Holy crap it’s cold! What do you do for the trunk?

[Free_to_be_me]

Good morning. It’s about -13 degrees Celsius outside. The cold woke me up early. My toes/feet are sooo cold they hurt. The rest of my body is fine because it doesn’t lay in the trunk area...plus the dog snuggles against me inside my sleeping bag. 

The trunk seems to be the problem. Anyone insulate the trunk of their sedan?? Maybe I could glue reflectix to the foam board insulation and Velcro it? I’m more worried about resale value if I  start gluing things . 

Mind you, my little buddy heater is coming out of storage today. Might not have to worry about it as much once he gets to work tonight. 

Planning to skip winter completely next year and just live in the south for winter.

 

[Free_to_be_me]

Apparently wind chill is -22!

 

[dawnann7]

Yikes! Thankfully you are safe from wind chill inside your car.

Would it help to put extra blankets over your feet area to give them more insulation? Maybe use a hot water bottle. Put some reflectix over the whole back door. Just throwing out a few ideas that come to me.

I will follow this thread with interest as I consider temporarily moving into my own car.

 

[skyl4rk]

Get a cheap synthetic sleeping bag, poke holes in it for zip ties to the interior frame of the trunk. Use washers or anything with a hole in it on the zip tie to support the sleeping bag.

 

[highdesertranger]

I would get a better sleeping bag or more blankets for over the top of your bag. or even a bivy sack. highdesertranger

 

[Trebor English]

My Mr Heater Little Buddy would be worthless for heating a trunk.  It would be way too hot in a minute then too cold again in another minute.  With the crowded space it would be a fire hazard.  

I would get a cardboard box that is big enough for the half of the trunk where your feet and legs go with enough space for a sleeping bag in the box.  You want the sleeping bag not compressed at all.  Then you can put more insulating stuff on and under the box.  That can be laundry, more cardboard, clothes, food, foam board, anything.  Make sure the box seams are taped.

 

[NoMadYesHappy]

F _T_B_M ,

I'm no expert, just to be clear ... new (haven't even launched yet!) to the lifestyle as well, but...

I've been looking at 1" foam core insulation at Home Depot. It's about $18 to $20 for a 4' X 8' sheet, and the version I was most interested in had a thermally reflective surface on one side. It looked like it would be easy to cut with a standard box knife or hack saw blade. I'm planning to use Velcro(R) to hold it in place in my car's windows, but RTV (Silicon Seal) seems like it might be an appropriate adhesive to hold it in place for your application ... ?

I dunno ... jus thinkin' out loud ... which is always risky (and folks at the hardware store look at you funny)!

db
~

 

[Suanne]

I'm thinking that your trunk probably has less insulation below than the inside of your car. Cold seeping from below can be a big problem when trying to sleep warm. That's why plain air mattresses (without a thermal foam core) are a bad idea in the winter. Get yourself some blue or pink foam board and line the trunk floor with it. Some Reflectix will also help reflect your body heat back towards you. Any additional insulation around you will also help as others have mentioned -- better sleeping bag, wool or polyester fleece blankets.

Also, be real careful with that Little Buddy heater. Pay attention to the clearances it requires. I know I couldn't meet the clearances if I had one in my car.

Safe and warm travels!

Suanne

 

[tav-2020]

insulate that trunk, but also since your feet  are more likely to feel the cold maybe consider some insulated sleeping "booties":
https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...MIg8TFkaWH2AIVHkwNCh1YTglhEAYYBiABEgJT7fD_BwE

sorry for the long URL! i liked the sales pitch: If they don't keep you warm you may be a zombie

 

[MrNoodly]

In an instance like yours, the best use of Reflectix (which, by the way, IS NOT a magical all-purpose insulator) would be to make a closed-ended tube several layers thick that IS NOT attached to the trunk but is roomy enough for your legs and bedding. It's the AIR GAP that makes Reflectix work.

http://www.vanholio.com/2017/12/reflectix-insulation-in-vans-done-right.html

Feet get cold because there's not a lot of body mass there to generate and hold heat. So you need to supplement the heat somehow or super insulate your feet so that the small amount of body heat they generate is trapped. Maybe LOOSLY (to create air pockets) wrap a down quilt or sleeping bag into a big ball around your feet—before they get cold. Water bottles eventually give off all their heat and get cold, and if things get cold enough they freeze. You don't want to wake up with a block of ice by your feet. The same with hot stones. They eventually become icy stones.

 

[lenny flank]

Planning to skip winter completely next year and just live in the south for winter.

South isn't much better right now. I'm in Jacksonville FL and it's been mid-30s for the past couple nights.  

One hell of a cold front. Brrr.

 

[lenny flank]

One quick (but TEMPORARY) solution (an old backpackers trick) is to get a large plastic trash bag and pull it over your feet and legs like a pair of pants before you get into your sleeping bag. It will trap all the heat and warm you.

BUT... it will also trap all the moisture from your skin and make your clothes damp. So it's only good for a night or two, and you'd need to dry out in between. Being cold and WET is very dangerous.

 

[Free_to_be_me]

Thanks guys!

I’m using a -40C sleeping bag with a blanket at my feet, and I sleep with slippers that used to make my feet sweat.... but of course those used to be worn in a heated house... very different situation now
I’m glad you guys agree about the insulation, I have some reflectix left....I also have an emergency blanket I haven’t been using...and I could easily pick up some cheap sleeping bags I’m sure. I’ll give that a shot before buying any of the foam insulation.

 

[John61CT]

Ideally really insulate everything, but impractical for most, and as you say resale.

Second best make a box out of rigid board insulation, XPS best on the cold side, either only that, or add polyiso on the inside.

All four sides plus close off the bottom, no gaps

glue angled corners with Gorilla glue

Far up your body as you can.

Best sleeping bag you can afford inside

Hot water bottle in a cloth bag at your feet, make it easy to reheat if needed middle of the night.

Silk socks, under merino wool, then thick wool

ideally full merino onesie, but expensive

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Lots of good ideas. Now if you're cash limited since you're sleeping in your car, the key is to slow down air/cold transfer. Think airtight to external air, plus air and solid layers slowing down the transfer of cold from air and cold metal contact.
If you have no money, cardboard boxes with taped gaps to make as airtight as possible. Cheapest styrofoam sheets from Home Depot will do in the box or to make a box with as, or with layers of cardboard. Free if you can find them. Going to thrift stores on sale days for blankets or sleeping bags. Carpet pad is another good ground cover layer. Foam cushions as well when couches are thrown out. Any layer that you can find will help allot separating you from the cold and maintaining your body core temp.

 

[Minivanmotoman]

Oh and cover your head with a beanie or hoodie or mummy sleeping bag. Will keep the rest of your body warmer. The old heat loss through the head theory.
BTW, styrofoam if slightly cut over size to window size will press fit and hold without glue or Velcro. Also saw online someone take cheap home Depot metal straps to hold onto place by adding over styrofoam and inside plastic side walls. 
And as sleeping bags age and get washed, their fluff and insulation value gets seriously reduced. What once was a -40 bag not long ago is probably barely half that or maybe even less after a few seasons and washings. Layers, as much as you can and a sail boat to the Caribbean. Or a hot friend.

 

[USExplorer]

I wear wool socks on cold nights. Even with a -12C sleeping bag, my feet get cold when it's below 5C outside. Which it has been every night I've been in Florida so far. So I feel ya.

 

[John61CT]

Can find moving blankets cheap

 

[tx2sturgis]

Are you able to spend some money on these?

https://hothands.com/products/

You can buy these at any store that sells hunting or camping supplies.

You can wrap one up loosely in a sock, or beanie hat, something with a loose weave, and toss it in the bottom of your sleeping bag.

 

[John61CT]

For a little more one-time investment,

a tiny campstove and floppy hotwater bottle is very cheap, puts out a lot more heat and is infinitely re-usable,

compared to spending every night,

and you can cook with it.