff, and personal items.

8. Handmade Yarn Rug

A special van life accessory that we bought last-minute was a handmade rug locally made in my small hometown in North Carolina.

The yarn is no doubt just normal yarn, nothing organic or especially eco-friendly I guess, but the fact that we supported a local business also has a larger impact on mindful consumerism.

If you get the chance to find something to decorate your van that was locally-made, get it! Not only do you support small businesses, but you also add lots of unique character to your van’s interior.

Our rug is a warm welcome for our cold feet in the mornings!

10. Portable Solar Shower

No eco-friendly van life essential list is complete with a solar shower! Or solar device of some sort.

When we set out to go for van life, we had these huge plans to be all about solar. We wanted to install solar panels, have a solar heater, solar chargers, solar batteries, everything solar!

Unfortunately, not only did we run out of time but we also ran out of money!

In the end, the only solar van accessory we bought was our solar shower. The only problem? We need warm weather to use it outside!

And as we are traveling in Canada during the fall, we haven’t gotten the chance to use it much. Except once in New Brunswick to wash our hair outside in a bowl!

  • digital nomad working on my laptop in the van #vanlife
  • storage baskets for van life
  • cozy van aesthetic at night
  • cooking in the van

Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials BONUS! – Allbirds Shoes

Do you own a pair of Allbirds eco-friendly trail runners yet? If not, you need to look into this company!

The company sustainably sources eucalyptus fiber, castor oil, and Merino wool to craft the world’s most comfy shoe.

Both Paul and I have a pair of Allbirds. I use mine every day (even without socks) for hiking, walking, or just relaxing in the van. Paul uses his as slippers in the morning when the floor is cold!

What Are Your Top Eco-Friendly Van Life Essentials?

I hope you found this list of our eco-friendly van life essentials useful!

Personally, we felt it quite frustrating to never find a list of sustainable items that are both eco-friendly AND useful for living in the van.

We religiously use all of the products I list above – with the exception of the solar shower because right now it’s cold where we’re traveling (we’ll no doubt be using the solar shower outside of the van way more once we make it back down to Mexico!).

So, would you take away or add anything from this list of sustainable van life essentials? Drop me your thoughts, suggestions, or questions in the comments below!

Pin this eco-friendly van checklist for later!

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By: Bri · In: Van Life

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3. I specifically requested a yellow scooter just so I could take a picture like this lol 🛵

4a. Kitty portrait inside a really cool speakeasy

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9b. Local Goans + holy cow walking on Mandrem beach at sunset 🌅 

10. Enjoying our stay at the lovely  @anamivagoa 

PS. All of these memories and experiences wouldn’t have been possible without @nurall_co 💛 Nurall's next remote work retreat is in KHAO LAK, THAILAND 🇹🇭this July 2023 (cost: $900 USD only). Comment or DM me for an extra 5% off if you’re interested in signing up!

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Whether its for adventure, community, or leveling Whether its for adventure, community, or leveling up your business, a digital nomad / remote work retreat is one of the best ways to work remotely and travel! 💻✈️

I’ve rounded up some of the best curated trips and retreats out there in my latest blog post (🔗 in bio to check it out!) 

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I’m long-time digital slomad, but after discovering Goa, India with @nurall_co I’m most definitely going to attend more retreats like this in the future! ✨✨

*Not spons, btw! Just sharing ways you can find a community of digital nomads, whether you want to be one or already are one! 👩🏼‍💻💛

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#digitalnomads #remoteworkandtravel #grouptravel #grouptrip #remoteworklife #laptoplifestyle #digitalnomadgirls
< 1 week until we get to do this again! Adventur < 1 week until we get to do this again! 

Adventures await us in our beasty 1990 Roadtrek 🚐🌲🥾 — she’s been sitting out winter in Washington while we tanned our toes in Mexico 🇲🇽 

I’ve never been able to choose between the mountains ⛰️ and the sea 🌊 … you? 

Tell me what kind of summer you’re manifesting in the comments! 🧡

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I’m stoked (read 90% nervous, 10% excited), to share that @slomadstories is officially OUT THERE! 

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I’ve always *tried* to live my one very short life by seeking to know, chasing curiosity, and jumping headfirst into the journey. 

— This podcast is simply a new endeavor, a new project that WILL NOT stop whispering at my heart. I’ve been trying to deny this urge, this tug, for so long! The whispers started in 2020 when a person who I thought would become a close friend bailed on the idea to start one together. So I let the idea go, for a while. But then it came back twice as strong in 2022, when I was living as a temporary nomad in Portugal for two months. It was there that I had my podcast cover art designed. That was already 1.5 years ago! 

Life passes us by...

We hear the whispers, we see the project coming to life in our heads, we feel the pull...

But we say no over and over again, and we make very legitimate excuses, until ultimately, the idea, the spark, the magic, fades; it chooses someone else to birth the idea and manifest itself into creation (something I learned reading “Big Magic” by Liz Gilbert, it’s amazing, go read it!). 

I have no idea why I felt the need to start a podcast, it’s not like I am already juggling enough.

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For you ✨ 

For everyone who ever chased that feeling, that tug. 

Because that?? 

That’s been my life for the last decade. I moved abroad countless times — and stayed — from Nepal to Mexico and beyond, and I would’ve never done ANY of it if I had not listened to the whispers.

This podcast is about continuing in the pursuit of the unknown, seeking more, and taking decisive action.

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MINI GUIDE TO JIUFEN 🏮🇹🇼👇 🍡 Explor MINI GUIDE TO JIUFEN 🏮🇹🇼👇

🍡 Explore Jiufen Old Street and try local street food (The taro balls came highly recommended! We ate giant pork buns, xiao long bao dumplings, and a vegan pork noodle dish!) 

🍵 Visit the iconic A-Mei Tea House for traditional tea ceremony and sweets (a bit touristy, but worth it for the views imo)

🐉 Pick up some of the magic of “Spirited Away” in the shops (there are so many souvenirs and Studio Ghibli themed goods)

⛰️ Hike to the top of Keelung Mountain for a fun and sweaty adventure (go before sunset and go prepared for thousands of steps, lol)

🏮Wander through the narrow alleyways — explore away from Old Street!! 

⛏️ Learn about the town’s history at the Jiufen Gold Mine Museum — you can take night tours for a small fee or organize them through your hotel

🎭 Visit the two-story historic Shengping Theater, an abandoned cinema that provides a glimpse into Jiufen’s past

💦 Explore the nearby Golden Waterfall (10 minute drive)

Most people only come to Jiufen for a couple of hours to stroll through Old Street and take a photo of the teahouse since it evokes the bathhouse in Spirited Away🏮🐉 with its architecture and lanterns. But DON’T make the mistake of coming only for a day!! 

There is so much to do in Jiufen, even though we stayed 2 nights in the town (highly recommend), we wished we had stayed longer. 🥹

Oh yeah, and BRING AN UMBRELLA!! ☔️ Or don’t, the locals will give you one out of the goodness of their hearts (our hosts were the sweetest!!) ❤️

Save this to your Taiwan bucket list, pass this reel along to a friend, anddd check out my blog @bucketlistbri .com for more adventures abroad! 💃

#discovertaiwan #jiufen #spiritedaway #northtaiwan #asiatravel #travelbucketlist #jiufenoldstreet
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