VanLife: Looks good on YouTube

VanLife is pretty cramped, and you have to pack light, but it's an upgrade from CarLife. When I first decided that even though I was homeless I didn't want to participate in the plans people had for me, I had to do CarLife. I would drive during the day DoorDashing and sleep in parking lots during the night. My heater didn't work, it was winter, and my door wasn't sealed due to me having to jimmy the lock on many occasions. It was cold, and I spent all of my time in the driver's seat, whether eating or sleeping. It was rough on my back.

The cool thing is that you get to see a lot. The not cool thing is that a lot of it looks the same. I spent the night boondocking in Talladega National Forest for a bit. Boondocking sounds cool, but you're basically just pulling to the side of the road and sleeping. I guess you could go camping, but it's always winter when I'm out and about.

So where do you pee? 24-hour gas stations, bottles if you're dong equipped, they also have portable urinals with a front hole (winking at you trans masculines) or lady parts attachment, and anywhere that has a public restroom. Number two is the same sans the bottles. I suggest getting a membership to a 24-hour gym. If you can, they even have showers, which you can find at some trucker-based gas stations like Love's. Also, the gym is good for keeping in shape as you will be spending most of your time sitting.

For food, you want to get things that don't need refrigeration unless your car, like mine, is a refrigerator. Granola bars, crackers, cookies, fresh fruits and vegetables are good as long as you eat them with haste. Some gas stations will let you use their microwave, which is nice when you want a hot meal. You can also eat out, but I suggest using apps to keep the costs down. They always have deals going on. Also, you can get cases of water bottles for cheap. You can never have too much water, you have got to stay hydrated.

The next question would be electricity. I have a power inverter. It converts auxiliary 12V power to DC so you can charge things that the aux won't. It still won't charge certain things though. Next, I have a Jump Starter that also works as a power bank. It also has a tire inflator, and plugs into my power inverter so you can charge it while you drive. I plan on getting a Power Bank and solar panels at some point, hoping it can power more demanding things.

They have all sorts of accessories, such as skillets, kettle boilers, fans, and heaters, which you can plug into your 12V aux. I had a small heater, but it did nothing but keep itself warm, so I suggest the larger one. Also, lighting is a must, so battery-operated lamps or strip lights you can mount and run into your power source will see you through.

Next, we have storage. As I said, you have to pack light. A week's worth of clothes in a backpack or one of those rolling suitcases, laundry mats are your friend. Bring lots of quarters as well as laundry detergent and dryer sheets. It's just cheaper to buy the bottles instead of buying from the laundry mat in the long run. You also want to have a laundry bag to keep the clean and dirties separate. You can get storage panels that hang off of the back of your seat for any small nick knacks and clips for hangers that do the same. Any bag you collect while shopping can act as a trash can, drop those off at gas stations and recycling dumpsters if you come across them.

Privacy is the next issue. Window sunshades are your friend. They come in various styles, but a bedsheet will do in a pinch. I have a curtain rod with blackout curtains to cover the space between the front and back. Having tinted windows helps, but it won't work for people that are close up or during the daylight hours. This will give you the ability to change clothes or not be seen by people when you don't want to be for whatever reason. It will make the interior darker, so invest in lights which you will need at night regardless.

Where do I sleep? Allstays.com is a website that tells you where you can camp and lets you know what Walmart's are okay with you sleeping in their parking lots and where to park. Call ahead if you're into that. Truck stops and some 24-hour stores and gyms don't complain when you use the parking lot overnight as well. There are some free places to camp, like national and BLM forests that allow boondocking. You may want to do your research though. The Dyrt app has reviews for a lot of these places and can help you find them near you or where you're going. For navigation, you can use the Gaia GPS app. It has an offline feature for places that have no service.

In closing, VanLife has its ups and downs, but it's better than the streets and more spacious than trying to do it in a car. Carlife probably wouldn't be so bad if you had a luxury vehicle. I hear they have comfortable seats. I would avoid doing it in the winter if you can. I don't know what to do about the loneliness, this is luckily not an issue I have. I don't like people. If you want to try it out for yourself, I've provided some tips so you won't be completely at the mercy of the elements. Stay warm and safe travels.