Hi Tristan. I too, drive a RAV4 and have converted it into a car camper. One trick when parking on snow. When you have chosen your parking spot, drive forward a foot or so, then reverse two feet. Do this a couple of times and it compacts the snow under your wheels. You then have no issues when you drive away in the mornings. Love to you, Cassie and Bowser. Chris
Very good tip. I am looking at car camping in the winter here in Alaska but weather in certain places can have much more extreme temperatures. I am considering some kind of heating source. I just don't think sleeping bags, no matter how many, will do the trick.
One tip for those that may not know, the temp. ratings on sleeping bags is the temp. your body can "survive" in. That is much different than the temp you would be "comfortable" in. Keep that in mind when selecting a bag. Also, if it ends up being colder than you prepared for you can use a lot of stuff in the car for added insulation. Fill your sleeping bag with your extra clothes, or wear extra layers of clothes in your sleeping bag. Even take your other gear and put it between you and the outer portions of the car. Anything between you and the side of the car will help insulate.
Completely agree with this post. A big thing these videos don't mention is that putting almost ANYTHING on the *inside sides* of your car will help to insulate you from the cold outside. This includes packs, towels, clothes, bags, rags, mags (magazines), newspaper (scrunched into balls and between two sleeping bags works well). Or just chuck that stuff on top of yourself. The key is insulation between you and the outside air. The more layers between, the warmer you'll be.
Hmm, I hadn't thought of this advantage of sleeping bags vs sleep quilts. I've always been pro sleep quilt cos I hate being confined in a bag but you can't stuff a sleep quilt like that. Food for thought
Before bed I’ll set up the Coleman stove outside , fill a tea kettle with water along with a pot of water. Come morning they’re solid ice, but no problem. Light the stove and enjoy a couple mugs of hot tea, warm your fingers, pour hot water on a washcloth for your face, brush your teeth and save some water for a basin to wash and rinse breakfast dishes. It’s a beautiful time with pre-planning the night before. Maybe make a sandwich and dried fruit and nut mix along with a snickers bar. Have potatoes, onions, peppers and oranges all precut. Make ahead butter sandwiches out of a whole loaf of bread to grab and go. High fat Nido milk and sugar for the tea. Start with several layers and strip them one by one as the sun warms you from the outside and hot food and drink from the inside. When becoming stuck in snow, chill out and read a book or take a hike until the sun changes the conditions a bit. Yes, 2-3 sleeping bags and alpaca sleep socks. Cashmere wrap for head and neck served me well and can be clothespinned to upper handgrips during situations were you need privacy. Thanks, as always!
I have a -30 Kelty mummy sleeping bag And a 3 inch self inflatable Thinsulate sleeping pad. I also use reflectics on my car windows for the FJ. And I also run the heat before I get into bed. Last winter I camped in -16F temperatures. It was frigid. I use hot hands to put inside my socks. And I have an electronic hand warmer that also charges my cell phone I bought on Amazon for $30 it’s absolutely wonderful. When it got down to -16 I did have to turn the truck on once in the middle of the night. I also have a heavy duty hat that I wear. It is also key to go to the bathroom before you go to bed so you don’t have to get out in the middle of the night. A little tougher for the women. Also eating a big meal before bed helps with the metabolism going. I also have a wool blanket that I throw over my sleeping bag it’s heavy and warm. And like you I keep water in my sleeping bag if I know it’s going to be super cold so I have something to drink when I get up that’s not frozen. I also always bring extra blankets to have in case of an emergency better to have too much than not enough when it comes to the cold. Wintercamping can be brutal if you’re not prepared. The best part I love about it is that there are no bugs. And I love to breathe the cool crisp air it seems cleaner to me. Thank you for this video Tristan. I’m all about educating people on winter camping. I carry recovery gear im my FJ because I like to go into the backwoods to camp in the winter where it’s pretty deep. I haven’t been stuck yet. The FJ is a beast lol.
You can use a cat litter for condensation. Simply pit it in socks or someting similar and it will do the job. I use around 6-7 socks with cat litter around the car and it works brilliantly
Nikolay Pavlov thanks a great tip that I haven’t heard before ! I wondered about those moisture salts that get put in RVs over the winter to pull moisture. It liquifies and then you pour it out later... does anyone know if these are bad for the environment ?
My SUV is now an RV, thanks to you! I find that in cold weather camping, if I curtain off the front seating from the back, my body heat helps warm the rear compartment more easily. One night the outside temp was 11 F but 27 degrees in the back where I slept.
Yea, stuck in 4 feet of snow for 4 days..walked out to finally find highway...covered in snow and adot snow plows..stuck..the roads still closed. Walked through a bunched of wrecked vehicles..3 miles...into town. Fuck the snow. Never going into any camp in snow.
@@deadsypadilla my father drove in 60 miles on a logging road in Canada. Went to bed no snow, woke up and over a foot of snow. He made it out by himself. Luckily he had chains, and a shovel!
I always sleep with a water bottle in my foot box including my spare clothes. Also my cell phone battery has gone dead when it gets below freezing, so I sleep with that inside my bag. The phone mostly used for photos and navigation. I enjoy your videos.
This is true - I've had my phone die on (truly cold) winter hikes b4 - REALLY annoying when you want to photograph something. I learned to keep it close to my skin after someone finally told me it was cos of the cold (being an Aussie I had no idea about stuff like that)
Great tips. Esp the water bottle and next day's clothing in sleeping bag w you! Btw I have found during winter camping that it works best NEVER to get INTO a sleeping bag when you are cold; run the car heater prior to getting in. Remember- like we say in VT: it's not about keeping the cold out. It's about keeping the heat IN. If you are warm in your bag, strip off a layer. If you are cold outside your bag/ get warm THEN get in.
I love winter camping and don't worry about the cold. I usually eat a big meat dish like chili for dinner to rev up my metabolism to generate body heat in my sleep. Besides, shivering and being cold is healthy! Being cold activates the brown fat in your body and the stress strengthens your immune system. Just make sure you wear socks and light gloves and cover your head in your sleeping bag. AND be prepared for frozen doors in the morning. You just have to run the car a few minutes to get the doors unfrozen.
@@Eat-Z-BugsYou bet I carry that spray in the winter! My front door lock froze during a cyclone bomb we had a few years ago. I walked my dog and couldn't get back in because the lock was frozen. Had to have the Fire Dept across the street come help me.
This is a terrific primer on cold weather camping!! Please consider the following clothing tips which worked for us: don't wear wet cotton or cotton content clothing (including undies), it just draws away your body heat. We stayed warm with polyester synthetics and wool. There's lots of 'no-itch' wool these days or layer the 'itchy wool over synthetics.
In skiing they have a saying. Cotton kills. Once it gets wet, it freezes next to your skin and your body temperature drops. Sweating in cotton or the condensation inside a car can cause cotton to freeze. Wool & synthetics is what you want to be wearing. I think silk is good too, but don't remember for sure. Wool is one of the only fabrics I know that get sopping wet and still keep you warm. A wool or synthetic beanie is a necessity too. I've slept in 35F, and it was much warmer inside my car than outside simply because of the reflectix on all the windows. I think that, confined in a small area like a car, it actually reflects your own heat back inside the car kinda like a space blanket. Happy camping!
Really great information here, thank you. I went my whole life without even considering the possibility of camping in winter until I got invited by a friend last January. I had serious misgivings about camping in the snow but absolutely loved it. Zero chance of being too hot (which I can't stand) and far fewer people out in the national forests. I'm not experienced at winter camping though and got caught out just this past weekend by the shortened daylight, exacerbated by the recent switch back to standard time, and found myself probing up primitive roads on the flanks of Mt Shasta in the dark. Being budget-sensitive and not wanting to shell out $300 for a down sleeping bag, I took a chance on a Coleman 0° sleeping bag I found on Amazon for $40 and it was a game changer for me. I carry an extra blanket to drape over it just in case but you're absolutely right, really all it takes to be comfortable sleeping in the cold is adequate insulation. I carry a big beach towel in my car all the time just as a multi-purpose what-if tool...dry off if I fall in the water, roll it up as a pillow if I forget mine, use it as an extra blanket layer, or - most commonly - I drape it across the outside of my windshield and secure it in place by closing the front doors on it, to keep the windshield from frosting over. Awesome vid Tristan, thanks!
I share my itinerary and timetable with someone. If I don’t show up as planned, others know and action can be taken based on pre-plans that we’re shared. Nice security blanket.
I don't know if this is a good idea or not, but when I was a kid and in the Boy Scouts when we went winter tent camping, I used to sleep with my clothes for the next day in my sleeping bag with me. They may have been a little wrinkly, but they were warm when I put them on in the morning.
I use a -20 degree bag 2 fleece blankets and a 12 volt electric blanket I plug into the Jackery to warm up at night and in the am. I didn't have a hat with me on my last trip, at 15 degrees I grabbed a pair of fleece leggings, put them on my head and used the legs to wrap around my neck and face. It worked so well I don't think I will use a hat agin. Thanks for another great video!!
Excellent tips! Your adventures have reminded us that if you're not inspired by Nature then you think too highly of yourself. What ever you do, stay with your vehicle. Let the sun in during the day. It is a good idea to keep the ice and snow off your windshield. Carry a tow strap and a traction mat to get your vehicle back on the road. Also, a fresnel lens to start a fire for warmth. Denim is a big 'No-no'. It is marketed as the go to fabric for the outdoorsy folks but it soaks up moisture like a sponge. Wool is the best option.
Thanks for the video. When I was younger (in my 20s), I would either Car camp or tent camp and loved doing it in the winter months. Now that I’m in my late 50s, my idea of “roughing” it is a Holiday Inn. 😁
Good stuff! I am a huge fan of wool. Merino wool base layer to sleep in, and socks, balaclava, hat and mittens, all made from thrift store sweaters. A few wool blankets rolled up along the sides of the car to insulate from the cold exterior walls and a wool blanket over a down sleeping bag. I have also brewed up hot coffee right before bed in a single walled metal bottle as a hot water bottle which goes into bed with me. Just needs a quick warm up in the morning to drink. Ladies...look up the P Style device on amazon. That and a repurposed plastic wide mouth jar.... Game changer!!!🤣
This may have been mentioned, but didn't see it in the comments. I keep a container of kitty litter to put under tires in case of snow. If you're not stuck too bad, it works pretty good.
Excellent topic of discussion and some very good tips Tristan! I have been following your channel for quite some time and it has evolved into quite the go-to information resource for SUV/Car overnight and extended camping/living. There are several channels addressing van dwelling and RV's, but not many such as "SUV RVing" that discuss SUV/Car dwelling. Great work! Keep the videos coming!
Down pants were life saver on the Mt. Everest last year. I slept at the places with no heat or adaquet insulations at all but had no problemn it was best purchase I made.
in my subbie I lay a $1 reflective 'survival blanket' on the deck, 2 3" thick twin size eggcrate mattress's stacked w/a filled sheet over them, I sleep in the military 3 layer sleeping bag, 90% of the time I use only the 'patrol bag' laid over me as a comforter with a foot box, it's good like that 8>9 months out of the year, in winter I use all 3 bags together..
A jump box with a 12 volt port and an electric blanket that has a 12 v plug. Then you can recharge the box as you drive. You can save on jump box by turning the electric blanket if you only use it if you are too cold.
LOL "Where's the fun in that?" That's exactly what I said to my husband when he questioned my idea of CRV camping while on any road trips to watch our WSU Men's hockey team at away games, and told me that a hotel would be a better way to go. The only trouble I have with late fall/winter camping is 1) remembering the shorter sunlight time and 2) those first few moments of getting up, using the bathroom (or whatever passes as a bathroom) and getting the stove going for coffee and breakfast. The only other thing I would recommend is that, although it is expensive at first, a true wool blanket (Pendletons is the one I hope to get soon) over a sleeping bag is pretty nice. Of course, again, eventually you have to get out of the car, ha. Nice video, thanks.
Wool and down…every where! Wool blanket on the floor helps condensation and insulates. Wool socks and down booties keep feet toastie. Cashmere or merino wool clothing, warm and soft. Preheat bed with a hot water bottle, which will also ensure you have some water not frozen in the morning. Store a couple bottles of water upside down in a water tight, insulated container….water freezes top to bottom so when the bottle is turn right side up it will be liquid on the top. Keep small electronics in bed with you - or at least between blankets.
Hi Tristan, next great video, thank you! :-) To get your car out of the snow, you can also use the car mats. Works very well. Greetings from southern Germany (with first snowfall yesterday)
I sleep all winter in the car, no problem, without using heaters and never run the engine at night. I always leave all four windows slightly open for fresh circulating air. I prefer to use one Everest winter ❄️ goose down sleeping bag and sleep naked in the bag most of the time. I hate to have my head or face covered, so never wear any hat or balaclava, and will most often have my whole head outside the bag all night. I should note that the more you are out in cold weather, the more your body becomes accustomed to low winter ❄️ temperatures.
You hit it all. Foam pads and Overdo the sleeping bags, they can be cheap ones as long as you have several ( 8" of insulation covers most temps) and wear a chin strap or as you said balaclava hat that won't fall off your head at 2 in the morning. I'm fond of the trapper style, not as constrictive feeling and very warm around cheeks. Of you dont have foam, several layers of cardboard works. Air mattresses are for warm weather...use foam for the cold. Finally, you will survive with just one bag...but if you go extra on the sleeping bags you will sleep in wild ultimate warmth and comfort and wake totally blissfully rested.
Enjoyed your tips💜 I’m not a winter fan, but my solution is to Winter in the van in the warm SoCal Desert... but it still gets cold. I’ve found wool, nylon or polyester keep you warm in Winter; cotton keeps you cool in Summer as a general rule of thumb💜happy trails
I love winter camping. When I was in the Marines, we would wear wool socks and put our feet in our rainproof sacks inside our sleeping bags. We called them “wooly Pete” bags and it worked like a charm.
I carry cat litter and a shovel in my vehicle all winter. So, if my vehicle happens to get stuck in the snow i can just put some cat litter behind each tire and i become unstuck. It works like a charm.
Good advice about using a balaclava with a watch cap to keep your head warm while sleeping in the cold. Discovered that years ago too. Really works. I avoid the snow, but totally agree with all your recommendations here!
I love my down booties for my feet, goose down pants are a must and a rubber hot water bottle is cheap and lasts for hours...I even have to use them while in the southern AZ desert!
One tip we use is hot water bottles, they will help keep you warm when it's cold, and they can be used as often as you need, even if you get cold during the day, just tuck them into your coat or under a layer you're wearing. Remember to use a cover on the hot water bottles or you'll possibly get burned.
Many comments suggesting a hot water bottle. I agree, but suggest using a multi-use "old timey" water bottle, often sold as an enema bottle. It can keep one warm on a cold night, cool on a warm night, provide cold or heat relief for injury or stomach issues, it even makes a decent lumbar support. It can also be used as a bidet, or, of course, an enema bag. There may be even more uses beyond my list.
I've only winter camped 2-3 times, and that was 30-40 yrs. ago. I'm not sure I'll be doing it (on purpose) again, but I do like to see others doing it! I get & stay cold pretty easily. As you alluded to in the video, get yourself (and the car) warm before bed. Also - depending on the forecast - either park where you'll receive sun in the a.m., or be protected from high winds (if possible). (Note: I just realized that "depending on the forecast" is potentially an oxymoron.) I've heard using wool blankets (or Thinsulate, if you have it) hung up around your windows & doors help some. Also, a Nalgene bottle with heated water put in your sleeping bag. I think I'd put the next days clothes in my bag with me. Not certain but, if one is fortunate enough to be in a Prius, you can set the heater to come on throughout the night. Not sure I'd want to depend on one to get me in/out of snow though.
I have tire cables for winter. Light weight and simple to put on your tires. For cold weather sleeping, I throw a couple hand warmers in the foot of my sleeping bag.
Fantastic tips! I like the idea of using a cover for the windshield. We bought an 8 pack of HotSnapZ reusable handwarmers ($20 on Amazon). We activate 4 of them before we get in our shared sleeping bag and they warm it up nicely. In the morning as soon as I am done making coffee, I recharge them in boiling water.
Yo..nice video..... One major tip when I backpack in the Winter or camp in my car in the Winter I always buy a Box of hand warmers body warmers and feet warmers. Using thicker wool socks very important! Tape one hand/foot warner To the bottom of your feet. Put another one in your pocket on the outer layer to not burn your skin. You can put another one in an upper chest pocket or the other hand pocket and believe me you'll stay toasty warm down to negative 10 or 15ﾟ. The hope this helps!
@@SUVRVing Sure, I use the 15ﾟ helium Marmont sleeping bag with the hand warmers in have slept well below 0 . When I backpack I just have to carry 2 or 3 hand warmers per night so that could be extra weight ! Hey did you have any luck fishing in the cold weather?
Excellent tips. I had 2 sleep in my 23 yo plymouth acclaim in 2014 at -45°, trvl frm bemidji mn. Stay at jackpot junction casino n parking since rms were full. Ran car heater after 3a.m. couple times. Slept fine w 3 blankets. Was warm. My cat slept w me on my chest under blankets. We were trvl 2 lawton ok. It warm n ok at 40° but cold to the okies here.
You have the best video series for these kind of things. I'm about to head out to camp in the upper peninsula in michigan with my dog. Not my first time but I like hearing how other people do it.
I removed my headliner (Ford Explorer 1997 4 door XLT) I put reflectix panels along the ceiling... Attached to the metal. I took the headliner. I took all the stock foam off and re-installed a synthetic rubber backing w synthetic suede. So the roof is totally insulated. On the windows I put a reflectix sandwich with a foam pad in between ... wrapped in a quilted material. So all the rear windows are covered. I have a 4 inch foam pad on an elm plywood bed frame I made myself. I sleep w my thermals on in a mummy bag... and I have a down comforter which is inside a cotton comforter cover... if it's super cold. Never really needed that... Even without running my heater I can keep my cabin above 60 degrees F. Even when it is sub 32 outside. If I go for a drive and run the heater I can get the cabin to 72 F+ ... and then... I only lose 1 degree per half hour. So if I get it to 72F It's gonna be approx. 5 hours before the cabin goes below 62... except my body heat delays that. So I think I've figured it out. I want one of those winshield frost shields though. That's a game changer.
I have camped late into the fall and have no issues staying warm but keeping my pup warm always stresses me, I wake up a lot making sure she's covered in her own quilt! Next dog I think I'll get a husky! Lol
We went through that (in a tent) with our two small dogs, the first time we lived here in Utah and camped in Logan canyon (one of the coldest, ugh). If we hadn't been so afraid of driving through the canyon in the dark, I would have packed up everything and gone home. Now that we are back to camping, years later, I pay to have someone house/pet sit and we camp with no pets at all. Much better.
@@robincrook5630 yeah that would be tough in a tent, inside a car does stay warmer with our body heat and whatnot. My dog absolutely loves camping tho, would break my heart to not take her!
@@nanchesca3950 Our current rescues would definitely not like camping. And when we do sleep in my 2nd gen. CRV, it would be way too crowded. Having them spoiled by our young friends is a win win. We often go many places where they do not allow pets when we travel/camp/hike, the couple could use the money and they get to spend time in a nice house rather than a tiny basement apt., and they are great at also looking after our old indoor cat and the several abandon ones we care for. We did once have a golden retriever mix rescue years ago who lived for camping, ha. I wish you and your furry one many happy adventures.
If you don't mind eating and drinking dog fur 24/7. Lol my husky always sleeps on my legs on my bed. I guess it wouldn't be any different in a car because I can never move or stretch!
I usually have my extra clothing in duffel bags and I will arrange the duffle bags between me and the sides and the bottom of my car it helps insulate against the cold air
I'm in Houston, Texas. We don't get much snow if any most winters but it does get cold for us. Supposed to be in the 20s next week for a couple nights. I wear thermals, use hot hands(lifesavers) and wear a big furlined thick jacket. I also crank up the heat when needed. Love your videos❤
I think you touched on just about every thing. I endured a 16 degree night once in my travels. I was in my full length down coat and all layers and wool socks, and knit cap. Bedding was appropriate. But the only problem I had was waking up several times because I I kept scooting down under my 20 degree bag and blankets and breathing my co2. Honestly, unless I had to, I would definitely snowbird it to as warm of temps in the winter as possible.
I think a Jackery 1000 (solar generator) is essential to charge your phone, heating blanket, coffee maker, laptop etc. Even better! A Prius will allow you to run the heat or AC 24/7 off the hybrid battery at a minimal cost. You can buy a kit to Jack it up…but rough terrain would be an issue. Thank you for your amazing advise and videos!
Always enjoy your videos. You provide great information and it is also great that your videos are focussed on cost minimal car camping - makes it available to everyone! Keep posting!
I had put together an emergency kit for my vehicles after I saw traffic stuck in snow on the highway for days and it still cost me $50 each from walmart no less. I hope I have all my bases covered.
2 yrs ago in January i was in richfield Utah at a (loves) truck stop woke up at 11pm 21 degrees wind blowing it was so cold to where I couldn't get my self up to get out of the vehicle and walk to the truck stop I read the phoenix Arizona weather report in of richfield Utah weather report
Watching this while SUV camping in the cold Spring weather. It’s going to be 35-40 degrees tonight. I got weather tech window covers, a 4in foam/air mattress and a zero degree sleeping bag. Hopefully I don’t have to pee in the middle of the night.
I am doing this because the Governor asked us to stay at home and he closed all hotels. This is for when I go to Mammoth Ski Resort or Lake Tahoe. I got a season pass but no where to stay!
Has anyone tried using a dehumidifier instead of cracking the windows? I found some rechargeable dehumidifiers suitable for car use online that I might try. I also have a small electric dehumidifier that really sucks up the moisture in my sunroom when it rains. I just have to make sure my Jackery can handle it. Also, there's a tutorial on YT showing how to add black Coroplast to one side of the Reflectix window coverings. I think he also added matte black material to one side to absorb heat from the sun, with added insulation. Wearing dry clothes to bed is key. When warming up the car, warm some dry wool socks and longjohns in front of the heater. I also keep an emergency blanket at all times. They reflect energy back on to your body and REALLY work. Keep a thermos of hot beverage ready in case you do wake up cold.
Check the weather forecast and especially check if weather advisories have been issued. I agree with your bedding recommendations and live in my SUV at Las Vegas NV. Early May this year the desert was getting hot so I went to around 13,000 ft elevation at Kaibab NF with a temperature of 27F degrees possibly colder. Ice formed inside the car and I really got cold I should have run the SUV though I never do and the option never entered my mind. I have little condensate form in the car and was surprised when cleaning that the bottom of my mattress was damp. I guess it was damp for some time and ever since everyday I pull out the mattress and place it on the windshield in the sun. Year round my mattress is Sun sterilized daily making for fresh cabin. Sorry for ruining on though I have a separate AGM power supply and ii can run a 200 watt electric heater. Great for taking the cold edge off. I can heat the cabin for two hours with the little heater. Living in the car I do not want to cover my head all the time and have learned to set my Coleman Butane Stove at the lowest setting and boiling three cups of water on it. Once the water boils I turn off the stove periodically releasing the steam in the car until the pot gets cold. Then boil again at the lowest stove setting. This low setting burns remarkable little fuel and runs along time to boil the covered pan.
Nice tips! I second another commenter here about keeping an eye on the weather report. For me, I haven't really done SUV RVing in the winter, but I would like to. The problem here on the Norwegian coast is not so much the cold, but rather the very short days. And with my working situation, I usually cannot get away for many days in a row, so I'll rather just do one-day trips and drive home in the afternoon during this season
Another great video with great tips and ideas for staying warm. I really appreciate your down to earth, and practical tips that you always provide. Thanks
I wake up in middle night start heat in car for half hour then go back to bed for temps around 28 29. For 23 and less I sleep front seat set alarm every hour to turn heat on
Tristan, I think you would like this guy. He lives stealth in a minivan in Canada, is very ingenious and has the most unusual minivan build ever, and he summits peaks: Foresty Forest: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KfOrwvHYcy4.html
Ventilation would be an issue, as would getting in and out. And then storing the thing in the morning when it's rigid and covered in frost would be kind of a nightmare.
3 года назад
Maybe, two covers and spray foam? In an emergency: artic wind/vortex.
