I turned my car into a tiny-house micro-camper. This is my advice
Jennifer with her dog Perry inside her micro-camper. "It’s the little things that make all the difference between having a disappointing trip and a great one." Pictures: Eddie O'Hare
Since I converted my car into a micro-camper, I've been taking little trips around Ireland for the past two months now, and I’ve learned a lot in that time about what you need to camp in (relative) comfort. It’s the little things that make all the difference between having a disappointing trip and a great one.
To all of you who emailed, messaged, or commented on the June 24 feature in Home detailing my micro-camper conversion — thank you! I’ve had lots of fun sharing tips and info and it’s exciting to see how many of you are itching to try your own mini-camper conversion so you can get out on the road to explore.
It took me a few experimental nights away to find what equipment and accessories I needed for my trips. In general, I don’t like having too much stuff, so while I wanted to make sure I was comfortable and well-equipped, I also wanted to keep items I had to lug around to a minimum.
Some things I already had myself, and others I picked up in various camping shops. Camping shops are a wonderland — I really have to hold myself back from spending everything I have on clever gadgets and gear.
Here’s what I found most useful for a fun and comfortable campervan weekend.
While a micro-camper has many benefits, the drawback is obviously a lack of space. I underestimated the need for living space. The days are long and even after you have hiked, swum, cooked dinner, and done whatever other fun outdoor activities you enjoy there are still a few hours left to fill.
You don’t want to just sit in your car, so it’s important to create additional space to relax in — and of course a private space to get changed in.
I invested in a drive-away awning for this and it has made a huge difference — shout out to Neil in Charles Camping in Blessington, Wicklow, who was a goldmine of information on this topic.
I opted for a Vango Tolga inflatable awning which attaches to the side of the van, and provides the perfect living space for relaxing in, privacy for changing in, and even additional sleeping space when travelling with friends.
It’s also fantastic to have an area outside the van to change out of wet clothes and footwear — a fact of life in Ireland!
It takes a bit of effort to put up and take down but it’s more than worth it, and the bonus is you can drive away and leave it there, keeping your camping spot until you return. For affordable options to try out, Decathlon’s Quechua Airseconds camping shelter and their Arpenaz Base tent both get solid reviews for the price.
Getting a good night’s sleep is the most important thing in my life, and this is no less true when sleeping in my micro-camper. I wanted bedding that was cosy and warm, but that also folded away easily.
This has led me to the discovery of sleeping bag liners, and frankly, I don’t know how I lived without them until now. Sleeping bag liners are effectively just sleeping bags made out of sheets (cotton or silk or whatever you’re having yourself), and they add such a wonderful level of comfort while being super easy to transport and store away.
I bought my cotton Lifeventure double sleeping bag liner in the Great Outdoors and love it. Over my sleeping bag liner, I have a camping blanket, which is made from sleeping bag material so is perfectly warm.
Mine is the Sonive camping blanket which folds up into a tiny pack for easy storage and is water resistant too, so it doubles as a throw when I’m sitting out in the evenings. I have yet to find a camping pillow I’m happy with so I bring my own from my bed — some things are worth taking up space!
I got a lovely present of a fully kitted-out picnic bag from a friend and I highly recommend this option in your camper. It already has all the crockery, cutlery, and cups that you need, all neatly packed away. This means you don’t have to install special storage for these items in your camper.
Mine also has a cooler section which I can confirm keeps a bottle of wine and some cheese nicely chilled for up to a day. For cookware, I bought a very neat set of nesting camping pans and a kettle in Charles Camping in Blessington, which are easy to clean and stack away in their own storage bag, taking up very little space.
I can’t start the day without caffeine, so I bought the Stanley Perfect Brew pour-over coffee filter, which makes a great cup of coffee without needing filter papers. Of course, you can bring your Aeropress or stovetop Moka or French press with you too, as you prefer.
I cannot overstate the usefulness of hooks when camping. I have a mixed bag of carabiners, s-hooks and magnet-backed hooks that are invaluable.
It’s amazing how much needs to be hung up after a day playing outdoors — swimsuits, towels, wetsuits, rain jackets, dog harnesses and laundry.
Magnet-backed hooks are brilliant for sticking anywhere on your car, and carabiners and s-hooks can clip onto almost anything.
Hooks are the answer to avoid having a pile of damp clothes getting smelly in the corner of your campervan. Get lots of them!
I love having an excuse to reduce my screen time, which works out great when camping because mobile phone coverage can be unreliable on the road. Having some books to hand is super useful — three at a minimum.
The Ireland Caravan Camping & Motorhome Guide is free and full of campsites around Ireland, so you don’t have to spend time on your phone looking them up online.
The Camper Van Cookbook by Martin and Sarah Randell is full of recipes that are easy to cook on your camping stove. And finally, it’s always a good idea to bring a novel to relax with.
I thought I’d use these more, but actually, since I usually spend my nights in campsites there are already picnic tables or shared kitchen and dining spaces there which I use more often.
However, I will recommend a roll-up camping table as the best option I’ve found for a table that takes up the least amount of storage space. I found mine on Etsy, where you’ll find plenty of others.
I also have two low camping chairs which are great for lazing about and folding up into tiny, easy-to-store packs.
- Got a question for Jennifer Sheahan? Email home@examiner.ie
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