Vandwelling 101- It's Cold Outside...Staying warm

It's been some time since I covered cold weather tips. I'm originally from Michigan. I did a couple of winters in my home state. Cold can kill you. So how do you stay warm and safe?

First hang blankets...blankets are not expensive at thrift stores. Look for wool, quilts, crocheted afgans. Each has a use.

Hang blankets over Windows. I use a bungee and Double the blankets over it. Those side barn doors...hang blankets over them. Hang blanket right behind the front seats and across the rear doors.

Your bed...under the mattress or pad...hang a nice heavy blanket as a bed skirt. This cuts the drafts off.  Hang blankets around your sleeping area like the old medieval castle beds. Castles were cold and drafty...so the four poster curtained bed was a necessity.

Get some nice thick hall runner rugs...put them on the floor. I had 3 layers of thick carpet. It made a world of difference. No need to install wall to wall. Just lay them down on the floor.

Park facing east. That morning sun will quickly warm up the van.

Use windshield cover. Those nice silvery bubble window Sun protectors...keep warmth in.

You'll want a wool hat, torque, warm socks. You lose body heat through your head, hands, and feet.

Many a morning in Michigan I sat in my front seat, with my coffee, upright in a sleeping bag. A fleece blanket tossed over my shoulders like a shawl. Now I have a fleece hooded cape. I love it.

Warm socks...warm socks make a world of difference. Put your socks in a gallon Zip lock bag. When your feet get cold and wet...and you have a nice dry pair of socks...it's good.

Do not leave any heater on overnight. Some have woke up to a fire, or died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Just don't. Heaters need at least a foot or two clearance.

You can sleep warmly in sub zero temps. I used nylon sleeping bag inside a bigger Coleman sleeping bag. A fleece blanket for over the head and mouth. Warm socks. I filled 20 ounce pop bottles with hot (not boiling) water and tucked them deep in my bed. Make sure to cap tightly.

You can catch frostbite easily and quickly. Keep several pairs of the 99 cent stretchy gloves in a zip lock bag. If your hands get wet...change gloves immediately. Yes...This one comes from experience too.

You'll want at least a couple of stocking hats. And I still have two of the hats with face masks.

Remember to slightly crack a window...condensation from your breath can make it rain inside.

These are just some of the things I did while living in a van in frigid Michigan winters.

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See ya down the road

Vandwelling 101- What Do You NEED part 1

I see this question over and over in many different formats.

What do you absolutely need?

You need a vehicle. A van, in my opinion, is optimum but any dependable vehicle will work. I have done this in a Pontiac sunfire, I've done it in a 30 foot class A Motorhome. I've done this in vans. Vans blend in, so do small cars. There are advantages to each vehicle.

You need a place to sleep. It can be as simple as plywood laid across a couple of milk crates and padded to a built in bed with a real mattress. There's many good choices out there. Each has advantages and disadvantages.

You need to be able to use the bathroom. I've got a Lugable Loo. That now stays in my travel trailer. I've used plastic coffee cans, and a oil funnel with any available empty bottle. (I'm female, we need help with aiming)

Being able to cook food and make coffee is high on my list. While urban Vandwelling it's not so critical, I really prefer being able to be independent. Stoves-I've used butane, propane, and Coleman fuel ones. I've cooked over a campfire. I've made and used simple alcohol stoves. I'd recommend either a propane stove (as low as $25) or a Coleman fuel stove.

You need a way to clean up your act. I carry a solar shower bag, but I'm also good with a soup pot, Water, kirks castile soap, and a washcloth. Ladies...wash your hair over the pot using a cup our glass to scoop water. Rinse over pot. Use the same water to wash using a washcloth and soap.

UNDER NO Circumstances do you ever use soap or shampoo in any lake, creek, stream, river. Just don't even think about it. You can use sand to scrub your body and get just as clean as if using soap. Don't pollute.

You need a lot less clothes than you think..

I'll continue this in part 2.
This should provoke some thought.

See ya down the road
Lou
#2PupCrew