I’ve lived on the road for seven years now, five of which have been in a van. While my first vanlife set up was not ideal— I couldn’t stand, it broke down a few times, and it was often referred to as a “creeper van”—my set up for the last two years has been great!… I missed out on showing you all several things, as this was an impromptu to van tour along the California coast. To address and answer other vanlife questions, check out the blog below:
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Bill Bradley on a six hour training session up Mount Whitney, CA. Photo by Dalton Johnson
Training with Epic Bill Bradley
“Heyy Dalton, this is EPIC BILL BRADLEY here, um, give me a call. I am looking for a camera guy who is a bad ass. Can you climb mountains with camera gear?” Bill teases me with this voicemail back in February. Now, it is May and we have three more weeks until gear check in Talkeetna, Alaska. Bill and I had not met until this point, but I was intrigued to shake is hand, see if his height matched his energy, and get on a mountain with him.
Read MoreOnly a few days into the trip, I was already blown away by the beauty of New Zealand.
Did I Pull an April Fools Joke on Myself?
Two days later, I pedaled away from the hostel the man at the airport had suggested. Winding through the city streets of Christchurch, I was eager to make it to the main road that circles New Zealand’s South Island. Upon arriving at the T, I asked myself, “clockwise or counterclockwise?” For the first time, I had a hunch that I knew what I was doing. Feeling confident, I recall thinking, it’s the second half of summer, I should go south now, so I am in the north for the fall. So, I went right and pedaled along the coast, embracing a freedom that I had never known before.
Read MoreIt’s a Micro-Adventure Kind of Season
A micro-adventure is a mindset and physical outing directed to exploring. Since these are small, most micro-adventures will happen in your backyard, wherever that be. Now, some people will be luckier than others because of where they live, but even a city-dweller can have micro-adventures. The goal is to change your perspective on your current life situation and push yourself to go. Most of the time a micro-adventure will leave you asking yourself, “why would I ever do that?” The answer is “because it sounds like fun… kind of.”
Read MoreHow to Stay Fit While Living on the Road
While six pack abs and bikini season are always around the corner, van life might prevent you from getting to those goals. Yes, you are closer to access the outdoors if you plan your van trips correctly, however you aren’t going to have much space for working out, especially if the weather does not agree with your routine. If you plan on being a weekend warrior in a van, fitness won’t be a point of topic you’ll stress much about. However, if you decide to commit full time and have aspirations of maintaining your gym-centric body, guess again! With that said, below are five tips to maintain your fitness level while crammed in your tiny home on wheels.
Read MoreBest Van Life Destinations
Coinciding with surge of U.S. based road trips and growing popularity among travelers to experience van life, especially in the Western United States, finding the correct places can be overwhelming, especially if this is your first van trip. Understanding rules for where you can park to sleep, which adventures you want be close to, and making the most of the time you have is why this article was written. Below are ten destination areas that are van life friendly, provide access to adventures, and are wonderful for a seasoned van lifer, or a newbie.
Read MoreTips to Make a Van Feel Like a Home
There is no doubt that living on the road can look like a dream, but vanlife can be hard. Especially if you are not in the correct setting, so, having a few "normal" conveniences can go a long way. In an ideal world, you would be watching the sunrise, sipping your coffee, and journaling. However, there are those times you are in a city while it's pouring rain and you are hunkered down, waiting. In those moments, having a couple of those home-like conveniences has been my key to success.
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46 Vanlife Tips for the Newbie to the Expert
How to have the most fun:
1) Do the things you love!
2) Push yourself outside of your comfort zone
3) Talk with strangers who are in your community
4) Make friends and travel together
5) Make a list of reasons you want to live in a van
6) Picnic often
7) Avoid cities
8) Level set your expectations
How to maintain comfort of a home:
9) Give yourself a few convinces you REALLY enjoy, like coffee or tea in the morning
10) Incorporate personal touches like a rug, photos on the wall, a candle/incense, a fuzzy blanket.
11) Get a HOT shower every now and then
12) Treat yourself and rent an room from time to time
How to stay fit:
13) Create a stretch/yoga routine
14) Eat mostly plants, avoid sugar
15) Do something outdoorsy, like; running, hiking, swimming, surfing, climbing, skiing…
16) Walk to your errands, save gas along the way
17) Have resistance bands for working out, this can easy be done inside of the van
18) Don’t be afraid to stretch in your bed! This might be your largest area
How to meet people:
19) Online groups like Facebook, meetups, etc.
20) Go to the places your community hangs out
21) Go to Cafes
22) Campsites/BLM land where fires are permitted
How to make money on the road:
23) Be a creative
24) Freelance
25) Digital Nomad
26) Seasonal Work
27) Consulting
How to find parking:
28) Walmart parking lots
29) Street parking in residential housing (controversial)
30) BLM land
31) Paid Campgrounds
32) iOverlander
33) Grocery Store parking lots
How to avoid being a total vanlife newbie:
34) Propping the back doors open to watch the view
35) Leaving the door open in cities
36) Know how to park your van
37) Gawking at every other van build… just come say hi!
38) Either stick out, or blend in. Avoid that awkward middle ground
Vanlife hacks!
39) Heat water once, put your extra in an insulated water bottle
40) Starbucks and libraries have free wifi
41) Use window coverings
42) Have a broom!
43) Be ready for rainy days inside the van
44) Have a heater and a fan
45) Download movies/tv shows ahead of time
46) Learn how to do everything while laying in bed
The Three Most Important Considerations Before Committing To Vanlife
In this episode I go over a few critical and HUGE parts of vanlife. While living on the road has a ton of information all over the web and this is just a surface scratcher, it’s important to think about these three things!
1) How do you make money?
2) What do you live in?
3) Is it fun?
One Week of Van Life in the Eastern Sierra
Upon finishing the week long VLOG challenge, I am very excited to say that I completed the challenge and have been continuing with videos. They are fun to make and share with you all. Providing a glimpse into vanlife, a career of photography, and the long term value of living an engaging life.
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