When it’s time to hit the street in your van, the world is your oyster. However let’s face it – that instantaneous freedom is usually a little overwhelming at first as a result of van life comes with numerous logistical planning. How do you discover locations to camp? How do you intend your route? How do you discover enjoyable issues to do, like mountain climbing and mountain biking trails?
Fortunately there are tons of van life apps on the market that may make these duties a lot simpler. Beneath, you’ll uncover the perfect van life apps for locating campsites, native actions, low cost gasoline, and extra.
iOverlander
- Greatest for: Discovering campsites, dump stations, showers, water refill, laundromats, and so forth.
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
iOverlander is likely one of the hottest van life apps on the market, particularly if you happen to’re occupied with the right way to discover free campsites. It’s one of the crucial complete crowdsourced databases of free tenting that we’ve discovered and it covers all of North America (together with Canada and Mexico). Customers can add pictures, an outline, and different data, like web availability, together with GPS coordinates. As a result of iOverlander is crowd-sourced, the app is consistently up to date with new data and up to date evaluations.
iOverlander can also be a fantastic app for locating facilities like water refill, propane and dump stations, laundromats, showers, and extra. Whereas iOverlander doesn’t formally work offline, you’ll nonetheless be capable of see your location and close by dispersed tenting areas. You simply received’t be capable of see any person pictures or the map background whenever you zoom in. Though there are some paid campgrounds listed on iOverlander, if you happen to’re seeking to camp at established campgrounds, there are higher van life apps on the market.
Sēkr
- Greatest for: Discovering campsites, group occasions & gatherings, connecting with close by van lifers
- Worth: Free / Sekr+ $1.99 per thirty days or $18.99 yearly
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
Sēkr (previously often known as The Van Life App) is a women-owned app constructed by fellow van lifers. Much like iOverlander, Sēkr makes use of crowd-sourced information to offer campsite data, together with evaluations and pictures. We’ve discovered that Sēkr usually doesn’t have as many campsite evaluations as iOverlander, however the app is rising and getting extra strong every day.
The function we love about Sēkr that may’t be discovered on another van life app is their “Neighborhood Calendar”. Right here you’ll find upcoming van life meetups and gatherings, caravan invites, and different alternatives to attach with different van lifers. Along with your Sēkr profile, you may also opt-in to see different Sēkr members in your basic space and ship pal requests based mostly on shared pursuits.
Not too long ago, Sēkr launched a premium model (referred to as Sekr+) which permits customers to obtain maps and campsite data for offline use, provides overlay map layers for US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Administration land, and contains overlays of protection maps for main US carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Cell.
The Dyrt
- Greatest for: Discovering campgrounds, offline maps entry, and campground reductions (with Professional membership)
- Worth: Free / Dyrt Professional $35.99/12 months – BFT readers get a FREE 30-day membership to The Dyrt PRO (use the code “Bearfoot” if signing up on cell!)
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
The Dyrt is one among our favourite van life apps for locating established campsites. It has complete listings for paid campgrounds together with private and non-private ones, in addition to some free dispersed tenting choices (though dispersed choices are extra restricted than different van life apps).
Their listings embody evaluations, pictures, data on facilities, and extra. You too can search by required facilities – let’s say you want Wifi to get some work finished or want a location with showers or perhaps a pet-friendly location, you possibly can slim your search down utilizing all varieties of parameters.
With the free model of The Dyrt, you might have entry to go looking all the campgrounds within the database, however upgrading to the annual Dyrt Professional membership offers you all of that plus a street journey planner, entry to dispersed tenting map layers (our favourite perk!), offline map entry, and unique tenting reductions. You’ll be able to learn our full assessment of the Dyrt Professional right here.
Bearfoot Principle readers can join a FREE 30-day membership to The Dyrt PRO (use code “Bearfoot” if signing up on cell).
Harvest Hosts/Boondocker’s Welcome
- Greatest for: discovering distinctive campsites (akin to farms, wineries, and museums)
- Worth: $99/12 months (Harvest Hosts), $79/12 months (Boondocker’s Welcome), $169 (HH+BW) – BFT readers get 15% off HH and 15% off BW (code: BWFRIENDS15)
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
In the event you’re in search of distinctive locations to park in a single day, Harvest Hosts and Boondocker’s Welcome are two van life apps to take a look at. An annual Harvest Hosts membership means that you can park in a single day free of charge at quite a lot of wineries, breweries, farms, museums, golf programs, and different points of interest. Use this hyperlink to get 15% off your first 12 months with the code HHFRIENDS15. Buying one thing and supporting the small companies you camp at is inspired however not required.
Boondocker’s Welcome connects you with personal property house owners who welcome in a single day campers. These are sometimes in driveways, fields, or backyards and a few enable multiple-night stays. You may get 15% off your membership utilizing the code BWFRIENDS15.
These apps as particularly useful whenever you’re in areas with out many different tenting choices, like New England and the East Coast the place dispersed tenting isn’t simply out there, however one thing to remember is that they do require you to be self-contained with a rest room.
AllStays Camp & RV
- Greatest for: Discovering campsites, discovering alternate locations to camp (ex. casinos, relaxation stops, Walmarts)
- Worth: $9.99
- Obtain: iOS (no Google Play app out there)
AllStays Camp & RV is a paid app that you just obtain to your cellphone. All Stays contains paid and dispersed campsites, however for dispersed it’s not as complete because the earlier apps we point out. What we like about AllStays is that it additionally has different varieties of locations you possibly can park free of charge, together with Walmarts, rest-stops, and casinos, in addition to different facilities. As well as, you’ll find locations to replenish water, RV dumps, and different providers that you just typically want on the street.
One distinctive function you received’t discover from different van life apps is a peak filter – that is particularly useful for anybody with tall automobiles that have to keep away from low clearance bridges or routes. In order for you entry to their desktop model, you’ll pay an annual $34.95 charge.
Google Maps
- Greatest for: Navigation, offline maps, discovering eating places and different native facilities
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
Google Maps might look like a no brainer but it surely’s one among our favourite instruments not just for navigation however for locating fascinating issues to do within the areas we’re touring. For locating eating places and different native facilities, like locations to do laundry, for instance, I exploit Google Evaluations inside Maps. For locating different issues to do, I’ll simply flip to Google and sort “finest out of doors actions close to ….”
I additionally use Google Maps as a planning device as properly – anytime I hear about a gorgeous mountain climbing path or superior campsite, I’ll pin it on Google Maps. This takes the strain off of all the time having to plan within the second – typically I’ll simply open my Map and see what I’ve pinned within the space or alongside my route.
One other Google Maps trick is to make use of satellite tv for pc view to scope out the world from a chicken’s eye view. I exploit satellite tv for pc mode largely when in search of campsites – upon getting a location in thoughts, you possibly can zoom in to see if the spot is giant sufficient for a number of vans, if it’s secluded, if there’s different camp spots close by, and so forth.
You too can obtain Google Maps (in sections) for offline use which is tremendous useful for locating pre-planned campsites, trailheads, and so forth. whenever you’re out of cell service.
AllTrails
- Greatest for: discovering native mountain climbing trails
- Worth: Free / Professional $29.99/12 months
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
For mountain climbing, I like utilizing AllTrails as a result of it has a database of over 200,000 path maps, plus, detailed path data, pictures, and up-to-date evaluations on nearly each path you may need. There’s a remark part that is stuffed with crowdsourced evaluations of the path, present situations, and recommendation from hikers who know the world properly. Even the free model is extraordinarily helpful for saving hikes and navigation (when you might have cell service).
The good thing about upgrading to an AllTrails Professional account is the capability to obtain path maps forward of time for offline use, notifications if you happen to stray off-route, and a Lifeline function that means that you can simply ship data to your security contacts to allow them to hold monitor of you on hikes (and even be notified if you happen to don’t present up at your deliberate vacation spot in time). After I first hit the street, I used the free model of the app, however shortly upgraded to Professional and have by no means seemed again. Since I’m usually mountain climbing in unfamiliar areas, I like having the ability to obtain a number of path maps forward of time (you by no means know whenever you’re going to lose service) and as a solo feminine van-lifer & hiker, the Lifeline function offers my household peace of thoughts.
Gaia GPS
Gaia GPS is one other nice app for locating mountain climbing trails, monitoring your self whereas mountain climbing, and it will possibly act as a substitute for carrying a separate GPS gadget whereas adventuring. Whereas we nonetheless favor AllTrails for locating new mountain climbing trails, Gaia has extra strong options whenever you’re truly mountain climbing, like a backtrack function you need to use to retrace your steps and customized waypoint icons.
Resulting from Gaia’s crowd-sourced map layers, it typically contains particulars, waypoints, and landmarks at different apps might not present. We’d advocate their annual membership (BFT readers get 20% off Premium) so you possibly can obtain offline maps and have entry to extra map layers.
TrailForks
- Greatest for: discovering native mountain biking, e-bike, and gravel bike trails
- Worth: $36/12 months
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
For mountain biking, our favourite useful resource for locating trails is TrailForks. Though the desktop model is free, the app prices $36/12 months with the intention to use it outdoors of your “residence area”. TrailForks is essentially the most complete mountain biking app on the market with over 400,000 MTB trails. You too can simply filter to e-bike-friendly trails and see current path experiences.
In order for you a free mountain biking app, try MTB Undertaking. If you’re on wi-fi, you possibly can obtain the database for a complete state. Then whenever you’re offline, you possibly can simply discover close by mountain bike trails with data on issue, elevation profile, and present situations. Nonetheless, MTB Undertaking doesn’t have fairly as many trails listed as TrailForks.
Recreation.gov
- Greatest for: reserving Nationwide Park campgrounds, backcountry permits, timed entry tickets, and so forth.
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
In the event you plan on visiting Nationwide Parks or widespread federal lands throughout your van travels, the Recreation.gov app is a should. In partnership with 12 totally different federal companies (together with the Park Service, Bureau of Land Administration, and Forest Service), this app means that you can e book paid campsites inside parks, purchase timed-entry tickets for relevant Parks, and e book superior permits for different out of doors actions. Listed below are a number of examples of campgrounds and actions that required reserving:
Whereas you may also e book permits and campsites on a desktop, the app is nice for on-the-go bookings.
Fuel Buddy
- Greatest for: Discovering the most cost effective gasoline in your route
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
Fuel is likely one of the greatest bills you’ll have on the street, so discovering methods to save cash on gasoline is vital. Fuel Buddy is a necessary van life app for locating the most cost effective gasoline costs. Merely open the app and GasBuddy will pull up the closest gasoline stations and their costs. You’ll be able to kind by value, or toggle to view on a map. In the event you’re planning your route, you possibly can search by location or zoom out on the map to see if it’s higher to replenish now or wait till the following city. Utilizing Fuel Buddy, I’ve typically discovered gasoline stations which are $.25-$1 cheaper than the common – under, I used to be capable of save $1/gallon by ready to replenish till after I left city.
Upside
- Greatest for: Getting money again on gasoline, grocery, and restaurant purchases
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
One other manner to save cash on the street is thru the app Upside. Upside companions with sure gasoline stations supply money again on purchases, usually as much as 15 cents/gallon. Whereas this won’t look like a big quantity, it provides up over time! The draw back to Upside (see what I did there?) is that it’s not out there in every single place, so I usually toggle between Fuel Buddy and Upside to see the place I can discover the perfect deal on gasoline. Not too long ago Upside additionally expanded its money again choices to incorporate sure grocery shops and eating places.
Open Sign
- Greatest for: scouting areas with cell sign, web pace assessments, finding cell towers
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
In the event you work remotely from the street, Open Sign is a must have van life app. With Open Sign, you possibly can simply run web pace assessments with the faucet of a button and you’ll run video assessments for any calls. In the event you’re attempting to determine which campsite has the strongest sign, you need to use their interactive map to go looking by location and pull up protection maps for Verizon, AT&T, and T-Cell. In the event you use a booster that must be pointed towards the closest cellphone tower, Open Sign may enable you find towers.
Libby
- Greatest for: Downloading audiobooks & ebooks
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
Earlier than you hit the street, head to your native library to snag a free library card (if you happen to don’t have already got one). With the Libby app, you possibly can hyperlink your library card and entry hundreds of free audiobooks and e-books to obtain to your cellphone and/or Kindle. Bodily books can take up numerous room in a van, so switching to a Kindle is a straightforward approach to keep well-read with out dropping space for storing. We additionally love listening to audiobooks on lengthy drives, and all Libby e-books and audiobooks might be learn even whenever you lose cell sign. Plus, utilizing Libby is a good way to assist public libraries. Win, win!
EPA AirNow
- Greatest for: Checking air high quality index (AQI) and seeing real-time smoke maps
- Worth: Free
- Obtain: iOS and Google Play
Wildfire season is an unlucky actuality of residing on the street, however AirNow is a free, EPA-run app the place you possibly can shortly get present air high quality situations based mostly in your location and zoom out on a map to see AQI elsewhere. You too can toggle to see a smoke map and present wildfires throughout the nation. This app is useful to see present areas to keep away from, or the place to flee if you end up dodging poor air high quality on the street.
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Are there any van life apps that we didn’t point out above? Share your ideas and experiences down within the feedback and make sure that to join our van life publication right here.
