suggestions: heat for winter car camping?

[TheFabFour]

Simplest solution is usually the best. That said, I hear a candle can take the edge off the cold. Some say a candle should be part of an emergency kit when driving in the winter/snow especially in remote areas.


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Some people use the UCO candle lantern for heating a tent. Candles last 9 hours and the 3 candle lantern gives off quite a bit of heat. You would could put something metallic around it to lower the light level but still give it air. We have the single candle lantern and spare candles in our emergency kit.

 

[presidentho]

I use a heated blanket on top of my sleeping bag. It is powered by a goal zero yeti 400


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[Pat_reek]

Invest in some clothes. Here in BC many of us sport Icebreaker marine wool clothes. Expensive but worth every dollar. Breathable but keeps u warm. Couple that with your sleeping bags and you will not be nice and warm sleeping, but also when you get out your already clothed for cold temperatures right out of the sack. No need for a heater when you have proper clothing coming out of bed.

My wife hated the cold, but after investing a few hundred dollars in new clothes, it doesnt stun her anymore coming out of the truck after sleeping.

I don't know, but a good sleeping bag is my next investment and maybe wool clothes for the kiddos since they like to kick the blankets out when they sleep.

 

[PaulB-2006 T4R]

So what about a small quiet generator like a Honda outside the vehicle with an extension cord running to a small electric heater INSIDE the vehicle? I know you need a generator and they do make some noise but no worries on emissions inside the vehicle.

This what I was thinking too and a portable heater with a thermostat. With the Mr Heater, the thought of CO poisoning would keep me awake all night or wonder if I was going to wake up.

https://www.amazon.com/Lasko-754200-Ceramic-Adjustable-Thermostat/dp/B000TKDQ5C

 

[Jetboy]

I'm with everyone else who says warm clothes and warm sleeping bag. We camp in sub zero temps on a pretty regular basis in the winter months. I do have a Mr. Heater that I'd use in a large canvas "wall tent" for hunting. Otherwise in my dome tent we just use warm sleeping bags, which is what we do most of the time. The best advice is NOT to use an air mattress. Use something insulating like foam.

There used to be tent safe heaters like the Zodi hot vent. But I think they may have discontinued them. They were about $500 and used a heat exchanger and small fan to pump hot air into a tent. I think they must have killed someone with a leak or something because they seem to have disappeared from existence.

If you do use it - at lest get yourself a CO monitor. I have a Toxirae3 for other reasons - but something like that would work great. It's not cheap though. I'd guess there are some that are less expensive.

 

[TEN613RPro]

I've slept in Toyota pickup beds with and without shells, suburban and excursion, they're all cold as hell, but 10 minutes of running the motor for heat in the morning was all it took to get going.

 

[srpuywa]

you might try one of these boat heaters

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/west...MIp5bH1_7g3gIVVuh3Ch2o4AvGEAQYAiABEgJFePD_BwE

or if you need a little heat - one of these (its really a dehumidifier but puts out some heat)

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Davis-Ai...MIlvjhw__g3gIV7rztCh3wJAvlEAQYAyABEgJqbvD_BwE

 

[MeefZah]

I let it idle.

Never had an issue. You get some water build up in the exhaust but that blows out once you start driving.

 

[DesertCanyons]

Candle in a car, an easy way to die

Simplest solution is usually the best. That said, I hear a candle can take the edge off the cold. Some say a candle should be part of an emergency kit when driving in the winter/snow especially in remote areas.

Unless the candle is in a special holder off the floor that can't be knocked over as occupants roll around at night,
This is a very bad idea.
I've known candles to start vehicle interior fires. With the occupants asleep it's very easy for them to get burned alive. That is a sure way to die. Imagine the smoker who drops his cigarette on the mattress. The brother of a friend of mine died this way.
Candles have hot wax that becomes flammable when spilled on combustible materials, that is, anything on the inside of the vehicle.

 

[Liquid_G]

I use a heated blanket on top of my sleeping bag. It is powered by a goal zero yeti 400


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I was thinking the same thing. I'd imagine in that small of an airspace an electric blanket + body heat might keep the inside decently warm.

 

[DesertCanyons]

UCO candle?

Some people use the UCO candle lantern for heating a tent. Candles last 9 hours and the 3 candle lantern gives off quite a bit of heat. You would could put something metallic around it to lower the light level but still give it air. We have the single candle lantern and spare candles in our emergency kit.

I'm not sure what this UCO candle is. See my post above. A candle inside of a car is a dangerous accident waiting to happen.

My plan for keeping warm is to find a good teardrop trailer. You can cover the trailer with a tarp to add warmth and keep the snow off, or make it easy to shed the snow in the morning. The trailer gives you a warmer place to stay out of the wind and get dressed in the morning. It's roomier than the back of a vehicle and the bed can be made up in advance. Add blankets and down comforters for extra warmth. If it's really cold you want sheets and down blankets. The down breathes and can still be comfortable as the temps rise. Take two comforters for those really cold nights. If you're getting up at 3 am to go out hunting or fishing it's going to be cold out there.

You live in mile high Denver , Colorado. It's going to be too cold for camping. Rent a cabin and take firewood or find a motel room.

Once, I went car camping in Yosemite in January with a truck and an insulated camper shell. It snowed almost every day. The temps were tolerable during the day but got very cold as soon as the sun went down. We had two down comforters on the padded bed off of the floor. Shortly after dark the top comforter froze over with the moisture from our breadth. The entire inside of the car developed frost from the same source, our breathing. That's another reason you need some ventilation.

 

[unsub1]

I use a heated blanket on top of my sleeping bag. It is powered by a goal zero yeti 400


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That's exactly what I use. Perfect!

 

[baldrik78]

I did some tent camping in sub 20 degree weather recently and found a few things that helped a ton.

First, make sure you have an insulated sleeping pad. Even better if you have one that has a mylar coating built in like a Thermarest. If you don't, a mylar blanket between you and the ground also works - anything to keep the ground from leeching heat from you.

Second, a wool blanket on top of your bag to help hold in extra heat. You can use mylar here too, but you might end up damp from condensation.

Third, most sleeping bags are pretty good at retaining heat, but it doesn't generate any of it's own. So, about 30 mins before you go to sleep, fluff the bag up (to create larger air pockets) and boil some water to put in a Nalgene bottle and toss it in your bag and zip it up.

Fourth, eat something fatty before you go to bed and make your body work up a little extra heat digesting it. Who doesn't like a good s'more before bed?

If all that still isn't doing it, invest in a heater

 

[Jeffy]

boil some water to put in a Nalgene bottle and toss it in your bag and zip it up.

Boom. Best trick I've learned so far. Boiled water in a Nalgene (or even two) keeps you warm through almost the entire night, think 6 hours or so. Just be careful not to burn yourself in the beginning. I've slept directly on snow in single digit temperatures with just a 20 degree sleeping bag and those Nalgenes made it pretty tolerable.

 

[Johncmng]

With a good sleeping bag and a few hand warmers, the heat will last about 8 hours. Don't put it in your pockets, it'll leave a red mark on your leg from the heat it generates.

 

[jdm-v35]

I use a heated blanket on top of my sleeping bag. It is powered by a goal zero yeti 400


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seems like a pretty cool power pack. how long does it last with the blanket before needing a charge?

 

[MSRP.]

#1 would be to get an electric blanket that you can turn on 15 minutes before getting into the sleeping bag. And perhaps again before you wake up (and bring in your change of clothes to preheat them)
Good (expensive) sleeping pads if you can swing the few dollars.

Candles aren't terrible, just have them under a few terracotta pots ala cheapo sailboat space heater with tealight candles.
And +1 to the tarp on the side where the wind is coming from.

 

[thennen]

how much fuel does an idling 4runner overnight use up?


serious question

Your question reminds me of a funny story. I had a 1987 Tercel wagon, and the short story is that I accidentally left it running for about 7 hours one night. Surprisingly, used only 1/4 tank (3 gallons maybe?). Not that there's a comparison to the 4 liter V6 here.

 

[Jetboy]

One last random idea. Diesel cabin heaters are not uncommon in heavy equipment and/or OTR trucks. I have no personal experience but I know webasto is one of the popular brands. They are probably the most common heater for camper van conversions. Normally they are installed under the front passenger seat, but I don't think it's possible in a 4Runner to install there. They also require cutting holes for things like fuel supply and exhaust. There are gasoline powered models that are pretty rare. Sprinter vans actually have a built in port in the fuel line to run them from the factory. They look like this:

Some chinese companies do make a self contained unit that has the heater core, the controls, the diesel fuel tank, etc. all in a small unit that is basically a stand alone furnace. It has air hose connections. So you'd set it outside and you'd need to pipe in a hot air vent and a cold air return. Probably some sort of thing you'd stick in the window that is partially rolled down. I think they also take 12v for power. You could potentially mount one of these on the roof and plumb it for air in/out of the sunroof or a side window. I wouldn't want anything to do with mounting the thing inside my 4Runner. But I would probably consider having it on the roof rack and setting it on the ground for use far enough away that a fire wouldn't start my 4Runner on fire. I've considered one for use in my little adventure camp trailer.

This is an example of a self contained style setup. Two of the vents are for combustable air and exhaust and two are for hot air out and cold air return. These should produce safe hot air for inside of a vehicle. Assuming they work correctly. Some even come with wireless remote control setups. Might be just the ticket for what you want, but they're not cheap.

https://www.amazon.com/SHZONS-Vehic...746307&sr=8-64&keywords=diesel+air+heater+12v

 

[1jzgte]

Your question reminds me of a funny story. I had a 1987 Tercel wagon, and the short story is that I accidentally left it running for about 7 hours one night. Surprisingly, used only 1/4 tank (3 gallons maybe?). Not that there's a comparison to the 4 liter V6 here.

yea.. that's kinda what came to mind.. we left our Camry Hybrid with a Vegas Hotel valet one night and the next morning the tank was lower than i remember and the battery charge wasn't where i remembered either.. so that means they didnt properly shut down the car and the vehicle was just cycling off and on to regenerate power all night long... piece of shit valets.. but anyways.. the gas needle barely moved but the battery level was what made me realize that it had been running all night..

anywho.. do they have "hybrid" generators? I know there was a product online that converted the prius's hybrid system into a generator system for scenarios like this.. it converted the 240ish voltage system to power applicances etc etc...

but yea that's my story to share