Would you like to park your van here? Credit: Benjamin Earwicker

Whether you want to travel or are just looking for a cheap form of accommodation, van living may be the right thing for you. Living in a van may be undesirable for some people, but for those who have actually tried it they would happily do it again.  It allows you to park your van up almost anywhere and take in the sights as you go off to sleep.

Van living in its most simple form is when someone lives out of their van.  The van will almost always be road worthy and running, and sometimes people even specifically convert them for living in.  The most common method for people who choose living in a van is to cover the windows with some sort of material on the inside or tints in the windows themselves to provide privacy.  A mattress can then be put into the back for sleeping on, although other methods such as a fold out bed in a couch may be used.

When it comes to using a bathroom there are several options available to those who take part in van living.  They may choose to use some sort of portable toilet bowl, where the contents can be emptied in a suitable location.  Public toilets are always a great option as they have free toilet paper along with facilities for washing your hands.  Although some people choose to go to the toilet naturally in a bush, however this is often frowned upon by others so should not be done unless it is necessary.

There are also several options for showering when you are living in a van.  The most common is to use natural pools of water (lakes, rivers, the beach etc.) although one can find actual showers at locations such as pools or beaches which can be used free, or in some cases for a very cheap price.

Cooking is a whole other story, as there are endless opportunities here.  For those who wish to cart around their own cooking equipment, portable gas stoves are the most convenient, although you should never use them in a confined space (inside the van).  Public barbecues are also popular because they are free and are often near areas in which one would want to park a van up to sleep.  Another option is to rely on foods which do not require an open flame, and although this means you have less food options, you may find it easier to go long periods of time without having to restock your food.

Van living really isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy camping then it may be for you.  There is nothing more exciting than exploring a country inside a van, seeing all the sites and not having to worry about paying for accommodation.  You can usually sleep wherever you want, and it all comes down to where you feel most comfortable.  Just make sure you come well prepared and always leave your camp spot as you found it, and ensure you don’t leave your trash and garbage laying around.