Pop Up Soft Side Campers in the Winter
Could anyone who has owned one of these tell me how well they stay warm in the wintertime.
Forum Discussion
In the ten years we camped in our Phoenix popup, we were more frequently concerned with keeping cool in the summer than keeping warm in the winter. And our 5000 btu window air conditioner did the job adequately.
However, I do recall one overnight when the outside temperature hit 9 degrees F and we were quite comfortable. I don’t think we used the furnace much if at all, preferring the more even heat of our little portable electric heater. And that was before we invested in winter sleeping bags – a good idea if you want to do much winter camping. I might mention that we prefer to keep our cabover on the cool side for sleeping.
Another time we camped in the snow without hookups and our propane furnace kept us comfortable. Although we didn’t do a lot of cold-weather camping, we refilled our single propane tank only once a year.
Others have mentioned condensation, which can be a nuisance when it’s dripping off the ceiling. But it’s not a show stopper. By paying attention to your use of the cookstove, you can put less moisture into the air. We did try a dehumidifier, but the one we bought was worthless.
All things considered, I wouldn’t hesitate to cold-weather camp in a popup such as our Phoenix – although we never did so when the temperature was below zero F.
Any comparisons between a popup and a tent strike me as ludicrous. I agree with the speculation that the person making that comparison never did any cold-weather camping in a popup. In fact, I would not be surprised to learn that this person had never stepped inside a popup.
However, I do recall one overnight when the outside temperature hit 9 degrees F and we were quite comfortable. I don’t think we used the furnace much if at all, preferring the more even heat of our little portable electric heater. And that was before we invested in winter sleeping bags – a good idea if you want to do much winter camping. I might mention that we prefer to keep our cabover on the cool side for sleeping.
Another time we camped in the snow without hookups and our propane furnace kept us comfortable. Although we didn’t do a lot of cold-weather camping, we refilled our single propane tank only once a year.
Others have mentioned condensation, which can be a nuisance when it’s dripping off the ceiling. But it’s not a show stopper. By paying attention to your use of the cookstove, you can put less moisture into the air. We did try a dehumidifier, but the one we bought was worthless.
All things considered, I wouldn’t hesitate to cold-weather camp in a popup such as our Phoenix – although we never did so when the temperature was below zero F.
Any comparisons between a popup and a tent strike me as ludicrous. I agree with the speculation that the person making that comparison never did any cold-weather camping in a popup. In fact, I would not be surprised to learn that this person had never stepped inside a popup.
