For people who live on the road, self-isolating at home during the pandemic is impossible - now there's a spreadsheet to connect them with temporary places to stay

And it's not just for van-lifers: Many through-hikers preparing for journeys like the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (the trek that Cheryl Strayed made famous) found themselves stranded during the outbreak too. The Pacific Crest Trail Association is asking hikers to cancel or postpone all treks to keep themselves and local communities along the trail safe. The Kantors, who spent three months hiking the PCT in 2016, know the widespread stress this is causing.

"When we hiked [the PCT], we moved out of our apartment, sold everything we owned, and quit our jobs," she said. "If we were in that position now and we were being told not to hike, we'd have nowhere to go. It's cool because this shelter resource isn't just for driveways. I've seen people post offering vacant Airbnbs and spare rooms for hikers, too."

Kantor launched the Space for Road-Lifers Directory in a flurry — that's why the application process is ultra simple. Those with free space fill out a Google form with their contact information, location, space, utilities, and pet-friendliness. Once reviewed, their information is populated in the public Google spreadsheet. Those seeking shelter reach out to the hosts and take the conversations from there.

So who are these gracious hosts? According to Kantor, some are former van-lifers. Some are outdoors lovers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts. And others are just generous, kind people.

One host, Aileen Gardner, is welcoming multiple van-lifers to park at her home in Bend, Oregon. Gardner is not just sympathetic to the van-life community, she's part of it. She and her husband lived out of a Sprinter van for years, and they're excited to trade travel stories with their "new neighbors" over morning coffee and late-night bonfires — while social distancing, of course.

"I feel a sense of responsibility to take care of our community," Gardner told Business Insider. "We feel for people who are being told to go home when public lands and campgrounds are home to most road-lifers. If we were ever in a situation like this, I know someone would show us the same kindness."

Gardner's first guests, Alyssa Bean and her husband Dan, live full time in a renovated school bus named Lucky. These two quit their jobs to travel across the US, and were doing just fine until the campgrounds and public lands shut their doors.

"Being from Massachusetts, we were a long way from family, so we found Megan's document in our nomad community and immediately emailed Aileen," Bean said. "It's a huge wave of relief knowing we have a place to anchor in uncertain times. The generosity is overwhelming."

Boulder photographer Jess Drawhorn and her husband moved from their first newly-wed apartment into new digs right before the pandemic hit. Drawhorn couldn't let the empty apartment just sit there. She signed up as a host and offered her room to a road-life couple and their two dogs. In these trying times, even the simple act of handing over apartment keys — which she did by setting them six feet away on the sidewalk — sent Drawhorn on an emotional rollercoaster.

"This apartment meant so much to us, and it felt like our civic duty to share resources right now," she said. "We chatted a bit about the area, I asked them to water my plants, and told them where they could take their dogs. They thanked me again and again, and we all kind of wanted to cry. The strangeness of the situation is dizzying."