Vandwelling 101- What Do You NEED part 1

I see this question over and over in many different formats.

What do you absolutely need?

You need a vehicle. A van, in my opinion, is optimum but any dependable vehicle will work. I have done this in a Pontiac sunfire, I've done it in a 30 foot class A Motorhome. I've done this in vans. Vans blend in, so do small cars. There are advantages to each vehicle.

You need a place to sleep. It can be as simple as plywood laid across a couple of milk crates and padded to a built in bed with a real mattress. There's many good choices out there. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

You need to be able to use the bathroom. I've got a Lugable Loo. That now stays in my travel trailer. I've used plastic coffee cans, and a oil funnel with any available empty bottle. (I'm female, we need help with aiming)

Being able to cook food and make coffee is high on my list. While urban Vandwelling it's not so critical, I really prefer being able to be independent. Stoves-I've used butane, propane, and Coleman fuel ones. I've cooked over a campfire. I've made and used simple alcohol stoves. I'd recommend either a propane stove (as low as $25) or a Coleman fuel stove.

You need a way to clean up your act. I carry a solar shower bag, but I'm also good with a soup pot, Water, kirks castile soap, and a washcloth. Ladies...wash your hair over the pot using a cup our glass to scoop water. Rinse over pot. Use the same water to wash using a washcloth and soap.

UNDER NO Circumstances do you ever use soap or shampoo in any lake, creek, stream, river. Just don't even think about it. You can use sand to scrub your body and get just as clean as if using soap. Don't pollute.

You need a lot less clothes than you think..

I'll continue this in part 2.
This should provoke some thought.

See ya down the road
Lou
#2PupCrew

Vandwelling 101 - Cleaning Up Your Act

Here's one of many ways to get clean in a van.

What you need
-way to heat water
-big pot of some type
-soap
-washcloth
-plastic cup

First I heated water using an alcohol stove in a sterno stove frame.

To make alcohol stove,
Take small can...Vienna sausages, or small can from tuna, chicken, ham.

Put a couple of napkins in it, used is fine. Fill with 70% isopropal alcohol.

Set in stove frame, light, put covered pot on it. I used my stovetop percolator.

Fill big soup pot with a couple of inches cold water. Add hot water until it's a comfortable tempature.

Grab plastic cup and wet hair. Use Castile soap to work up lather and wash your hair.

Lean over pot and using a cup, dip water and pour over your head until clean.

Now using washcloth, wet your body. Add a little soap to washcloth and scrub.

Rinse washcloth and use it to rinse your body.

Get dressed.

Disposal of water.

Pour water by tree roots at least 200 ft from any water source. Tree roots and sandy soil help purify the water.

Remember, less is more.
Your body gets clean by brisk scrubbing rather than lots of soap.

Odor is caused by dead skin cells, moisture, oil. Scrubbing will take care of that.

Coming Soon -- Especially for Newbies

In the past, I've blogged primarily when I had something I felt worth saying rather than a weekly or daily blogger.

I've always found writing easy for me but I've never really yearned to be a published author. Let me clarify one thing...I have the utmost respect for those who are published authors, it takes much more than most of us will ever begin to guess.

I'm an experienced vandweller and RV-er. Many of you know that I have a smaller van group on Facebook. Lately I've had friends suggest I do a book on vandwelling.

I've always shied away from presenting myself as a guru or voice of authority on vans or vandwelling. I've always been turned off or repelled by those who endlessly promote themselves with YouTube channels or websites and forums.

While I am neither a guru or the ultimate authority on vandwelling, I am experienced and love sharing what I've learned along the way.

A lot of my lessons came from
     a) making common mistakes and
     b) being on a really tight budget.

Having MS means fatigue factored in and I had to figure out easier ways to do things.

So, I thought I'd use this blog as a means of passing on things I learned from other even more experienced travelers, the lessons I learned the hard way, and my personal philosophy on how to live this lifestyle.

I'm currently temporarily in an apartment, but I'll be returning to full time vandwelling and traveling early January 2017.

So, watch this blog (I'll set it up soon for email subscription) and I'll go over many of the basics starting very soon.

Perhaps I'll see some of you on the road soon.