Personal heating rather than rig heating?

[accrete]

Greetings,
I know in my reading here that there is at least one in the group utilizing a 12v electric sleeping pad and/or blanket in his setup. The idea has crossed my mind, and today I came across an interesting twist from a start up on Kickstarter. The webpage is _here_.

There are two models, both of them are powered (typical heat times will easily get you through the night) by rechargeable li-ion batteries. The first is an insert for a sleeping bag, the second is what you might think of as a long ankle length lightweight hooded parka.

With the idea of incorporating _personal_ heating rather than _room_ heating into our setup I went ahead and purchased a Selk Bag last season. Overall I like the comfort, though getting past looking like a big gumby doll is still a work in progress for me. IMO there are real advantages to taking care of one's personal comfort by well, personal measures, rather than heating up a rig or campsite. Still experimenting.

Just some thoughts,
: ) Thom

 

[highdesertranger]

I feel that it is a must that you need to be able to survive and be comfortable in the cold without any artificial heat. artificial heat sources always have the chance of failure. then you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle. with that said it is nice sometimes to be able to run around your house(vehicle) in your undies or less and be comfy. so there is nothing inherently wrong with artificial heat, just don't rely on it for survival. highdesertranger

 

[66788]

I feel that it is a must that you need to be able to survive and be comfortable in the cold without any artificial heat.  artificial heat sources always have the chance of failure. then you are up the proverbial creek without a paddle.  with that said it is nice sometimes to be able to run around your house(vehicle) in your undies or less and be comfy.  so there is nothing inherently wrong with artificial heat,  just don't rely on it for survival.  highdesertranger

I agree.    For the past week I visited a friend in the high desert (4,200 ft elevation) and the first 4 nights were fine.   The rest had lows of about 22 degrees.  I was fine in my memory foam bed with layered fleece, but I did use the Wave 3.   I could have toughed it out, but why?     The point is, plan on using nothing but your bedroll, and anything else that works is a bonus.

 

[SoulRaven]

I have yet to experience heat in my van, besides the very occasional grid plug-in. I totally agree with being able to keep yourself warm without a heater.

However here in Seattle, it's pretty humid. And I've found that even blasting heat + air conditioning whenever I drive, plus having the dehumidifier running when driving AND all night some nights, is not enough to keep condensation at bay. (Cracking the windows does zilch when it's so rainy out most of the time). It's scary to open your laptop in the morning and have the trackpad not work because it's covered in condensation. Every morning. And what's this pile of wetness here? Oh, that's where water dripped down two sides of my plastic bins and formed a puddle. Crap!

Because I don't have heat, and live in such a humid environment, it means lots of unexpected water problems.

I have strong roots in this area and cannot see myself living permanently away from it, thus I feel it's important my setup accommodate a heater if at all possible. I realized even if I was warm, the rest of my stuff wasn't, and it soon became wet as a result. And wet just makes everything miserable.

 

[amwbox]

I have yet to experience heat in my van, besides the very occasional grid plug-in. I totally agree with being able to keep yourself warm without a heater.

However here in Seattle, it's pretty humid. And I've found that even blasting heat + air conditioning whenever I drive, plus having the dehumidifier running when driving AND all night some nights, is not enough to keep condensation at bay. (Cracking the windows does zilch when it's so rainy out most of the time). It's scary to open your laptop in the morning and have the trackpad not work because it's covered in condensation. Every morning. And what's this pile of wetness here? Oh, that's where water dripped down two sides of my plastic bins and formed a puddle. Crap!

Because I don't have heat, and live in such a humid environment, it means lots of unexpected water problems.

I have strong roots in this area and cannot see myself living permanently away from it, thus I feel it's important my setup accommodate a heater if at all possible. I realized even if I was warm, the rest of my stuff wasn't, and it soon became wet as a result. And wet just makes everything miserable.

I'm in Portland, and I sympathize. I've also lived on a boat here in the PNW...now that is moisture.

Only ways I've found to really beat the condensation during the rainy half of the year are heat and ventilation. But mostly heat. If you can keep the temperature above the ambient dew point, things will stay dry in the van, as the vapor cannot condense into water. Ventilation is another big part of the equation...as just your breathing and sweating gives off most of a liter of water into the air in your van...which then of course condenses in this highly humid environment. Without heat and ventilation, the humidity in your van is actually higher than outside.

 

[Sameer]

I have yet to experience heat in my van, besides the very occasional grid plug-in. I totally agree with being able to keep yourself warm without a heater.

However here in Seattle, it's pretty humid. And I've found that even blasting heat + air conditioning whenever I drive, plus having the dehumidifier running when driving AND all night some nights, is not enough to keep condensation at bay. (Cracking the windows does zilch when it's so rainy out most of the time). It's scary to open your laptop in the morning and have the trackpad not work because it's covered in condensation. Every morning. And what's this pile of wetness here? Oh, that's where water dripped down two sides of my plastic bins and formed a puddle. Crap!

Because I don't have heat, and live in such a humid environment, it means lots of unexpected water problems.

I have strong roots in this area and cannot see myself living permanently away from it, thus I feel it's important my setup accommodate a heater if at all possible. I realized even if I was warm, the rest of my stuff wasn't, and it soon became wet as a result. And wet just makes everything miserable.

With a variety of ways to heat your van...and a variety of fuels that you can use....
Why would you not heat your van and solve your problem...rather than risk mold and mildew and the destruction of your electronics?   Mr. Spock says..."Illogical"

 

[jimindenver]

I wouldn't mind something to warm up the bed at night but with a RV we have to protect the plumbing. We never had heat while camping for decades and that was fine except for climbing into the cold bed and putting on cold clothes in the morning. Those clothes just suck the heat out of me and I'd shiver until making the coffee on the stove warmed things up.

 

[29chico]

Hot water bottles, the old fashioned squishy kind or large wide mouth Nalgene bottles.  Two or three per person, put one or to into your bedding before climbing in.  Heat the water in a pan or teapot on a stove and keep reusing the water.

Cozy, simple and cheap compared to any other option that I can think of.

 

[SoulRaven]

I'm in Portland, and I sympathize. I've also lived on a boat here in the PNW...now that is moisture.

Only ways I've found to really beat the condensation during the rainy half of the year are heat and ventilation. But mostly heat. If you can keep the temperature above the ambient dew point, things will stay dry in the van, as the vapor cannot condense into water. Ventilation is another big part of the equation...as just your breathing and sweating gives off most of a liter of water into the air in your van...which then of course condenses in this highly humid environment. Without heat and ventilation, the humidity in your van is actually higher than outside.

Yup, exactly. : That's why I was replying to this thread, because it sounds like some people are considering going the direction of personal heating rather than heating their own van as an intentional design choice in their setup, and I wanted to make sure people knew that if you do that, traveling in humid areas isn't going to work out so well.

With a variety of ways to heat your van...and a variety of fuels that you can use....
Why would you not heat your van and solve your problem...rather than risk mold and mildew and the destruction of your electronics?   Mr. Spock says..."Illogical"

I live in a minivan. There is a certain amount of space necessary to use heat safely, and I do not have that luxury. Furthermore, I have a medical condition that renders me unusually reactive to the fumes of fuel. Finding one I could even theoretically use is still a work in process.

Now the real question is, why do you read my post and automatically assume that I'm an illogical person? That's quite unkind of you.

 

[jimindenver]

Bitty

Even if it was safe to use a unvented heater at the altitude we camp at, I couldn't take the fumes. Even cooking on the stove bothers me so being able to do it electrically even some of the time is a blessing.

 

[amwbox]

Maybe something like this, for those who can't handle even the small amount of byproducts from a buddy heater:

http://ventedcatheater.com/2.html

Not sure how they vent a catalytic heater...must be sucking air in across the catalyst somehow...

 

[debit.servus]

...
With the idea of incorporating _personal_ heating rather than _room_ heating into our setup I went ahead and purchased a Selk Bag last season. Overall I like the comfort, though getting past looking like a big gumby doll is still a work in progress for me. IMO there are real advantages to taking care of one's personal comfort by well, personal measures, rather than heating up a rig or campsite. Still experimenting.

Just some thoughts,
: ) Thom

I LOVE the selk bag! Wear snowmobile undies as pajamas nearly every night, and the selk bag looks even more comfortable!

...   I could have toughed it out, but why?     The point is, plan on using nothing but your bedroll, and anything else that works is a bonus.

Why tough it out, when one has the option of space heating? Exactly. 

For those who love their space heating, it's a good idea to have heavy blankets and sleeping bags on hand as a backup so you can avoid shivering all night if the heater goes out.

 

[ggwoman]

I am used to never seeing below 60F at night after 20+ years in the islands. I am sure to be in for a shock come winter which is why I am coming over during the summer, in order to give us time to acclimate a little. I think I will be thankful for the dogs and cats, as we usually sleep Eskimo style here. I can usually tell how cold it is by how snuggled in or spread out we all are.

 

[Hippiechk]

Popping in from Canada...those 12V electric blankets are awesome!

No heat isn't an option here, I usually keep the house temp set at 53°F (its lowest) if its below freezing then I have one 12V blankie on the bed & one for my seating area.

Plenty of days, passive solar gain is enough that he furnace runs very little.

I also have a tiny 300W electric 120V heater in the bathroom with a kick switch for night trips. It just seems so much colder in the dark.

Sent from my Z850 using Tapatalk

 

[jimindenver]

The 300 watt heater in the bathroom reminded me of our 200 watt heater we use in ours and the 135w heat pad we use under the table. Neither do much but you notice the difference if they are not on.

 

[Hippiechk]

The 300 watt heater in the bathroom reminded me of our 200 watt heater we use in ours and the 135w heat pad we use under the table. Neither do much but you notice the difference if they are not on.

That heat blowing on my toes gives the illusion of warmth I think...red light is cozy too! *laugh*

Sent from my Z850 using Tapatalk

 

[jimindenver]

I tried ours on the floor in front of me, it's not enough even for that. It sits lap level on a shelf right next to the toilet. The hot pad eventually gets hotter and that heat soaks up through your shoes and into my achy feet and oh my it feels so good.