Traveling in Vans with Dogs

If you want unwavering loving support, even more of an excuse to go outside, and a guaranteed cuddle partner, traveling in vans with dogs is the way to go! Who wouldn't want to be able to hang with their dog 24/7? The constant companionship far outweighs the smells and mess from your dog.

My dog Noah is such a joy to have around, he has a constant smile on his face. When I was living in San Francisco, it was so difficult leaving my pup at home. Now that I live in my van full-time with my partner Theo, we get to see Noah all the time, and the memories that we've created traveling around the U.S. and Canada will be cherished forever. I never thought that my big 'ol Rottweiler would one day see so much of this world, 26 states and 2 countries to be exact! I can't say if Noah loves the actual travel (he hasn't told me yet) but I think he's a lot more at peace getting to be with his Mom and Dad, aka: the loves of his life, full time.

So I'm going to share some of my favorite dog-friendly places that we've been to along the way, and also offer up some advice on traveling full-time with your dog. 

How to camp for free on public lands

All photos in this post were taken on public lands.

Van life is awesome for many reasons, but a big one is that you don’t have to spend money on rent! And depending on what kind of lifestyle you want to live, you can certainly do it all on the cheap. One of the biggest spenders in van life can be campgrounds, especially if it’s tourist season and you’re in a popular place. I’ve seen campgrounds charge as much as $50 per night! More often than not it’s closer to the $20-30 range and those expenses add up. So free camping is definitely something to look for if you want to save some of your hard-earned bucks. Besides stealth camping in towns or parking in Walmart or Cracker Barrel locations, there’s one other way to camp for free… public lands! This is also known as "boondocking".

Winter in the Van

I’m sure this is a contested opinion, but I see winter as a magical time. I love the glistening snow, experiencing the thrill of skiing, and enjoying hot chocolate (with booze, let’s be real) by the fireplace.. but things change when you live a van during the winter time. It can be just as magical, but there’s quite a few challenges in guaranteeing comfort. Of course, warmth is the first thing on your mind, then there’s navigating more difficult weather, and finally, you’ll have to figure out where to park since many campgrounds close for the off season. So I’m here to help you out a little and give some insight into how we survived living in our van in the Rockies last winter. 

So last winter, ‘17-’18, was a LOT of fun, and yes it was hard but it didn’t matter because it was truly living the #vanlife of my dreams. We got to be the ski bums we always wanted to be, driving to ski resorts, parking there and sleeping overnight, and waking up to a glorious day that we’d spend on the mountain. We had the Ikon Base Pass, so it allowed us access to mountains all across the country, but we stuck to the West. We started in California, going to Mammoth then Tahoe, then we booked it across Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah where we skied Alta and Park City.

Van Life FAQ

Alright folks, here it is. The Frequently Asked Questions on Van Life... as it has been in my experiences thus far. We are one year and a few months into our life on the road, and I’ve definitely learned a lot about how to do it efficiently, and especially how to slow down and laugh more at life’s inconsistencies. Living in a van is not always glamorous as some may see on social media. There’s a lot of planning involved, and of course plans fail sometimes. But I'm going to share with y'all how I’m doing van life. Read on if you want the inside scoop.

How I live an eco-vanlife

Hello lovers of the world! Are you feeling the desire to make your routine more earth-friendly? I put together a small but mighty list of the best tips and hacks for an environmentally-conscious life. All of this can apply to vanlifers, campers, travelers, and homesteaders alike! This isn’t an exhaustive list, I’m sure you’ve heard and read a lot about eco-living and don’t need a list of 50 actions to do. And I realize that there are a million articles and blogs already out there that give great advice on this subject, but it’s hard to know what’s right for you to do, and what fits in best with your lifestyle. We’re all well aware that we can’t be perfect, so rather than not try at all, we pick what life tips can be best applied and do them right. So to give y'all some inspiration, I'm sharing the eco-actions that I do, and I hope you'll feel welcome to adopt too in "greening" your life 💚.

"Where do you shower?"

Although I love being in the van, I don’t necessarily want to look like I live in a van (down by the river). When planning for van life, I knew hot showers and hot water would become more of a rarity, so I had to get creative when it came to hygiene while living on the road. All while following my rule for vanlife: keep stuff to minimum and make sure it’s worth it. Lucky for me I didn’t have to adjust too much since I wasn’t a product junkie before, but I did have to make decisions such as “bring nail polish or not?” and “do I really need both day and night moisturizers?” (those answers were no and yes). But I did manage to cut back on my beauty and bath supplies by a LOT, and I made some swaps to make my routine more efficient. So I’d like to share what I have learned, and what I do to make myself look and feel my best for good van living. 😘

Cooking in a Van

I love to cook, always have and hopefully always will. But when I moved into a van, I knew that my cooking style and habits may need to change a bit. For starters, the less pots and pans used, the better; cleaning dishes in my tiny sink is not ideal. I also wanted to limit the number of ingredients I’d keep on hand since we only have so much room to store them. And finally, I wanted to prepare relatively easy meals, but were still full of flavor. I’m a bit of a foodie- pasta with sauce wouldn’t cut it for most nights. Now that it’s been over a year of living in the van, my cooking game is strong. So now, I’d like to share with y’all what I’ve learned! I’ll be reviewing my favorite gadgets, what key ingredients I keep on hand, and a few of my favorite recipes.