By Cheri Sicard
At the Lulu’s Way February 2026 Florida women’s meetup, everyone brought small items that make daily life on the road easier. Some were comfort upgrades for heat and cold, others were about safety, storage, or those little problems that only show up at 2:00 a.m. The best part was how practical the ideas were; most of them fit in tight spaces and solve one clear issue.
See all of them in the video at the end of this post.
Quick comfort upgrades for heat, cold, and sleep
Lulu kicked things off with two opposites: cooling and heat. One standout was a handheld cooling fan with a cold plate that chills fast (the fan blows through the cold disc, or the disc can be placed against skin). It was pitched as an easy beach-chair fix because it runs by USB and stays compact.
On the cold-weather side, she shared a 500W mini heater that works best on the floor, as warm air rises naturally. It requires an inverter, since it is not DC.
Several people added their own cold-weather solutions. Valerie used a massage table heating mat under her mattress, around 115 watts, with multiple settings and straps to hold it in place. Renee shared the Lasko MyHeat 200W personal heater for low draw.
Betsy demonstrated a Naturehike butane heater that also functions like a stovetop, with attention to lining up the canister groove correctly. She monitored it closely, used a carbon monoxide detector, and sometimes cracked a window.
Kathy brought a Howl Campfires propane fire pit for contained flames where wood fires are not allowed, plus a propane tank and carry case. She stressed reading the rules, keeping distance from combustibles, and not touching the handle until it cools.
A recurring theme: Small heaters come out for short bursts to take the chill off, then get turned off and put away.
Small-space gear that keeps daily routines simple
A lot of items focused on making tiny spaces feel less chaotic. Lulu showed a small folding table that packs like a suitcase, locks open, and has a handle for carrying.
A clever road-meal fix was an adult bib that snaps on like a scarf to protect clothes while eating in the driver’s seat.
Shannon kept backup navigation in the rig with state road maps from KOA stores, then repurposed a hanging travel bag as a compact kitchen kit (mitts, towels, utensils), opening and closing it like a mini pantry.
Becky used a mesh shower caddy as a dish-drying station, and also mentioned a mesh shelf that straps to vehicle grab handles for jackets and hats. For cooking, she liked a concave cutting board with a rocker cutter because chopped food stays contained instead of sliding onto counters.
Sher shared nesting cookware from GSI Outdoors, with a removable handle to avoid bulky storage.
Neil mentioned a custom option seen at an RV show, a cutting board made to fit over stove grates by matching the model or a tracing.
Safety, access, lighting, and bathroom setups that matter at night
Several picks were about staying safe and moving around more easily. One traveler kept a breakaway safety whistle within reach because noise draws attention. She also carried a bracelet-style window breaker, a small tool used by many officers, designed to shatter glass with a hard tip.
Daniela added a Faraday pouch for keyless fobs, blocking relay attacks and helping the vehicle stop “chatting” with the key overnight. Kim shared rechargeable road flares with magnets and flash modes for roadside stops. Wanda brought an AED, a compact defibrillator that talks users through pad placement.
Mobility and access got plenty of attention. Mimi mounted a suction grab bar on the outside of her sliding door to help pull up the step. Ginger demonstrated a cane with a second handle for standing from toilets when grab bars are missing, and mentioned a sturdy step stool with a handle for van entry. Camille’s collapsible stool can be adjusted in height and carried with a strap.
Lighting solutions stayed small but flexible. Laney showed the Goal Zero Crush Light (USB and solar), including a red mode to reduce bugs. She also used a Barebones mini multi-color light and a tiny magnetic lantern on a lanyard. Renee added a USB ceiling fan and light with removable blades for packing. For quick trips to the restroom, Mimi carried a mini keychain flashlight on a lanyard.
Bathroom setups ranged from simple to high-tech. Debbie used a bucket-in-bucket toilet with a comfortable rim and biodegradable bags, dumping the small inner bucket in the morning. Daniela used the LoonaGo female urinal with a soft seal and locking cap for spill control. Beverly demonstrated a Modiwell dry flush toilet that heat-seals and cuts a continuous liner after each use.
Other small fixes rounded it out: Terry’s headrest hooks for keys and lights, Dr. ColorChip for paint chips (Dr. ColorChip repair kit), Joan’s bed skirt pins for hanging lightweight items on soft interior panels, and Carolyn’s key cover idea using a key fob cover and lanyard.
Another Carolyn used the Camper Leveler Free Edition app, plus a T-level and a solar angle guide. For a tactile hack, she placed callus pads around hard-to-find EcoFlow buttons. Carol turned leftover memory foam scraps into cushions for steps and window support.
Final thoughts
The meetup made one thing clear: Van life gadgets do not need to be fancy to be useful. The best picks solved one daily annoyance, like staying warm, finding keys, or handling nighttime bathroom trips.
Even the smallest items, like hooks, pins, and lights, changed how smoothly a space worked. Anyone watching can borrow an idea and adapt it to whatever vehicle they call home.
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