#VanLife: A New Column from FATMAP

FATMAP is the ultimate adventure app, and if there’s a bigger adventure than living on the road and traveling full-time in search of the best trails and the tallest peaks, then I don’t know what it is.

As the Head of Summer Editorial for FATMAP, I've already been traveling full-time for over two years documenting trails around the world, but I've finally taken the leap and joined the full-time van life tribe. Van life has absolutely blown up on the North American outdoors scene, and while the movement has gotten a slower start in Europe, it appears to be picking up steam in the old world as well.

For those who are unfamiliar, van life consists of converting a large cargo van into a residence on wheels. In order to fit all of your daily necessities into one small vehicle, van lifers eschew many modern conveniences in exchange for a minimalist lifestyle. While many people use converted vans as weekend adventure mobiles, a growing cohort of adventurers have taken to living in their vans full-time.

Full-time van lifers seem to come and go, with many making it only a few months to a year before throwing in the towel. When they quit, some get out of the travel game entirely, while others simply slow down their travel and change their setup as time rolls on. Individual needs morph and change over time, and my own travel setup has transformed radically over the years. Even over the past year two years, I've gone from months of camping in a glorified tent on wheels to renting AirBNBs in Europe, renting rooms in the USA, booking monthly rentals across the country, and more.

If there's one point I want to get across from the outset, it's that you don't need the perfect rig to start traveling. As I mentioned, I'd been traveling for two years before I finally got a van, and to me, van life feels like living in the lap of luxury! A gas heater, insulation, running water, a queen bed... hot damn. But to others, it might feel spartan and difficult.

If you want to start traveling, begin with what you have. Simply take the plunge, and work up from there.

The New #VanLife Column

The purpose of this column is to share vignettes from the road. More than simply yet another trail report or destination guidebook (although I'll continue my work in that regard), this column will endeavor to share a narrative view of what it's like to live in a van while traveling in search of adventure. While not every aspect of van life will be documented here, hopefully these snapshots will give you a sense of what life can be like if you choose to question the status quo and live differently.

Oh, and along the way, I'll be sure to share how FATMAP has helped enable my adventure.

Stay tuned! The adventure is just beginning...