Vanstock Alaska-Community, connection, and culture mark first-ever gathering

Hundreds of vans, RVs, and converted school buses coming from as far away as Austria and Argentina converged on Boyd Bison Ranch in Palmer for the first-ever Vanstock, an event focusing on nomadic living, sustainability, community, and financial freedom.

The mobile living movement has been gaining popularity over the past 10 years, with people taking to social media documenting van life, being a “schoolie” (living in a converted school bus), or living life on the open road. Other huge events like the Rubber Tramp Rendezvous and Descend on Bend, have changed perspectives, and given travelers a place to connect, as well as present an opportunity for people to meet and get inspired.

“Vanstock is really community-based at its core,” says Vanstock organizer Lindra Paradise. “It really came out of wanting community and wanting this community of people, all of whom have a catalyst for choosing to live this way of life. These people made me feel really at home seven years ago when I needed a community like that. At its root, that’s why I wanted to do this here.”

For many who choose this lifestyle, van life allows for a simpler and minimalist life, reducing possessions and focusing on experiences rather than material wealth.

There can also be potential cost savings. While van life can involve some initial costs for the vehicle and conversion, it can lead to lower overall expenses compared to traditional housing, especially when it comes to rent.

Living in a van often means spending more time outdoors, enjoying nature, and appreciating the natural world. It also flexible and spontaneous travel schedule, enabling exploration of diverse locations and landscapes.

Van life also offers unique daily routines and adventures, such as waking up to stunning views, cooking meals outdoors, and meeting fellow travelers at events such as Vanstock.

Throughout the four-day event, there were workshops for self-development, music, events focused on connecting and making friends, markets for participants to sell their crafts. There were also events like meditation and paddle board yoga, partner massage techniques, and drum circles.

“This was my second time doing a drum circle. Each time, the vibe and energy is different. It was great,” said Shelby Perry who came out from Anchorage and was a first time visitor to a van life gathering, after seeing a flyer for the event.

“The land is beautiful. It was relaxing and having the ability to take everything in at our own pace has been really nice. It’s unlike other events we’ve gone to. People have been so friendly and peaceful,” relayed Mary Campbell, also from Anchorage.

Vanstock was also an opportunity for many in the van life community to meet new faces, learn about Alaska’s indigenous cultures, learn how to sustainably travel, and enjoy all that Alaska has to offer. Paradise believes that Alaskans could benefit from all of the different people from around the world that congregated at Vanstock, as well as visitors having the opportunity to experience Alaska culture and what it really means to be from Alaska. She made a point to include Alaska Native culture, as members of a western Yupik tribe came out to kick off the event, as well as having an Indigenous Market

“I think people can really benefit from Alaska, and Alaska can benefit from all these people.”

While most attendees came out to celebrate and connect with others, for Paradise, Vanstock was also an opportunity to focus on mental health.

“As a kid I really struggled with mental health issues and seasonal depression issues, and in 2017, I reached a point where I didn’t think I could make it through the winter here,” she says candidly.

Paradise says that she thought back to her experiences attending and working festivals and as she looked into purchasing a van for her equipment, she learned about the trend of people living in vans. “I thought this was the perfect opportunity for me to get away from the winter and focus on my mental health. Then I attended a van life gathering, and it changed my life forever.”

Paradise says that Vanstock was originally planned for 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID pandemic, which she says was devastating. But after recovering from that loss for the past four years, she was excited to be able to bring her dream to fruition this year.

While there may be some criticism to choosing van life, as some people may face judgment or difficulty with employment or other services due to the lack of a traditional address, for many like, Phylana, it was about wanting something more out of life, while living with less.

The former Marine from Iowa says that when she was faced with being laid-off from her job, she opted to take retirement, and while living on a farmhouse in Iowa, where she also boarded horses, was everything she had hoped for, after having to bury seven horses in 11 years, she said she reached a point where she just couldn’t keep doing it.

“I was on my tractor, mowing my pasture, and it hit me, that no, I don’t want to be doing this when I’m 70,” she says, and soon sold her home and found an RV for herself and her cats.

She previously lived in a 31-foot RV, but says she didn’t need all the space and wanted something more open, purchasing a 16-foot box truck, which she has converted into her home. “I have no walls, and it makes everything feel big.”

Her simple life needs only 1200 watts of solar, a 50-gallon water tank, a little washing machine, a roll-down zipper shower (that’s actually bigger than some shower stalls), and a knack for ingenuity. She has customized her home to fit her needs, sometimes being creative with solutions. When she wants to use her stove for cooking inside her home, there was no place for an exhaust, so she simply took several two-inch computer fans and installed them above the stove.

“They work wonderfully as exhaust fans, and bonus, they’re quiet. The minute I turn them on, I can feel the breeze.”

Paradise, Phylana, and many other attendees cite Bob Wells, an advocate for nomadic van life living who also hosts a popular YouTube channel CheapRVliving, as a source of inspiration and information.

“”He’s originally from Alaska, living the nomad life, he’s really created a huge following for resources for people who live nomadically, and I’ve always admired Bob for what he’s done and I wanted to bring this energy to Alaska,” says Paradise.

Phylana said she finds valuable information from Wells, while also utilizing her own creativity. For example, when she finished tearing out the interior walls of her 2023 box truck, she put four inches of insulation on the walls and floor, but when it came to the ceiling, she says she used three layers of bubble wrap, something she learned while living in a farmhouse in Iowa. “I still have all the light, but none of the cold.”

As for her family back in the lower 48, she says her son was not at all surprised at her move, telling her to be the gypsy he always knew she wanted to be.

“This was still a surprise, because I never camped, I had never done anything like this. This was never in my line of sight. But seven years later, here I am,” she says happily.

Her biggest piece of advice for those considering a nomadic van life?

“I’m not camping. I’m not traveling. I’m living. And like every day living, I’m doing it in a smaller space. You’re not on vacation, and you’re not camping.

Paradise says that she is already planning for next year’s event, acknowledging that first-time events can be dicey, but seeing how successful this first Vanstock was, she was excited to say that there will be a Vanstock next year.

To learn more about Vanstock, please visit www.vanstock.org