The ultimate winter car camping guide
Are you planning an epic car ski trip during winter? Or do you wanna experience the elegant winter landscapes from your car?
It can be tricky to winter car camp, but with the correct gear and good planning, you’re going to stay warm and comfortable on your winter adventure.
As someone who’s done a couple of winter car camping trips in the harsh Canadian Rockies, I know how to prepare and what to expect when sleeping in -25°C weather.
I’ve taken my my experiences and converted them into a guide below. Stick with me and learn how to never sleep cold when winter car camping!
The short answer
- Make sure your car and your car heating works correctly.
- Beware of snow plows when choosing a camping spot.
- Park towards the sun.
- Be active to keep warm.
- Insulate your sleeping area.
- Use base, mid, and outer layer clothing
- Use heating devices.
- Ventilate your car to keep condensation low.
- Get a high quality gas stove that can handle the cold.
- Plan easy-to-make, fulfilling food like chilis and stews.
- Store water containers upside down.
Why would you car camp during winter?
Car camping is usually only done during the summer. Sleeping in your trunk isn’t the most convenient place to sleep during winter. Especially when you consider the fact that your car is a tin can with basically no insulation at all.
It comes with a lot of challenges, but it’s so well worth it. There’s something special about camping in the winter landscape. It’s quiet and calming, there’s not a lot of people out doing the same thing, so all the best camping spots are always free.
Going on winter hikes is the best. You’re going to be alone on the trails. It’s quiet, and the winter-covered trees are beautiful to look at.
Skiing is also a big reason to go winter car camping. A lot of ski resorts let you camp in their parking lots, giving you ski-in/ski-out at a fraction of the price of a hotel room at the resort.
Winter car camping: Preparing the car
It’s essential to prepare and make sure your car is in prime condition before heading out to winter car camp. Getting stranded in -25°C weather is not fun and can get dangerous without the correct preparations.
Heating and ventilation need to work. Check for leaks and make sure everything is topped up before leaving.
Check your headlights and signals, it can be tricky to see in the middle of snowstorms and during wintertime when the sun sets earlier.
Beware of snow plows
Consider your parking spot because snow plows will not. Park in designated areas; you don’t want to wake up being plowed in. Shoveling your way out the first thing in the morning is something I’d never recommend.
Sleeping and staying warm when winter car camping
One of the biggest challenges when winter car camping is staying warm while sleeping. But sleeping cold is not a worry if you know how to manage heat, ventilation, and insulation in your car.
I’ll go through the most important things to consider before heading out below, but first, let us look at some tips and tricks to stay extra warm:
Park towards the sun and out of shade. This will heat your car once our beloved sun comes out in the morning, giving you some natural heat.
Eat a good meal before hitting the hay. Food gives you energy, and it keeps you warm. Eating before bed will make your stomach work, producing heat in your body while you’re sleeping.
Be active. Hiking, running, or simply doing some pushups will get your blood flowing and produce body heat.
Insulate your bed
It’s not about constantly warming up, it’s about keeping the warmth in.
Get your bed away from the floor of your trunk. Don’t use a bedframe out of metal, they convert cold up to your mattress much quicker. If you want a cheap solution, build a bedframe out of wood. It’s inexpensive, and wood is a great insulation material.
An elevated bed also gives you great storage possibilities!
Getting a heating blanket or an insulated sleeping bag are great options to keep you warm. A down sleeping bag might be your best option considering its insulation possibilities.
Cover up windows with reflectix or other window covers. They trap warmth in and gives you additional privacy. Remove them whenever the sun’s out for some natural heating.
Layers upon layers
Your cheapest and first line of defense against the cold: Layers.
You need to layer correctly. Putting 3 hoodies on top of each other isn’t gonna do you any good. Layers have different functions to keep you dry, warm, and insulated.
Swap base layers before going to bed to prevent chafing and to feel fresher.
A quick guide: Layering for car camping at 0 degrees or lower:
Base layer: Skin-to-layer contact. This layer wicks sweat from your skin, keeping you dry and warm. Use Merino wool or synthetic materials, avoid cotton.
Mid-layer: This layer traps body heat and keeps you insulated. Your mid-layers usually come off or on, depending on the cold outside. Use fleece or synthetic materials.
Outer layer: Protects from wind and weather. Use windbreakers and water-resistant jackets. An insulated jacket is also a good choice if it’s super cold outside. But usually, you can simply use additional mid-layers.
Heating devices
As someone who’s worked as a liftie in the Canadian Rockies, I know how to stay warm in -20°C to -30°C weather. And heating devices have been my life saver. Heated socks, blankets, and mattresses are well worth the money.
If you can’t afford heating devices, use bottles or water bags with hot water and put them in your bed/sleeping bag. It keeps you warm for a couple of hours, and they’ll not be frozen when you wake up, giving you fresh water for morning coffee or to brush your teeth with!
Electric heaters are also great! I currently have one from Ikea that heats my whole car in just a few minutes.
Remember to never sleep with your car on to keep the heat up. Your car produces carbon monoxide, which can poison you and be fatal. Always keep safety in mind and ventilate your car.
Ventilation and condensation
Knowing how to ventilate and manage condensation is the key to sleeping warm and comfortable.
Ventilation is really important. Cracking a window or your sunroof a couple of centimeters gives you proper airflow and keeps down condensation. It also helps your electric heater to work properly with fresh air circulating in your car.
Not cracking a window makes the air in your car become moist, and oxygen levels will drop slightly. Breathing is going to become a bit heavier, and you might feel claustrophobic.
Winter car camping: Food & food storage
Cooking while winter car camping requires a lot of planning. You need corthe rect gear, food, and fuel for cooking before heading out.
Cooking while winter car camping
First off, a proper portable gas stove that can handle cold is going to be essential. As everything freezes, this thing is going to be working overtime.
Bring stuff to start a fire in case your portable stove dies.
A tip is to keep your pots and stove warm by storing them in a backpack or jacket before cooking.
Cooking when winter car camping is all about keeping it simple and convenient. Your meals are supposed to be fulfilling and warm, thus keeping your body warm. Eat a lot to make your body work on digestion, which also heats you up.
What to eat when winter car camping
Considering you actually live in a freezer, you need to rethink your food choices when winter car camping. Fresh food will not really be fresh for long. Keep in mind when shopping what food will taste good after being heated from being frozen.
Dry or canned foods are great options. Soups, oatmeal, chili, instant noodles, and potatoes are some good options. I recommend this site for some great winter foods!
Store waterbottles and jugs upside down.
A neat trick is to always store water bottles, jugs, and containers upside down. This is because water always freezes at the top first. So, storing them upside down makes sure water never gets clogged up behind a sheet of ice.
Essentials for winter car camping
Winter car camping can be tricky and requires a lot of planning ahead. But it isn’t that hard if you know what to do. Here’s a list of essentials you need when winter car camping:
