It’s a tough time to be a nomad because we’re all grounded right about now.
If we’re not hunkered down at our home base, we may be staying with friends or family members. Some of us may be self-isolating in a still-open campground or while boondocking on public land. In any case, we’re not out and about as much, not able to see new things or visit new places.
If you want to be productive while you practicing social distancing, I’ve compiled this list of Rubber Tramp Artist blog posts of particular interest to nomads, vandwellers, vagabonds, rubber tramps, RVers, drifters, and travelers of all kinds. You can use these posts to learn about everything from safety on the road and how to prepare for disasters to how to deal when the weather is bad and how to train your canine companion for life on the road. Especially if you are just beginning your nomadic journey, these posts can help you prepare for a nomadic life.
So here we go. Browse this list to find posts you missed and posts you want to revisit so you’ll be ready when it’s time to get back on the road. (I’ll also include some photos from my travels for your viewing pleasure.)
If you don’t understand what all the fuss is about with this coronovirus and COVID-19, check out the post Living Nomadically in the Time of COVID-19 for information about what the pandemic we are currently experiencing means to individuals and to all of us.
Before you hit the road, familiarize yourself with the basics of living nomadically. From lingo to budgets and all the preparation in between, these posts will help you get ready to go.
- The Rubber Tramp Artist Rules of Van Life
- Lingo
- Tips for the New Traveler: How to Handle Your First Big Trip (Guest Post)
- 10 Budgeting Tips for Long-Term Travel (Guest Post)
- Fuel Station Etiquette
If you don’t already have a rig, these posts may help you choose the rig that’s right for you.
- The AdVANtages of Living and Traveling in a Van
- In Which I Admit Ways a Travel Trailer Is Better Than a Van
- Why a Motorhome?
Many nomads are going to have to work, at least part time. These posts will offer you tips on getting a variety of jobs, from camp host to house sitter to human guinea pig.
- Job Leads for Nomads in the U.S.A.
- (Guest Post) How I Picked Up Seasonal Jobs to Support My Campervan Lifestyle, and You Can Too
- Eleven Places Where Nomads Can Look for Temporary Work
- 10 Steps to Getting a Job as a Work Camper at a Campground
- 10 Things You Can Do to Increase Your Chances of Having a Great Experience as a Camp Host
- How Do You Find Houses to Sit?
- More on House and Pet Sitting
- Update on House and Pet Sitting
- 10 Tips for Getting House and Pet Sitting Jobs
- 10 Ways to Be a Great Pet and House Sitter
- House Sitting Savings
- Earning Money by Participating in Drug Studies (Part 1)
- Earning Money by Participating in Drug Studies (Part 2)
Staying safe is important to everyone, especially when driving a large, powerful rig or living alone. Check out these posts for tips on staying safe while living on the road.
Maintaining mental health is extremely important too. These posts will offer advice for staying mentally healthy while you travel.
- Maintaining Mental Health While Living Nomadically (Part 1)
- Maintaining Mental Health While Living Nomadically (Part 2)
- Traveling Successfully as a Recovering Addict (Guest Post)
Unfortunately sometimes disasters happen. Here are some precautions you can take to help you avoid disasters.
- 10 Things to Do Before You Hit the Road
- Locked Out! Ten Tips for Preventing a Lockout and for Dealing with the Situation if It Happens
- 10 Ways to Avoid and/or Prepare for Tire Disaster
It’s important to know what to take with you when you hit the road. Here are some of the things I recommend.
- Checklist of Things to Take on the Road
- The Rubber Tramp Artist’s 10 Essential Items for Vandwelling
- Winter Emergency Kit (Guest Post)
- 10 Must-Have Items to Pack for Every Solo Trip (Guest Post)
- In Praise of Paper Maps
- In Praise of LED Lights
- In Praise of a Cup
- Cooking While Vandwelling (Stoves and Refrigeration)
It’s also important to know what to leave behind before you move into your rig and how to organize the things you decide to keep. These posts can help you purge and organize.
- Eliminating Material Possessions/Letting Go Part 1: First Steps
- Eliminating Material Possessions/Letting Go Part 2: What to Keep & What to Toss
- Eliminating Material Possessions/Letting Go Part 3: How to Sell Things You No Longer Need
- Eliminating Material Possessions/Letting Go Part 4: How to Give Away What You No Longer Need
- Where Do You Sleep?
- 10 Things You Might Want to Know About Van Organization
- Van Organization: Pockets, Clips, Hangers, and Holders
- Van Organization: Tubs and Drawers
When you’re living on the road, you’ll find yourself dealing with the impact of the weather. These posts will help you stay comfortable when the weather is less than pleasant.
- Staying Warm
- In Praise of Hot Water Bottles and Sleeping Alone
- 15 Tips for Staying Comfortable in the Cold
- A Guide to Winter Camping : Stay Warm, Have Fun (Guest Post)
- 15 Tips for Staying Comfortable in the Heat
- What to Do When the Weather Is Bad and You Don’t Want to Be Outside
- What to Eat When You Can’t (or Don’t Want to) Cook
Need help staying busy and connected while traveling? These posts will help you find things to see and do while you’re on the road, as well as help you stay connected to other people.
- In Praise of Visitor Centers
- Go See Do: Tips for Finding Fun Out On the Open Road (Guest Post)
- How to Save Money While Visiting Tourist Attractions
- What Do I Do Now That I Have All This Time on My Hands?
- How to Avoid Loneliness on the Road
If you’re traveling with a companion animal (or more than one!) or if you’re considering getting one to join your nomadic life, these posts may be helpful
- 10 Things to Consider Before Adding a Dog to Your Van Life
- Road Dogs: Living Nomadically with a Canine Companion
- How to Train Your Dog to Live The Vanlife (Guest Post)
- (Guest Post) How to Travel with Your Dog…
- Tips on Grooming Your Vandwelling Dog (Guest Post)
- Traveling Van Cat? ( A Guest Post about Cats and Van Life)
If you’re traveling in a travel trailer, these posts might be of special interest of you.
- Black and Grey Water Tanks
- Getting Your Travel Trailer Ready to Go
- Weather and the Travel Trailer
- Hitched
So you want to go camping…Whether you’ll be sleeping in a tent or boondocking in your van, travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome these posts will help you have an enjoyable experience.
- Camping Basics
- Don’t Forget the Tent
- How to Find The Friends You’re Going to Camp With
- How to Be a Good Neighbor While Camping
- Let the Sounds of Nature Prevail
- 10 Fundamentals for Boondockers
- 10 Places for Blacktop Boondocking
- In Praise of Truck Stops
- Your Guide to Public Land
- Free Camping in the National Forest
- Long-term Visitor Area (LTVA)
- 10 Tips for Surviving and Thriving in the Desert
- Managing in the Mountains
- How to Stay Safe and Healthy in the Forest
- Guide to the America the Beautiful Federal Recreation Site Passes (Part 1)
- Guide to the America the Beautiful Federal Recreation Site Passes (Part 2)
Now that you know how to camp, I’ll tell you where to camp. These are campsites I’ve actually been to, most of which I have spent at least one night at. Many of these campsites are free.
- New Mexico State Parks Annual Camping Pass
- Free Camping Along the Rio Hondo (Northern New Mexico)
- Las Petacas Campground (Northern New Mexico)
- Free Camping at the Big Tesuque Campground (New Mexico)
- Free BLM Camping (Southern New Mexico Edition)
- Brantley Lake State Park (New Mexico)
- Primitive Camping at Brantley Lake State Park (New Mexico)
- Oliver Lee Memorial State Park (New Mexico)
- Elephant Butte Lake State Park (New Mexico)
- Rockhound State Park (New Mexico)
- The Last Rest Area in New Mexico (I-25 north)
- Superbowl Campground (Utah)
- Free BLM Camping on Willow Springs Road Near Moab, UT
- Willow Flat Campground (Island in the Sky District of Canyonlands National Park)
- Free Camping Near Walnut Canyon National Monument in Arizona
- Saddle Mountain (Arizona)
- Free Camping near Quartzsite, Arizona
- Ajo Scenic Loop and BLM Land (Southern Arizona)
- Gunsite Wash (Southern Arizona)
- Indian Bread Rocks Recreation Area (Southern Arizona off of I-10)
If you want to learn from other nomads, check out these interviews, as well as the post all about blogs written by other vagabonds, nomads rubber tramps, and van dwellers.
- Creative Nomad (An Interview with Sue Soaring Sun)
- Why I Chose a Minivan (an Interview with The Man)
- Grateful Vandweller (An Interview with Devan Winters)
- Living How She Really Wants to Live (an interview with Sarah Meg)
- We Decided on Freedom (an Interview with Blake and Ally)
- Fear Is Often a Lack of Knowledge (an Interview with Blythe)
- I Knew One Thing: I Couldn’t Sit at Home (an Interview with Brent)
- I Needed to Change My Life (an Interview with Ellen)
- 10 Blogs by Vandwellers, Nomads, Vagabonds, RVers, Travelers, and Drifters
I hope this post helps you pass the time and sends you on your way to so much good information. If you read all of the posts listed here, by the time you come out of self-isolation you will be totally ready to hit the road.
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I took the photos in this post.