I actually was not going to post this one, but they hit on a really good idea -- gyms for showers.
So, a bit of history -- I’m a hitchhiker. My normal stops to take a shower are truck stops, or with a host on CouchSurfing. Other than that, I stay clean with daily grooming and quick “wash-offs” in bathrooms.
Gyms are an incredible idea. Of course, there is the workout itself, and I already like that. They also have showers. I started looking into it.
I found this article: “The Best 3 Gyms for Your Wallet“
I have not decided yet, but Planet Fitness is looking like the best for the price. Here are some top reasons:
Price: $250 per year total, making it dramatically cheaper than truck stop showers once the investment has been made.
Guests: Allowed to bring up to one guest daily, and as I’ll often have my Lili with me on these adventures, that is a huge perk.
Massage: Unlimited access to the massage chairs. This is so happening, as any bumps taken from the road will be worked out.
24-Hours: This should be number one, as I’m nocturnal, and I’ll be “that guy” coming in at 1am and staying for an hour or more.
Locations: I am looking at their map, and this is the part I need to research the most, but it looks like they are located nearly everywhere. Again, I need to check this more.
Few Negatives: Most of the negatives that people mention do not even apply to me, but one does stick out -- Dress Code. I need to look into this one, also, as it means I might need to lug around things that I am only going to use to go into a gym. That’s not cool, and often they are more lax on the hours that I would be in there, but it is a huge negative. However, for the money they would save and the extra benefits, it very well could be worth that one negative.
Another thing that I gained from this video was the discovery that there is a simple tool to warm up water, and that plugs into your average cigarette lighter. While I won’t be cooking in the van, warming up water for coffee and tea are going to be daily requirements. This one is happening.