How to find safe places to sleep?
This is one of the biggest questions Logan and I get on the repeat. How and where do you find places to sleep? And more importantly are they safe? For the most part this is a simple answer and on the other hand it's a long answer. There are a few apps that we us to find places to sleep but lets be honest for the most part especially when your in a city or a busy town its a lot of Walmarts, Cracker Barrels, Cabbalas and casinos . But that’s if you're staying in busy places.
So lets dive into where to stay in big city and bigger towns I would say. Logan and I downloaded an app called IOverlander and its the king of all apps for van life or just travel in general . The app has everything you need to know on where to sleep, finding showers, laundry mats, safe drinking water, propane fills, repair shops, and even dog parks. This app has it all and we us it I would say %95 of the time. If we are not using IOverlander then we are using Harvest Host a network of wineries, breweries, distilleries, farms, and attractions that invite RVers to stay in 4344+ stunning camping sites. The $99 yearly membership gives members unlimited access to stay overnight at any one of our Host‘s locations. We kindly ask our members to support their Hosts by purchasing one of their local products with each stay!
These are the that we use the most but here are some other apps you can also find good spots.
The DYRT, Free roam, Sekr, vanly
and http://www.freecampsite.net
AllStays - is another app to use. Its a $19.99 a year and this app is special because it works with no service.
Now for staying out of city and big towns. When your out in BLM land you are free to roam and stay anywhere. So find a place that’s either by the river or by the mountains and set up camp. This is our and I believe most van lifers favorite kind of spots. So far we haven’t had any bad experiences out in nature or in big cities. my best advice for you is just try it. Scope out a stop that you can blend in with all the other cars if your in a popular area or just find a Walmart or a 24 hour parking spot and be quiet and you should be fine. If you do get “the knock” then always have a second spot in mind just in case.
