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
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