Art museum comfort on wheels?

[ORANGE]

If I cant tolerate cold (makes me worse) , cant tolerate heat/humidity (makes me worse)   do I need to give the whole idea up, of being like you folks on wheels?

Im guessing the air conditioning to a comfortable temperature is very expensive, very difficult to achieve in a mini-van makeover?  Cuz living here in NE Tennessee  going south is humid going north is still humid.

But all you folks seem to be on the west coast.  Dry/not humid.   But good golly you folks have to go up in elevation for cooler but then I cant stomach 5,5k elevation+

Trust me, I am not prissy but sickly.  Full of hubris perhaps because I want to do this.

So if someone needs really good climate control can they do it?   What is the upfront sort of costs.  Where would they best shuttle between two places/states to acheive that?

And any opinions whatsoever will sure help me! Thank you.

 

[MrNoodly]

There are several threads about what it takes to air condition a vehicle. It's neither cheap nor easy.

 

[maki2]

Winter in Southern Arizona or California, summer in Brookings, Oregon or the first few cities on the Northern California such as Eureka and Arcata, etc will work. The drive between is not all that bad. The coastal towns have a mild climate year around and are not at high elevations. But the coastal towns are foggy in the morning which is why they don't get overly hot.

You can't afford to stay in perfection for climate, those places are in high demand and overpopulated. So you need to figure out what factor is the easiest to compromise on. For myself that would be some cooler night temperatures that create some solar blocking morning fog as it is not going to be a deadly hot + high humidity situation.

 

[MrNoodly]

Or there are maps like this, but they'd require you to go to higher elevations (which is something most people acclimate to in a short time).

<a href="https://imgbb.com/"><img src="https://i.ibb.co/C9hcV9H/70-Deg-Road-Trip.jpg" alt="70-Deg-Road-Trip" border="0" /></a>

 

[B and C]

I find it much easier to heat than cool. I like to stay where the midday temps are in the 70's and can tolerate in the low 80's for a little while. But these daytime temps are where I can be outside. At night it can get into the mid 40's or lower but I am inside then under a pile of blankets or have the furnace on. Elevation for me is key.

You may need to go somewhere tropical.

 

[ORANGE]

maki2 you have hit the nail on the head. Yes Id chose colder nights also. And I vacationed in Humbolt county and loved Trinidad just beautiful! That vacation of 20+ some years ago was the best my health/activity has been. It was summer, but cool and foggy and lovely in the morning. It was also somewhere a person could afford to buy a home. Not any more ha! My "happy place" in all the world is anywhere redwood forests. Listening hard for the Ewoks.


MrNoodly that map is just great. Now being in Eastern Tenn I can see that really Id do quite well going down to south Florida for part of winter (I lived there for a decade) the ONLYgood thing about it for me was winter! Now I wonder instead of Denver and California, if there isnt somewhere closer Id find adequate for summer. Like are all the great Lake states rotten in the summer? Ill have to look into. A LOT less miles, cheaper all around.

I try to be out in humid hot but I wilt and have no energy. Since air conditioning is a massive undertaking and expensive, I wont nomad full-time.
I will need to keep to home base and perhaps go southFL in winter for a few months, and then in summer go north, hopefully not too far north west for a few months. Best is to live in apt. in summer. Late Fall/Winter south Fl go home spring/Summer. Unless there is a decent summer due north? Like just looking north there is Cleveland OH, wouldnt go THERE but as example it would be 6 hrs away and here is summer. http://www.city-data.com/city/Cleveland-Ohio.html just the first place I grabbed this morning. This is Denver http://www.city-data.com/city/Denver-Colorado.html of course Denver has the low humidity, but also the elevation I dont want. Plus Denver is 21 hour drive!

A parttime Nomad is better than no Nomad at all.

 

[ORANGE]

Missed my edit time window...

http://www.city-data.com/city/Buffalo-New-York.html This is 9 hours away. (not that Id go to Buffalo) but that summer looks maybe doable? Notice the wind speed in summer. Way above average, so it would not be stifeling.

Whatcha think Nomad experts? Would you do well to summer near Buffalo NY?

 

[Kaylee]

Take a closer look at the humidity. That's the big kicker, throughout the Great Lakes region. I've spent most of my life in the region, including at least two years within an hour of each of the 5 Lakes.
Our main moisture source is the Gulf of Mexico (waves at Brian), albeit somewhat cooled down by the time it gets here.

The windspeed is somewhat obfuscatory. If you're close to the Lake, it would help, but you'd probably be much farther away.

What is it that attracts you to what you call the "nomad" life?
Have you taken any short trips, during mild weather, to help you explore/discern it better?

Perhaps your best next step would be to research local "adventures" you could have, in the fall. Researching that would be fun, and take less of an investment than longer trips.
You can minimally equip your vehicle, and skip all the fancy/expensive stuff.
Just equip it for sleeping, toilet, and minimal eating. Maybe skip a stove (if you don't already have one) and just bring ready-to-eat items in a cooler.

You'll have a better experience outside of peak summer season, and researching it would be an enjoyable distraction.

 

[ORANGE]

Kaylee I think that is a good idea. I'll have lots of months soon with good weather and can stay away for longer and longer times within a few hours of home. Sleeping/toilet, on the cheap. Id like to buy little coleman stove with a pressure cooker tho. I have a tent and I have a very comfy folding chair with a canapy. Oh, and I just picked up 3 foam puzzle pieces at the thrift store as a sleep base.

But you are right Kaylee. Do it cheap and see.
I grew up in NW Indiana near to Lake Michigan, summer was gross. I thought lower temp and breeze would be better, far north b4 but I trust your experience about that.

I am settled in my heart now thank you. Im gonna get my van ready for vanlife to go out in a couple months and enjoy the fall. Cant imagine a better place then these mountain ranges. A zillion quaint small towns and winding roads and the foliage. Ive only been here a couple months!

Thanks

 

[Kaylee]

Orange, that sounds like a good plan!

I'm currently in northern MI, about as far North as one can get, and the humidity sucks. Tomorrow is supposed to be cool, and I'll be returning to my campsite by then, so I'm pumped. I'm far more pumped for Fall!

I'm a Traumatic Brain Injury survivor, so I too am very sensitive to climate extremes.
To be blunt, if I could find Quiet housing, I wouldn't be doing this.

A lot of the newcomers are drawn in by the romanticism, and get distracted by expensive minutea that they end up never using.
Please, please, focus on the important stuff.

I strongly recommend setting a very tight budget during your experimental phase.
Sleeping stuff is important, and kudos for getting stuff from the thrift store!

Stoves stay pretty steady in price, so I recommend deferring that, until you have some 1-3 day trips under your belt.
Would the pressure cooker be helpful in your apartment? Can you find a used one?

Good luck with your research!
That's a beautiful area, particularly in the fall.

 

[WalkaboutTed]

I recently saw online, a product called BedJet. It cools or warms your bed. It takes DC. The cooling only uses 50 watts, but the heat though needs 150watts with an initial 1500watts. So heat is a no-go unless plugged in.

If you spend all your time in bed, the cooling part might make you comfortable as long as you can spare 50watts around the clock. It's about $500, pricey.
Ted

 

[ORANGE]

Yikes 500.

Thanks walkaboutTed. Someone can maybe use that info.

I thought about getting a cooling vest awhiles back. To see if it made me "hardier" in warm temps. https://www.healthline.com/health/multiple-sclerosis/best-cooling-vests#-and-below of course nomads would have to get it frozen again and again.

 

[Kaylee]

I remember the thread about cooling vests!
You nailed it: interesting concept, but limited practicality.

How about those cooling scarves?!? They're much lower tech, and cheaper, but I don't know if they're worth the money.
Has anyone had success with those?
I do find a small wet towel on the forehead helps a lot. If it's "tropical" humidity, I'm still zonked out, but no longer feel like I want to die.

P.S. The overnight low (inside my van, with fan & vents open) was 77F.
The high today just peeked at 95F inside, and the humidity gauge was at the low end of the "tropical" range. Both are now drifting down. Tomorrow should be awesome.

 

[maki2]

The bottom line is you need to change geographic regions to be able to achieve your goals of full time nomadic living in low elevation at comfortable temperatures. If you are not willing to do that then you will need a larger RV with enough solar to run an AC unit or live in an AC building.

You already know that the recommendation for good health when you have fibromyalgia is to get a lot of exercise even if it hurts, even if you don't feel like getting out of bed or up off the couch. The only alternative to that is going even further downhill and loosing more energy and having more pain. It is entirely up to you to have the will power to push through the initial discomfort of getting more fit. Without good heart and lung capacity of course you can't do well at higher elevations as you won't get enough oxygen.

When I had my free wellness checkup the other day I talked to the doctor about switching to a prescription anti-inflammatory that does not have a lot of side effects such as inhibiting my stomach ability to create a protective lining which is the big issue with OTC pain meds. The new medication is helping a lot. Go talk to your doctor instead of giving up trying to have less pain. Then you can start that exercise program and get back some of your old energy.

When it is hot your blood vessels dilate and your blood pressure drops which causes low energy all on its own. That is something you also need to discuss with your doctor so that you can take medication to remediate it if the doctor feels it is appropriate.

I have had chronic pain and fibromyalgia since 1984, I do not let it define me. I don't put up big red flags on my postings alerting people that I have it. It is simply my normal daily life.

 

[ORANGE]

Nay nay maki2. I dont have fibromyalgia. I have chronic fatigue syndrome. With cfs you have exercise intolerance. In fact a delayed exercise response up to 48 hours.

I didnt put up big red flags. I put up pink. Very little energy is a salient point in all my posts.

 

[ORANGE]

I do / have used cooling scarves. Yes they are worth the purchase. Even in humidity you will feel more comfortable .

Frog Toggs https://www.amazon.com/s?k=frog+skin+cooling&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 This is the only one Ican recommend. They were the first, and I think they were made for desert storm troops someone had told me. Dont know for a fact. They were the first and now there are zillions but I think they are patented.

Id make a tee shirt and shorts out of them!

 

[highdesertranger]

I have some bandanas that have some type of beads in them that absorbs moisture and release it over time keeping the bandana wet for hours. they work good. I just looked and they have no name on them.

do those frog skins work well? I might try one.

highdesertranger

 

[ORANGE]

Yup, frogg skins do work well. I have this ghastly neon yellow, it was all they had years ago oh and orange at bed bath beyond I think. Now I see from that amazon link they have more subdued colors. Id totally get the dark blue or black. I like to put it around my neck and stuff the ends under my shirt. Ascots are weird enough, super bright neon makes it weirder.

 

[MrNoodly]

I remember being taught in school that perspiration evaporates to keep us cooler. But I lived where the summer humidity was usually above 75%, often 85%. Nothing ever evaporated. That's why I fled west, to arid regions.

 

[Kaylee]

Thanks a ton Orange (plus HDR)!
Last summer, I almost bought one at Aldi, and even those name brand Frogg Toggs are about the same price.
That's fairly modest, if it would help take the edge off.

Do you (or any other experienced users) have specific suggestions about which would give the best bang-for-the-buck, in general and in my case?
I'm 99% inside my van during heat, so don't "need" anything "tactical", I just want a low-energy introvert friendly cooldown assist.
I also do not have a refrigerator/freezer, so no ice (though I dream of it, in the future).

While I do agree about the luridness of the neon colors, those are better for me, because I'm tick-phobic and last summer decided to stick with high contrast (i.e. compared to black) colors for all new gear.