I have a few comments and observations regarding the issue of heating. I should state that i'm not yet livin'n the van life, but i intend to, and hopefully in a nice Ford E150. The E150 is one of those things which, to me, all but cinches it as far as whether G-d exists or not.
Like all of us, i'm going to need a source of heat. I intend for this source of heat to be powered by grid electricity. I see several viable options, which is kind of what makes me wonder just why, considering external power is going to be used, heaters seem to be sufh the topic of discussion here. As for me, i feel it'll be no problem to stay warm in a fairly insulated van down to about freezig, which is as cold as it really gets here in southern north carolina. Why not just use a hot plate. There, now you've got cooking and heating in one. How about one of those mini hot plates meant for keeping your coffee cup warm? How cold can it be before one of those couldn't heat your van? Of course there's always one of those mini ceramic heaters i saw at wal-mart tonight. I could see how one of those could easily OVERHEAT a van interior. And keep in mind that hot air is somewhat self-circulating, risi g and falling as it cools and then heats again.
Of course in some circumstances, a blanket or sleeping bag is plenty, but my goal is to always keep the van interior-rather than merely my body-warm. Others are okay doing it otherwise. I want to keep the van interior comfy, like my own little efficiency apartment would be.
In general, how cold can it get before a reasonably insulated van can't be heated by body heat alone? The human body lets off heat in itself, so it's a heat source, and that heat accmulates to some degree in a sealed space. I'm from the northern US and have a very high body temp. I prefer a cold room, can withstand cold temps with ease, drive with my windows somewhat down unless it's under 55 deg. F. Those who have slept next to me say it's like laying down "next to a blast furnace". Anyone have thoughts on this? I mean about the issue of body heat being enough.
And what about electric blankets? The blanket itself can be as heat source, right? I can see that providing more than enough heat for the interior. In fact it may be enough for me to sleep on instead of under. When i lived in Chi-town, the basement i slept in would be 65 f at night yet i never had to turn my blanket higher than 2. It went up to 10. My biggest gripe was that it was tough to get out from under it in the am. It was worse than the trauma of being born in itself. No really, i'm not joking. It almost would have been better to not use it at all. I'd literally have to let out a mini battle cry and fling it off me all at once and jump up. Throwing myself into a bucket of ice would have been easier. But does anyone have experience or thoughts about them?
That's it for now.
Like all of us, i'm going to need a source of heat. I intend for this source of heat to be powered by grid electricity. I see several viable options, which is kind of what makes me wonder just why, considering external power is going to be used, heaters seem to be sufh the topic of discussion here. As for me, i feel it'll be no problem to stay warm in a fairly insulated van down to about freezig, which is as cold as it really gets here in southern north carolina. Why not just use a hot plate. There, now you've got cooking and heating in one. How about one of those mini hot plates meant for keeping your coffee cup warm? How cold can it be before one of those couldn't heat your van? Of course there's always one of those mini ceramic heaters i saw at wal-mart tonight. I could see how one of those could easily OVERHEAT a van interior. And keep in mind that hot air is somewhat self-circulating, risi g and falling as it cools and then heats again.
Of course in some circumstances, a blanket or sleeping bag is plenty, but my goal is to always keep the van interior-rather than merely my body-warm. Others are okay doing it otherwise. I want to keep the van interior comfy, like my own little efficiency apartment would be.
In general, how cold can it get before a reasonably insulated van can't be heated by body heat alone? The human body lets off heat in itself, so it's a heat source, and that heat accmulates to some degree in a sealed space. I'm from the northern US and have a very high body temp. I prefer a cold room, can withstand cold temps with ease, drive with my windows somewhat down unless it's under 55 deg. F. Those who have slept next to me say it's like laying down "next to a blast furnace". Anyone have thoughts on this? I mean about the issue of body heat being enough.
And what about electric blankets? The blanket itself can be as heat source, right? I can see that providing more than enough heat for the interior. In fact it may be enough for me to sleep on instead of under. When i lived in Chi-town, the basement i slept in would be 65 f at night yet i never had to turn my blanket higher than 2. It went up to 10. My biggest gripe was that it was tough to get out from under it in the am. It was worse than the trauma of being born in itself. No really, i'm not joking. It almost would have been better to not use it at all. I'd literally have to let out a mini battle cry and fling it off me all at once and jump up. Throwing myself into a bucket of ice would have been easier. But does anyone have experience or thoughts about them?
That's it for now.
