I’m Yoshimin, the wife of “Torun Yoshimin,” who travels around Japan in Van Life.
Do you not have a strong image of being a man when staying in the car?
We have been traveling around the country for about eight months while staying in the car with two couples, but we meet only men, and sometimes we meet women who are married couples.
It seems that overwhelmingly few women are enjoying a car trip while staying in the car.
According to the story of a man who was traveling overnight in a car that he met before, he tried to invite his wife, but he refused to say “it looks inconvenient” or “it looks dangerous”.
When I started van life, I felt inconvenienced and anxious, but depending on the device, even women can enjoy a safer and more comfortable car trip!
So this time, I will tell you how to stay in the car safely and comfortably, which I am actually doing!
Inconvenience and anxiety when a woman stays in the car ① Safety
Let’s decide after carefully examining the spots for staying in the car!
Check carefully in advance before deciding on a van-dwelling spot.
Mainly, “there is a manager or a popular campsite” and “the roadside station with many users” can be used without anxiety, so it is recommended.
Being other than yourself and a suspicious person can be a deterrent to crime and you can ask for help when something goes wrong.
Also, in case of emergency, it is better to check whether the radio wave can be received so that you can make a report immediately, and especially avoid staying in the car in a place where the radio wave does not come in by a single woman.
We also had a horrifying experience once in the past because we decided on a place to stay in the car without checking.
On that day, I drove until midnight and decided to stay in the car at the parking lot of a certain park because I was tired.
I arrived after 1 o’clock in the middle of the night.
I went to the bathroom before going to bed, saying, “I’ll finish the bathroom and go to bed right away,” but there were 5 or 6 men in the parking lot even though it was late at night.
I was wondering what I was doing at this time, but I didn’t really care at that time.
Then, when I returned to the car, got ready to go to bed, cleaned up the inside of the car, and touched my smartphone, I wanted to go to the bathroom again about an hour later.
When I opened the door to go to the bathroom, two men in their 50s and 60s stood right behind our car. When they return to the car from the toilet, they are still standing there.
“Why are you talking in such a place in a large parking lot?”
After all, I went to bed after 2 o’clock in the middle of the night, so I never slept immediately and woke up.
And around 7 am. We were awakened by the sound of knocking on the car door.
When I wake up, my head is still dull and I don’t know who is knocking. However, when I was knocked by the police before, I said “I’m the police”, so I don’t think it’s the police.
While talking about whether to go out or not, I was attacked by sleep again and both of them fell asleep.
After that, I woke up and moved as if nothing had happened, but when I was worried about the event and investigated it, it turned out to be horrifying.
It seems that many people look into the parked car during the night in the park.
The park is also written on the internet, and it seems to be famous among the locals as “that park is dangerous at night”.
At that time, it was February, so it gets particularly cold in the middle of the night. Meanwhile, it is certainly unnatural for people to stand in the parking lot.
Moreover, right behind our car.
We couldn’t open the door when we were knocked in the morning, but what if we opened the door … While we were sleeping, people were gathering to look outside …
Imagine it’s still horrifying. ..
Because of that, check the van-dwelling spots in advance! Or you may ask the locals.
Let’s put a manly thing in the car!
Let’s take some precautions so that we don’t feel scared!
Are there only women? It’s scary to think that, so it’s important to appeal that a man is riding.
It is recommended to put men’s clothes, underwear, towels, etc. in a place where they can be seen from the outside or dry them.
I hang my husband’s T-shirt and towels from my favorite rock band in the driver’s seat or passenger’s seat. Baseball team towels may also be effective.
Camouflage as if you had a man, even if you didn’t actually have one.
Blindfolding is a must! !!
A blindfold is essential so that you cannot see the inside of the car.
Not only sleeping, but also changing clothes in the car. Therefore, it is best to hide it from the surroundings.
We DIY the heat insulating material Styrofoam and the plastic corrugated plastic, and attach it to the window glass, but of course, commercially available ones are also OK.
Car curtains and sunshades are sold online and at car supplies stores.
Make sure you have the privacy of your car.
Inconvenience and anxiety when a woman stays in the car ② Worries unique to women
What are you doing in the bath during your period?
Since our vans do not have shower equipment, we often go to hot springs all over Japan.
However, during my period, I mainly use the shower in the internet cafe.
I don’t think there are many people who have used it, but some stores lend towels for free, and it is very convenient because you can use a washing machine as well as an outlet and Wi-Fi. All-you-can-drink juice! (Smile)
You can read magazines and manga, so you can change your mood, and there are also shops where lunch and breakfast are reasonable.
This is a recommended refreshing spot for those who are traveling overnight in the car.
Inconvenience and anxiety when a woman stays in the car ③ Cooking
Use frozen foods for vegetables!
Our van has no water or sink.
Therefore, when I started van life, I couldn’t cook rice in the car, I couldn’t wash vegetables that looked like mud, and even if I cooked, there was no place to throw away the boiled soup. , There was only a small repertoire of rice that could be made in the car.
So, thinking that I could somehow increase the cooking repertoire, I started using frozen cut vegetables that are also sold at supermarkets and convenience stores.
By skillfully using frozen cut vegetables, stews can now be made in the car.
Let’s use side dishes well!
And making good use of prepared foods is one way to expand the range of dishes!
For example, when you really want to eat katsudon.
It’s hard to fry in the car, but it’s also hard to dispose of the oil after frying.
Therefore, if you use chicken katsu, you can easily make katsudon.
Rather than making everything in the car, you can expand the range of dishes by making good use of prepared foods.
And another recommendation is “Bake with a hot sandwich maker sandwiched between steamed buns”.
It became a hot topic on the internet for a while, so many people may have done it, but the outer skin is crisp and really delicious!
Anmanda is good for dessert, and meat bun and pizza bun are also recommended for lunch!
If you make good use of prepared foods such as frozen foods and fried foods on the market instead of trying to make them from scratch, your repertoire will expand and cooking will become easier and more enjoyable.
Of course, it’s a great trip, so eating delicious food outside is one of the pleasures of traveling by car!
Inconvenience and anxiety when a woman stays in the car ④ How to set hair in the car
You can use the iron with a portable power supply!
We are currently using two portable power supplies.
I used to use one portable power supply, but I often use a computer and sometimes it runs out of charge.
I wanted to use that portable power supply to set my hair with a trowel, but I had to put up with it.
However, by using two portable power supplies, the power supply can be relaxed and the iron can be used.
It depends on the type of iron, but the iron I use doesn’t consume a lot of power, so it’s okay to have a leisurely hair set.
If you have a little time to spare or go sightseeing, setting your hair and going out will make you feel better!
Women tend to be in a good mood just by dressing up, so having a portable power supply so that you can use the iron will make traveling in the car even more enjoyable.
summary
You may think that staying in the car is inconvenient and dangerous, but if you take measures, you can travel more comfortably and safely.
Sure, not everything is as fulfilling as a house or hotel, but don’t think you don’t like the inconvenience, just enjoy the inconvenience! When I spend my time in this stance, it seems strange and really fun.
Why don’t you go on a car trip?
Writer: Yoshimin
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