Vanlife with a Baby

For several years, my wife and I dreamed of purchasing an adventure van. We’re outdoor enthusiasts; we ski, whitewater kayak, and mountain bike, and would frequently travel places in pursuit of these activities. Due to our appetite for novel adventures, it seemed a given that a van would fit into our lifestyle. But we hesitated. Knowing we were going to have a baby, we had to really ask ourselves whether or not we would utilize it enough. Would it be worth the cost? Is traveling in a van with a baby really doable or even fun? 

Our Overall Experience
We went on our first vantrip with our baby when she was just shy of 10 weeks old. We did not know what to expect or how far we would make it given how rough sleep had been up to that point and not knowing how she would take to car travel. Yet some of the major selling points of the Storyteller van was the flexibility it creates to go at your own pace during travel, the spontaneity to change course and find places to stay day by day, and the ability to stop or turn around whenever you want. So, with that in mind, we took off.

Much to our surprise, we found more of a rhythm on the road. I credit part of this to the fact that we were away from the usual distractions of home. We were able to focus solely on connecting with her. We could continue to honor her sleep schedule, or what semblance of a schedule she had AND she even started sleeping up to 7 hour stretches between feedings at night! We called it van magic but it likely had more to do with the amazing blackout window covers the van comes with. We were able to successfully complete a long loop through the Canadian Rockies, stopping through several incredible areas including Revelstoke, Lake Louise, Banff, and Kimberly. Though there were definitely challenging moments, she didn’t always love being in the car seat, it was overall a wonderful opportunity to navigate van life with her while seeing some beautiful sites!

Logistics
When planning for our trip, we were thoughtful about an itinerary that would work. Without a baby, we’d have no problem crushing out 8 hour stretches on the road if need be. However, it’s not recommended that a baby spend that much consecutive time in a car seat and frankly, would not be enjoyable for you or your little one. After consulting our pediatrician, we built an itinerary that would have us driving a maximum of 3-4 hours a day with breaks in between. Traveling with a little one, we learned to embrace the motto that, “half the fun is getting there.”

We placed our car seat next to the GrooveLounge’s window, that way the co-pilot can make an easy transition to provide her company if needed. During the newborn naps times, we used the Uppababy bassinet which fit perfectly above the closed shower pan. Once she outgrew this, we used the Guava Lotus Pack and Play which required transitioning the GrooveLounge into bed mode once parked, luckily this is a very easy transition.

Organization & Gear
Due to limited space, organization, tidiness, and routine were helpful towards meal prepping and transitioning baby to nap time. Consider having an in-van collaboration about the placement of clothes, food, toys, baby supplies, and equipment. It sucks trying to find something at night, having to open all the storage compartments, and trying not to wake the baby. We dedicated one cabinet per person for clothing and Parker was allotted an extra space for surplus diapers, wipes, and miscellaneous items.

A few van accessories that made the difference: Installing a shelf above the captain chairs was a game changer. You can conveniently store shoes, sweaters, jackets, and hats without having to open a bin or cabinet. An open diaper caddy, provided immediate access to diapers, wipes, rash creams, nasal remedies, etc. During nap time, a non wifi monitor allows you to hang outside the van without constantly peeking inside. A couple of portable changing kits, you can store one in the van and another in a travel baby bag.