Solo Female Van Life Safety Tips
Preparing for a solo road trip? Be confident & prevent yourself from getting into a vulnerable situation with these solo female van life safety tips.
Since starting my blog, I’ve spent nearly a year road-tripping by myself. I’ll admit that on the first trip I went on, I was very scared, particularly at night. I had visions of some weirdo knocking on my window or my car breaking down in the middle of nowhere.
Now that I have some experience under my belt, I really appreciate my solo time on the road. I’ve learned how to manage my fears with a set of practical van life safety tips that help me feel more confident and secure when I’m traveling in my Sprinter Van.
Whether you are planning your first one-week solo road trip or are preparing for full-time van life, this new blog post and YouTube video have my favorite safety tips for the solo female road tripper. These tips are focused on how to prevent being vulnerable. If you are looking for more general safety tips about solo road-tripping, check out my Ultimate Guide to Planning your First Solo Road Trip.
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Van Life Safety Tips YouTube Video
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Van Life Safety Tips for Solo Females
1. Choose your campsites carefully
As much as I would like to camp far off the grid when I’m in road tripping solo in my van, I’m not comfortable doing so. I save those types of camping trips for when I’m joined by a friend.
When I’m solo, I feel much safer staying in an established campground where there are a few other campers, such as state park or forest service campgrounds. Anywhere where there are families or groups of people camping together is a pretty safe bet. That way, if there is a creep at the campground, they won’t go unnoticed.
Places I avoid include dark parking lots where it might just be me and one other car (or me by myself). If I do have to stay in a parking lot, I make sure it is well-lit.
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2. Keep your docks locked
Get in a solid habit of keeping your doors locked when you are sleeping in your van or vehicle at your campsite.
You also want to have a go-to place where you always keep your keys at night so you know exactly where they are if you need to get up and leave quickly.
3. Get some good privacy curtains
When I get to my campsite, especially if it’s late at night and I’m unsure of who I’m camping near, I hang up my blackout curtains in my Sprinter Van. Unless I’m chatting with other folks at the campground, I don’t like when strangers can see me alone in my van. With those curtains, for all other people know, my van could belong to a couple of big burly dudes.
Read next: Learn how to be stealth when camping in a city or public parking lots.
4. Be able to pee inside your van
Not everyone will feel the need for this, but it may be helpful for some… When I got my van, I didn’t want to have to get up and go outside to pee in the middle of the night, for both safety and convenience reasons.
So I decided to get a small toilet in my van. Now not everyone is going to have room for a porta-potti, nor is it always necessary. If you choose not to have a toilet in your van, you can always use a pee funnel or wide-mouth jar for your ‘pee jug’.
5. Be able to communicate – always
A lot of times when I’m traveling, I don’t have cell service. All over Idaho, Southern Utah, and Canada, I’ve found myself without reception.
Before you head off the grid, you should always let a family member or friend know where you are going and when to expect your return. Then once you’re off on your adventures, it’s very important to have a way to communicate in case of an emergency. There are a couple of devices that allow for that including the Garmin InReach Mini, which is what I use.
Garmin inReach
The Garmin inReach is a GPS communication device that allows you to send and receive messages with no cell service. It does require a monthly subscription, which is about $15.
6. Be prepared to defend yourself
The first step for solo van life safety is to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you’ll need to self-defend. This includes choosing safe campsites and not drawing attention to yourself. But in the case that something does go awry, you need to be prepared to defend yourself.
Self-defense is personal. You have to choose what type of self-defense you are comfortable with, and in evaluating what works for you, you need to consider both the mental and physical components.
I’ve been told by dozens of people when they hear I travel alone in my van, “You should get a gun.” And while that option certainly exists, you have to decide if it’s a good option for YOU.
If you’ve never shot a gun and aren’t confident in your ability to use one if you were being attacked, then a gun might not be a wise choice. If you choose a gun, you also need to be aware of any local laws to make sure you aren’t breaking them just by having a gun in your vehicle.
What are your options?
The idea is that there are a number of different tools you can use for self-defense and the best weapon is going to be whatever you have within reach.
I’m not a self-defense expert, but no matter what method you choose, you need to remember to be bold and brave in the case that someone messes with you. You need to use your best judgement and be ready to fight back in the worst-case scenario.
For some tutorials on basic self-defense moves, check out this post on lifehacker.
7. Keep an open path to the driver’s seat
Before you go to bed at night, make sure the drivers seat is clear and keep your keys are handy. The last thing you want is someone sketchy coming up to your car, but you have your bags, computer, and camera in your driver’s seat and your keys are nowhere to be found.
When you set off on your road trip, decide on where you are going to put your keys at night and be consistent with putting them there. If your car has an alarm, you can also use that to draw attention to your vehicle as you are trying to get away.
8. Trust your gut
If somewhere feels unsafe, don’t stay there. The luxury of having your vehicle, is you are never obligated to stay anywhere and you always have a way to move. It’s important to pay attention to your inner instinct. If you don’t feel right, don’t ignore it. The best-case scenario is that you were a little paranoid. Worst case, you were right and you made the best decision of your life to drive elsewhere.
Also, remember you can always go to a police station or fire station if you feel unsafe or you’re being followed.
For more general tips on staying safe, head to our post on Van Life Safety.
