Lume Traveler Camper Lets You Sleep Under the Stars, Has Chef’s Kitchen

The Lume Traveler has been around for a few years now, with the original and most basic model, the LT360 NO. 1 still being a success. It came to be as founder Hein van de Laar realized that he needed to create something the would be the best of both worlds, since he personally loved being outside but did not like camping. How you to bridge these two and solve a seemingly impossible contradiction, while also keeping costs down?

“It was my dream to enjoy outdoor life with the comfort of home; to sleep under the stars in a top-notch bed, to cook outside with a full-fledged stove,” van de Laar says. “And all of that in the most beautiful spots in nature. This dream is what led to the beautifully-designed Lume Traveler.”

Lume Traveler is a small-size camper made of aluminum, with top-quality finishes like wool and real wood, offering all the basics for a quick getaway. And it offers something not many other campers can: the possibility of sleeping under the stars without having to pitch a tent or rough it up, and a chef’s kitchen.

The full interior of the basic Number One is occupied by a king-size bed, sitting right under a soft-top fabric convertible roof. Should you desire it, you could sleep under the stars by opening the roof, and you’d get protection against insects by a built-in screen. There’s a real leather wall at the head of the bed, which doubles as storage space, teak floor and natural wool felt on the walls to keep the interior as fuss-free as possible (wood felt acts as a natural dirt-repellent). There’s more storage on the door but, clearly, this is a camper meant for shorter outings.

Round the back is the other highlight of Number One: a stainless steel kitchen any gourmand would love to spend time in. You open the back and find an area that’s generous and protected from the elements. There’s a sink and two PITT cooking gas hobs (with an additional gas connection for a barbecue), and storage up top and below. One of the oversize drawers hides a 40-liter (10.5-gallon) refrigerator, while all the others are perfect for cutlery and pots and pans.

Outdoor space can further be defined and expanded: you can add blockout fabrics to the rear kitchen and create a dining room with protection from the sun and rain, and an awning on the side, which would be the perfect chill room.

The successor of the LT450: longer, heavier, bigger and more luxurious. Lume makes two variants of this one, according to your traveling tastes and budget. There’s the LT450 Number One, which has an outdoor kitchen like its older sibling, and Nordic, which has the kitchen inside. Both stand out for a wide range of customization options and the fact that they have the tiniest bathroom with sink and toilet inside, which makes them perfect for longer adventures.

The Nordic, the top of the line offer from Lume, has smart heating and air-con, an actual wardrobe opposite the bathroom, and the kitchen represents a slight upgrade with three cooking hobs.

When it was first introduced to the public some three years ago, the Lume Traveler LT360 NO. 1 was priced at nearly $53,000, justified by the use of high-quality products and the most elegant design.

Even if the idea of sleeping and cooking in luxury while you’re going number one and two in the woods seem a bit strange, you’d have to agree: of all the campers to have been released in recent years, this is definitely one to remember. It’s small and comfy, with a clean design yet very stylish at the same time.