A Quick Packing List for A Van Trip Around New Zealand!

I am heading on a road trip around New Zealand next month (read more about it here), so I’ll need a few extra items in my backpack. Luckily, Christmas is coming, and my parents have been asking me what I would like, so I figured I would turn it into a blog post!

(Take a Peek at my Southeast Asia Packing List here.)

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Additional Items to Pack for a Van Trip Around New Zealand

Toe Sneakers!

My cute pink sneakers are begging for retirement, and I’ve always wanted a pair of sneakers like this. The soles protect your feet from dirt and sharp items on the ground, but other than that, you feel like you’re barefoot! I can definitely see myself taking a hike or practicing yoga in these.

Solar Phone Charger

We’ll be spending a lot of time outside, but possibly not a lot of time near outlets. Although about two days a week will be set aside for working on our laptops in a coffee shop or Macca’s (am I Australian yet?) with outlets, it’s good to have a backup charger if we end up at a campsite without power. Most likely, I’ll be using this quite often even after I leave New Zealand.

Solar Shower

Is there anything the sun can’t do? I can imagine that we’ll be hitting up campsites with showers fairly frequently, but this is another item to have on hand, just in case.

Mosquito Net

I am starting to get eaten alive in Australia, and I can only imagine that things will get worse when I am outside 24/7. So it’s mozzy (am I Australian yet?) net time! It’s citronella bracelet time! It’s Aqua Marina time! (That’s the Lush cleanser that looks like sushi and smells quite rank but works miracles if you are a sunburnt baby.)

Cooler

(CleverMade SnapBasket 50 Can, Soft-Sided Collapsible Cooler)

After living in Austin for two years, I’m surprised I’m not drooling exclusively over Yeti Coolers, but alas, budgets. I chose this cooler because it can collapse easily and fit into the outside of my backpack (or on the inside of my day bag.) We are currently looking for vans with a decent amount of space, and lord knows I want to have a few juice boxes on hand, so a decent cooler will be perfect for keeping our veggie food fresh on the road.

Solar-Powered Fairy Lights

For mood lighting, ya know? These fairy lights are also solar-powered, so they’ll be easy to manage on the road! Our van is going to be so cute!

Bonus Item: Life Straw

God bless Andrew for buying me one of these for our trip. We did not use the Life Straw while we were backpacking through Southeast Asia, but I will not be surprised if it comes in handy once or twice in New Zealand.