Agony or Celebration on the Road? Meeting Basic Needs Makes the Difference

Only a person who truly feels safe can enjoy life – and this is how Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is deeply connected to vanlife.

In this post, I’ll share some thoughts on how meeting basic needs is not optional but an absolute necessity if you want to live a life that feels truly your own. Instead of just surviving, struggling, and coping, you should be able to enjoy, be present, and express yourself with ease.

Van life can be pure agony or a joyful celebration – depending on the foundation it stands on.

In van life (and in boating or cabin life, for that matter), you live in a sort of semi-ascetic state, which makes basic needs much more pronounced than in a house.

Less is definitely more, but have you ever really thought about what that means for you? What are the essentials that allow both your mind and body to settle and be present? What are the non-negotiables that, if compromised, would ruin the mood or have serious consequences?

If you’re like me—someone who has spent most of their life in survival mode without even realizing it—I can tell you that I didn’t have an answer to these questions until quite recently.

In this post, I’ll explore this topic through a simple, well-known concept: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. If you’re highly sensitive, this will help you structure your environment in a way that genuinely supports your well-being.

Adjust Your Environment to Enhance Well-being

Only in the past few years have I begun to deeply understand how much my everyday environment affects my well-being. I can tell you that this is not a mainstream idea in Finland, let alone in the caravan scene. So if this concept is new to you, hear me out: the things you surround yourself with make a huge difference. And you can significantly improve your everyday satisfaction with just a few small adjustments.

Once you notice the difference in how you feel, you’ll get what I mean. (By the way, did you know that I used to work in holistic space design, using lighting, colors, shapes, and materials to create environments with specific purposes—such as relaxation, focus, or energy renewal? My website is mootio.fi.)

To achieve true well-being, you need a solid foundation. Enter Maslow’s hierarchy of needs:

Well-being Starts with Basic Needs – The Foundation of the Pyramid

Once upon a time, there was a man named Abraham Maslow, an American psychologist who helped develop humanistic psychology. Maslow wanted to understand what motivates human behavior and introduced the concept of a hierarchy of needs, which places fundamental physiological needs at the base and self-actualization at the top.

According to Maslow’s theory, a person can only move up the pyramid once the lower-level needs are met. Think of the hierarchy as a ladder: to climb higher, the rung below must be stable.

At the base are physiological needs like food, water, warmth, and shelter. The next level is safety and security. Above that are social needs, and at the very top is self-actualization.

Simply put: If your fundamental human needs are unmet, you’re stuck in survival mode instead of thriving, relaxing, being creative, or pursuing higher consciousness.

When you’re hungry, cold, scared, or feeling unsafe, it’s nearly impossible to be zen, solve problems with an open mind, or act according to your highest ethical or moral capacity. Survival comes first. The reptilian brain takes over.

How Does Maslow Relate to Van life?

In a big way.

In my previous post, Over My Dead Body – Becoming a Caravanner, I shared the story of our first caravan trip in a leaky, smelly trailer. While nothing catastrophic happened, I spent the entire trip in survival mode because my basic needs for shelter, warmth, and safety were not met.

It wasn’t just about the questionable condition of the caravan or my lack of experience; my own mindset played a huge role. I didn’t want to go. I felt too much uncertainty about too many things, and the idea of traveling with a small baby felt downright terrifying. I feared for both my own and my baby’s safety.

My pyramid’s lower levels were completely unstable, making it impossible to climb higher and enjoy the trip—let alone be creative in any way.

My entire system was in SOS mode the whole trip. All my energy went into anticipating, surviving, securing, and preparing—for what? Anything and everything. What if a bear showed up? What if the caravan literally fell apart? Now, the thought makes me laugh, but at 3 AM in a damp trailer, it was no joke.

The point is: If the caravan had been in better condition and the conditions less harsh, I wouldn’t have wasted all my energy just trying to survive. The environment didn’t support well-being—it did the opposite. Without my partner’s persistent persuasion, my vanlife adventures would have ended right then and there.

How We Improved Our Sense of Security in the Van

Thankfully, traveling became easier as we got used to it, and my nervous system gradually relaxed. Once I wasn’t constantly on edge, I could start being creative and seeing solutions instead of just problems. We made all sorts of life-enhancing adjustments to our van, such as:

• A sturdy safety rail for the upper bunk, a laundry sack, and a neck pillow (for practical comfort and peace of mind)
• Installing wall-to-wall carpet instead of plastic flooring (warmer and nicer underfoot)
• Sewing smaller hand towels so they wouldn’t constantly end up wet in the sink or crushed in doorways (reducing minor annoyances)
• Adding more storage with organizers and shelves (saving time and reducing clutter)
• Investing in quality bedding (because sleep is essential)
• Making better meals (this was a game-changer!)

Looking back, I realize we were addressing the very needs at the base of Maslow’s pyramid: shelter, warmth, food, sleep, comfort, and overall security. Once we had a solid foundation and weren’t constantly in survival mode, we could start focusing on aesthetics, design, and even material choices. We were slowly climbing to the higher levels of the pyramid, where there was room for creative solutions and a little fine-tuning.

My Non-Negotiables for Van life Well-being

Once the urgent issues were solved, I realized that some things weren’t just about problem-solving—they also enhanced our experience by adding beauty or extra comfort. Here are my must-haves for vanlife:

• A soft, dry, and fresh bed from start to finish -> Merino wool bed linens
• Fresh, absorbent kitchen and bathroom textiles that hold up over time -> Off the Road small towels
• An adjustable driving and travel setup that fits me perfectly -> Neck pillows
• Minimizing everyday hassle and clutter -> Sleeping bags (+ more storage solutions coming soon!)

And since I love beautiful and practical spaces (which the current campervan market doesn’t offer to my taste), we’re hopefully starting our own van build project soon. More on that as things progress!

Safety Can’t Be Chosen Logically – The Body Decides

Not everyone is particular about where they sleep or live. Some people don’t mind a slightly damp bed, plastic walls, or missing safety rails for their kids’ bunks. But if you’re someone who does mind these things, you’re not alone.

You can’t logically decide what feels good or bad—your body makes that decision. And it will tell you if things aren’t right.

So, if your van or boat life could be more enjoyable, start by maximizing your sense of safety, warmth, and protection. Let your body decide where to begin: the bed, kitchen, driving setup, food, lighting, or maybe even something purely aesthetic.

Wishing you truly enjoyable travels,

Hanna