25 POOR MAN’S Winter Car-Camping Tricks That Make $60,000 Four-Season Campers Look Like a Scam, by Hunger Winter Skills on YouTube. 25 min 31 s.
- Video length
- 25 min 31 s
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 10
What you need
Steps
Cut foil-faced insulation to the shape of each window and press it into the glass. Keep the front side windows clear enough to see your mirrors.
Lay foam floor tiles or a thick moving blanket over the whole floor. Cold rises through bare metal, so cover every bit of floor you will touch.
Hang a blanket across the car behind the front seats. Sleeping in a smaller space traps your body heat instead of warming the whole cabin.
Stack a closed-cell foam pad under your inflatable pad. Add the R-values of both pads and aim for a combined R-value of 5 or more for freezing nights.
Sleep in dry wool base layers and keep a spare dry set to change into. Damp cotton pulls heat away from your body overnight.
Fill a sturdy bottle with hot water, wrap it in a sock and put it at the foot of your bag. Put hand warmers in your pockets, never against bare skin.
Crack one window a finger's width and fit rain guards so the gap stays dry. This lets moist air out and cuts condensation on the glass and your bag.
Keep a moisture absorber in the cabin and wipe the windows first thing in the morning. Air out your bag and hang anything damp before you drive.
Store your water bottle upside down so ice forms at the bottom, and use a cooler to stop food and batteries freezing. A hot meal in a flask warms you from inside.
Park out of the wind on level ground. Never sleep with the engine running or a heater or flame burning, clear snow from the tailpipe before you run the engine, and carry a carbon monoxide alarm.
Tips and common mistakes
Test your pad setup on a cold floor at home before you rely on it outdoors.
A cheap foam mat under an air pad adds more warmth than a costly bag on its own.
Never cook inside the car, even with the windows down.
Tell someone where you are parked and check the overnight forecast before you set up.
Questions
What R-value do I need for winter car camping?
Aim for a combined R-value of 5 or more under your body when nights drop below freezing. Stacking a closed-cell foam pad under an inflatable pad is the cheapest way to get there.
Can I leave the car engine running to stay warm?
No. Never sleep in a car with the engine running, because carbon monoxide can build up and kill you. Run the engine only while you are awake, and clear snow from the tailpipe first.
How do I stop condensation inside the car?
Crack one window slightly and fit rain guards so the gap stays dry. Wipe the glass in the morning, air out your bag and use a moisture absorber.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
