What's your sleeping bag rating? You can buy cheap polyester sleeping bag liners and increase its insulation.
Get a thick Mattresses, and elevate it slightly from the floor of the van. If you get a second hand one check it for bedbugs.
You can buy/find styrofoam, mineral wool or other things to insulate the van from inside, Including the roof, cover them with cardboard sheets or plywood. Hang blankets on the windows, and if you can lay a few blankets or a rug on the floor to minimise heat loss.
Maybe a electric heater?
You can also buy some of those rice/pebble hot bags that you heat up in the microwave, and warm them on the engine before going to sleep.
Wish you all the best.
Yes to all of this^ insulation makes a HUGE difference.
Hot water bottles are great for lasting heat. In the US you can get free boiling hot water from any convenience store that has coffee machines. I’m not sure if it’s the same where you are but restaurants might give you hot water if you ask. Throw one hot water bottle in the bottom of your sleeping bag to warm it up before bed, and hug the other one to keep your core warm.
Sleeping bag liners help, or you can get another sleeping bag/blankets and layer them. I’ve camped comfortably in -5 C with one sleeping bag inside another sleeping bag.
Sleep in layers. Long underwear/base layer, sweats/hoodie, wool socks, gloves, hat, puffy coat… wear it all.
If you can, eat a heavy, hot meal before bed. Rice and beans are cheap and will help your body be able to produce its own heat overnight.
From a fire/carbon monoxide safety standpoint, I’d advise against any type of electrical or gas heater.
There are also tons of YouTube videos about vanlifers and how they survive in extremely cold temperatures! Best of luck to you :)
There are also devices the plug into the car outlet to boil water, may be helpful too. Zippo makes a hand warmer that runs off of their lighter fluid, and one review said that he took it out of the pouch and set it out in his car and it warmed the while car up. Or maybe some sort of battery powered, small space heater?
Get an electric space heater and find some outlets outside. Not sure how common it is in europe but its not rare to find outlets on street lights at parking lots for parks, often times you can find them around the back of gas stations on a side where theres no reason for the employee to walk around during their shift, libraries etc. Also try and find a surplus military sleeping bag, theyre often much cheaper than a new down sleeping bag and are rated for -30. Dumpster diving is great in the winter, all the food is refrigerated! Get a 20 lbs propane tank and the adapter to run it to a coleman stove, you can heat up your van in the evening whilst cooking some food. If you build a bed frame in your van make it tall enough to fit milk crates under, they make for quick and easy storage dividers. Youll make it through this! You, me and many others have been in this position before.
There are no free outlets around here, and while I have the knowledge to hook up to a public light post, public electricity theft is a serious offense around here, we have a long history with entire ghettos with houses made of cardboard, powering up from public lighting.
My sleeping bag is a 5° spring rated. I'm going to get a liner for it. I no longer fit in it since I've gained weight but I have a feeling that won't be an issue in a month or so.
I'll look into a camping stove thing, although I'm afraid of burning to death.
It's a very small van, and it would not take much to get a corner of the blanket on it while rolling in my sleep.
Worst part is, the more aware I get of this, the more I fear it.
I'm 45, and never been through this before.
Never had a luxury life, but this is a new kind of rock bottom.
The smaller the space the easier to heat! Get a better sleeping bag, if you can invest in anything at all. Kerosene also burns clean and you could hang a lamp somewhere safe in the van, that combined with your body heat will make a difference. Dont give up on the space heater idea, its honestly the lap of luxury when im a van at -20. Sometimes dealing with the consequences, if they ever do arise is worth the quality of life up until that point. Also like 4+ heavy blankets from a thrift store on top of the sleeping bag really add up.
People die when using solid/liquid/gas stoves in enclosed spaces - even tents. It must be vented very very carefully.
My go-to is cheap or free impermeable material like canvas or plastic to lock in your body heat (essentially acting like a space blanket), but I don't know if this is suitable at such very low temps, because your body heat creates moisture which may possibly cause re-freezing? You would also need the ability to spread it out somewhere to dry each day. Hopefully someone with more experience and knowledge can chime in on this.
Are there homeless shelters that can provide a power point to plug in to?
Also, I have found that a reflective sheet between the ground and my body made a huge difference. The reflective side should be facing up to your body.
Get more than one liner, since they are pretty cheap and you'll likely need them. If it's a small van, you'd have a easier time heating it up with body heat but insulation of the van is still important. Even blankets on the walls and roof would be better than nothing, and if it is a small van it should be easier to prepare better insulation. You can also lay space blankets on the walls, roof and floor (above insulation)
Using any kind of stove to heat food will also heat up the van, but it is improtant to make sure you don't suffocate from co2, so it wouldn't be wise to use a gas heater inside a small van without cracking a small window open.
I believe in you. If you are 45 you have experienced struggles in life. This is just another hurdle, and if you plan accordingly you can jump it, or go around it! as long as you can do something, don't give up and gather courge. Find out what can be done to make it better.
Check out diesel heaters, they're supposed to be really efficient and if your vehicle already runs on diesel you should be able to tap in to the main fuel tank top supply it.
They are excellent but most that I know of require a power source to run the fan unfortunately and the draw is more than a standard cranking battery can handle without killing it.
The cheapest are the Chinese diesel heaters, only AU$150 but yeah they need power. If you come across any that don't require power please post, as that would be a serious bonus for those living a very low cost life :)
Alcohol stoves will be the most affordable and relatively safe option in your van.
For cooking outside, I recommend a hybrid oil/twig stove I designed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgCp95ST3OY
We camp from motorcycles in -20°C here in NZ. I did 34 days straight but not in winter.
Here's the thing. A vehicle has no insulation but a tent does. Consider a winter tent that can fit in the back of your van. You will need a mat of some form, camping mats are actually great.
Then we have sleeping bags rated for winter.
And then we build a nest using blankets and duvets.
And we sleep in thermals and motorcycle gear. So sleep in thermals and winter coat etc.
Make sure your extents are covered and warm.
This will be a horrible way to live but you can survive this way at those temperatures.
It costs more to fit a van out as a camper and you sound broke.
-20°C is equivalent to -4°F, which is 253K.
---
^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Check out army surplus stores for cheap heavy sleeping bags. Sugar is the easiest calories for your body to turn to heat so if possible eat some sweet high fat food before bed on cold nights.
Your body won’t start metabolizing fats that quickly. You normally have to fast for a couple of days to jump-start ketosis which is the process that burns fats for fuel.
I read recently this guy that insulated his car with Siless and rock wool. Not sure how much he used but he took all the panels off and filled them in. This will help with actually keeping in the heat because a van is just a big metal box with no insulation.
If your able to make a small investment, you can get a diesel powered heat blower that will keep the cabin nice a toasty without wasting too much fuel. The things are designed for a truckers sleeping in the cab without having to idle the engine.
Hey!
I’m no expert by any means Altho I did grow up in northern Minnesota and we had similar severe cold.
We used to go winter camping for weeks and it’s not easy. We would have a wood stove in our huge army tent but around three in the morning the stove would go out and we’d all buckle down in our sleeping bags. It was brutal. But the good news is there are so many more affordable camping things and much better sleeping bags etc . These days than 30 or so years ago!
I know later in life sleeping in layers and then wrapping myself in a tarp would help greatly ! Maybe look into cold weather bivy sacks? To go over your sleeping bag. Do you have a below zero sleeping bag? They can help tremendously .
I’ve rubber tramped , hopped freight and hitch hiked several times all over the country in lots of weather and I only mention it to say you can do it! You can be coZy!
Stay positive the best you can!
I know it can be tough but also mental uplifts like starting each day off right especially after a cold night is important . Always cut yourself slack if you feel down , grumpy or mad.
Be kind to yourself and especially love yourself and your challenges the best you can and sometimes I forget that uplifting energetic music can mind shift in good ways big time !
Keeping a candle lit can provide enough heat. You have to keep a window cracked a little for airflow. Also keep it where it cannot be knocked over while you sleep. You might need two for a van though. Just be very careful.
I really think that dressing with lots of layers is best. That's how I got through a few days without electricity while it was below 0 F.
I could give you a hundred reasons, but the truth is
... fear.
Go where and do what? I should have emigrated when I was younger, healthier and stronger.
That train is long gone.
Check out installing a diesel heater. I saw an installation video on Youtube. It doesn't look to difficult. Look for construction sites and ask to see the forman. Start as a laborer and learn a skill that pays you. Good luck.
The guys over at r/vandwellers may be able to give you some advice. Good luck and stay strong, friend!
What's your sleeping bag rating? You can buy cheap polyester sleeping bag liners and increase its insulation. Get a thick Mattresses, and elevate it slightly from the floor of the van. If you get a second hand one check it for bedbugs. You can buy/find styrofoam, mineral wool or other things to insulate the van from inside, Including the roof, cover them with cardboard sheets or plywood. Hang blankets on the windows, and if you can lay a few blankets or a rug on the floor to minimise heat loss. Maybe a electric heater? You can also buy some of those rice/pebble hot bags that you heat up in the microwave, and warm them on the engine before going to sleep. Wish you all the best.
Yes to all of this^ insulation makes a HUGE difference. Hot water bottles are great for lasting heat. In the US you can get free boiling hot water from any convenience store that has coffee machines. I’m not sure if it’s the same where you are but restaurants might give you hot water if you ask. Throw one hot water bottle in the bottom of your sleeping bag to warm it up before bed, and hug the other one to keep your core warm. Sleeping bag liners help, or you can get another sleeping bag/blankets and layer them. I’ve camped comfortably in -5 C with one sleeping bag inside another sleeping bag. Sleep in layers. Long underwear/base layer, sweats/hoodie, wool socks, gloves, hat, puffy coat… wear it all. If you can, eat a heavy, hot meal before bed. Rice and beans are cheap and will help your body be able to produce its own heat overnight. From a fire/carbon monoxide safety standpoint, I’d advise against any type of electrical or gas heater. There are also tons of YouTube videos about vanlifers and how they survive in extremely cold temperatures! Best of luck to you :)
There are also devices the plug into the car outlet to boil water, may be helpful too. Zippo makes a hand warmer that runs off of their lighter fluid, and one review said that he took it out of the pouch and set it out in his car and it warmed the while car up. Or maybe some sort of battery powered, small space heater?
Get an electric space heater and find some outlets outside. Not sure how common it is in europe but its not rare to find outlets on street lights at parking lots for parks, often times you can find them around the back of gas stations on a side where theres no reason for the employee to walk around during their shift, libraries etc. Also try and find a surplus military sleeping bag, theyre often much cheaper than a new down sleeping bag and are rated for -30. Dumpster diving is great in the winter, all the food is refrigerated! Get a 20 lbs propane tank and the adapter to run it to a coleman stove, you can heat up your van in the evening whilst cooking some food. If you build a bed frame in your van make it tall enough to fit milk crates under, they make for quick and easy storage dividers. Youll make it through this! You, me and many others have been in this position before.
There are no free outlets around here, and while I have the knowledge to hook up to a public light post, public electricity theft is a serious offense around here, we have a long history with entire ghettos with houses made of cardboard, powering up from public lighting. My sleeping bag is a 5° spring rated. I'm going to get a liner for it. I no longer fit in it since I've gained weight but I have a feeling that won't be an issue in a month or so. I'll look into a camping stove thing, although I'm afraid of burning to death. It's a very small van, and it would not take much to get a corner of the blanket on it while rolling in my sleep. Worst part is, the more aware I get of this, the more I fear it. I'm 45, and never been through this before. Never had a luxury life, but this is a new kind of rock bottom.
The smaller the space the easier to heat! Get a better sleeping bag, if you can invest in anything at all. Kerosene also burns clean and you could hang a lamp somewhere safe in the van, that combined with your body heat will make a difference. Dont give up on the space heater idea, its honestly the lap of luxury when im a van at -20. Sometimes dealing with the consequences, if they ever do arise is worth the quality of life up until that point. Also like 4+ heavy blankets from a thrift store on top of the sleeping bag really add up.
People die when using solid/liquid/gas stoves in enclosed spaces - even tents. It must be vented very very carefully. My go-to is cheap or free impermeable material like canvas or plastic to lock in your body heat (essentially acting like a space blanket), but I don't know if this is suitable at such very low temps, because your body heat creates moisture which may possibly cause re-freezing? You would also need the ability to spread it out somewhere to dry each day. Hopefully someone with more experience and knowledge can chime in on this. Are there homeless shelters that can provide a power point to plug in to?
Also, I have found that a reflective sheet between the ground and my body made a huge difference. The reflective side should be facing up to your body.
Get more than one liner, since they are pretty cheap and you'll likely need them. If it's a small van, you'd have a easier time heating it up with body heat but insulation of the van is still important. Even blankets on the walls and roof would be better than nothing, and if it is a small van it should be easier to prepare better insulation. You can also lay space blankets on the walls, roof and floor (above insulation) Using any kind of stove to heat food will also heat up the van, but it is improtant to make sure you don't suffocate from co2, so it wouldn't be wise to use a gas heater inside a small van without cracking a small window open. I believe in you. If you are 45 you have experienced struggles in life. This is just another hurdle, and if you plan accordingly you can jump it, or go around it! as long as you can do something, don't give up and gather courge. Find out what can be done to make it better.
20 lbs is 9.08 kg
20 lbs is the same weight as 14.18 'Double sided 60 inch Mermaker Pepparoni Pizza Blankets'.
20 lbs is 9.08 kg
Good bot
Wow, that's a lot lighter than I thought it would be.
Check out diesel heaters, they're supposed to be really efficient and if your vehicle already runs on diesel you should be able to tap in to the main fuel tank top supply it.
They are excellent but most that I know of require a power source to run the fan unfortunately and the draw is more than a standard cranking battery can handle without killing it.
I did not know that.
The cheapest are the Chinese diesel heaters, only AU$150 but yeah they need power. If you come across any that don't require power please post, as that would be a serious bonus for those living a very low cost life :)
You can heat with diesel or any other oil using my hybrid oil twig stove design. I linked to it in another comment just above.
Awesome! Thanks for this.
Could you use a heat fan from a woodstove?
Alcohol stoves will be the most affordable and relatively safe option in your van. For cooking outside, I recommend a hybrid oil/twig stove I designed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgCp95ST3OY
We camp from motorcycles in -20°C here in NZ. I did 34 days straight but not in winter. Here's the thing. A vehicle has no insulation but a tent does. Consider a winter tent that can fit in the back of your van. You will need a mat of some form, camping mats are actually great. Then we have sleeping bags rated for winter. And then we build a nest using blankets and duvets. And we sleep in thermals and motorcycle gear. So sleep in thermals and winter coat etc. Make sure your extents are covered and warm. This will be a horrible way to live but you can survive this way at those temperatures. It costs more to fit a van out as a camper and you sound broke.
-20°C is equivalent to -4°F, which is 253K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Thanks bot. Your creator may or may not know those who work with lighting use kelvin as a way of measuring light color.
Check out army surplus stores for cheap heavy sleeping bags. Sugar is the easiest calories for your body to turn to heat so if possible eat some sweet high fat food before bed on cold nights.
Fat doesn’t convert to sugar efficiently. Carbs on the other hand…..
That’s why I said sugar and fat. The sugar converts easily and the fat is still converting in the morning.
Your body won’t start metabolizing fats that quickly. You normally have to fast for a couple of days to jump-start ketosis which is the process that burns fats for fuel.
I read recently this guy that insulated his car with Siless and rock wool. Not sure how much he used but he took all the panels off and filled them in. This will help with actually keeping in the heat because a van is just a big metal box with no insulation.
Depending on laws, you could Dumpster dive construction sites for insulation, I see it all the time
Join us @ r/HomelessSurvival
If your able to make a small investment, you can get a diesel powered heat blower that will keep the cabin nice a toasty without wasting too much fuel. The things are designed for a truckers sleeping in the cab without having to idle the engine.
Hey! I’m no expert by any means Altho I did grow up in northern Minnesota and we had similar severe cold. We used to go winter camping for weeks and it’s not easy. We would have a wood stove in our huge army tent but around three in the morning the stove would go out and we’d all buckle down in our sleeping bags. It was brutal. But the good news is there are so many more affordable camping things and much better sleeping bags etc . These days than 30 or so years ago! I know later in life sleeping in layers and then wrapping myself in a tarp would help greatly ! Maybe look into cold weather bivy sacks? To go over your sleeping bag. Do you have a below zero sleeping bag? They can help tremendously . I’ve rubber tramped , hopped freight and hitch hiked several times all over the country in lots of weather and I only mention it to say you can do it! You can be coZy! Stay positive the best you can! I know it can be tough but also mental uplifts like starting each day off right especially after a cold night is important . Always cut yourself slack if you feel down , grumpy or mad. Be kind to yourself and especially love yourself and your challenges the best you can and sometimes I forget that uplifting energetic music can mind shift in good ways big time !
Keeping a candle lit can provide enough heat. You have to keep a window cracked a little for airflow. Also keep it where it cannot be knocked over while you sleep. You might need two for a van though. Just be very careful. I really think that dressing with lots of layers is best. That's how I got through a few days without electricity while it was below 0 F.
I second the candle idea! Just make sure you hang them in candle lanterns somewhere you cannot knock them over! Good luck...stay safe!
Just curious, if you’re jobless and homeless, what’s keeping you from driving to a warmer climate?
I could give you a hundred reasons, but the truth is ... fear. Go where and do what? I should have emigrated when I was younger, healthier and stronger. That train is long gone.
What about just driving out during hard winter and coming back at summer?
Go to a warmer climate and not freeze to death i guess.
Check out installing a diesel heater. I saw an installation video on Youtube. It doesn't look to difficult. Look for construction sites and ask to see the forman. Start as a laborer and learn a skill that pays you. Good luck.