There are a number of unfortunate circumstances that could lead to a person having to abandon their home and live in their car, from financial struggles to a disaster scenario. In all of these circumstances, though, one common factor remains: living out of a car isn’t easy, and it certainly isn’t fun.
Nevertheless, there may come a day when living out of your car is the most viable option for survival. If that day comes, you’ll want to be prepared. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some tips to make living in your car safer, more convenient, and as tolerable as possible.
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Before we get started, though, it’s important to note that every situation is different, and the strategies that would apply if you were living out of a car for financial reasons are going to be quite different than the strategies that would apply if you are living out of your car because society has collapsed and your home is no longer a safe place to be.
We’ll cover a wide range of tips that may or may not apply to the situation you are preparing for, so be sure to keep that in mind. With that said, let’s dive into the things you’ll want to consider if you have to live in your car.
Keep a Low Profile
Living in your car is not illegal, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t going to attract the attention of people passing by and, eventually, the attention of police officers. For a number of reasons, it’s best to avoid as much of this attention as possible.
Start by covering the windows of your car using car shades. These are common accessories that people place over their windows when parking their car to keep it cool and to keep the sunlight from fading their interior, so people won’t question a parked vehicle that they can’t see inside of nearly as much as a vehicle filled with supplies.
Related: 18 Tips For Bug Out Vehicles
At night, if you use a flashlight or other form of light inside your car, you may have to use an even thicker, darker shade to keep yourself hidden from view. You can use foam tubes and blackout curtains to make a shade that you can put up at night.
Another aspect of keeping a low profile is to be careful where you park. For starters, never park in the same place more than once in a given week. As for the places that are safe to park, apartment complexes are a good bet. People come and go from apartment complexes quite frequently, and most of the people living there aren’t going to be nearly as familiar with all of their neighbors and what they drive as the people living in a housing district. Large parking lots next to stores that are open 24 hours are another safe bet.
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Have a Plan for Maintaining Your Hygiene
It’s easy enough to eat and drink out of your car, even if the meals that you can prepare are going to be quite limited. Likewise, using the restroom is as easy as driving to a gas station. However, regularly bathing is going to require a little more preparation.
If you can afford it and if you have the option available, joining a health club is going to be the most convenient way to maintain your hygiene when living out of your car. Health clubs have showers that you can use at any time. They’ll also provide you with a way to stay physically active, which is a huge plus seeing as living out of a car creates a very sedentary lifestyle.
If you aren’t able to join a health club, get used to giving yourself a sponge bath out of a sink in a public restroom. Just be sure to choose a location with a single stall restroom and a door that locks rather than a restroom that is built to accommodate multiple people at a time. Having someone walk in to see you unclothed, bathing yourself out of the sink will certainly attract the unwanted attention that you’re trying to avoid.
Keep Yourself Entertained
As you might imagine, living out of a car is not going to be great for your mental health. It’s going to be emotionally exhausting, painfully boring, and the constant confinement alone is enough to really wear on a person. To keep yourself sane, plan for as many entertainment options as you can.
Having a radio in your car is a good place to start. You can listen to music, news, talk shows, and anything else that you can tune into. Getting a library card is another good option. It won’t cost you anything, and you’ll be able to check out books and magazines to read, audiobooks that you can play in your car, and movies that you can play from a laptop if you have one.
Related: 27 Winter Survival Items You Should Have In Your Car
Having a library card will also allow you to use their computers and internet whenever the library is open. You can even charge your phone, laptop, and other electronics while you are browsing the internet if your library has outlets available for public use.
In addition to providing you with a place to shower, health clubs can provide you with some entertainment options as well. Working out can be a form of entertainment if you enjoy it. Many health clubs also have a swimming pool that you can use, a basketball court where you can join a game, and so on.
Spend time in places such as coffee shops. For the price of a coffee, you can spend hours in a coffee shop using their Wi-Fi and maintaining a degree of human interaction that will go a long way toward keeping yourself happy and sane.
However you do it, try to keep yourself as entertained and active as you possibly can. Remember, there’s much more to life than just survival, and human beings weren’t meant to sit in a car doing nothing all day.
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Keep up Appearances
Like it or not, how you appear is going to play a major role in how you are treated. This applies to how you are treated when someone walks by your car and sees you, how you are treated when you walk into a business or public building, how you are treated when you interact with the police, and everything in between.
Regardless of your true financial status, you’ll be better off if you look and act like you are middle class. Wash your clothes regularly at a public laundry mat, bathe frequently, and overall try to continue maintaining your appearance as well as you can.
Another part of maintaining appearances that will be important when applying for a job, getting insurance, renewing your driver’s license, and more is to try and maintain a physical mailing address. You can do this by purchasing a private mailbox as opposed to a PO box at the post office.
Using the address of your mailbox when you fill out various applications will enable you to complete applications with accurate information without ever having to indicate that you are homeless. Fair or not, this may be the difference between you getting a job that allows you to get your life back on track and your application being denied.
Experience is the Best Teacher
If you think that there may come a time when you are forced to live in your car, practicing with a trial run or two is the most beneficial way to prepare yourself ahead of time.
Reading about how to live out of your car is a great place to start, but it pales in comparison to the lessons that you will learn within the first few days. You’ll find out what works and what doesn’t, what you will need and what you won’t, and what it is really like.
If you are able, set aside a week or two and live in your car. Seriously! You can think of it as both a learning experience and an adventure of sorts. Learn everything you can from this experience, then go back to the drawing board once the trial run is complete to assess how you did.
After you’ve lived in your car for a week or two, you’ll have a much better idea of the things you will need to purchase, where you will need to go, how you will need to operate, and more. This kind of knowledge will certainly be incredibly valuable if the day ever comes where living out of your car is a necessity rather than a choice.
I bought surplus mosquito nets and magnets to cover my doors and windows while I slept. I still have them, ready to go. The magnets I got from Harbor Freight; they’re the size and shape of dominoes.
I did that too. I covered each magnet with flourescent duct tape so they would not scratch the car and they are easier to see. It works great.
Regarding post office boxes versus commercial rental mail box service . When you use a post office box you must use .P.O. BOX # , when you use a rental box , you can just put down the box number , not P.O. This looks more like it would be an apartment # and is less likely to be questioned on a job application, or even your license renewal . I did this as a missionary in Sonora Mexico, keeping a rental mail box in Nogales , Arizona .
The one item l would to living out of my car , would be a small 12 volt d.c. to 120 volt a.c. inverter . This can be useful for things like an electric shaver , a small coffeepot, or something like a curling iron . These will help you keep up a more middle class appearance as you search for employment . Just keeping yourself presentable helps boost your moral .
If health clubs are open and radio available you won;t need a library card and physical book or a car radio if your cell phone works. This is too much work and who knows if you will be able to return them or be stopped at the library by police or thugs. Look what’s happening in seattle. Books can be downloaded unless there is no internet. There are also camp showers that go up in minutes if you have the space to tote water in your car and have a wooded area nearby and there are portable camp toilets to buy as well. You can also cook there and there are tiny stoves that operate on a few burning twigs for cooking., even in a secluded parking lot as there is little smoke or flame. I bought one for my son. There are always MREs or frozen dinners if you’re stuck – you can even heat them on a car engine and put that heat after you park to good use. If the SHTF I’d leave the city immediately and get to any wilderness area with spring water nearby. There you can also forage for greens, berries and nuts and make bark tea. You can fish even in winter if you know how. My 2c Staying is the city is madness.
Many cities also have paid parking lots which for 50-60 a month allow you to park your car in their garage. They are usually open 24/7. If you can choose a site that is close to a library, so that you a place other than your car to hang out.
All of these are very good ideals. But in a true SHTF most of these places if not all are not going to be open. Staying in the city is a sure way of having BIG problems if you have to stay in your car for any amount of time. Have supplies in your car at all times to make your life a tiny bit easier. Get out of the city fast! If possible head to the country side fine an area that looks like a good place to spend a day or two. No more than that and move on to another area.
Exactly! Using a “gas station’s” restroom won’t likely happen if you were to find one open. Using these facilities costs money for the owner, so unless you and the family are customers at that time, you likely will be told that the restrooms are “out of order”.
The YMCA in some areas will adjust your fees according to your income. Also many food pantries have people hanging around so you can interact with them. Of course be careful some may have a bad temper or maybe even be dangerous.
You can also use the showers at truck rest stops. Truck drivers are provided with showers, usually for free and there are washers and dryers for doing your laundry.
Good point.
Expect to be asked to leave the premises if you aren’t attached to a 18 wheeler and filling your fuel tank with lots of diesel fuel. THAT’s what pays for the services the truck stop offers to their truck driving “customers!” The facilities and the water for showers and toilets does cost lots of money every day, and that’s if the crisis allows for the facility to even be open.
At most pilot or Love’s gas stations it’s about 8 bucks to use the shower rather than free for truck drivers that’s not having to be kicked out
A travel trailer of the teardrop design or similar will go a long way to relieving the cramping and discomfort of living in a vehicle. Along with that, purchase a pass to your state park system for cheap and secure nights. That gives you some security, the ability to cook and access to restrooms and often showers. Campers are some of the friendliest people you’ll meet and you’ll have opportunities like cookouts, pot lucks, games, etc. to help with the boredom (plus all of that nature). If you get that trailer and hitch early and get your camping gear and supplies, while you’re still gainfully employed, you’ll be set if times get rough and you can enjoy exploring your state in the meantime. If you’ve got some automotive, travel trailer repair or other handy man skills you can generally make some money also to help cover gasoline, propane, etc. expenses. Of course you can do this with a tent also if funds are limited.
Great advice, thanks for sharing!
The state parks in many states are closed during the late fall thru the winter season into late spring ( Memorial Day ), so there’s no running water since it’s turned off and no employees around to handle problems like security, etc.. Better head for a southern state and hope for the best.
I lived out of my car this pas summer n it wasn’t that bad but then again I’ve been homeless abou 5 or 6 years total maybe ayear here n ayear there and that was tough because those times I didn’t own a car the only thing you have to be careful about is bloodclots I got one in my left leg Im still on bloodthinners luckily it isn’t a deep vein thrombosis clot so bad but not deadly.
Self defense. You will be an easy target for everyone from other homeless persons to drunk a-holes to poorly raised teens. Have a gun if it’s legal in your area, otherwise have pepper spray or some other distance weapon.
also keep you vehicle as neat and clean inside as you can. This will help you with the cops if you are ever asked what you are doing. you can and try tell them you are just travailing and needed a break.
Do not lie to the cops, they are not stupid and for the most part good folks. Tell them the truth, if they catch you lying to them they will feel you insult their intelligence and piss them off.
Generally they may be compassionate with your situation and possibly make some very good suggestions.
As long as you are not drinking or drugging or trespassing on private property you are good.
There are exceptions to them being understanding but from my experience they may just ask you to find someplace else to park.
They don’t know you’re story and generally feel bad for your situation, generally.
Lived in my car for 1 year in Alaska.
I did a 4 YEAR stay in my van. Went south in the winter and up north in the summers. I had a gym membership and never had one problem with police or security personal. I stayed very clean ..kept my van clean..not one issue. Appearance IS paramount. If I had some extra money each month I would stay at a campground…but it was very easy to have all the services I needed with laundry mat, supermarkets, walmart and city parks.