Realistically should it happen being in the city won't make much difference weather you are in a stick and brick or a rolling bomb shelter. Marshall law will be in effect and movement will be restricted. Best way to "prep" for that day is don't be there when it happens.
I'm not a prepper or anything like that, but yes, that
has crossed my mind as one of the reasons I'd like to get out of the big city sooner than later. It's a matter of time and I want my timing to be better than whatever goes down. I want the van life for the freedom, especially over my time. But there certainly are other added benefits.
As far as day to day living solar panels are great because they are silent.
I definitely want solar panels. Right now, I know absolutely nothing about them so I'll be learning all I can before I get them. Everything from the wiring to the batteries, to the inverter... and what they all do! Not to mention what size panels I'll need and what I can (and can't) power with them.
If you want to hide them get a contractor's roof rack and add PVC 6" pipes with caps that can hold water. Place them on the far sides of the rack rails so your panels are hidden. Add an air dam to the front of the rack to cut down on the wind resistance and it will also hide the front angle.
This is exactly the kind of thing I wanted to hear! I can't quite picture what you're talking about though. Can you link a picture for me to see it?
Besides that, don't move around and rock your van or have music or a DVD too loud.
You've heard of being as quiet as a church mouse? Hello. I'm that mouse. The only thing I own that makes noise is my laptop and my cast iron pan when I set it on the stove. I keep the volume on my laptop down so low that, in a van, if someone were sitting in the passenger seat and I had my laptop behind them on the bed, they wouldn't even hear it. And as for the van rocking... only if an earthquake comes along. Two big things about me are 1) I love silence. Heck, I evicted the church mouse for making too much noise! And 2) I'm a voracious reader. In other words, to borrow from the van life terminology, my entire life is lived in stealth mode.
Cooking is best done away from where you are sleeping. The main point is don't make your presence known if you can help it.
Good point. Personally, if I'm trying to park in stealth mode, there won't be any cooking at all. That's like having a wood stove in the van and sending up smoke signals. In stealth mode, it's grab and eat food until I leave in the morning. I won't even have a microwave.
Another good idea is if you are at WM use their bags for everything. Trash, laundry..etc. everyone is carrying them so you blend in with the crowd.
Another great point!
While responding to your points, it dawned on me that maybe I have a different idea of stealth parking, or even boondocking, than other people do. In my mind, if I pull into a Walmart parking lot, it's at the time when I want to lock down the van tight, jump in the back, clean up or unwind for a short time, and then get some sleep. In the morning, refresh yourself and head out somewhere to cook breakfast. When I think about parking at Walmart, I don't think about showing up in the early afternoon, hanging around all day making myself at home, and leaving the next afternoon! Heck, even if I wanted to do some shopping at Walmart the next morning, I'd move my van to the customer parking area before I went in, not leave it where I parked for the night. That way, no one sees your vehicle in one place for too long.
