I often joke that I'm not a bum; I have a car. I'm a hobo.
But having a car is a huge asset when you're nomadic. It's my most prized possession. The freedom, flexibility and security it offers is certainly worth the hassle of finding a home for it when I'm traveling abroad. I have a Prius, which needs to be driven once a week or else the battery dies (it's a 2002 Prius, second generation). That's a little bit of a drag, because I can't just park it somewhere and store it. Well, I suppose I could disconnect the battery, find and disconnect its second battery, do all that fluids and air-out-of-the-tires preparation and actually store the car. But that's a lot of effort and not what I want to be messing with. Luckily, since I have a Prius, it's not too hard to find someone to care for the car. No expenses to me, no lease fees to them. And they have a car with killer gas mileage, in good condition, that's compact enough to fit in most any parking spot in the city (we're not talking Honda Fit or Smart Car here, but it's a little bugger).
But having a car in invaluable for road trips. In fact, its the only absolute necessity on the list of ingredients for a road trip.
I move around a lot. I travel, I go backpacking, I head places on a whim. And I use my car to get there. It's much more flexible than public transportation, and it has the added benefit of being able to hold my every earthly possession (with a bike rack on the back). Having packed everything I own into my car and embarked on multi-day, multi-state epic road trips on a semi-regular basis, I have learned a thing or two about logistics. I thought I'd share.
Sleeping
I sleep in my car. Everyone's heard of couchsurfing, and I heartily support it. But I find couch surfing too slow. I'm spur-of-the-moment about where I am going to sleep. On a trip of 2000 miles, I don't know where I'm going to be hour-by-hour. That's kind of against the point. I want to be able to pull off the road when I'm tired, sleep, and start again the next day. I don't want to have a preset itinerary that I end up chafing against. I don't want to waste daylight or travel intent by being locked to a couch to crash on. I'm all for planning one or two days out (I'm not a complete anarchist; I am, after all, a professional logistician), but I have not had much luck finding couch surfing hosts within one week of the intended stay. Other people probably have had different experiences, so I keep checking couch surfing.
The other thing is that I'm a single female traveler, and while I'm a huge fan of some people's couch surfing profiles, I don't feel comfortable asking a random man to sleep on his floor. While many people who know me would be surprised to hear this, I am very concerned about my personal safety. It's a sad fact that your personal safety is not guaranteed, especially for women. I am a very strong and independent person, with full confidence in my ability to protect myself. I'm a black belt, having trained in multiple martial arts, I can pack a punch. But I'm not stupid. I don't take stupid risks. I take risks. Not stupid risks.
That's why sleeping is such a big issue. It's when you let your guard down. Unless you're posting watches. But alone, that's impossible. So here are some things that I've learned:
Rest stops good, hotel parking lots good, parks not so good. Haven't tried grocery stores (doesn't sound good), have tried universities (depends on campus police). Cops patrolling are good things, unless they're looking for people sleeping in cars. Have an alibi ("My boyfriend and I had a fight, I'm visiting, I don't have anywhere else to go"). Look for the Goldilocks location: lit enough for safety but not too bright to sleep, out of the way enough for peace/safety, among civilization enough for reassurance/safety. Find a place where having tons of stuff in your car will not stand out too much. Crack the window. Don't expect to sleep past daybreak. Get a sleeping bag. Your car is just a tent. Regulate your own temperature.
Hygiene
Showering is a problem.
Bathrooms: Starbucks, McDonalds are reliable. Rest stops, duh.
Showers: Try daily membership at a local gym with a locker room ($10). Or sink baths. Or a truck stop will have showers, but I've never done that. Campgrounds will sometimes have shower facilities ($2).
Expect to brush your teeth in a fast food joint's bathroom. Get used to it.
Power/internet
Some fast food places will have a place to plug in (search for it). Many do not. Some rest stops will have a plug somewhere. Train stations or airports do, but those aren't really on the way. Starbucks might. Universities in their student or visitor center. It helps if you look college age. And have taken care of the shower question.
Wifi at most cafes, McDonalds definitely has it, some universities might have free guest networks.
For the ultimate road tripper: Laundry
National parks with shower facilities will also have laundry facilities, usually.
Laudromats, duh. If you have the time.
Sink washing (detergent is a big question mark).
The back seat is a great clothesline, especially with the windows down. Not the back windows, otherwise you might be light a few more items of clothing than the odd sock.
Stinky stuff DEFINITELY goes in the trunk. This is your minuscule house. Make it smell pretty. Especially if you're not showering regularly. You have to make an effort.
That being said, decide on what level of civilization and humanity you want to maintain on this road trip.
Barbarian? Great, easy. Choose the drive-through.
Hobo? Remember this is one distinguished step up from bum. Bring a comb and deodorant.
College kid? All of the above, plus a change of clothes.
Pass for real-world? Slow down, find a shower every day, or get crafty with your hair styling and find a shower every other day. Bring body spray/perfume. Change clothes multiple times a day (seriously). Trunk becomes mudroom.
A yurt.
