[I had some written notes from yesterday (Wednesday) that I was too tired to transcribe… here they are:]
It’s nice to know that things really do get better with practice. Last night went better than ever: bathroom stuff is becoming routine, the hammock is less and less of a hassle, and I actually slept until nearly 10 o’clock, a full night’s sleep in spite of a brief interruption when a city street sweeper came through and noisily drove around me.
I wasn’t supposed to be there after 10pm, but had nodded off around 8 or 9 after enjoying a spectacular sunset followed by the lights across West Mission Bay. They outlined the Belmont Park roller coaster beautifully. So, to avoid a possible ticket or wake-up knock on the window later, I slipped into the driver’s seat, turned the key and drove a couple of blocks to the marina where I’ve parked and slept without problem since this experiment began three nights ago.
The advice I’ve been following from experienced vandwellers regarding ‘stealth camping’ works:
- Be inconspicuous; don’t advertise that you’re living in your vehicle.
- Scope out your parking spot for the night ahead of time but don’t hang out there.
- Go to your chosen spot when you’re ready to turn in for the night, shut off the lights and go to sleep.
- Leave as soon as you wake up (preferably earlier than 10am!)
There’s more, of course, like using blackout curtains for both privacy and to avoid detection, but that falls under the category of Rig Readiness.
Rig. I love that word. It sounds so real, doesn’t it? Like I’m an oldtimer at this. My rig is a small van named Patience. Yours might be a fullblown motor home named Cedric, or a pickup with a no-named camper in back. I’ve yet to hear anyone call a car they’re living in a rig, but I guess that’s possible too. It’s any vehicle you use for traveling and sleeping. Names aren’t required but they do add a certain savoir faire.
My rig and I are now parked in a shady spot overlooking the water while I jot down a few notes for the blog before beginning my now-very-late morning routine: breakfast (celery and hummus sounds good, maybe a boiled egg), walk down the quay, take a few pics for this post, walk back and wash up. Then I will think about what I want to do with the rest of the day.
