Winter camping heating solution

I'm thinking about doing some winter camping and sleeping in my camper shell. I'm basically looking for an efficient way to keep it warm inside the shell when it gets real cold at night. I have a good sleeping bag but my lady friend doesn't have much cold tolerance so I'm mainly doing it for her, otherwise she wouldn't wanna go.

I have heard the diesel heaters are pretty good, I don't know much about them or how I would rig it up without all the heat escaping.

Cost is a factor too. Don't really wanna pay hundreds of dollars for something I'm only using a few times year.

 

Pops put a diesel heater on his custom tear drop. thing PUMPS out heat on very little diesel. Outside of one of those you wont find something that wont create carbon monoxide probs or suck a battery dry quickly.

 

You could get a heated blanket and plug it into your 110 outlet in the bed . My wife uses one on the couch and it gets really warm on high. Its made by sunbeam

 

A good diesel heater is really the way to go. A cheap one is like buying one of those dirt bikes made in China, reliability is questionable and parts would be next to if not impossible to get. The little buddy propane heater is a good way to heat the area up quickly, but I would not leave it on if you're fixing to crash for the night.

I've used a military grade extreme cold mummy style sleeping bag for years.
If the temperature gets to freezing or slightly above I'm unzipping that thing trying to cool down. They do make double wide Zero degree sleeping bags, which may be an option.

The hardest part is crawling out from underneath that warmth and greeting the cold morning.

 

Keep the GF happy.

Use a CC at the hotel. No need to make the bed or change sheets. Hot shower, room service, no visiting night critters........

 

It won't help a ton but put some reflectix cutouts over the windows in the shell. Will help trap some of the heat inside.

 

A big down sleeping bag. Both of you drink a big piping hot mug of tea each with a tablespoon of sugar before bed, wear a merino balaclava and cuddle close.

 

Drinking a big mug of tea right before bed would be the last thing I'd wanna do. 2 hours later I'd have to take a piss and get out of whatever warmth covering I am in.

 

Check out bustabeatgeorge on YouTube. He just did a review of a portable diesel heater.

 

I've thought about getting one of these indoor catalytic heaters for a while, and setting it up securely in my camper shell along with a Carbon Monoxide alarm.

$62 Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B Little Buddy 3800-BTU, Indoor Safe Propane Heater With ODS & Tip-Over Protection, Heating Area Up to 95 Sq. Ft - Lightweight, Medium - Black/Red

https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Heater-F215100-3800-BTU-Propane/dp/B001CFRF7I/

But there are other things I need to fix before I can sleep in the camper shell. For now, I'm still in the cab, in a 20°F--rated sleeping bag. That, along with an heat reflecting tarp keeps me comfortable in the cab down to maybe like 15 °F. I do not run the heat for safety reasons. In fact, I tend to keep the rear window slightly open so I can hear the sounds from the outside and also get fresh air.

 

Then you take a freezing piss and jump back into bed and spoon your ladies scalding hot, smooth heini.

 

THIS ^^^ The weight of the bag is a real asset to most of the lady folks too, they like the "lead blanket" feel over even the loftiest down in a paper thin nylon backpacker style sleeping bag.

 

These.

 

Oh wow, I didn't know something like this existed. Might have to get this for my wife.

 

Warmth inside the shell can be fixed easily with any combination of cheap sleeping bags and blankets. The real question is how you end up dealing with condensation problem.

 

I’m getting ready hike in the Grand Canyon. We’ll have a few night in the teens. I’ll use the XL warmers in my bag. Work great.

 

Two people in the bed of even a full size truck doesn't leave any room for a heater. Buy a tent, then you have many more options.

 

Very true, you definitely don’t want to create your own snow in sub freezing temps.

 

Chinese diesel heater is the way to go if she’s not interested in a heavy sleeping bag.

Dry heat. External combustion.

Does your camper shell have a sliding window? Make a filler panel to fit the window when it’s partially open out of abs or something. Add a 3” flange to it. Pipe the CDH tube to the flange. Done.

A 2kw heater would be your best option. A 5kw will be too much unless you want to be really warm.

If you’re on Facebook, there’s a couple super useful groups with tons of CDH info.

I use one in my tent. I put it in a waterproof tote vs buying an all in one.

My 5kw will keep my 7’x9’ tent at 68* inside when it’s 30* outside running at about 4hz.

 

Stick this in the pass through of the cap, venting out, to eliminate condensation:



Sleep in this:



Pee in one of these: