How To Get Amazing Sleep While Stealth Camping
The best sleep you've ever gotten in a van...post.
Stealth camping is when you sleep in your vehicle or tent and go unnoticed; arriving, staying and leaving without a trace. Check out this article on how to stealth camp. It is a great strategy while making a long haul on an epic road trip and will help you maximize driving time and save money because it is also free. Stealth camping locations are everywhere, but not just any spot will do. In a pinch, look for free camping at 24-hour casinos, Walmarts, Cabellas or Bass Pro Shops. This skill will be your best camping hack when done successfully and will allow you to make longer road trips and spend more time in your favorite locations.
It can be challenging to get a great night sleep when you are trying to be stealthy and camping incognito. Set your van or car up so that it is comfortable and the bed is clear, when you have all your belongings inside.
Make your van (car, truck, SUV, or unicycle seat) a home away from home. The cozier your van is better you will sleep and the better you will handle inevitable drama (like flat tires and getting stuck in the mud) that is coming your way.
The Bed
When we were building out our van for camping, we did a lot of research and trial testing on our mattress. There are a lot of factors that can prevent you from having a good night sleep on the road, but there is no reason why your bed should be one of them.
We have a Dodge Ram 2500 Standard Utility Van with a simple but functional layout. Our bed takes up the majority of the space available and fills about 70% of the back of the van. This article isn’t about how to build a bed in your van, but that will come later. This article is about creating a really nice place to sleep after you have your rig built out.
We will talk briefly about the mattress. For 2 people, we wanted a queen sized place to sleep and we ended up with something slightly bigger. Our bed is the width of the van (72″) and about 80″ long, so it is closer to a king sized bed, which actually makes buying sheets and blankets easier.
We bought a highly rated, low profile, memory foam mattress and cut it to fit our van (we could have fit the queen size in without cutting it at all). It is slightly under 5″ thick. Our bed is 12″ off the ground for storage and with this mattress, we can still sit up in bed without hitting our heads on the roof. It is firm and if we wanted we could put a 3 inch memory foam topper on it to soften it up, but it is perfect as is.
Bedding
Choose your bedding carefully and take into consideration where you will be traveling and how cold or warm it will be. Also, consider the bedding you have on your bed at home. If you like heavy blankets and flannel sheets put that in your rig. If you like thin blankets and microfiber sheets, pack those, but maybe pack a few extra blankets because you do not want to run out!
A good practice is to have a lot options; a heavier blanket like a down comforter, a lighter quilt, flannel sheets, microfiber sheets and lots of throw blankets for layering.
Down Comforters
Down or down alternative comforters are perfect for van/RV bedding. They are heavy to keep you extra warm in the winter, but are also breathable for the summer. Also, you will need a duvet cover for it, which will make keeping it clean simple and easy.
Down Alternative Comforter
Goose Down Comforter
Real goose down has a nice weight and it breaths very well. If you prefer real goose down, this one is a great option.
Duvets
It doesn’t matter a ton what kind of duvet you get, as long as you have one. Down and down alternative comforters are difficult to wash would ideally need to be dry cleaned, so you won’t want to have to do that very often. A good duvet will mean you wont have to wash your comforter for years. Buy something that closes with a zipper and is a dark color, because white will be a disappointing stained mess.
Quilts
Quilts are great blankets, slightly lighter than a down comforter but still very warm. Some nights you will want only a quilt, others you will want both the comforter and a quilt! It is also a good way to dress up you interior. We found two beautiful, durable quilts in at an affordable price.
Sheets
You need sheets. Somedays you will not be able to shower after a 10 mile hike and future you will be grateful that just the sheets need washing. Also, for nights where you feel like you are living in a tin oven, you will be glad to have them. Here are flannel and microfiber sheets we like.
Pillows
Buy 2 of your favorite pillow and bring one of them with you! Whatever you use at home, use in your van. Buy what you love. If you aren’t sure what your favorite pillow is, than you can try my pillow.
Sleep Accessories
Another huge difference maker for sleeping well while camping is your accessories. Earplugs and an eye mask will keep you from waking up at sunrise or every time someone shuts a car door. Go with a pair of reusable earplugs and an eye mask that is soft and breathable.
