One of my biggest question marks going into my cross-country road trip was how I was going to fair sleeping in my car. To save money (and for the experience) whenever I am not staying with a friend, I sleep in my car at whatever location I am at.
Up until this point, I stayed with a friend most nights: from Michigan, Minnesota, Boise, and now Portland. But before I arrived in Oregon, I slept in my car for three nights and learned some very valuable lessons those nights.
For those who wonder, I drive a 2014 Ford Focus with a hatchback and put 2/3 seats down to sleep on them.
Window covers
I mean this one is a bit explanatory, but there is a big reason why this is here. Obviously, privacy and keeping the sun out is very important, but so is saving a buck.
Don’t spend the money on Amazon or whatever to buy covers that don’t work. Just get some cardboard and tracing paper and make your own. They slide into the windows so easily and are basically free. They don’t need to be perfect, just enough to fit into your window and wedge in.
It takes me about a minute to get them all in and it somehow makes my car feel cozy. I’ve never had blackout curtains (or really curtains at all) in my room, so this is a nice experience I should probably bring back with me to Pittsburgh.
Remember where you put your keys
I cannot emphasize how much I regret my actions when I wake up in the morning in a warm car frantically searching as to where I put my keys. To be trapped, unable to get out because I didn’t want to set my alarm off at an ungodly hour is not ideal.
I have gotten a bit better at placing them in a set location for easy access in the morning. My car is not the most navigable from the inside, so breaking a sweat trying to find my freedom to cool air is certainly an interesting way to start the day.
Here’s to me having my shit together a bit more.
Rest stops are king
I planned to be at a state or national park every night that I was sleeping in my car. However, last night I just stopped at a rest stop on the highway, and had such a better experience.
In Montana, I stayed at a state park one night, and while the visuals were cool, the $28 price tag was not. Having bathrooms right next to where I was sleeping was also a great bonus as well as having other people around me for some sort of internal safety.
Especially if I am just staying somewhere to get to my next destination, I am just focused on turning my brain off and going to bed. While I acknowledge having a fire is nice, a lot of the time, I just want to go to bed after a long day.
The rest of my journey I plan on visiting national parks, and will figure out if it is worth it to stay there if I already plan on visiting.
Charge your phone on your drive
This one feels like a given, but I forget to do this all the time and then have to hope my phone can survive overnight on like 10% battery. This is even worse because I try and get work done in the morning outside and I use my phone as a hotspot; I can’t do that if my phone is dead or close to dying.
I also want my car to not die, so I don’t charge it at night at all. I’d suggest bringing a portable charger for the night, something I wish I did.
Do what makes you the most comfortable
The times I have enjoyed the most sleeping in my car is when I felt safe and comfortable. No tips are helpful if it is pushing you toward feeling unsafe.
There is a great app called The Dyrt that you can see where other campers have stayed and how they felt about it. It takes a lot of the guessing and worry out of knowing where you are staying.
If you are road-tripping and sleeping in your car, it should be a fun experience. Read what other people have done, and steal what they do to work best for you and your trip. There is no one correct way to do it, just what works best for you. If that is sleeping in your car, a tent, or a hotel, do what is going to give you the best experience you can.
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