How to stay warm with out electricity?

Many folks advocate turning off the furnace and sleeping in the freezing cold (and breathing cold air all night), but most people (in another thread) will gladly leave the gas water heater on all night. Sometimes humans make no sense to me.

Regarding the post about clean dry clothes when sleeping in the cold. It doesn’t surprise me that people don’t think of this. I learned that back in Boy Scouts from a buddy’s dad who was In the army. It stuck with me and if notfor that fellow I don’t know where I’d have learned it back then.

Other parts of this thread are out of hand. There’s no explaining to some folks....or maybe we’re just weird. Yes, we use heat sometimes in the camper at night, but also been known to just shut the heat off at night in freezing temps (not super cold temps) and just turn it back on in the am. The weird part is it feels nice to wake up in a freezing cold camper, throw some coffee on, run the furnace for a bit to take the chill off. Maybe it’s because I still enjoy camping.....

The other part is it depends what you’re aclimated to and your metabolism. When I was working on the Slope in the winter, I’d come home to 40-50deg weather and it was shorts and tee shirts. If it was above like 10deg onthe job and the sun was up, it was hoody’s and jeans, leave the arctic gear in the truck. But when we lived in Phoenix, going to the mountains snowmobiling had me bundling up like I was in the Arctic.

brianosaur wrote:

Use a flameless catalytic heater that is safe for indoor use.
(Leave roof vent OPEN)

It's the safe for indoor use part , that not everyone agrees with!
Ventless heaters burn the air that is within the room and produces unknown by products in the process. It is these unknown by products that are emitted back into the room that are a concern.

drsteve wrote:

free radical wrote:

brianosaur wrote:
Use a flameless catalytic heater that is safe for indoor use.
(Leave roof vent OPEN)
.

That doesnt make any sense..

Whats the use of using a heater when all hot air would escape to the outside??
Hot air rises you know..

The heater makes hot air at a faster rate than it drifts out thru the vent. I use one of these heaters in a pup with the vent open, and it stays nice and toasty.

I agree. These heaters work well in the winter when boondocking. DEFINITELY LEAVE A WINDOW OPEN!

Call Cowboy Bob at 3 dog down in Polson, Mt. They make a down mattress cover that is out of this world. You can also add a comforter on top, and you will be snug as a bug in a rug all night long.


http://shopatthreedogdown.com/index.php?target=categories&category_id=164

PS. I am not affiliated with 3 Dog Down other than a happy customer...

TenOC wrote:
Can anyone suggest a good Very Warm down (?) Comforter?

I recommend sleeping bags if going well below freezing with no furnace and no electric.
Get bags rated for 0 to 20 degrees if that is the conditions.

Grit dog wrote:
Well SoundGuy I could apply all kinds of scenarios here. OP is a full timer by their sig.
OP also said they run elect heat off of shore power typically when it gets cold.
Maybe they’re spending a few nights in the Dunes and don’t want to buy extra proprane trip to town, extra battery hookup and a generator to charge them for a single trip when they could save that $1000 dollars by snuggling up during the middle of the night for a few nights.
You know, being a public forum and all.
Last I checked you’re the one berating them for their ludicrous idea of sleeping without the furnace cranked up.
Some people even LIKE it cold when they sleep. Heck I keep the heat off in our bedroom and open up a window regardless of weather here. We Get under the blankets and sleep like babies!

Yes we could come up with all kinds of scenarios. However what many are saying is simply if you want to camp overnight in an RV without hookups in cold weather you will need additional battery power and a way to recharge your batteries.
Otherwise your going to be very cold. Having a furnace but not using it is silly, and simply a bad idea.
While not using the RV furnace maybe the OP's intention it is still a bad idea. Sound Guy is not the only one to make this point.
At some point the OP should reconsider their plan because it is a bad idea. Of course the OP is free to adhere to or ignore any advice given. Nevertheless many will consider not using the furnace a bad idea
One can choose to go boating. If the boat has an engine I will strongly suggest one bring gas for the engine vs. deciding oars will be OK.
Oars are fine for a rowboat, but not a motor boat.
Sleeping bags are fine for a tent, but not an RV with a furnace.

afidel wrote:

Mainevacationer wrote:
Buy TWO fleece blankets, the good ones...not the cheap flimsy ones. Lay the first fleece blanket on top of your fitted sheet. Lay the second fleece blanket on top of the first one and then add your top sheet and regular blankets. You WILL be toasty warm! As another poster said, wear a hat to bed. I'll also add that you should change into clean underwear and socks just prior to going to bed.

Good luck.

If you're going to go this route they also should NOT be cotton, use silk, wool, or synthetics. We have scouts have miserable times on our Klondike campouts every year, the ones who listen and change into dry non-cotton undergarments before bed are not the ones getting hypothermia, whining, or leaving in the middle of the night.

From one scout leader to another, I am surprised that most people do not know to change into clean, dry clothes before bed. When the power has gone out in our home, all of us do the "fleece sandwich" sleep system and clean, dry clothes. We are toasty warm. The BIG PROBLEM arises when you have to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. That's not fun!

SoundGuy wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
Well SoundGuy I could apply all kinds of scenarios here. OP is a full timer by their sig.

Last I checked you’re the one berating them for their ludicrous idea of sleeping without the furnace cranked up.
Some people even LIKE it cold when they sleep. Heck I keep the heat off in our bedroom and open up a window regardless of weather here. We Get under the blankets and sleep like babies!

Yeah, we're "full timers" too ... in our stick house ... and in this stick house I also turn the furnace thermostat down at night but it still comes on from time to time. Why would full timing in a travel trailer equipped with a furnace designed specifically for the purpose of keeping the interior comfortably warm be any different? Doh, it isn't. :S

Berating? ... and where did I ever say "cranked up"? :h We too prefer a cooler interior temp when we're sleeping but that doesn't mean otherwise freezing to death or using down sleeping bags that are good down to -20F. :S Rather, I just set the furnace thermostat so the it comes on at whatever preset temp we prefer, but it certainly isn't "cranked up". :R

If you've got a furnace, use it. :B

Berating, scoffing, cranked up, freezing to death, whatever. Grit dog answered your question about why it could be different for the OP in the part of his post you cut out. Even full timing has temporary situations that aren't "full time".

Can I get 5 emoticons in your inevitable reply please?

if you have 12v and propane you should be able to run the on board furnace... i used a small propane heater in a 17 foot trailer, and had to turn if off in the middle of the night as it hot too hot in the trailer with the roof vents all open