3 Best Traveling Apps for Free Overnight Camping
Our version of vanlife is all about SAVING MONEY! One of the reasons we chose this life style, other than wanting to see the world and spend more time outdoors, is the cost of housing right now is ASTRONOMICAL. For me, VanLife is a money saver! My rent is only the cost of my monthly van payment, plus gas, which, if we're taking it slow (and we plan too), isn't really that much.
With this in mind, we (myself and my travel friend, Morgan) wanted to share with you the apps that we have found most helpful for money saving and boondocking (dry camping) during our travels that keep our wallets fuller longer.
Free Roam: 4.9/5 on Apple App Store
Summary: Out of all the camping and boondocking apps in the world, I use this app the most. This COMPLETELY FREE APP is very user friendly and informational. It provides details on campsites, bathrooms, cell service, dump stations, water, propane stations, and & MORE! What I like about this app the most is the the 'search' feature. When you are planning your trip, you can type in the city, the app will pull up the map, icons depicting the type of amenity the location offers are clickable and bring you to the info page of that location. Then, you can even filter the search! By price ($0, amiright?), to cell signal, facilities & MORE! And the forums & camper reviews are EXTRA helpful for additional information, personal experiences and what to look out for during your stay. I also like that it has a "heart" feature, so that when you are strategizing your route (can you tell I'm a mega-planner?), you will never loose your favorite-d locations.
Cost: FREE
Final Thoughts: The ability to search with filters are really what gives this app 5 stars for me.
iOverlander: 3.6/5 on Apple App Store
Summary: Though the layout of the app is a little less flashy and colorful, this app gets the job done. When I am struggling to find something good on Free-Roam, iOverlander is my second stop. I began my van-life adventures using only this app, and was able to get around and find free overnight camping, showers, propane refills, repair shops, and water, just fine. This crowd sourced app is very helpful while you are traveling (while your passenger is navigating, obviously - not a joke, we take traffic safety seriously in these parts) because you can tap on the icons and read the information very easily. I wouldn't say that this app is the best for planning because it is difficult to search for a location using the search tool without having to move the map manually or enter precise coordinates, but it does get the job done if you need to stop unexpectedly for an overnight stay.
Cost: FREE
Final Thoughts: I think this app is a great resource, and because it is crowd sourced, it is easy to know if the info is accurate based on the date published.
The Dyrt: 3.8/5 on Apple App Store
Dyrt is a new-to-me app that I've used once or twice, but have found to be QUITE helpful. It is rare to find the same information listed on all the apps, so it is good to have multiple resources available. Dyrt is a flashier app, with badges you can earn by fact checking and taking pictures at sites. It has a choice to pay for a Pro Trip Planner that offers discounts on campsites and RV/campervan rentals, a premium planning tool, and access to the app offline, which can be helpful if you do not have service at your camping spot. For now, we are gonna pass on PRO Dyrt as we are trying to save money here! I would say that I will probably be using this app more and more as my travels progress because it as proved to be a resource with good, reliable information, and is VERY user-friendly.
Cost: FREE, $35.99 a year for PRO
Final Thoughts: As this is an app that has better features when you upgrade to PRO, it isn't really my go to at the moment. But again, its a good resource when my other apps are coming up short. Though I'm not necessarily opposed to paying for apps and services, I wouldn't pay for this one as there are other, GREAT apps that are available for free
!!!IMPORTANT NOTE!!! Being that these are mostly crowd sourced apps, (we need to do better with this too), be sure to leave your reviews and info while your traveling so that other people can benefit from your experience! That’s what makes these apps so great.
Let me know in the comments if this was helpful and needed information! I kinda loved deep diving into the subject, and would love to share our other favorite apps to keep our costs low while traveling. STAY TUNED FOR MORE!
DISCLAIMER: I have NOT been compensated by any of the brands listed above. This article represents my own opinion and are in no way endorsed.
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