Feb172011
12 Tips for Living Out of Your Car
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PDFA worst case scenario may be an EMP attack, but being homeless has got to be in the Top Ten. I came upon the following great advice over on Survivalist Boards and asked the author, webbee, for his permission to re-post it here. You and I may never have to live in our vehicles, but this advice is helpful for evacuations or if you’re ever stranded somewhere without funds for a hotel.
If you need knowledge, read a book. If you want to really know something, experience is the best teacher. My advice for anyone reading this is to try living in a car or van for a week or two. There isn’t anything better to wring out your survival kit than practical use.
Here are some tips from my own experiences.
image by thomas riboulet
Add a flip-up roof vent to the van, if that’s what you have. Heating/cooking with propane produces water as a byproduct. The vent will get rid of the interior water buildup . It will also exhaust hot air in the warmer parts of the year. A solar powered fan in the vent is even better.
Solar film on the windows keeps things private, but you need a blackout curtain to keep light from being seen at night. I used a denim tube and lined it with high density foam, hung from wire springs on both the top and bottom of the tube curtain. The curtain needs to cover the whole window. It provides a bit of insulation, too.
Never park in the same place twice in the same week. Stay away from other parkers in your same situation. Parking around a 24-hour biz is better than residential areas. Apartment complexes offer a degree of stealth street parking due to the high turnover of tenants and friends, NOT in their parking lot, however! Same for 24-hour grocery stores.
Sometimes your employer will let you park behind the biz if you’re a good employee and they want to help you out. That’s always a personal call that depends on the boss’s personality and the particular job. Sometimes it’s better the boss doesn’t know your situation.
Rent a mini-storage cubicle with 24-hour access for your spill-over and items that might be stolen from your vehicle. If you’re a customer, you have bathroom privileges.
A health club membership is the golden ticket for street living. You can shower, steam, and work out, too. Municipal indoor pools are good, too. Learn to bathe in a sink, as in sponge baths. Always clean up your mess!
A private mailbox that provides a street address (not a Post Office box) makes you look more like someone with a real address. This comes into play for drivers licenses, state ID cards, car insurance, job applications, etc.
A pay-as-you-go cell phone provides a telephone for job calls and if you need emergency services.
image by Larry Page
Try to find an apartment manager job if you have good people skills and some simple maintenance experience. The local Apartment Association may offer training so you can get that job. Once you’re in, you’re in for life. They like peeps that have experience, so this is the route in. Much easier if you’re a couple. Mini-storage management is even better. Usually small buildings only trade an apartment and light housekeeping duties for your time. You will need to work part-time to pay the bills.
A portable CD player with a radio is very handy for entertainment and news.
Most libraries have computer access. If you have a wireless laptop, then those businesses that let you surf on their wi-fi connection for a cup of coffee are helpful, too.
Always dress and act middle class or better. The way you look determines how the police will handle you when they come calling. That’s when, not if.
Don’t think you are depression proof. Plan ahead for hard times and practice. You won’t be disappointed. Living hand to mouth eventually gives you a can-do attitude that can be a life saver. Even if you have to give up your home, you will still have one.
© 2011, thesurvivalmom. All rights reserved.
(18) Readers Comments
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This Boston mom was ready for the worst
I can see why the police did what they did going door to door, but at
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Thanks, PJ! There are so many great people in this community. Lots o
Steelheart
Lots of great tips there. For more info along these lines, there's a site that has articles from people who have lived in their vehicles either due to financial issues or just by choice. I check in for the good ideas. I should add that I'm in no way affiliated with the site, just an irregular reader. http://www.cheaprvliving.com/
Steelheart
Matt in TEXAS
Hotels with free parking are great places to spend the night as well…
steve
Yeah, motels and hotels are a good place to park (and safer than some sidestreet). When they are busy, one can go in and use the restroom or get a free com breakfast.
rightwingmom
We're blessed to have a paid off mini van and pop up camper. Just wondering how long that canvass will last??? I do have a tent repair kit in the camper to keep things patched up!
Joe R
I lived in the parking lot of my job for the (3) three week I worked there. Then I found a room to rent with a guy that worked in another dept.
Joe R
ke4sky
Back in my road warrior days I sought out church parking lots as safe overnight parking places on my frequent cross-country travels. An occasional welcome bonus was the offer of a home-cooked meal, pleasant conversation, a warm shower, a bed for the night and prayers for continuing on a safe journey. Almost as good as being at home.
Karl
I used to use fairly heavy screen spline to hold the top and sides of the screen material in the groove the glass rolls up in and only had to tape the bottom – worked great even in the mosquito months in the Everglades.
Shhhhh
Hospitals are also a great place to use, open 24/7 have clean bathrooms and cafeterias. Also easy to come up with a excuse why you are there. Just lay low, be quiet and respectful, don't ask the staff for anything. And don't overstay your welcome. Leave right away if you are asked to. And probably stay away from the ER parking as it is checked the most often, and employee parking.
guest
casinos with parking garages are another good place to spend the night. They have washroom facilities and you can hangout and enjoy the ambiance.
Rich
My youtube video documents me living in my car for two months
http://www.youtube.com/user/LiveLean1?feature=guide
It was a life changing event for me.
Dave
I spent years living in my 62 VW van as a result of economic circumstances, here are some pointers.
1. Keep your car clean, looking respectable and well maintained.
2. Insulate with space blankets and as many wool blankets you can fit behind the interior paneling.
3. Avoid clutter, only have with you what you need for that night, caveat, have a storage unit if you are centered in a geographic region.
4. Wash your bedding and clothes every week, never wear the same thing twice.
5. Vent your vehicle daily, the stench of stuffy, dirty will build up fast, and is hard to clean out.
6. Never use anything other than plain neutral colored fabric as an exterior curtain, beer ads, sports banners, anything with text, logos, banners, patterns, will draw negative attention.
7. Layer your curtains; plain neutral colors for the viewing public, insulating layers of wool, thermal curtain backing to keep your heat in.
8. Law enforcement encounters: should be a no brainer, Be respectful, compliant, and, if you followed the above, they will be respectful to you for being” Clean, Quite, and Low Key”. One may need state that as their intent. In short, you don’t want them to haul you away, and you don’t want them to have reason to come pay you a visit when they have some down time.
SurvivorMama
Having spent the better part of 5 years “adventuring”, including during graduate school at a very prestigious University, I have mastered year round hammock camping as well as living in (1) a van, and (2) a subcompact car. Vans are preferable. Honda Civics are more challenging. Having a storage place (I have a shed at a family member’s property) is also helpful. While Walmart dry camping or in a corner parking lot with a car cover are options, finding a private place to set up a mini-campground is a great addition to either vehicular living option.
Here are a few tips:
a. Organize, organize, organize! Have a place for everything and keep everything in its place. In addition to your sleeping items, you will need a carry-on style suitcase for clothes, a laundry bag for clothes pending a trip to the laundry (with air freshener), a “chuck box” (your car camping kitchen supplies), water storage container and a cup/water bottle, a tool box, a briefcase organizer for paperwork, a box with your camping supplies, a toiletry case (with towel, washcloths, shampoo, soap/shower gel, hairbrush, other hygiene supplies), flashlight/LED lamp and candles.
b. Keep toiletries and a plastic mirror in a separate bag or small backpack for convenience and discretion. If you add a collapsible basin you can fill it with hot water and go into a large bathroom stall to clean up and change. Remember to keep a separate plastic bag for wet items.
c. If you find a place to set up a base camp of sorts (esp in an out of the way wooded area) you can be semipermanent. Private property will provide legal security. In this case, you can set up a tarp/hammock (super comfortable), and rig up some more homelike comforts (potty/shower stall, etc).
d. Making a mini-rocket stove and having a shelter makes cooking easier, provides a way to heat water for cleaning up (a copper coil heater in a large bucket can heat while one is cooking or making a campfire to warm up for the evening.
e. A folding, hanging shower stall and a shower bag with nozzle makes for a hot shower even in freezing cold, and one can get dry and re-dressed before even feeling cold. For a floor, a baby inflatable 1-ring mini pool makes a perfect showerpan floor and warmly cleans your feet as you shower. Otherwise, use something else to keep your feet off the ground.
f. If you really do decide to build yourself a camp, Home depot always has free 4′ wooden pallet supports that you can combine to make floor decking, a table/shower/kitchen setup, frames or bench. Lowe’s usually doesn’t keep things long enough for you to get them.
g. Water: A tarp canopy can be set up to double as a water cachement system. You can secure potable water other ways. When in a store/cafe one can also put a collapsible water container in a backpack and fill it with hot water in a restroom for use after you leave.
h. Cooking: Oatmeal, dehydrated meals, fresh vegetables, soups and small cuts of meat are easy to cook with just hot water and a pot. We are fortunate to have access to dollar stores for a lot of cost-effective variety and options. Note: Large reclosable Monster cans are the easiest for quickly bringing 3 cups of water to a boil, and can last weeks before giving out.
i. Always use window shades in your car for privacy. It also helps minimize some radiant cold.
j. Whenever possible, secure reasonable supplies of paper-goods. Newspaper is a good insulator (e.g., nest to the drafty door panel at night or under your sleeping bag if you are using a hammock) and super fire tinder. Cardboard box pieces can be cut into strips and coiled up into a can for a good sterno-substitution (esp if you pour melted candle wax over the coil). Even used cups can be turned into fire starters, and tissues, paper towels/ TP are multipurpose.
k. A solar charger for cell phone/computer is a real lifesaver for times when you do not have access for choose to go to a cafe.
l. I have a canopy area over my brick fire pit/rocket stove (got them free on CL as well as materials for a solar oven and parabolic cooker) that also serves as a carport (and water cachement system that drains via water chain into a large bucket) .
m. temperature control: Staying warm and eating a warm meal morning and evening make all the difference in colder climate winters. Summer heat, on the other hand, is best handled by well ventilated sleeping, cool baths/showers, and good hydration. There are plenty of places to stay cool during the day. n very cold weather you can preheat your sleeping bag with a bottle of hot water. By the time you need a drink, it will have cooled. In warm weather, raise your tarp sides to allow more ventilation and funnel breezes. The colder it is the more you want the tarp to morph into a cocoon shape, closing ends to stop wind or blowing precipitation. Lowering the tarp sides forms an acute angle that minimizes precip build-up on your tarp walls (and less chance for damage by heavy rain/sleet/hail). In a blizzard or heavy snow, you will wake up surprisingly warm as you end up with a lovely insulated igloo effect with natural snow walls on the lower half (at least) of your tarp cocoon. Below your hammock will be pristine ground. In the event of torrential rain, any water will be on the ground and not in your sleeping bag as you would have with tent and ground camping…I once awoke with 12″ of water under me. My feet got wet walking out but I was well above the flash flood water line and awoke dry — just rolled up the pant legs and carried my dry shoes out with me. I keep them in a zipped homemade gear-bag that hangs on the ridge line of my tarp. When car camping, secure a car cover or tarp over you in really bad weather. In addition to insulating and giving better privacy, the covering keeps your car snow/ice free and prepped for rapid travel if needed.
n.Sleeping Options: Keep windows open a little bit when your car is covered. While no car is actually airtight you will feel better with more air circulation, and will minimize condensation.
Whenever outside, I sleep in my hammock (it has a tarp covering around it, too), otherwise, in the car with my favorite pillow and sleeping bag. I have slept in both my car and moreso my hammock through hurricanes, blizzards, tornadic cells (oops, that was a surprise), 106 degree heat, and 5 degree cold plus 50 mph winds. There are different hammock/tarp configurations for as many weather patterns. I have honestly never been wet or cold. Sometimes it has been uncomfortably warm yet bug-free thanks to the integrated no-seeum netting on my hammock. Insulate under your sleeping bag (thick newspaper or foam pad/thin air mattress) and hang a separate layer under your hammock as a waterproofer and insulator. In cooler weather, always keep woolen socks, hat (buff, beanie or balaclava) and gloves in your sleeping bag as well as thermal pants and a sweatshirt to sleep in. Never go to bed dirty. I
n. Lighting: candles have come into disfavor as a safety hazard. Presuming you are an adult, use your best judgment. FOr the past 20 yrs I have had a hanging candle lantern with an added rear reflector that I adore. It adds safety and light…The melted wax is added to coiled cardboard in pop cans for quick fire starters. Energy efficient LED lights are an excellent and inexpensive option to candles. For people choosing to park in a Walmart or other lot, you will generally be trying to KEEP OUT the light at night.
Why the alternative lifestyle? I have been homeless for financial reasons in the past and came to learn that I actually enjoy self-sufficiency. I get excited when the hardware store gives me 100 8′ 2x4s they were going to throw out…and I use them to make things for my “retreat”. I recently built a wooden deck floor and fire reflector short wall, a bench, and a separate full shower stall/potty/changing room (wood framed with tarp walls and tented top secured to a tree branch) next to my tarp shelter and ‘carport’ area. I am an otherwise mainstream healthcare professional. No one associated with work knows how or where I live. Divorced rom my ex-husband, my money ultimately gets invested in my now adult children. They seem to have many more needs than I. Once in a while, when I can get a great deal (less than 50% rate) on a discounting site for my favorite hotel, I treat myself to a few days of a kingsized bed, thermostatic heat, hot water on demand, free breakfast buffet and all the other accouterments. That is when I do the extra things like deep condition my hair, do my nails, iron my lab coats and dress shirts, work out until I am a sweaty mess
then go shower and do my hair, etc. It is important that people who live in their vehicles stay organized, maintain excellent hygiene, and maintain a positive attitude. Appreciating what we have is a great blessing.
C. Allen
I thought that the whole time that you were a male. The building things and so on just make me think a man the whole time. I’m going on the road myself because I need to leave.
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Nate
Here’s a little hint from someone who’s CURRENTLY homeless, and who used to drive a long haul truck: Stores like Walmart, that have “supercenters” all along the highway, are considered “Safe Havens”. They receive subsidization from the Federal government and the USDOT to offer up their parking lot for “weary travelers”. Basically the DOT doesn’t want a bunch of tired truck drivers and travelers falling asleep at the wheel, so they struck a deal with truck stops and large stores (like Wally world) with locations all over to allow drivers a place to get off the road and rest without fear of trespassing or being in an unsafe area. I’ve come across a couple Walmarts where they posted signs that said “no overnight parking”, and had security harassing people, but they were always located away from a major highway and in a shopping center complex with multiple other businesses (meaning the property was leased and not owned by the Walmart). I’ve heard however of one person fighting this, and he won due to a proviso that renting to a store with Safe Haven status, waives a property owners right to refuse the use of the property for such a purpose (which makes sense when you think of how much business and traffic would be brought in by renting to someone like Walmart).
David Rice
Terrific ideas…thank you! I may need to ask for more info when starting grad school.
TJ
You can buy heated blankets that plug into the cigarette lighter in the car. They are small, but I had one and it did wonders for me living in the back of my car in Minnesota. I would stuff mine in my sleeping bag, then plug it in as I drove to my parking space for the night. When I got there, my sleeping bag, resting under several blankets, was toasty and kept me warm throughout the night. And in Minnesota, those nights can get really cold!!! I used a Walmart parking lot often, as well as a few rest stops. The rest stops were nice as they always had restrooms. I took many a sponge bath in those sinks really late at night. There is a part of me that actually misses living in the car.
C. Allen
May 14th 2013
Well, I have decided I am done with this BS of a life. I had 11 years in the Army when I decided to get out on an honorable discharge, my time was up. I was in Iraq in 2003-2004 with the 4th Infantry division as a transportation specialist (Truck driver). I didn’t agree with what we were doing and when I got back, I told my then wife, “I’m getting out next year.” My time came and I left with my wife and moved away to Kentucky since her family lived there. When I left the Army I had a Government job making $18.72 an hour as a WG6. Baby came along that same year and things were great until October 2008. I ended up having massive panic attacks that put me into the E.R. 3 times in a month. Finally after the 3rd time the doctor said it’s time to get you some professional help. During these attacks my stomach would get in knots and feeling like I was going to throw up. My hands and forearms would tingle like I slept on them. I would have massive fear, like a pit-bull charging at me with sharp massive teeth. I would shake and most times start crying with fear. The Veterans Admin got me into their hospital because I was suicidal. My wife was freaking out; her family was in awe over the whole thing as well. I was diagnose with delayed onset of PTSD. What is that? It means that when a person happens to have a tragic event such as a bad accident, rape, getting abused in some way or like me in Iraq with death you get affected. You shove the event so far back into your brain and try to forget it that later your grief comes out. It comes out hard and fast without warning. You think that your are having a heart attack or like me, have massive fear that someone is after you. It is all delayed, because again, you stuffed it away and not dealt with the problem. Anyways, my wife left me because she couldn’t deal with my Jeckle and Hyde attitude. I was angry at work for no reason, I was bi-polar I thought and people started noticing my change. “Where that nice guy I married?” my ex-wife asked at 6 years into the marriage. I told her that he was killed in Iraq and he is still there on the side of the road. To make a long story short. I lost my job, my home, wife, daughter, mind, friends and money. I have been out of work for over two years and seven months now. I am surviving on my disability check from the V.A. of $1,600 a month. I have told my only family which is my dog (Cocker Spaniel) that we are moving away from Kentucky because of too much hurt and pain. I have been fighting for so long with my ex wife over unsupervised visits with my daughter. My attorney has billed me for $2,800, my college classes at Daymar College are worthless so I quit, two credit card companies are calling me constantly, and other things costing me money that I don’t have. So here I am with a Chevrolet Equinox packed with everything. I have a plan to see the St.Louis Arch, Mount Rushmore and whatever else that comes my way. I have a propane stove, iron cooking pot/pans, tent, tarps, clothes bags,candles,flash lights, batteries, cleaning supplies, emergency supplies, big cooler, storage bags, Tupperware, air mattress (battery powered) bug spray, MRE’s, new tires, oil changed, table, chairs, Hygiene things, foam insulation and money in the bank. I can handle this because of my time in the Army has me prepared. I’m going on the road for a little while to save my money and maybe settle down when I’m tired. – Wish me luck.