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The open road, tiny living and non-stop adventures. Sounds like the dream, am I right? That’s the picture social media has painted about living in a van, and although some days are exactly like that, others couldn’t be more different. It makes perfect sense though. People living in their vans aren’t constantly posting pictures of their van breaking down, that week spent in the city or the lows they experience on the road. Like everything else on social media, pictures only paint a portion of what this lifestyle is like. Before I hit the road I was enamored with the idea of travel and exploration. After a couple months on the road I found myself parked outside a Target with my view of the van life completely shattered. Here are the 7 things I wish I knew before moving into a van.
You will get lonely.
If you’re traveling alone like I am, it’s inevitable. Don’t get me wrong, some days you’ll be surrounded by friends, both old and new, but there will be stretches of road where you’ll find yourself alone in a new place where you don’t know anyone. Life on the road can be lonely but the people you meet while traveling will make it worth it.
There’s tons of free camping across the country.
No, seriously. Just do a quick google search of free campsites in your area and you’re bound to find locations you never even knew about. Although some places may lack amenities like a fire ring or bathrooms, sometimes these free spots will be lifesavers when you’re traveling from one location to another.
Showers and bathrooms are not that big of an issue on the road.
The most common question I get is, “what is your bathroom and shower situation?” My answer is pretty straight forward: “Have to go to the bathroom? Find a bathroom.” Think of being on the road as a really long road trip where you stop to go to the bathroom at gas stations, restaurants, malls, stores, etc. Showers are a bit tricky but easier than most people imagine. Need to shower on the go? You can stop at a truck stop and shower on the road, go into town and get a day pass at a gym and sometimes campsites will have showers you can use. Thus far, bathrooms and showers have not been an issue while living on the road.
You don’t spend that much time in your van…well you shouldn’t.
Someone once asked me what I did when I wasn’t in the van, to which I sarcastically answered, “you mean what I do with the other 90% of my day?” Believe it or not, most people don’t spend a ton of time in the van, other than to sleep and cook. I have, on one occasion, spent my entire day in the van and it was only because I got snowed into my campsite and even then I still hiked around in the snow for a bit to avoid losing my mind in my van all day. When I’m not in the van you can find me outdoors climbing, hiking or backpacking and if I’m in town I’m probably exploring the city or finding some cool local place to grab a bite and get some work done.
Most people are actually really awesome.
Growing up, most of us were probably told not to talk to strangers and into our adulthood our interactions with others sometimes get limited to those within our social circle at work, school, etc. Believe it or not, most people aren’t out to get you. In fact when most people find out I’m on the road they are very quick to welcome me into their homes, show me their favorite local place to eat or give me pointers while I’m in town. With that in mind…talk to strangers and you’ll find that people are awesome and you’re time on the road will be that much more enjoyable.
You’ll miss living in a house or apartment.
We’ve all heard the saying, “you don’t appreciate what you have until it’s gone.” The first month I was on the road I was incredibly homesick, so I flew home for a week and found that while I was at home I missed my van. Weird, right? Something to keep in mind is that life in a van isn’t perfect. Some days you’ll want nothing more than to be back home, wrapped up in bed, binge watching The Office for the third time, and that’s completely fine. Moving into a van offers a freedom that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world (at least currently) but that isn’t to say I don’t miss home in the Bay Area.
Downsize before you leave.
Now I know it might be tempting to pack all 14 of your favorite t-shirts but let me give you a piece of advice…don’t. Before packing up and hitting the road really think about what you need. Moving into a space as small as a van is the perfect time to downsize your life and get rid of things you don’t need or use. Pack smart, pack light and remember that at the end of the day, they are just things.
Your sock size shouldn’t be a guessing game. Our socks range from small to double XL, but the best way to know the perfect fit for you is to match your shoe size to the chart on the left. That way, you’ll know the size you select will give you the fit and feel you expect.
Between sizes? Go with your gut, but rest assured that your socks will still fit great. If you receive your order and find yourself wishing you’d gone up or down a size, just let us know. We’ll happily send you replacements for your preferred size.
Concerned about laundry mix-ups? All FITS® socks are coordinated by color and size, based on the colors you see on the size chart. So, you won’t have to worry about mixing up your sizes with the other FITS® wearers in your home. (But stray socks mysteriously going missing in the dryer? Unfortunately, we can’t help with that.)
Sock sizes are typically measured in inches, not by your shoe size. So, a sock size 6-8 will comfortably fit someone whose feet are between six and eight inches long. However, at FITS®, we make it easy for you to choose the ideal sock size without having to measure your foot. Simply use our sock size conversion chart based on your shoe size to select the right fit for you.
To measure your foot for socks, measure the length from the heel of your foot to the tip of your longest toe. The measurement in inches correlates to your sock size. For example, if your foot is 10 inches long, a sock size 9-11 should fit you comfortably. At FITS®, you can skip this step and find your sock size based on your shoe size using our conversion chart.
The sock size conversion refers to sock size compared to shoe size. While all companies may vary slightly on which size socks to purchase based on your shoe size, you can always measure your foot to find the right fit for you.
Because sock sizes are determined by the length of your foot in inches vs. your shoe size, shoe and sock sizes differ. The FITS® sock size to shoe size conversion is as follows:
Knowing this makes it easy to choose the ideal sock size based on your shoe size without measuring your foot.
Sock sizes typically don’t correlate with age. For kids, age can be a general indicator of what size sock they’ll need, but everyone is different. An adult sock size 9-12 fits anyone whose feet are approximately nine to twelve inches long. For kids’ sock sizing, check with the company to find exact details to ensure your little one gets the perfect fit.
Got more questions about finding the perfect sock size for you? Let’s talk.
