You Don’t Need A Van To Live The Van-Life
13 tips from a woman who made it work in her Subaru Forester for 5 years.
My dog Grizzly and I living the van-life in my Subaru Forester without a build-out, without a shower, or really anything “fancy” at all.
Have you been dreaming of getting out on the road traveling and car camping solo, but just don’t know where to start? Here are 13 (very detailed) tips I’ve come up with from personal experience over the 5 years I lived on and off in my car with my dog Griz and 13 places to sleep safely overnight.
Figure out your “why.” Why do you want to travel? Why solo? Do you want to live in your car full-time? Or do you want to live in your car part-time and stay in hotels or air b&b’s part-time? Are you planning this solely for the experience, to save money, or just because it’s trending and you want more social media followers? Do you need to “get out” and find some new friends? Do you just need to get away? Whatever your reason, no judgement here, make sure it’s a personal reason- a good one. It needs to be good enough to make you stick with it, even when things go wrong. Living on the road isn’t easy, you have to be flexible, mentally prepared to deal with the unexpected - plans will change and definitely don’t always go as planned. Solo traveling is a great way to see the world without any outside input, a way to go where you want to go and see and do what you want to without having to compromise - it’s a way to truly find pieces of yourself that you never knew were missing… at least that’s what I’ve found to be most true throughout my years of solo travel.
1.Find your “why.”
My “why’s” for living in my car are for the adventure, to travel, and to save money. When I started, I had no clue what I was doing, all I knew was that I wanted to travel and explore without feeling like I was wasting money on something I didn’t need, and that way I had money for things I actually needed -like car repairs, gas and groceries- but also didn’t feel guilty about spending money on a specialty coffee drink or on breakfast at a café. When I’m traveling and living this way, I feel truly immersed in a new area, there’s no hotel room to hide in or get comfy and I’m literally forced to be outside and enjoy all that there is around me. Each of us have different priorities, and that’s why it’s important to figure out your “why.”
Mid-day rest to journal in the shade after rock climbing in Bishop, CA. Over the years I’ve had different sleeping situations for Griz, but him having his own kennel/space worked well for his comfort and safety while on the road.
2. Be Flexible, but have a loose plan.
Finding your “why” is important, because it narrows down your wants and needs and helps to form a loose plan. My needs changed with the situations. Did I have total freedom to “just because” travel, or was I going someplace because of a contract job, or was it sport-specific? This dictated space in my car, what I needed to make room for, and what I needed to be prepared for. Often my needs were hiking areas, water features, bathrooms, dog friendly, not-high-foot-traffic places, and BLM land or National Forest if I was just for fun traveling. Showering and bonfires were rarely on my priority list so this made finding spots to spend the night much easier and cheaper. But, if I was traveling for a contract job as a Physical Therapist Assistant, I needed amenities and a safe place for Griz depending where in the U.S. I was headed. Living on the road I always had a loose plan, a general destination but with options and various directions and routes I could go in case I changed my mind or met a stranger with a recommendation of someplace I had to go see. It’s more fun that way too! At least for me, concrete plans are rarely my go-to.
Hiking with Griz through the Appalachian Mountains. Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina.
3.Plastic totes with lids that seal, to help keep my living space clean and my sanity intact.
Keeping my living space clean was challenging, especially with a very hairy dog, if we were near water, mud, sand or anywhere during the rainy season. Cleaning off Griz’s paws and brushing off anything on me was a must before getting in the car- this helps, but definitely doesn’t keep everything clean and isn’t always realistic.. so maybe just let your cleanliness/neat-freak-ness go a little bit, there’s really only so much you can do and it’s not worth ruining your adventure over. But, I found these plastic totes at Target years ago and they fit perfectly behind the driver and passenger seats in the 2015 Subaru Forester. I use them for human food, dog food/dog supplies, and camping gear-for keeping the items inside clean, dry, and organized.
This photo of Griz makes me literally laugh out loud. The day I finally let go of control and became one with the sand and fur. Have you tried to wipe off wet fur and sand stuck to your hand and it just doesn’t come off.. and somehow gets more on your hands like a real-life nightmare? This was one of those make you or break you moments- HA. Breathe… let go. Duck, North Carolina.
4.Everything needs a place in your car.
This might seem overkill, but I’m serious. If every item has a general place that it lives, it is way less likely to be lost, misplaced, or accidentally kicked out of your car a left at a trailhead somewhere. Things kept by the drivers seat are generally items I need the most: water, snacks, phone, charger, sunglasses, wallet (while driving but definitely don’t leave out in the open when you’re not in your car- that’s literally asking for the window to be broken in), hiking backpack, layers, and I always keep my hat and headlamps on the head rests of the front seats. Food, cooler, and totes are on the floor behind the seats because they’re generally items that I don’t need to get at until I’m ready for lunch or a break- this involves some unpacking and patience (I call it Car-Tetris).
Griz very obviously enjoying this picture as much as I was… kidding- taken in the Olympic National Park. Make sure to plan ahead, dogs are typically only allowed on pavement in national parks.
5.Follow your gut
If you don’t feel good about a place, don’t sleep there. Even if you don’t have an actual reason, even if it’s just a feeling, LEAVE. Women/girls are taught that we often “over-react” and because of this we’ve been conditioned to ignore our instincts. Our instincts, intuition, gut-feeling, or whatever you want to call it is there to help keep you alive. And maybe we never find out, maybe our fear is never confirmed, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing and the important thing is that you listen to it even if you don’t know “why.”
Story-time: I once was trying to find a place to sleep late at night in the mountains on the Olympic Peninsula. Earlier that night I’d been offered a place to stay at a local brewery owner’s home, but I declined because I just didn’t have a good feeling about it. He was friendly, completely hammered and seemingly harmless, but I just didn’t have a good feeling so I declined the offer and left the brewery. I tried to find a campground but ended up on a steep narrow pot-hole covered dirt road, it was getting dark and I was getting creeped out. I managed a U-Turn somehow. I drove deeper into the mountains thinking I would find a pull-off area along a dirt road in the national forest (tip: free-dispersed camping is allowed in national forests but not in national parks). Finally, found one. I was getting things ready to make some food, and for bed and all of a sudden the hair on the back of my neck stood up, I felt off and decided to look around with my headlamp. As soon as I stepped around the other side of the car, there was a mostly devoured deer carcass scattered about. I was pretty sure I had just parked in a mountain lion’s dinner scraps (or a bear- can’t be sure). I said “fuck this! Not tonight.” I hopped in my car and made my way back to town where I ended up sleeping in a casino parking lot- per recommendation of a park ranger at a very full campground. That night I slept great and I felt safe and those are most important.
Splitboarding in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Utah. This was our snowiest “van-life” in the Subaru Forester adventure yet! 4 weeks long. 2 humans, all the backcountry split board gear and loads of snow- we were literally swimming in it.
6.Have a plan for condensation control
This applies mostly to wintery areas, wetter areas like the PNW (Pacific Northwest), rainy seasons anywhere, or if it’s colder outside…. so really for many night-time situations. Condensation can become a real headache, especially during winter when the bottom of your sleeping bag soaks up the condensation from the back window and you can’t hang your sleeping bag out to dry in the air and warmth like you can in the warmer climates. This is especially important to prepare for if there is more than one living creature in the vehicle like a human and a dog or two humans or two humans and two dogs!! The more creatures, the more condensation there will be from breathing when you wake up the next morning- and if it’s freezing temps the condensation freezes on the inside of the windows too- extra fun!
What I’ve found to work best are:
window visors like these, windows can be cracked open for air flow while you sleep without people outside knowing that your windows are open. This is great for safety purposes, to keep the rain and snow from pouring in, and to allow for air flow without having a fan to help minimize condensation.
a microfiber towel to dry the moisture that’s accumulated while you were sleeping- it is inevitable.
What I tried that didn’t work:
DampRid - plastic cans with crystals that supposedly suck up moisture; it didn’t work, created a huge mess when I’d accidentally knock it over, and it just didn’t sit well in my conscience knowing it was plastic-toxic waste.
towels on windows/strategically placed - I just ended up with a bunch of hard-to-dry towels.
cardboard cutouts - great for temporary use, but they would get soggy
Really, this is what roof vent fans are great for, you see them installed on RVs and van-life vans, but realistically I don’t want to invest in this for Subaru-car-living, for obvious reasons.
Also, if you have winter gear like boots, snowboards, etc- try to have a place for those. We try to dry the boards off as best we can before putting them in the car, wrap towels around the boards, and usually put the futon mattress over the top- sometimes the snow is coming down hard and you can’t really dry everything off, and that’s just how it goes. The boots usually go up front where we can turn the car on in the morning to warm them up and dry them out for a bit. Tip: Storage for towels works great between the back seats folded down.
Car camping with an ideal view, but that’s not always the case. Sisters area in Oregon.
7. Privacy, an obvious concern, right?
This is an ideal car camping spot- likely to have privacy and nothing but the nature surrounding out. But, a lot of times, I found myself sleeping in fairly public places like rest-stops and Walmart parking lots. They’re free, there’s a bathroom, they’re everywhere, and generally higher traffic (depends) which is both a pro/con for safety (different states have different laws, most rest stops will have signs posted that tell you how long you can stay, but it’s better to research ahead of time). Places like these generally have bright street lights, and car headlights coming and going. For privacy and light control, I used to tie up clothes around head rests and the handles above the windows, but there was always that one light- Bright light- that would be sneaking through right where you eyeballs happened to be. And then the whole privacy thing, trying to change clothes, or even that fear of waking up and someone is staring at you through the window- it never happened but I’ve sure thought about it happening more than once!
So, using a sewing machine, I made curtains with blackout fabric and velcro. This was a total game changer. Complete darkness, complete privacy, and helped with climate control and condensation. Best of all, it didn’t damage the car itself or get in the way of the side air bags - which for safety and insurance/liability reasons was a must.
8. What to do with important documents- if you’ve lived in your car or van, I’m sure you’ve had to deal with this too!
This was just something that I hadn’t really thought of before my car was my “home.” Being a licensed medical professional as a travel, I had paperwork that was necessary to have in addition to the regular stuff. A lot of things can be kept in “clouds” and what-not but the reality is that cars get broken into, shit gets stolen, cars get stolen and car accidents happen. If you’re considering that your vehicle also becomes your home, it’s important to think ahead.
What paperwork do you need?
Is there a trusted friend or family member you can store important paperwork and documents with, that would be able to screen shot or mail them to you in a pinch?
Ultimately don’t store important documents in your car. Some of you may be like “well yea, no duh,” but if it’s your home…. where else would you put it? So, plan ahead!
Window coverings are great for security when you’re not in your car, and when you’re in your car and sleeping. Do your research, get creative, make sure you’re not tampering with important car stuff that could effect your warranty or insurance coverage.
Remember, accidents happen. Have a backup plan if your car needs to be in the shop or you car gets totaled or stolen.
At a beach in Nor Cal. I had picked up a hitchhiker while climbing in Smith Rock , we went sightseeing at Crater Lake and we ended up in Northern California on a beach just in time to see the sunset.
9. Water, always have water.
Even if I think there will be water where I’m going, I bring water. Sometimes you end up going places that weren’t in the itinerary and it really sucks running out of water - that goes for drinking and making food. There have been plenty of times the water had been shut off and there weren’t any warnings on the camp or park websites- you just never know. I usually have at least 3 gallons in my car because of myself and dog- have to think about your fur-friend too!
Have plenty of water in well sealed containers/bottles, or re-use water jugs - make sure caps are on tight because there’s a good chance they’ll tip over if they’re not secured and a wet car is no fun, no matter the weather.
Winter- if it’s going to be freezing temperatures or below freezing, I make sure not to have the container filled (because it can expand and possibly break or deform the container) leave a couple inches at the top. I also put the water containers/jugs in an insulated grocery bag, this helps contain them enough that if they do break the cleanup is easier, but it also helps with climate control and I’ve personally never had it freeze when in the bag as well.
Have back-up water plans- like keeping a water filter or iodine tablets in your car.
One of my favorite things about saving money while living in my car, is occasionally going out for food. By not spending money in a hotel, I don’t feel badly going to a restaurant every once in a while. This was taken in South Carolina at a restaurant that’s no longer there, pre-covid, when Griz was just a puppy!
10. Food, this is a big one.
Food, is expensive, it goes bad, and it attracts animals. Going out frequently gets expensive, and especially in the times of Covid, I personally don’t enjoy going out as much as I used to.
Have a space in your car for food, preferably a tote with a lid that has a seal of some kind, like these. Why? Ant-proof, sand-proof, dog hair- proof, water-proof, and if you’re in bear territory it’s easy to have all the food in one place to put in a bear box/ safe place.
I keep snacks that I’ll need on my drive or easily accessible in a re-useable grocery bag, this way I don’t have to dig through my car or unload the meticulously organized stuff in my car (you get really good at car-Tetris) just to get a few snacks.
A small-medium sized cooler. Yea, there are fancy coolers out there, but when I was thinking about saving money and having an already small “living” space, I went with a regular ol’ cooler. This way, the few items I needed to keep cold were able to stay cold, and if I needed ice- gas-stations are great for just filling up a cup of *free* ice from the soda machine and then pouring it in your cooler. Use a re-useable cup, water bottle, or my favorite - a Stasher bag, this way the container to get ice is also my ‘ice pack’ and when it eventually melted in a few days or so it was all contained and nothing got wet.
Dry goods go a long way. Oatmeal, tortillas, nut-butters, crackers. These are a must for me, versatile, long shelf life, and nutritious vehicles to put other food on for a sit down or to-go meal.
Vegetables are a must.
Hummus keeps fairly well, as long as I make a point to eat it- it’s a great source of plant protein too!
Bananas always seem like a good idea, and they can be… but just make sure they’re in a safe spot. They’ll go bad quicker if the weather is hot, or it’s sunny out, or if it’s freezing temperatures. Bananas are easily mis-placed and smashed and create quite the mess. But, bananas are great if you are a regular banana eater- great to wrap up in the tortilla with some peanut butter for example. So, choose wisely with produce.
On the road, I don’t purchase meats or dairy of any kind, so I don’t have any tips for these food items.
Ultimately Think about what you’re eating and how you’re going to be eating it- what’s involved to make it, how many dishes, can you make it stealth-camping or do you need a stove, how much waste is involved (don’t be a trashy -pun intended- person, take all trash/waste and food waste with you or find an appropriate bin for the trash, DO NOT LEAVE ANY TRASH OR FOOD WASTE you trash person) and if it’s something that’s too much of a hassle, too messy, or you don’t want to have that stinky leftover mess in your car afterwards because there aren’t any bins around- probably choose a different food.
Be mindful of animal life around you, raccoons get into everything, chipmunk and ground rodents easily chew through fabrics, and bears can be an obvious destructive and dangerous problem so be bear aware. Remember, we are in their habitat, be respectful.
Moab, Utah
11. Be careful where you park
This can be especially challenging at night because you can’t always see your surroundings.
Look for posted signs that may say if car camping is illegal or if there’s a time limit
be aware of your surroundings, get your headlight on and look around, make sure that you’re not parking on plants or small trees or brush
be mindful of cliffs- especially along the west coast on HWY 101, the cliffs are literally eroding, some places look idyllic but really aren’t the safest and there are more landslides occurring with the increase in wildfires and extreme downpours- it’s a bad landslide combination.
look for dead trees, especially if it’s windy- trees fall, yea you’re in a car and not a tent, but still- no fun.
do you prefer to be alone? or be in a high traffic area? Really, it’s a preference, go with what makes you most comfortable
Cell service isn’t always an option, but if I can, I often will send a text of my location where I sleep at night to a loved one- just in case
One of the worst things is having to be woken up by a knock on the window in the middle of the night after a long day of driving or hiking and have to move your car or be towed. Not fun, plan ahead as best you can!
Canyonlands National Park at sunset/moonrise
12. Safety while sleeping
A safety measure I personally take when I know I will be sleeping in my car for the night, is to make sure my bathroom break, dog bathroom break and anything else that needs to be taken care of is done at a previous spot than the one I sleep the night in.
As soon as I get to the spot I plan to sleep, I crawl directly into the back of my car where my sleep area is set up instead of getting out of my car, that way no-one knows how big or small I am, or what gender I am- and as a petite woman this gives me the peace of mind to sleep better at night.
Have your sleeping destination planned.
stop at a rest stop or someplace you can get all of your bathroom routine stuff done about 30 min before you plan to sleep, take the dog out, maybe even get your sleeping area set up if it’s not already and pajamas laid out (if that’s your jam).
I try to keep some distance between the two spots, but honestly it’s not always possible and I have many times slept in the same spot without taking this precaution. To each their own.
Depending on where I’m sleeping, I often have bear spray, my phone, a headlamp, water, and snacks within arms reach.
Having a dog helps, I thank Grizzly for helping keep me safe over the last 6 years- he has quite literally saved me more than once.
13. Making your space more homey
I like having a nice pillow- you know that one pillow that’s your pillow? Yea, that makes it for me.
I looped paracord around a few times between the grab handles in the backseat, it’s great for paracord storage, to hang a camp light at night when I’m reading or journaling, and to dry out socks or wet swim suits or clothes while I sleep. *Make sure to have clothespins to help keep them in place if they still need to dry out while you’re driving- that way there’s a lesser chance your garments will fly out the windows down the highway behind you!
rechargeable twinkle lights - I never got these but they sure do make the space look magical!!
Over the years, “van-life” has become increasingly popular, which also means things have changed.
But, one of the most important things to remember when “van-lifeing” or being a “weekend warrior” is to BE RESPECTFUL.
You’re not at home, pick up after yourself. Most likely you’ll be in a park, on BLM land, in a public area, campground, or in a neighborhood if you’re being really stealthy. Don’t be a trash person, pick up after yourself. Leave it better than you found it. If you see trash left that wasn’t yours, pick it up and find the nearest appropriate bin. Be mindful of people around you, besides the fact other people are just trying to enjoy nature too- but especially if you’re trying to be stealthy, otherwise there’s a really good chance you’re going to get kicked out or have the cops called on you.
And hey, if you decide you love living on the road, and you really want to go all-in on the van-life, then GO FOR IT!
I have some friends over at TrailVagabonds that have great youtube videos so you can “do it yourself.” They actually just came out with a van build company too, if you don’t feel like a DIY project is in your future - go check them out here.
One of my favorite campground “finds” on a beach in Washington. I made great friends, shared delicious food, and really enjoyed my time on the PNW beach and journaling.
13 Places I’ve found to safely sleep overnight in my car:
1.Wal-mart parking lot(this is often now state dependent)
2.Rest-stops (the hours you can stay differ state to state)
3.Casino parking lots (well lit, high traffic, and lots of security cameras make for a fairly safe sleeping experience)
4.BLM land
5.National Forest land
6.Neighborhoods (If places to sleep are slim-picking; I park, don’t get out of my car, crawl in the back, and keep lights off inside my car, and go right to sleep- otherwise you’re very likely to get called on to leave)
7.Highway pull-offs (use your best judgment here)
8.Trailheads (this often depends on the state and how high foot traffic is)
9.Random side roads (again, use your own discretion)
10.Beach parking lots (varies by state)
11.Campsites/campgrounds
12.Friends and/or strangers that you have a good-feeling-about’s driveways
13.Coffee shop parking lots that I plan on going to in the morning when I wake up (for coffee, breakfast, and to use the bathroom)
Disclaimer* These were all personal experiences, and are by no way an excuse to not follow the law or to no do your own research before you sleep somewhere and/or live in your car. You are your own person who makes your own decisions and are your own responsibility. Stay safe out there!
