I just want a warm shower. The roads are too bad I had to sponge bath inside the van
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- Опубликовано: 16 сен 2024
- I got stuck AGAIN! Trying to get a shower, some strangers help me get out, sponge bath inside the van.
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Hi my name is Emi. My #vanlife story starts in September 2018. After a long-term relationship that I was trying for more than a year to rebuild, I decided it was time to end this toxic relationship once for all. This is where I decided to move away from this man that I was still in love with. I put all my belongings inside my SUV (GMC Jimmy) and moved six hours from where I was living. I didn’t know where I would sleep, didn’t know where I would work but I knew I needed to make a drastic move. At that time, I told myself I will only sleep in my car for a month while looking for a place to rent. What I didn’t know is that one month became another month and another month. In the end, I end up sleeping in my car for a full year. Even if people will consider this the lowers time of my life, this experience was the best thing I couldn’t have done with my life. I took that year to focus on myself, decide what I wanted, and most importantly what I didn’t want. That year made me also realize that for so long, I was chasing the wrong dreams. I was chasing what society wanted me to be: to have a big house, a steady job, kids, get married… None of those dreams was making me happy. In September 2019, while I was actively looking for a van, I received a phone call that someone had found my cat (Kelly). After, trying for hours with no success to communicate with my ex-boyfriend (who was taking care of her), I decided to drive the six hours to go pick her up. Without going into too much detail, it turns out he wasn’t able to take care of her anymore. So I brought her in a cat kennel for a couple of days until I found a van we both could live in. I put all the savings that I had accumulated while living in my car and bought my van (a 2011 Ford Econoline that I end up adding a hightop) In the beginning, It wasn’t so glamour. My cat and I were sleeping on a mattress on the floor of the van. We both had to adjust. Now, my cat loves this lifestyle as much as I do; she looks at the window while I’m driving and she loves exploring new places. Since then, my cat Kelly and I are have been living full-time in my self convert van.
Hi Emi, a female subscriber here who lives in Nanaimo you can swing by our place and use our shower if you like.
You are nice
I hope she reads this! Also, someone suggested Chrome get a propane powered camping water heater (portable on demand) for his shop, and set it up with a camping shower, at his shop. That way friends like Emi and Jeffy Bear can have a back up emergency shelter for times when snow and ice is in the forecast. Simple Living Alaska lives completely off grid, and showers outside, even in below freezing temperatures. Keep your water above freezing somehow.
With current restrictions and this unprecedented weather, I would hope someone would offer this to me if I needed.
You are awesome Jodi.
Jodi your a real darling.
I'm glad you show the less glamorous side of van life. I like seeing real life.
I have been watching Chromed videos for the last few months and I am not suprised in the slightest that he has come to rescue a damsel in distress. He comes across so kind and genuine,everyone needs a friend like Chrome in there life! I am lucky to have a couple. Cherish them
Every night u know it’s gonna snow or freeze pull your windshield wipers up (like u r going to clean the windshield) it keeps them from freezing and sticking to the windshield and possibly ripping off. My dad was a trucker and taught me at a young age
Hope I explained it correctly.. leave them stickin up until u defrost the windshield then put them back on the windshield. And that should stop the freezing and/or ripping of your blades.
My mom in Wisconsin told me that too about the wipers. She covers her car with a tarp and windshield covers that prevents any ice build-ups and easier to get the snow off the car when you pull the whole tarp off.
@@ketoauntie7301 well I thought about telling Emi to look for windshield cover for outside windshield to keep snow and ice but for safety reasons (in case she needed to leave in a hurry) that would be hard to do … so the wipers would b ok in a case of emergency
Even plastic grocery bags can help, if you have nothing else in an emergency, to cover your windshield. (They're better than nothing.). I keep a few in my car during winter. Of course, a tarp is better.
Love how you all look out for each other and take care of each other out there. I wish the world had more of that vanlife mentality. Stay safe yall!!
stay warm-stay safe/make you some hot tea/thanks much
I keep an electric hair dryer in all my jeep with the jackery. It's perfect for getting warmed up quick and dried off after a sponge bath and work's great if you get your feet wet for drying out your socks and boots and other clothing item's.
What a great idea.TY
I believe you need a high model Jack to succesfully run a hair dryer, so us cretins with the model 300 are sol lol, unless I'm wrong.
@@nomadhomad3685 the big jackery is well worth the investment.
The large Jackery units are way too expensive. Jackery 290 is only $250 at Harbor Freight. Built in solar controller, can use it while it's charging and includes 12 volt adapter so you can charge it from your vehicle lighter socket or power outlet. The idea is this; you can run battery chargers off the Jackery. 290 watts continuous. The money you would spend on the large Jackery units can buy you some real power in the form of Deep Cycle AGM or Lithium batteries. The small Jackery has a pure sine wave inverter so it will operate the smart chargers you need for the type of batteries you want. Most vehicle alternators won't properly charge those batteries. Those large Jackery units only make a bit of sense because of convenience or the inability to properly setup an off-grid battery bank.
If it’s on a Jackery, you can de-ice the vehicle.
I am so happy there are good people out there ! Stay safe Emi !
A buddy of mine here in Ontario recommended Auto-Trac self tightening tire chains. He lives up North and knows his stuff. He calls them his "what if" chains. These chains are colour coded, really easy to use and reasonably priced. Under $150 before shipping and depends on your tire size. After watching this I'm picking up a set. Good luck out there, Emi ✌️❤️🔥
I was just coming to comment the same thing. Chains are a life saver and decent price usually.
In So CALIFORNIA mountain chains are required during winter to have in your car, van etc no matter what. AAA will not tow or pull you out if you get stuck and don't have them. I had an emergency pack, Rug, cat litter, shovel, rope and gloves just in case. I'm glad you got help, it sucks to get stuck.
Hey Stranger!!
Chrome has such a good heart....always helping everyone. Let us know how the chains workout...hopefully you can get them sized for your tires🤞
I live in a tiny cabin without running water. I heat up a pot of water and have my head over a large bread bowl. I pour the water over my head while kneeling over the bowl. That is how I wash my hair inside.
You're fortunate to have Chrome nearby and have people stopping to want to help.
❤❤💯💯💯💯
Please stay safe and warm, thank god kind people that help you.
Stay safe.. People are so sweet and caring.
I take sponge bath in my bedroom. I share home with two others and the land lord is one of my room mates and he made it very clear that he owns the house and everything in it so a shower sometimes has to wait until he goes to bed. Sometimes I can't wait that long so I use a pan of water just like you. I get a shower once a week sometimes i have to wait 2 weeks so a sponge bath helps every couple days. We all do what we have to do to get by.
Hi Emi....I have a friend who likes to camp in the back country a lot. He uses a kiddie pool to shower in his van lol. He basically bought a standing coat rack then went to a sporting good store and bought a camp shower, one of the ones where you heat up your water then pour it in the bag, usually those camp showers has some sort of sprayer. You stand in the pool, wet yourself down, lather up then rinse yourself off. I've even seen van dwellers on RUclips use one of those pesticide sprayers lol. I'm sure you can even find some sort of high sided pool type things to sit in and have a bath so the water doesn't go everywhere then just tip it over by the door so all the water goes outside when your done. There's all sorts of ways if you let your creative mind wonder lol.
a bucket of warm water and a cup for dumping it over your head ..makes bit of a mess but it works .......long hair can be a a pain ..... but i like it :)
I learned to wash my hair with a wash cloth when traveling. I focus on my scalp and use very little shampoo. I use a clean wash cloth with clean water to rinse my scalp. Stay safe.
Good to see you still have your sense of humor about the rain and the snow.
Hey y'all, pick up some vaseline from Dollar tree and smear on rubber around car doors. This will help doors not to stick when below freezing. Cheap and easy!!
It’s great that your subscribers are giving you advice. You and Kelly are loved. Stay safe! 🧡🇬🇧🧡
So sweet!! Kind
Aw Emi
I just want to be supportive and say everything will work out. Thank goodness for those people who stopped and offered help and Chrome for those chains!!
Take care Emi and see you soon!
Stay well and safe! See u next time! Much love to you both! See you next time!😊❤👍
A portable dog bath with a hanging shower curtain and a 12v or usb shower head all from amazon. When not in use it all collapse and store away. I use it when van camping myself.
Hi Emi and Kelly.
Re needing a shower try the Rec centre or a motel with a pool. You can go in for just a shower if you pay for its use. Stay safe and warm! A gal in Victoria BC.
Hi Emi, truck stops should have showers that you pay for. Also if you have Dollar Tree or something like that, go in and get a couple plastic dish washing bins. Fill one with warm water and pour the water over your head. Use shampoo sparingly and put your head over the other one. Use the water from the first one to rinse. It works in a pinch.
What about a truck stop? Here in the states the parking is cleared and you can get a shower. Thanks for keeping it real
No problem on the mainland, but I don't think there are any on the island. The real issue is road conditions. She could go to a rec centre if the roads were ok.
@@kevinstruke1031 it's worth checking out the island gets deliveries also and truckers need places for down time.
@@valerierichardson458 I'm an Ontario boy so I don't know for sure, but from what I understand the island just doesn't have them. She'd have to drive to get there anyway and that is the main issue at the moment. BC is just not equipped for this kind of weather lasting more than a couple of days.
Hi Emi,
It's not overly expensive to buy and you can even order it on Amazon. For greasy hair when your not able to wet shampoo try dry shampoo. It really is a game changer if your hair is feeling greasy but you don't won't to or are unable to shampoo at the moment. Your hair and scalp will feel refreshed.
You and Kelly are not homeless, your home just happens to have wheels on it. Are there any services around where you are that help the homeless with shower facilities and would they help vanlifers when extreme weather hits?? Glad to see that you got help and didn't have to wait for Chrome. There are good people everywhere. Stay safe Emi and stay warm !
So many really good, kind people in Canada!! Seems like everywhere you go in Canada, people are always willing to help you out. Maybe they take it as a challenge, but so much better than here in the USA. We're much more known for "Road Rage", rather than being helpful, which isn't to say, of course, that there aren't a lot of nice helpful folks here too. Just seems to be a point of national pride in Canada.
You been to the midwest for any length of time?
I’m sure we have our share of a holes behind the wheel, but it’s often in trouble you see how many come to help.
@@wanderingrenegade771 As do the same people model it for us in the States. It's just not that different, maybe near cities but not elsewhere. Remember, the US is vast and mostly small communities. We help each other out. I live in Brooklyn and people help each other out all the time!
Always. No one sits on a street corner, drugged out. It’s freezing here actually. I’m so proud that all the homeless( not many) have warm places to live
@@MOI-qq8zc Yeah, we wuz talkin about helping out a stranded motorist, so...
I bet it was scary being stuck. I'm glad you got help.
Also another trick I've done from time to time, get you a big bag that you can put all your stuff in but it kinda looks like a huge purse so it doesn't draw too much attention. Find a place, restaurant or wherever that has a single bathroom. You can "make. Shower" out of that and wash your hair
Remember in the summer it was so hot u had to get a hotel room for u and Kelly stay warm love ur videos
Yes one night in a hotel with a hot bath, it would be worth it!
I have used dry shampoo, but only use it if desperate. It leaves white patches and builds up.
Glad you are ok.
You are a great inspiration
Going thru rough times
Your vids distract me and give me hope
Stay safe
Bravo on the spray shampoo! Stay safe. Crazy weather...👍🇨🇦🐾📷✨💜
Not a substitute for chains but cat litter can be spread to give you traction over icy patches like at the start of the video. I used it when my house steps iced over and I couldn't go up or down. Stay safe.
Dry Shampoo is the best! Use it right after you wash your hair (lightly) and it will help with the build up of oils and stretch out how often you need to wash it while avoiding a greasy look & feel.
Funny how I was going to say dry shampoo too haha. You are brave in snow. I lived around snow all my life.
Two words. Kitty litter. Works great. I’m sure you have it.
little precious vignettes of ‘living’, love your accent 🥰.
☃️❄️☃️, stay 🔥…
EMI, The Van lifers need a base for times like this before weather can be challenging...
💯
Yes! Kind of a co-op where a few van lifers pool resources and or lease a spot which they can all use. Monkey wrench their rigs, water up, store winter gear when the wx gets better etc Good idea.
So nice the guys helped you out! Be safe Emi
Relax it will be ok..
Alea Vesta foam for body and hair. No need to rinse. Just mix with water.
You have my full admiration
Something you can use if you can’t wash your hair right away, use baby powder. It soaks up some of the oil and then you just brush it out. Won’t do for long term, but will help the appearance til you get to a shower! Ahhhhh, will feel so good! 😊
I used baby powder and then a blow dryer.
💯
Make sure the Baby Powder is asbestos free.
I use baby powder instead of dry shampoo.....dry shampoo IS near enough pressurised babypowder anyway,plus the lavender Johnson powder smells amazing! Handy stuff to have x
You can buy bathe size wipes at Walmart or go to a Medical supply shop and purchase some. They are pre-wet and have a no rinse body soap. Just wet them, soap up and dry off. They use them on patients that cant be bathed!
Haha, when I was a kid many, many years ago, the ladies would all go to the grocery store in the morning with curlers in their hair. No worries about what other people thought. I'm glad you just went ahead and sprayed your shampoo. You're just living life!
Tour weather is coming to Houston. It's going to drop from 82 to 31F. Do stay warm.
Emi, maybe when the weather gets better you can purchase a plastic dish pan to keep so you can wash your hair in it and bathe in it when you can't get into the shower at the gym. I have one. And it works great for the times when I have to use it. Stay safe.
Great video about the severe cold spell in BC. I love the way that you are handling it.
For washing the hair some time I use two basket of water, in one I washed with shampoo and the other with water.
Canadian Tire shows truck chains for 250.00 and some cheaper than that.
Hope everything works out for you all stay safe
Please be careful out there and your hair doesn't look bad.
She looks so sweet! And is
Feel for ya 🤗🙏
Pray get your shower by now . And have a Blessed Week .
Indiana / US.
Replay?👍
corn starch for the hair...sprinkle in , wait.. brush out. stay safe
Gotta tell you about RoadPro portable stove oven. Will work with Jackery pulls about 75 watt on jackery. Great for Colin veggies in oven or baking sweets or bread in.
Putting your water inside a cooler with a blanket may keep it from freezing. Insulate the warmth IN. I know it may sound weird, but I have long curly hair and you can "wash" just your scalp with a bit of conditioner on your fingertips. Conditioner actually has some solvents. I love the book Curly Girl. Taught me a lot about how curly hair is different. My scalp is much healthier now. Or I'll just wash my bangs and around the edges behind my ears and near my neck with plan water. I try not to wash it much. But it's harder the more gray I get. I HATE dry shampoo! It's basically like powder. Feels icky!
Wow. You all got a whiteChristmas leftover icy mess now! Stay safe and PTLfor helpful ppl in this icy situation!!! Be careful!
You and Kelly take care. Stay warm and safe. 🌹
Clean life no rinse shampoo is a product used in hospitals - you apply, work it through your hair, then towel dry. You might want to keep some on hand for future no shower situations as it could help in a punch. Don’t knock the sponge bath....better than nothing!
Many kisses to Kelly.
Be careful. That dry shampoo is quite flammable too.
Good point
Wow that's so nice of them to help you
Canadians.
You know what they say Be careful what you wish for you may get it. (To much snow)
It's not always what we expect. Good idea using dry shampoo.
Hope you get good results. Good luck and see you next video.
I'm from the Netherlands and you can have a wash for your hair at the hairdresser. Maybe it's an idea for you when the gym and shower are closed.
Hey lady, if I know there is going to be a snow storm, I pull up my windshield wipers, that way they aren’t stuck to the windshield.
Oh Emy ... maybe you need to evaluate the idea of a small inflatable pool for children and use it in extreme cases to wash yourself inside the van ... the ideas on RUclips are not lacking to create an emergency shower ... good luck to find the chains you need (because the ice in the street is really dangerous) ... a big hug and a little skullcap for Kelly! ❣️❣️😘
You could use my shower any day..Your such a good person
Ahh the old in-vehicle sponge bath while your hair is greasy af. That's when you know it's real.
I usually keep powdered shampoo and scenty baby wipes for these types of occasions, especially when the gyms are closed. I keep the wipes next to the heater to warm them up a little.
Hope your gyms open up soon
Maybe in one month but I'm sure they will extend the restrictions
@@ThecatladyVAN considering holidays are passing, I'm sure cases will go up, thus inducing more restrictions. This will never end at this rate..lol
I am in an epicenter in the lower 48. They are saying the worst part will be the next six weeks. Most likely, much better sometime in March. I am glad this year you have a good heating system.
For an easy way to wash fill a foaming cleanser bottle with 3/4 warm/hot water and 1/4 hypo soap/shampoo. Close and shake gently. Apply to area to be cleansed. Take a spray bottle full of warm water and rinse and pat dry. You can get professional water bottles that continue to spray after you have pulled the trigger. (Framar makes one) This type of cleansing method can be used all over the body if you stand on a shower curtain. I had to develop new ways for cleansing feet for my dementia patients (they don't want to soak their feet) and this method works great. The misting bottle can be used any time to freshen up. I also have a rosebud and geranium water for hydrating the skin afterwards. Rosemary is also good for cleansing the scalp. Just soak some rosemary leaves in a cup of water for 5 minutes. Strain. Then massage through the hair roots.
@@Sara-M that's a really good system! I'll have to pick up a foaming bottle and a framar bottle. Hoping my castile soap will foam.
Nice to see you care about your patients that much to make their residency more comfortable, especially with their needs. All the best
Good luck Emi
Use a dry shampoo on your scalp. For once in a while it’s ok but it would build up over days. It works in a pinch when you can’t get a warm shower.
|Putting Baken soda in your hair will cut the oil and you can put off showering for a day or two
I know the pain, we lived in our camper van for a long time before our cabin was built. Living off grid we still shower outside, today is shower day❤️
What is the coldest it’s been there when you’ve showered?
@@christinamann3640 -10c a few days ago.
@@gettenash3851 🥶splash and dash
Hi Emi and Kelly. Be safe out there.
did a bit of drifting in the snow tonite for fun. i always like driving in snow when there is a snow storm. i find an empty parkink lot and practice.
You're a really courageous person to be driving in that snow! We have it all the time down her in Connecticut, but there are people around if we get stuck. Our roads are usually sanded and plowed right away. It may be slippery for a day or maybe two, but nothing like you are experiencing right now. Better to find a place and stay put. Sorry about your heat and water situation. A shower will feel like heaven when you finally get it! Be safe. Have a good day.
An area that doesn’t see this kind of weather very often doesn’t put the snowploughs into the city budget unfortunately.
same way in the UPPER PENINSULA of MICHIGAN,
Glad you are safe. That looked pretty hairy.
Two years ago I was at the Grand Canyon. There was ice everywhere. I fell on the ice and broke my ankle. It was sponge baths for 6 weeks to not get my cast wet. Be careful.
You are one brave person 🙏.
Sometimes you just have to break down and get a motel room and shower there. And invest in cute hats - I can go 9 days without washing the hair but it took a few months to get the hair so that it would go that long and in the summer a ponytail and ball cap make it so much easier
Girl your hair looks fine. It probably feels grody but it looks fine. Hang in there girl.
Hey, I live in my van in Sweden. For washing hair, you can brush your hair then use a towel and apply the towel on your hairs. The towel will absord the grease. Especially after your dry hair washer product, use a towel to "dry" them. It helps a lot. Have nice days in the North :)
Being in the UK it’s around 13 degrees C today so we do not use snow chains here. As soon as temperatures hit anything close to zero our roads are ‘gritted’ with a combination of salt, sand, and grit and clears the road nicely.
It’s so nice to see everyone come to help you, especially when you were helping to get Jeffie unstuck last video.
The text for Kelly watching you out there using dry shampoo was so cute and funny. Oh, the adventure of Vanlife. 😂
Adore your videos Emi!!
I have long hair also. When it gets too bad and dry shampoo isn't enough, I pull my hair up and wear it in a knot at the top on my head. I hope you can get the chains resized to fit your tires. I really hate driving on snow, especially when it's as nasty like it was in the city. Take care & Safe Travels. ❤
I encourage you to drive somewhere warmer during the winter even just Vancouver..
Chrome is such a good guy,Bless you Emi,Happy New Year to you and Kitty
Pure cornstarch baby powder works great as dry shampoo and it's a heck of a lot cheaper. I'm not sure how it will affect the color of your dark hair but my hair has lots of natural grey highlights so you can't even notice. In the US you can get a nice size container for a little over $2 at Walmart. Keep on keepin' on Emi!
Good idea Amy. You can buy cornstarch in bulk at the Bulk Barn.
An option for hair care is to put baby powder on your hair and then brush it out. It will help to get rid of the oily appearance
Stay warm!
Good morning Emi and Kelly! I understand about weather - I am from Winnipeg (a.k.a. Winterpeg😱). Hope the cold spell there passes quickly! Sending you both much love and warm hugs.💖✌😻
Ahahahah, I just commented after you Dana, then came to read your comment. We're both from Winterpeg! It was funny to read your comment directly after I had just referred to our city's nick-name as well.
Yes from Winnipeg too!! Winter all the way!! Stay safe Emi
Winter, rain, & sun/heat.... we are so PNW we are. No problems here!!
Pull your wiper blades back off the windshield at night or if you sit too long. They won’t freeze to your windshield or tear trying to get them loose. Walmart has a dry shampoo to use. Something to try.
Chrome is i great guy!
I used that dry shampoo when I was in the hospital having my transplant. Works good, although I had short hair.
Gosh, I love you! Most of those dry shampoos are based on corn starch. It's a back country savior.