Sofisintown
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35F tonight in WI. It will get down to 33, but we'll not freeze. Not for a few more days.
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Our fall looks like it might last about 3 days here in southern Utah, going from 16% humidity no rain for months with daytime high of 80-85 degrees and nighttime lows of 52-54 degrees to on Monday a high of 51 degrees and a low of 24 degrees with a chance of snow! Wind is picking up as the front comes in! Well at least I got a day to get ready! Lol!!!
My friend living in her van over near La Crosse is looking at a predicted low of 19F on Monday night. Cloudy weather the past week means her solar batteries are getting low. I hope she's started her migration now. My friend who was staying in Elko headed south 2 days ago. Sunday night is predicted to be 4F in Elko. Woof.Sofisintown said:
For you other ladies who have been living in S&B in cold weather, well, welcome to van life. 3 winters ago, I traveled all through AZ and NM, and saw a lot of 24F nights. I put things I didn't want to freeze in the sleeping bag with me.
travelaround
Well-known member
Feeling cold already due to all these weather reports. In my 10 day forecast I don't see anything lower than 36 degrees. Hope this continues a while. I'm not looking forward to winter but if I get ejected from my hotel by Red Cross rules, I will look for the closest place with 70 degree weather and head in that direction. Maybe. The other pull is my grandchild's birth next month. I may have to be here to help look after my older grandchildren... but I don't like the idea of freezing in that van in order to stay longer.
Yesterday I stored about half my boxes in the skoolie (which is in storage) and now I have the task of doing something with the other half of the boxes. I need organization. I need a battle plan. I need creative solutions. They gave me a key to the skoolie in case I need to go there to store more things, or get things out. The goal is to empty the van enough to start on vanlife part 2: making it look like a camper van I'll be happy to live in. So far all I've got is a floor and insulation.
Yesterday I stored about half my boxes in the skoolie (which is in storage) and now I have the task of doing something with the other half of the boxes. I need organization. I need a battle plan. I need creative solutions. They gave me a key to the skoolie in case I need to go there to store more things, or get things out. The goal is to empty the van enough to start on vanlife part 2: making it look like a camper van I'll be happy to live in. So far all I've got is a floor and insulation.
Try to remember that while there are there are women ie, "ladies" participating in the forum you don't need to put on a sexist hat and consider that we have all been living as pampered flowers in a hot house.
We are intelligent people who have had many experiences in our lives including being in freezing weather and have learned about things such as approptiate bedding to use on a cold night. We are also capable of knowing that there are freezing temperatures in the winters at night time in the desert. We even do things that are highly technical such as paying attention to weather reports. While you might have good intentions to protect us it truly is not appropriate in the modern forum atmosphere of mixed gender groups as well as mixed age groups to be so blatenly sexist towards us "ladies" that you feel compelled to treat us as being idiots who can't figure out to use blankets to stay warm at night.
Good grief I learned about using down blankets at night in the early 1950's as a child growing up in San Antonio, Texas. My mother taught me about them and no doubt her mother taught her.
We are intelligent people who have had many experiences in our lives including being in freezing weather and have learned about things such as approptiate bedding to use on a cold night. We are also capable of knowing that there are freezing temperatures in the winters at night time in the desert. We even do things that are highly technical such as paying attention to weather reports. While you might have good intentions to protect us it truly is not appropriate in the modern forum atmosphere of mixed gender groups as well as mixed age groups to be so blatenly sexist towards us "ladies" that you feel compelled to treat us as being idiots who can't figure out to use blankets to stay warm at night.
Good grief I learned about using down blankets at night in the early 1950's as a child growing up in San Antonio, Texas. My mother taught me about them and no doubt her mother taught her.
Luckily, where you're living, you can get right on I-5 south and not see any bad road conditions.travelaround said:
What you can certainly do is "camp" in the van while getting things built, like you did on your trip to ID. Put whatever you have for build-up into the trailer, and live in the van. If you have a good sized Solar Portable Power Generator with a high-wattage inverter, you can run power tools. Build things one step a time, eg first the bed, and move them into the van in sequence. You will have plenty of time to work on the build when living as a boondocker. Fun in the sun.
My old portable radio died, so I ordered a new one that includes the weather band. You can check climate data for places you're looking at going to. I found that Yuma and the Salton Sea areas to be much warmer than Quartzsite, due to the lower elevations. It was in the mid-80s at American Girl Mine in mid-February.
Quartzsite: ave lows in Dec,Jan = 38-40F
Yuma: ave lows in Dec,Jan = 46F
https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/quartzsite/arizona/united-states/usaz0180
https://www.usclimatedata.com/climate/yuma/arizona/united-states/usaz0275
I would say that last winter in Jan,Feb in Quartzsite the temperatures were more like low-30s most of the nights.
shadowmoss
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I don't think warning people about what they might want to plan for is sexist. I am old school feminist, first woman to (insert a few work tech school and work related activities). However, not everything pointed out to someone who may just happen to be female is 'mansplaininng'. We don't know most folks' on here's background. Someone from back East may have an idea about what the desert Southwest is that will work against them, male or female. It is more about trying to alert folks to what they will need for this new environment so the transition is as easy as.possible, not about talking down to anyone.
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Honestly, I'm not sure what this means (although a number of possibilities come to mind). Can you help?Qxxx said:
travelaround
Well-known member
The air is getting thick in here!
I will be back later - I need to go rearrange things in my van. LOL That's an understatement.
I will be back later - I need to go rearrange things in my van. LOL That's an understatement.
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Oh. Thank you.Qxxx said:That was my way of saying how perceptive you were in regards your previous post,.
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Travel:
Rearranging stuff in the van used to be one of my favorite things to do, but I can understand if it's not yours right now. I feel sure you will find a good balance of roots and exploration as you move forward.
Yes, my "community" is large. I live in Dallas County, which, according to Wikipedia, had an estimated population of 2,635,516 inhabitants in 2019. So far, 1,097 have died from COVID 19 (and we have outstanding hospitals here). The thing is, each of those numbers represents an individual, and those they love. IMO, much of the suffering here has been preventable.
What I've noticed in my travels in rural areas, is that different towns seem to take masking and social distancing more or less seriously. I noticed a huge difference between two towns 20 miles apart this week. That tells me you really can influence those around you by modeling behavior you'd like to see more of, which somehow feels empowering.
Rearranging stuff in the van used to be one of my favorite things to do, but I can understand if it's not yours right now. I feel sure you will find a good balance of roots and exploration as you move forward.
Yes, my "community" is large. I live in Dallas County, which, according to Wikipedia, had an estimated population of 2,635,516 inhabitants in 2019. So far, 1,097 have died from COVID 19 (and we have outstanding hospitals here). The thing is, each of those numbers represents an individual, and those they love. IMO, much of the suffering here has been preventable.
What I've noticed in my travels in rural areas, is that different towns seem to take masking and social distancing more or less seriously. I noticed a huge difference between two towns 20 miles apart this week. That tells me you really can influence those around you by modeling behavior you'd like to see more of, which somehow feels empowering.
I have no issue with people posting tips about good ways to keep warm in freezing weather. But there is absolutely no need to sex differentiate such information unless it is truly only relevant to a particular gender.
I used to live in Alaska. One place I briefly rented was a travel trailer. Of course no running water or even insulation in there. It was on a semi rural property and had an outhouse. I quickly learned not to sit down on that toilet seat when the temperatures dropped well below freezing. The moisture from your skin immediately freezes to the seat. I did not grow up there but I moved there when I was 19 and did a lot of camping out of our vehicles, mostly in the late spring thru early fall. Fortunately there were some pretty basic cabins in the family that we got to use for the winter camping.
Today turned out to be more of a work on Etsy orders, packaging and shipping day than a work on my build day. It is 4:30 now, the nice morning and mid day sunshine has gone behind cloud cover and it is getting much colder. Time to turn on the heat and do some more work on packaging up of kits so I have them in stock ready to ship out when orders come in. I will put on an audio book to listen to while I work.
I had to toss out the Gas One. dual fuel mini stove, it simply did not hold up which made me frustrated as I loved the size of it. The cast aluminum burner hob on it got deformed. Then the air fuel mixture unit failed and it would no longer stay lit. Good thing I had ordered in a Coleman single burner for a backup. Tomorrow if all goes well I will have my built in diesel cooktop/heater working. I still plan to do a lot of the cooking outside when the weather permits which it did today and yesterday evening For now when not in use the Coleman stove is hanging out in my workshop tent space.
I used to live in Alaska. One place I briefly rented was a travel trailer. Of course no running water or even insulation in there. It was on a semi rural property and had an outhouse. I quickly learned not to sit down on that toilet seat when the temperatures dropped well below freezing. The moisture from your skin immediately freezes to the seat. I did not grow up there but I moved there when I was 19 and did a lot of camping out of our vehicles, mostly in the late spring thru early fall. Fortunately there were some pretty basic cabins in the family that we got to use for the winter camping.
Today turned out to be more of a work on Etsy orders, packaging and shipping day than a work on my build day. It is 4:30 now, the nice morning and mid day sunshine has gone behind cloud cover and it is getting much colder. Time to turn on the heat and do some more work on packaging up of kits so I have them in stock ready to ship out when orders come in. I will put on an audio book to listen to while I work.
I had to toss out the Gas One. dual fuel mini stove, it simply did not hold up which made me frustrated as I loved the size of it. The cast aluminum burner hob on it got deformed. Then the air fuel mixture unit failed and it would no longer stay lit. Good thing I had ordered in a Coleman single burner for a backup. Tomorrow if all goes well I will have my built in diesel cooktop/heater working. I still plan to do a lot of the cooking outside when the weather permits which it did today and yesterday evening
For now when not in use the Coleman stove is hanging out in my workshop tent space.
travelaround
Well-known member
Today talked to a Red Cross worker from Minneapolis.
Me: "Oh, I've been there.. it was really nice."
She smiles.
Me: "Oh wait, that was 1973. Well it was really nice when I saw it back then."
"Oh, you mean because of George Floyd?"
Me: "Because of damage done to the downtown area."
"Well, when I left it was snowing so being here is nice."
....
I always had a positive impression of Minneapolis.
Me: "Oh, I've been there.. it was really nice."
She smiles.
Me: "Oh wait, that was 1973. Well it was really nice when I saw it back then."
"Oh, you mean because of George Floyd?"
Me: "Because of damage done to the downtown area."
"Well, when I left it was snowing so being here is nice."
....
I always had a positive impression of Minneapolis.
Some newbies to camping are staying in that rental van next door. A couple who will be retiring in a couple of years, they rented the van to help them figure out what they want to buy. They decided a cargo van is not going to be the right fit. So I asked them what kind of camping did they want to be doing such as mostly staying in campgrounds with hookups or going camping out on places such as the national forest land. They do want to have an RV like interior with the ability to cook inside, have a toilet, bed of course and do some camping off grid. They now realize if they want to go out into places with narrow dirt roads then a high top camper van or a truck with a camper on it will be their best fit. That a bigger RV or long travel trailer will be difficult to get in and out and they learned about that sometimes you can't find a spot to turn a bigger RV or trailer around in.
They were washing their dishes in two big dishpans full of water in the shower rooms here at the state park which is of not allowed. So I gave them a quick tutorial of how to wash their dishes at their campsite with minimal water, effort and no dish pan needed.
Then they asked about places to visit on the west side of the Hood Canal bridge so I told them to head to Port Townsend which they did and they had a really fun day there.
Later their daughter who just graduated college and her boyfriend showed up to spend the night in a tent next to their rental van. The were getting ready to inflate an air bed inside the tent. Poor kids, they will be popsicles by morning as it is way too cold for sleeping on an air mattress. I thought about saying something such as Walmart up the street has foam insulated sleeping bag pads but decided I did not want to mother hen them any more.
One thing I have not experienced in my full time on the road life is feeling lonely. I have had way too many conversations with people for that.
They were washing their dishes in two big dishpans full of water in the shower rooms here at the state park which is of not allowed. So I gave them a quick tutorial of how to wash their dishes at their campsite with minimal water, effort and no dish pan needed.
Then they asked about places to visit on the west side of the Hood Canal bridge so I told them to head to Port Townsend which they did and they had a really fun day there.
Later their daughter who just graduated college and her boyfriend showed up to spend the night in a tent next to their rental van. The were getting ready to inflate an air bed inside the tent. Poor kids, they will be popsicles by morning as it is way too cold for sleeping on an air mattress. I thought about saying something such as Walmart up the street has foam insulated sleeping bag pads but decided I did not want to mother hen them any more.
One thing I have not experienced in my full time on the road life is feeling lonely. I have had way too many conversations with people for that.
Sofisintown
Well-known member
Q is not sexist. He is polite. I thought that was clear by now.
