For those who use a microwave: here at home I have a man’s tube sock filled with probably about 3-5 lbs of white rice. Tie a knot in the end, then I slip another sock over it. I’ll arrange it in microwave and heat about 3 minutes then flip and do it again. It will keep hot for a LONG time. If it feels like it’s cooling, just shift the rice around. You can also stick it in the freezer and use it for muscle pain. Learned from a massage therapist.
This is one of my favorite solutions. I have several rice bags and because they are not hard sided, you can put them anywhere and they will fill the space whether it's beside you, on a sore knee, on the back of your neck to relieve stiffness, and many more great places. I would probably double the gym sock though, as rice has a way of making its way out of knitted fabrics.
My favorite heating solution is 32 oz of boiling water poured into a Nalgene bottle and then tightly sealed to prevent leaks. I place the filled Nalgene bottle in a wool sock so that it can be handled without burning yourself. Place the sock covered bottle on your lap near your femoral artery and it will keep you warm. Bring it into your bed and the water will still be warm in the morning.
Been doing this for years! Nalgene bottles will stand up to this for a very long time! Put it at the bottom of your sleeping bag or under your blankets you can be comfortable at pretty cold temperatures! It’s the best no risk of fire/doesn’t require electricity I’m aware of!
Thank you for mentioning wool. It is a wonderful resource. It is Sustainable, water resistant, naturally anti fungal, and even fire resistant. (Plastic melts) Wool leggings, shirts, underwear, mittens, hats- there is not a part of your body you can’t layer with wool. Plus wool will last years and years. I have well loved wool that is 30 years old.
You remind me of my dad who I lost 10 years ago. He would’ve absolutely loved watching your channel. Whenever I watch your channel I feel like a piece of my dad is with me so thank you so much for everything you do. Keep at it.
I'm still in a house (my rig is gutted currently), but I can say that this old house drops to 49-53 overnight. Without my heating blanket I would be miserable. Also a beanie and wool socks plus ugg boots to walk around on tile floor. I just bought a hot water bottle and thanks to this video, I will invest in a wool blanket. I can't wait to be out there. Looking forward to more tips. Thank you.
I use a very old technique to stay warm. I bought a medieval cloak pin on Amazon and I use it to keep a wool blanket wrapped around me like the Vikings did. I got the idea while watching the "Hobbit movies"!
My other bit of advice is to spend more time outside, acclimating to the cold, so that sleeping feels a bit warmer. Getting used to the cold goes far for feeling comfortable in my van at night, personally. I sleep with layered fleece blankets, a hat, socks, a base layer, and an electric blanket. Plenty warm once I got used to the cold!
I made a fake radiating heater; it's a butter cookie tin with lots of glass marbles inside. Put it on top of your heat source and it helps save some time that you won't have to constantly run your heat source. A cast iron skillet with rocks in it would work too.
Candles that are enclosed in glass, like the Prayer candles left at an accident site, work incredibly well!! THE HEAT GENERATED FROM THEM IS THE MOST EVER I HAVE FELT. 5 of these candles Heated an entire building lobby for hours!! I'm talking about the Candles that are inside the tall cylindrical glass
Back in the 50s, wool blankets were standard in most houses. We seem to use synthetics now. I'm not on the road, but you have inspired me to go get a good wool blanket again. I had sort of forgotten how warm they were.
Here in Texas back in Feb last year when the grid went down, I survived in the cold with my electric blanket plugged into my Jackery. I have since bought two more jackery and another elec blanket. Worked for me….
One thing you should add that keeps me warm as I sleep is, my dog. You said most of this stuff is for when you are awake, and I look forward to your videos on this. I will click like on this and other videos as well.
A real down blanket or quilt, works good. When traveling I keep a down blanket in my car. I've slept in -40 F more then one. I put on a wool hat and socks with a down blanket, warm the car turn off and sleep. I've also done it camping too. The blanket stores away in a pillow cover.
I use a hypothermia bag in really freezing weather ($17 Australian dollars for 2). They take up NO space, unlike huge blankets that you'll have to store somewhere when not in use. I also have a good sleeping bag which I get into with my hypothermia bag. I wear a high necked jumper & lumberjack's hat that covers my ears. Guaranteed to keep you warm in the coldest weather.
Wool blankets always work very well. I use them in the fall when camping. In winter in Canada, I always carry a couple in my car, in case of emergency. Also a down filled coat, with a warm hat, gloves and warm thick socks.
A heated mattress cover is SUBLIME. You climb into a warm bed, good for helping restless leg syndrome, has timer, adjustable heat control. Mine is still working and over 4 yrs. old.
I would ask that you test the 12V blanket, used as mattress cover (place under/lay on it). Heat wants to rise! I suggest add a test using hot water in a large double wall stainless steel water bottle. Cover with a sock. Placed at your feet when sleeping. If have a campfire? Remove a medium large surrounding hot rock, wrap in foil, then towel, put at feet in bed. Can also place against torso. Have you seen the heated, hard plastic pads used to keep a pet warm inside/outside a dog/cat house? They are 110V, 40 watts, no thermostat. Comes with a simulated sheep skin looking cover. Does not get hot, just warm enough to sustain life. Test one or two, cover with a blanket, lay on top, one at the feet, other at the torso? (Of course, must have a portable "Jackery" type power supply with sufficient energy.) Another thought: Urinate before bed. No need for body to use energy to keep water warm. And eat an energy bar/similar before bed. Body will burn those calories at night helping to stay warm. Perhaps you can test an electric motorcycle vest/pants/socks? Snowmobile electric coveralls outfit? "Carhart" rechargeable battery powered winter jacket/vest/coveralls? Lastly, let your pet snuggle if possible!
One of my trick is having polar fleece on my skin and bedding. Polar fleece does not become moist at all and it trap your body heat well. Supplement with a comforter and one wool blanket or 2 and it’s pretty good.I find any other kind of bedding is too cold once I get in and if im not already warm my frozen feet keep me up. Also warming the bed with an electric blanket is 😊 nice. But in true freezing temp you need an heater of some kind.
What about a kerosene lantern? My late husband and I used to use that whenever we went camping. We started out camping in a tent. However, as we got older, we transitioned to the back of our truck with a camper shell. They put out an amazing amount of heat!
There are so many good ideas out there. For folks out there who really cant afford anything, a mass heater is a good solution. That's just a fancy way of saying put hot rocks from a campfire in a metal bucket and bring it inside. Put sand in the bottom of the bucket to prevent melting your carpet or whatever you put the bucket on. Also, put a square piece of board over the top of the bucket on which you have nailed or tacked a flattened a can (shiny side down) to prevent singeing. It'll keep you warm and toasty.
With many years of motorcycle travel under my belt I found that my electric gear I used to keep warm there works well in my Subaru Crosstrek! I plug my electric coat into my Rockpals 300 and it's toasty and economical because it's like a form fitting electric blanket .. actually get's too hot! I do use propane but I did the Mr Buddy conversion that you had earlier and run it off a 11 lbs Manchester propane tank .. looks like a curling puck! THe other one I use is a ice house heater which is a really small catalytic heater that screws on the 1 lbs green tank .. but last's 14 hours on one .. I actually tested it to see. The small heater also screws on too the 11 lbs tank .. still experimenting there. No open flame in an enclosed vehicle .. at least not while sleeping. 🤠
Just went through sub-zero in Idaho. 15 degree sleeping bag (which is actually 30 as they factor in clothing and pad) inside old fashioned sleeping bag. Then layering on top including old sleeping bag with broken zipper on top of it all. All the layering is tucked way under and around the foot area. Hand warmer placed in sock in foot area if really freezing temps works great. Buy packages of them in the spring when on sale for the next winter. When it gets really cold a butane canister is in my sleeping bag at night to keep it warm so it works for coffee in AM which also warms my minivan up some, but of course the window is also down for ventilation letting in cold air. I never use my cook stoves for heat. It's important to get into the bedding as early as possible to warm it up for colder temps later. Plan your food , dental care etc so you stay in your bedding as much as possible. Everything came from thrift stores except the 15 degree sleeping bag, including the double fleece comfy hooded jacket which is like a blanket I wear while sitting up.Those gloves with no fingertips help keep hands warmer while allowing hand use for reading, electronics, crafts, etc.
You want to explore getting or making a "Bivy" tent inside your car or van. Can purchase on Amazon. Shrinks volume of air to just the area you're resting in to trap the heat there and not the entire inside volume of your vehicle.
I have an insulated GMC van with an extended roof and I use my Jackery 1000, an electric blanket, a ceramic electric heater, the van's heater and some blankets to keep warm. According to the digital display on my Jackery, my twin sized electric blanket uses 144 Watts AC when the heating circuit is working. It has a scale of 1 to 10 for heat, and I usually have it between 3 and 4. The heat cycles on and off, so it isn't drawing 144 Watts constantly. I have both a fleece blanket and a heavy wool blanket on top of the electric blanket. I've spent many a night in very cold temperatures, even single digit temps, and I'm very comfortable. The van is insulated but it does get cold inside. If I'm not plugged in, and not able to run the ceramic heater all night long, I'll turn it on for about 10 minutes in the morning to warm the room up before I crawl out from underneath the blanket. Alternatively, before I had the ceramic heater, I would just jump out of bed, start the engine, crawl back under the blankets, and in less than 10 minutes the whole inside of the van was toasty warm. My Jackery 1000 easily handles the electric blanket and moderate use of the ceramic heater. You probably could do the same with a unit half the size. There are 12V electric blankets that might use less power but every 12V blanket I saw wasn't very big... most are 50"x 60" or so. I'm tall so a five foot blanket wasn't going to keep all of me warm.
@@lisanicholson9313 no, it doesn't drain it all the way. I easily make through the night with more than 50% remaining from a full charge, even including moderate use of an electric space heater in the morning. The electric blanket doesn't draw power constantly...it cycles on and off as needed.
I have two moving blankets from harbor freight ,I used coupon to get them ,I think they where $5.00 a piece. Not only do they wrap furniture ,they can wrap you top and bottom . Back in medivel times they had curtains around the bed .I been playing with putting a curtain around just my upper body at night . It keeps the cold air off my head .
I have a tiny golf cart propane heater ( $80 ). It would be ideal for the van life. It doesn't need a lot of clearance and is about the size of a 44 oz soft drink.
Amazon has several types of golf cart heaters...you must review reviews to see what might be best fit for your needs. My wife only says "boy and their toys", but this maybe a solution for someone else in need. Happy New Year
@@rjvcescobar - Good comment. Mine is by Mister Heater. It works great for me. Electronic Ignition, etc. I use it to heat up the cab of my truck in a hurry.
I hope you will add information about steps one can take to retain heat in one's rig- ie covering windows (& what to use to cover those windows); reducing the size of the space that one is attempting to heat by hanging blankets or whatever to block areas not in use (the front seats for example). Looking forward to these videos! Thanks so much Bob!
The electric blankets will keep your tootsies warm but do nothing to prevent condensation in your vehicle -- they draw up to 50 watts or so -- maybe half the storage capacity of a small solar setup. For a few watts more, Davis Air-Dry heaters are used in marine applications to warm the air and exposed surfaces above the dew point. Very safe, they could be used for 6 or 7 hours with the same energy as one of these blankets. They're designed to run 24 hours a day, but heavy seasonal use in a small space could be accommodated by employing a nighttime thermostat.
Rubber Hot water bottles we always used in England to keep warm from my grandparents time and even when I was a kid in 70s+80s we had am old static caravan for weekends holidays and back then they had single pane windows no heating no toilet and basically (especially early in the season and towards the end of the season you'd regularly wake up with ice inside the windows etc! So we had hot water bottles inside our sleeping bags once we went to bed) we were made of tough stuff then as we then used to get up and walk over to the shower block in shorts and flip flops carrying out towel freezing cold to have our morning shower at like 7am lol 😅 Anyhow brought back memories of being properly cold as a kid never thought about it at the time but now I'm older I think about it ALOT! Pretty sure was thick socks track suit or pyjamas, hot water bottle and maybe s blanket over top of sleeping bag.. ) important to get to grips with it again, Especially as I want to build an off Grid camper van conversion in next year or so of I can perhaps sell up and live off Grid, and right now there's all sorts of power issues here and in Europe and it'll only get worse! Plus price of has and electric has gone up about 300% This year! So can't afford to heat house and have electric on feel like it must have been in the war for my grandparents! Anyway I'm typing this with a couple of Tealights burning and hit water bottle in my bed right now only boosting heating twice a day to save gas.. so times are definitely getting tough, but it's a good test for if the grid goes down permanently or semi permanently! Or just cannot afford any utilities gotta find a way to stay warm so I been trying and learning all sorts of ways including home made long burn candles, supplies, etc that I'm going to experiment with(veg fat - equivalent to your Crisco in America) anyhow good video.. ps. Hot water bottle from memory should stay warm for most of the night and if you wake up boil a kettle and 5 minutes you're toasty again!! Cheers from London England 👍💪🏴
Love my hot water bottle! But I also love the usb hand warmers. They are excellent and can be made placed all over your body - pockets, shoes - and easy to charge during the day very cheaply.
Truckers old way of doing that is a candle in tin can filled partly with sand and the candle. Sand heats up and the coffee can is to give you safe space from the candle
I have a electric blanket inside my sleeping blanket.. it's a good idea to install a remote start. Warm up your car, then crawl out of your sleeping bag. Works good fore me.even in wyoming (-:
3 UCO Chandelier Lanterns kept a room warm, cooked food, made coffee for 20 degree ice storm- no power for 10 days. Used intermittently ( mostly morning afternoon and evening ) and used 18 UCO candles. I bought a mold from EBay to make candles for the laterns because it was so effective. Room stayed warm and the rest of the house was like a meat locker. When you put the 3 Chandeliers together, you get a very good size heating surface.
I have my house set to 50 degrees because I don't want to pay for the heat and it leaks horribly. I've been sleeping in a sleeping bag since November and have been quite comfortable, some nights getting too hot. I work from home, wear sweatpants and a hoodie all day, and am quite comfortable.
You sound like me, only I don’t use my heater at all. I just pile on the blankets at night, and I’m set! During the day I layer several warm shirts and a hoodie then sweatpants, socks, and slippers!! 😃
Real DOWN comforters are awesome. I have a king size one that was a giveaway to me from a friend. It's lovely to fold in half ,so kinda like an open sleeping bag ! Or just piled on top of my body .
@UC3SMjQHjdYgd8pRnyypVJVQ They are used but are very clean. The place I go to here in Colorado is Jax. You can't beat the price on them vs a box store for their M.S. I got several blankets for layering so I can stay nice and toasty. With the electric blanket it's just icing on the cake.
WOOL!!! IS THE SAFEST BLANKETS TO HAVE WITH YOU, LIKE YOU SAID BOB, IT WILL RETAIN 80% OF IT INSUALTIVE VALUE EVEN WHEN WET FROM CONDISATION ETC. NO OHTER, MAN CREATED FIBER CAN DO IT. BOB, LUCKY FOR YOU AND me, WE HAVE "MAGICAL POWERS" AND PROPANE IS NO ISSUE WITH COMMON SENSE PRECAUSIONS. 👌. GREAT VIDEO!
Living in a house built in 1903. Love this house but it can be 45 degrees in the house in the morning. It's wood heat only and the stove is 30 years old with no new science and can't hold heat beyond 3 hours. My son will only sleep in cotton blankets and sleeping clothes - so no wool. However, we have a beautiful cotton quilt with a wool filling, I put a heating pad in my bed before I climb in and when the electricity is working fine (it goes out now and then) we have a few oil circulating heaters placed strategically around the house to keep the temp up to 55 or so. I just bought a Mr. Buddy and we're installing it through a window (hole drilled in wood window block for gas line) with the propane tank outside.
Bob i want to thank you for all your years of sharing and giving and dedication to others ,,,,ive enjoyed your channel for several years ,,,,im happy for you for your adventure to retirure your really earned it i hope you stay in touch with us much love to you and your channel
I appreciate these thoughts and videos of yours. What I'm about to say isn't scientific at all, just gut feelings. But I honestly feel the best solution to heat isn't necessarily added heat, but heat retention. I feel your $$$ will go farther with money spent on insulation vs adding heat. The human body produces its own heat. Capturing that and preventing it from going outside is the most efficient way to heat an area. That's why we use sleeping bags; they capture our heat and prevent it from going outside. So why not try our best to create a "sleeping bag" out of our entire rigs with insulation? The added benefit of this is also making use of the insulation in the warmer months via helping to keep cool. Yes, insulation isn't enough once temps drop to a certain point. I just wanted to mention here how important insulation is to an overall climate thought process with a rig. And I hope you mention that too.
@@peoplesw20 surely there's a way to put up temporary insulation along those points? Or a recommended material to make it out of? Decrease it as much as we could, at least.
I could use a hot water bottle wrapped with wool for my cold feet. My feet were cold the other night and I woke up a couple hours and the tips of my toes were still cold. I sure see some good ways to get warmer from watching your videos on this subject. Thank you very much Bob and all of the folks behind the scenes who help make your channel what it is doing for all folks of life even some of us still have a home to live in.👍
We just added the 12v blanket to our off grid cabin bedding. It fit the queen size bed by placing it in the middle of the bed east-west. We were ready to use hot water bottles for our feet but didn’t need to. The blanket is only large enough for one person if used to wrap up in.
Hey there Bob. I'm about to start building out a trailer for hopefully four season use. I'm looking to avoid propane as a primary heating source, strictly due to any logistical issues that might prop up down the road. I'm leaning very heavily towards installing a small wood stove, meant for use in hot tents for ice fishing. It would also have a secondary function as a cooking stove, for those times I am required to prepare meals inside. I spent my early years using a wood stove to heat the ranch house, so there won't be a learning curve involved. Wood is readily accessible in most places. I know already to bring a decent supply and a good hand axe/hatchet, when I head out to the Arizona desert later this year. As far as bedding, I'll start with what I have. My trusty "woobie", an Army issue poncho liner, for light use. And for colder nights, I picked up a huge heavy fleece blanket last winter, and I love it. And of course, I'll modify the plan as needed. Looking forward to the follow on videos in the series.
There are down socks that backpackers use & there’s heated usb powered socks as well. I like both of those. But really I prefer my heated blanket. It stays on for 10 hours too so I don’t wake up freezing. I carry extra cans of sterno for back up.
Thanks for the tips Bob! Not on the road yet but getting my things ready. I recently bought some merino wool socks and a merino wool long underwear type shirt and leggings. I plan on using my butane stove for some heat in my mini van also
There is one more fuel source you should consider for this series. Bio ethanol. There are a few small table top glass fireplaces that use bio ethanol in them. Some of the smaller ones have a footprint of 7.75" L x 7.75" W x 13" H, Heating Coverage Area: 161 sq. ft.
I use it in little tabletop fireplaces and it gives off fantastic heat in the house!,!! It's my favorite form of heat. Wouldn't use it in my SUV though. Which I'm freezing i
Always have the vehicles engine? As long as you have gas. a Jackery with a small solar panel will run an electronic blanket. Small heater/defroster. I Love my MR HEATER ! PRAISE GOD AND TRY TO STAY SAFE AND WARM!
Thanks, Bob! This is very helpful. Looking forward to the next videos on the subject. I’ve learned a lot from you (and others) regarding how to heat the air; warm clothes; sleeping bags and blankets. However, I’m concerned how to keep my dog warm at night when the heaters are off. At this point, I have her kennel covered with a sleeping bag, and the inside is lined with thin foam pads. She also has several of my down pillows!! I have a polar fleece coat for her, but she’s not fond of it. Any tips for our pets would be appreciated.
I 'm a full time van lifer and this winter (2021/22) will be my fourth winter in the van. Like a lot of full-timers do I spend most of my winters in AZ and NM. It can still get cold there though. What I've found works best for me before I hit the sack, are two warm water (rubber) bags. One for my feet and the other on my lap that I warm my hands up with. Warm hands and feet and I am happy. For the rest I just dress up. I've never been cold in my bed. The warm water bags go in there too ,and after that is it just layers of this and that. Another thing that works well is a Gaslamp on the floor. Only while you are awake of course. The heat is less direct and warm, and doesn't go up to the roof as quickly as with a heater. On top of that do you also have light in the van and therefore do not have to use battery/solar power ,which can be a challenge in the winter with its short, sunless days.
I’m surprise you didn’t mention fleecy blankets we never go anywhere without them….. They work best when they were in contact with your skin then we have a downfield duvet…. On top it works fantastic we just installed a Chinese diesel heater it is fantastic for in the mornings Takes all the dampness out of the air and allows you to put on your clothes nice and warm and dry….lol I really wanted to put the Dickinson bulkhead woodstove in but I didn’t have enough room with 400 W of solar on the roof…. What would be perfect is small rocket mass woodstove that runs off of pellets….we live in the NWT of Canada … Survival in the cold is a must…lol
Arny surplus store, military wool blanket, seater scarf and sox. warm even if wet. Poncho liner, field pant n jacket liner. Im the military I traveled light, used poncho and poncho liner to make >[ranger" sleeping bag bag. When I was roughnecking in below zero and wind blowing, I'd wear my slicker {rain} suit. over my Carhart's It kept heat in and cold wind out. I rode my motorcycle year-round at posted speeds, I learned to keep warm. Venting critical for confined spaces, be careful with fire, CO2 the silent killer
The Chinese diesel parking heater is by far the best way to heat your cargo style van or bigger than any other way of heating your van. It shocks me that Bob has never talked about Chinese diesel heaters before. They are a game changer.
Yeah I hear my sprinter van 2 car garage and back up for my furnace with the cheap Chinese RV heaters 2 years and no problems. They work and are economically viable but I have a hunch why some don't promote the CHINESE products.
Those seem to be good heaters but it's necessary to understand how to operate them properly. There is a clogging issue for some people because they don't know that to keep the heater operable they have to run them on high sometimes to clear them out. A friend has one and learned this the hard way. We broke his down and cleaned it out. Works well now. Good info for me if and when I decide to install one in my camper van. I agree that Bob should at least mention these heaters. He is after all the Nomad Guru.
I'm mechanically challenged, so I prefer simple solutions that feel more like my normal. Electric is my choice wherever possible. Sharing a tip as I think it may help some folks. For Christmas, I got a couple USB light bulbs for emergency prep (about $10 each on Amazon). After watching Bob's video, it occurred to me they might work as a heat source, so I fired up my little Jackery 300 and tested them out. While they aren't hot, they do get quite warm and definitely could double for light and warming your hands a bit. They only use 4-5 watts when running which is great! Running 1 or both as lighting only for 10 hours non-stop only used about 15% of power. I felt would be safe to bring under a blanket to warm things up, turn off, repeat, extending the battery life. Plugged into solar, you could go forever. In a vehicle, you could use the power station if you wanted, or, even easier, just plug them directly into the USB phone plug for instant light and hand warmer. :-) Definitely going to put a couple in the car to go with my sleeping bag!
For those who use a microwave: here at home I have a man’s tube sock filled with probably about 3-5 lbs of white rice. Tie a knot in the end, then I slip another sock over it. I’ll arrange it in microwave and heat about 3 minutes then flip and do it again. It will keep hot for a LONG time. If it feels like it’s cooling, just shift the rice around. You can also stick it in the freezer and use it for muscle pain. Learned from a massage therapist.
In the winter I use my beanbags every night. I still lie in a house because I have livestock.
Great idea. Never thought about freezing it
This is one of my favorite solutions. I have several rice bags and because they are not hard sided, you can put them anywhere and they will fill the space whether it's beside you, on a sore knee, on the back of your neck to relieve stiffness, and many more great places. I would probably double the gym sock though, as rice has a way of making its way out of knitted fabrics.
I did about 3 cups of rice in 2 socks and 3 minutes on high got it really hot. It says on google search results no more than 3 minutes
@@alicedenise5722 that’s A LOT less rice than what’s in my tube sock. I’m sure it did get hot.
My favorite heating solution is 32 oz of boiling water poured into a Nalgene bottle and then tightly sealed to prevent leaks. I place the filled Nalgene bottle in a wool sock so that it can be handled without burning yourself. Place the sock covered bottle on your lap near your femoral artery and it will keep you warm. Bring it into your bed and the water will still be warm in the morning.
Nice! I would have never thought to use a hot water bottle.
I use hot water as well. Found cheap solution 1/2 gallon beach bottles works great and hold up to boiling water.
Thank you! Great idea
Thanks never would have thought of this may b a life saver
Been doing this for years! Nalgene bottles will stand up to this for a very long time! Put it at the bottom of your sleeping bag or under your blankets you can be comfortable at pretty cold temperatures! It’s the best no risk of fire/doesn’t require electricity I’m aware of!
Thank you for mentioning wool. It is a wonderful resource. It is Sustainable, water resistant, naturally anti fungal, and even fire resistant. (Plastic melts) Wool leggings, shirts, underwear, mittens, hats- there is not a part of your body you can’t layer with wool. Plus wool will last years and years. I have well loved wool that is 30 years old.
You remind me of my dad who I lost 10 years ago. He would’ve absolutely loved watching your channel. Whenever I watch your channel I feel like a piece of my dad is with me so thank you so much for everything you do. Keep at it.
I'm still in a house (my rig is gutted currently), but I can say that this old house drops to 49-53 overnight. Without my heating blanket I would be miserable. Also a beanie and wool socks plus ugg boots to walk around on tile floor. I just bought a hot water bottle and thanks to this video, I will invest in a wool blanket. I can't wait to be out there. Looking forward to more tips. Thank you.
Thanks another video of great information..
oh hot water bottle in the sleeping bag to warm it up is awesome
I use a very old technique to stay warm. I bought a medieval cloak pin on Amazon and I use it to keep a wool blanket wrapped around me like the Vikings did. I got the idea while watching the "Hobbit movies"!
My other bit of advice is to spend more time outside, acclimating to the cold, so that sleeping feels a bit warmer. Getting used to the cold goes far for feeling comfortable in my van at night, personally. I sleep with layered fleece blankets, a hat, socks, a base layer, and an electric blanket. Plenty warm once I got used to the cold!
I made a fake radiating heater; it's a butter cookie tin with lots of glass marbles inside. Put it on top of your heat source and it helps save some time that you won't have to constantly run your heat source. A cast iron skillet with rocks in it would work too.
Candles that are enclosed in glass, like the Prayer candles left at an accident site, work incredibly well!! THE HEAT GENERATED FROM THEM IS THE MOST EVER I HAVE FELT. 5 of these candles Heated an entire building lobby for hours!! I'm talking about the Candles that are inside the tall cylindrical glass
Yes I love those
Back in the 50s, wool blankets were standard in most houses. We seem to use synthetics now. I'm not on the road, but you have inspired me to go get a good wool blanket again. I had sort of forgotten how warm they were.
Here in Texas back in Feb last year when the grid went down, I survived in the cold with my electric blanket plugged into my Jackery. I have since bought two more jackery and another elec blanket. Worked for me….
One thing you should add that keeps me warm as I sleep is, my dog. You said most of this stuff is for when you are awake, and I look forward to your videos on this. I will click like on this and other videos as well.
A real down blanket or quilt, works good. When traveling I keep a down blanket in my car. I've slept in -40 F more then one. I put on a wool hat and socks with a down blanket, warm the car turn off and sleep. I've also done it camping too.
The blanket stores away in a pillow cover.
I use a hypothermia bag in really freezing weather ($17 Australian dollars for 2). They take up NO space, unlike huge blankets that you'll have to store somewhere when not in use. I also have a good sleeping bag which I get into with my hypothermia bag. I wear a high necked jumper & lumberjack's hat that covers my ears. Guaranteed to keep you warm in the coldest weather.
Thanks, now that we know it's going to be a long dark winter. I would like to be pretty warm..
I use the combo of hot water bottle and down sleeping bag. I love the hot water bottle and just reboil water when it cools off.
Good cold weather sleeping bag, wrap in wool blanket. Excellent warm sleep.
Wool blankets always work very well. I use them in the fall when camping. In winter in Canada, I always carry a couple in my car, in case of emergency.
Also a down filled coat, with a warm hat, gloves and warm thick socks.
A heated mattress cover is SUBLIME. You climb into a warm bed, good for helping restless leg syndrome, has timer, adjustable heat control. Mine is still working and over 4 yrs. old.
I used a heated mattress pad for years. It finally died though. I miss it.
Restless legs can be healed with diet,all it takes is doing a elimination diet to find what is causing it
I love the Cody photo bomb!
I love my electric socks. Thinking about getting electric long underwear, electric gloves and electric hat if I can find them🤯
❤
I had my first electric blanket when I was 11 years old. my grandmother give me my first. they are a great way of keeping warm.
I would ask that you test the 12V blanket, used as mattress cover (place under/lay on it). Heat wants to rise!
I suggest add a test using hot water in a large double wall stainless steel water bottle.
Cover with a sock. Placed at your feet when sleeping.
If have a campfire? Remove a medium large surrounding hot rock, wrap in foil, then towel, put at feet in bed. Can also place against torso.
Have you seen the heated, hard plastic pads used to keep a pet warm inside/outside a dog/cat house?
They are 110V, 40 watts, no thermostat. Comes with a simulated sheep skin looking cover. Does not get hot, just warm enough to sustain life.
Test one or two, cover with a blanket, lay on top, one at the feet, other at the torso? (Of course, must have a portable "Jackery" type power supply with sufficient energy.)
Another thought:
Urinate before bed. No need for body to use energy to keep water warm.
And eat an energy bar/similar before bed. Body will burn those calories at night helping to stay warm.
Perhaps you can test an electric motorcycle vest/pants/socks? Snowmobile electric coveralls outfit?
"Carhart" rechargeable battery powered winter jacket/vest/coveralls?
Lastly, let your pet snuggle if possible!
I purchased the Woolly Mammoth blanket and a synthetic faux down comforter. Those with flannel sheets keep me warm.
Bob, thanks for always taking such good care of us.
1 gallon Arizona tea jugs make great hot water bottles because they're sturdy and they seal well. And you get to drink the tea.
I love are hot water bottles. Are family has use them for generations. Thank you for your time and effort. God bless
One of my trick is having polar fleece on my skin and bedding. Polar fleece does not become moist at all and it trap your body heat well. Supplement with a comforter and one wool blanket or 2 and it’s pretty good.I find any other kind of bedding is too cold once I get in and if im not already warm my frozen feet keep me up. Also warming the bed with an electric blanket is 😊 nice.
But in true freezing temp you need an heater of some kind.
What about a kerosene lantern? My late husband and I used to use that whenever we went camping. We started out camping in a tent. However, as we got older, we transitioned to the back of our truck with a camper shell. They put out an amazing amount of heat!
Polar Fleece is the cats ass in keeping warm, indoors and out. Retains heat very well and minimizes sweating. I believe it is better than wool.
I must have the wrong one. Because it makes me sweat and then freeze
I live in a very cold house and I highly recommend wearing wooden clogs with warm slippers inside them to keep your feet warm.
Yes Catherine and your about an inch of the floor with wooden clogs thats also good 👍🏼
There are so many good ideas out there. For folks out there who really cant afford anything, a mass heater is a good solution. That's just a fancy way of saying put hot rocks from a campfire in a metal bucket and bring it inside. Put sand in the bottom of the bucket to prevent melting your carpet or whatever you put the bucket on. Also, put a square piece of board over the top of the bucket on which you have nailed or tacked a flattened a can (shiny side down) to prevent singeing. It'll keep you warm and toasty.
What singeing???
With many years of motorcycle travel under my belt I found that my electric gear I used to keep warm there works well in my Subaru Crosstrek! I plug my electric coat into my Rockpals 300 and it's toasty and economical because it's like a form fitting electric blanket .. actually get's too hot! I do use propane but I did the Mr Buddy conversion that you had earlier and run it off a 11 lbs Manchester propane tank .. looks like a curling puck! THe other one I use is a ice house heater which is a really small catalytic heater that screws on the 1 lbs green tank .. but last's 14 hours on one .. I actually tested it to see. The small heater also screws on too the 11 lbs tank .. still experimenting there. No open flame in an enclosed vehicle .. at least not while sleeping. 🤠
Just went through sub-zero in Idaho. 15 degree sleeping bag (which is actually 30 as they factor in clothing and pad) inside old fashioned sleeping bag. Then layering on top including old sleeping bag with broken zipper on top of it all. All the layering is tucked way under and around the foot area. Hand warmer placed in sock in foot area if really freezing temps works great. Buy packages of them in the spring when on sale for the next winter. When it gets really cold a butane canister is in my sleeping bag at night to keep it warm so it works for coffee in AM which also warms my minivan up some, but of course the window is also down for ventilation letting in cold air. I never use my cook stoves for heat. It's important to get into the bedding as early as possible to warm it up for colder temps later. Plan your food , dental care etc so you stay in your bedding as much as possible. Everything came from thrift stores except the 15 degree sleeping bag, including the double fleece comfy hooded jacket which is like a blanket I wear while sitting up.Those gloves with no fingertips help keep hands warmer while allowing hand use for reading, electronics, crafts, etc.
You want to explore getting or making a "Bivy" tent inside your car or van. Can purchase on Amazon. Shrinks volume of air to just the area you're resting in to trap the heat there and not the entire inside volume of your vehicle.
I have an insulated GMC van with an extended roof and I use my Jackery 1000, an electric blanket, a ceramic electric heater, the van's heater and some blankets to keep warm. According to the digital display on my Jackery, my twin sized electric blanket uses 144 Watts AC when the heating circuit is working. It has a scale of 1 to 10 for heat, and I usually have it between 3 and 4. The heat cycles on and off, so it isn't drawing 144 Watts constantly. I have both a fleece blanket and a heavy wool blanket on top of the electric blanket. I've spent many a night in very cold temperatures, even single digit temps, and I'm very comfortable. The van is insulated but it does get cold inside. If I'm not plugged in, and not able to run the ceramic heater all night long, I'll turn it on for about 10 minutes in the morning to warm the room up before I crawl out from underneath the blanket. Alternatively, before I had the ceramic heater, I would just jump out of bed, start the engine, crawl back under the blankets, and in less than 10 minutes the whole inside of the van was toasty warm. My Jackery 1000 easily handles the electric blanket and moderate use of the ceramic heater. You probably could do the same with a unit half the size. There are 12V electric blankets that might use less power but every 12V blanket I saw wasn't very big... most are 50"x 60" or so. I'm tall so a five foot blanket wasn't going to keep all of me warm.
Doesn't it drain ypur battery?
@@lisanicholson9313 no, it doesn't drain it all the way. I easily make through the night with more than 50% remaining from a full charge, even including moderate use of an electric space heater in the morning. The electric blanket doesn't draw power constantly...it cycles on and off as needed.
I'm in Alaska. I have an rv, but I'm not in it full time yet. But I bought a Cubic Mini Grizzly. I'll keep you posted on how well it works.
I have two moving blankets from harbor freight ,I used coupon to get them ,I think they where $5.00 a piece. Not only do they wrap furniture ,they can wrap you top and bottom . Back in medivel times they had curtains around the bed .I been playing with putting a curtain around just my upper body at night . It keeps the cold air off my head .
Same here. I sleep just fine ,but wake up with a sore throat if temp drops below 20° f.
I have a tiny golf cart propane heater ( $80 ). It would be ideal for the van life. It doesn't need a lot of clearance and is about the size of a 44 oz soft drink.
Where do you get those?
Amazon has several types of golf cart heaters...you must review reviews to see what might be best fit for your needs. My wife only says "boy and their toys", but this maybe a solution for someone else in need. Happy New Year
@@rjvcescobar - Good comment. Mine is by Mister Heater. It works great for me. Electronic Ignition, etc. I use it to heat up the cab of my truck in a hurry.
I hope you will add information about steps one can take to retain heat in one's rig- ie covering windows (& what to use to cover those windows); reducing the size of the space that one is attempting to heat by hanging blankets or whatever to block areas not in use (the front seats for example). Looking forward to these videos! Thanks so much Bob!
The electric blankets will keep your tootsies warm but do nothing to prevent condensation in your vehicle -- they draw up to 50 watts or so -- maybe half the storage capacity of a small solar setup. For a few watts more, Davis Air-Dry heaters are used in marine applications to warm the air and exposed surfaces above the dew point. Very safe, they could be used for 6 or 7 hours with the same energy as one of these blankets. They're designed to run 24 hours a day, but heavy seasonal use in a small space could be accommodated by employing a nighttime thermostat.
Rice bag, kitty litter cups and you can buy different dehumidifying bags and tubs.
Rubber Hot water bottles we always used in England to keep warm from my grandparents time and even when I was a kid in 70s+80s we had am old static caravan for weekends holidays and back then they had single pane windows no heating no toilet and basically (especially early in the season and towards the end of the season you'd regularly wake up with ice inside the windows etc! So we had hot water bottles inside our sleeping bags once we went to bed) we were made of tough stuff then as we then used to get up and walk over to the shower block in shorts and flip flops carrying out towel freezing cold to have our morning shower at like 7am lol 😅
Anyhow brought back memories of being properly cold as a kid never thought about it at the time but now I'm older I think about it ALOT! Pretty sure was thick socks track suit or pyjamas, hot water bottle and maybe s blanket over top of sleeping bag.. ) important to get to grips with it again, Especially as I want to build an off Grid camper van conversion in next year or so of I can perhaps sell up and live off Grid, and right now there's all sorts of power issues here and in Europe and it'll only get worse! Plus price of has and electric has gone up about 300% This year! So can't afford to heat house and have electric on feel like it must have been in the war for my grandparents! Anyway I'm typing this with a couple of Tealights burning and hit water bottle in my bed right now only boosting heating twice a day to save gas.. so times are definitely getting tough, but it's a good test for if the grid goes down permanently or semi permanently! Or just cannot afford any utilities gotta find a way to stay warm so I been trying and learning all sorts of ways including home made long burn candles, supplies, etc that I'm going to experiment with(veg fat - equivalent to your Crisco in America) anyhow good video.. ps. Hot water bottle from memory should stay warm for most of the night and if you wake up boil a kettle and 5 minutes you're toasty again!!
Cheers from London England 👍💪🏴
Living in Canada it gets cold. To keep warm. Here we use double sided tape and window plastic. It cuts down drafts.
Love my hot water bottle! But I also love the usb hand warmers. They are excellent and can be made placed all over your body - pockets, shoes - and easy to charge during the day very cheaply.
USB hand warmers are great for my Reynaud syndrome hands.
Truckers old way of doing that is a candle in tin can filled partly with sand and the candle. Sand heats up and the coffee can is to give you safe space from the candle
Cisco works great for a candle for about 30 days is what the things say on line
I have a electric blanket inside my sleeping blanket.. it's a good idea to install a remote start. Warm up your car, then crawl out of your sleeping bag. Works good fore me.even in wyoming (-:
3 UCO Chandelier Lanterns kept a room warm, cooked food, made coffee for 20 degree ice storm- no power for 10 days. Used intermittently ( mostly morning afternoon and evening ) and used 18 UCO candles. I bought a mold from EBay to make candles for the laterns because it was so effective. Room stayed warm and the rest of the house was like a meat locker. When you put the 3 Chandeliers together, you get a very good size heating surface.
Thank you! I bought one and wondered if it would work!
I have my house set to 50 degrees because I don't want to pay for the heat and it leaks horribly. I've been sleeping in a sleeping bag since November and have been quite comfortable, some nights getting too hot. I work from home, wear sweatpants and a hoodie all day, and am quite comfortable.
You sound like me, only I don’t use my heater at all. I just pile on the blankets at night, and I’m set! During the day I layer several warm shirts and a hoodie then sweatpants, socks, and slippers!! 😃
@@karenrn5607 I've thought about it, but I don't want water pipes to burst. Since I have a gas furnace, it's been pretty cheap to run my small place.
Thank you for telling us about the candle heater because I haven't heard of them before.
Check out PSC Camper Conversions on YT. He has an interesting twist on the candle heaters.
The best heater is a Chinese diesel heater, I just had mine fitted a week ago and it is absolutely fantastic, works off grid and cheap to run.
Timely video for the winter season in the desert. Thanks Bob , Cody and company!
Cody sighting at 6:25 above... :)
Real DOWN comforters are awesome. I have a king size one that was a giveaway to me from a friend. It's lovely to fold in half ,so kinda like an open sleeping bag ! Or just piled on top of my body .
For minus 15c?
I really like that idea, esp since I shall be avoiding any region that dips further than a few degrees below 0°C 😂
You can pick up wool blankets at most military supply outlets. They sure do help you keep warm.
@UC3SMjQHjdYgd8pRnyypVJVQ They are used but are very clean. The place I go to here in Colorado is Jax. You can't beat the price on them vs a box store for their M.S. I got several blankets for layering so I can stay nice and toasty. With the electric blanket it's just icing on the cake.
WOOL!!! IS THE SAFEST BLANKETS TO HAVE WITH YOU, LIKE YOU SAID BOB, IT WILL RETAIN 80% OF IT INSUALTIVE VALUE EVEN WHEN WET FROM CONDISATION ETC. NO OHTER, MAN CREATED FIBER CAN DO IT. BOB, LUCKY FOR YOU AND me, WE HAVE "MAGICAL POWERS" AND PROPANE IS NO ISSUE WITH COMMON SENSE PRECAUSIONS. 👌. GREAT VIDEO!
Yes, Bob, I do all of those things. I've even slept on snow and stayed warm. Thanks.
Living in a house built in 1903. Love this house but it can be 45 degrees in the house in the morning. It's wood heat only and the stove is 30 years old with no new science and can't hold heat beyond 3 hours. My son will only sleep in cotton blankets and sleeping clothes - so no wool. However, we have a beautiful cotton quilt with a wool filling, I put a heating pad in my bed before I climb in and when the electricity is working fine (it goes out now and then) we have a few oil circulating heaters placed strategically around the house to keep the temp up to 55 or so. I just bought a Mr. Buddy and we're installing it through a window (hole drilled in wood window block for gas line) with the propane tank outside.
Wow! This is going to be useful. Thank you!☃️👍☃️
Cant wait to watch the rest of these!
Moving Blankets and mil surplus cold weather gear were lifesavers when I lived in a van.
Thanks for the link to the Arcturus wool blanket Bob. Good, quality, heavy wool blankets. Saved me the hassle of returning "5 star" low quality CRAP.
Bob i want to thank you for all your years of sharing and giving and dedication to others ,,,,ive enjoyed your channel for several years ,,,,im happy for you for your adventure to retirure your really earned it i hope you stay in touch with us much love to you and your channel
I definitely look forward to this series, Bob!
I appreciate these thoughts and videos of yours. What I'm about to say isn't scientific at all, just gut feelings. But I honestly feel the best solution to heat isn't necessarily added heat, but heat retention. I feel your $$$ will go farther with money spent on insulation vs adding heat. The human body produces its own heat. Capturing that and preventing it from going outside is the most efficient way to heat an area. That's why we use sleeping bags; they capture our heat and prevent it from going outside. So why not try our best to create a "sleeping bag" out of our entire rigs with insulation? The added benefit of this is also making use of the insulation in the warmer months via helping to keep cool.
Yes, insulation isn't enough once temps drop to a certain point. I just wanted to mention here how important insulation is to an overall climate thought process with a rig. And I hope you mention that too.
Yes but in a vehicle, you have massive envelope holes in just the windshield. Smaller applications such as suv's you have even more windows.
@@peoplesw20 surely there's a way to put up temporary insulation along those points? Or a recommended material to make it out of? Decrease it as much as we could, at least.
I love all your curtains, Bob ❣️
This will be so useful! Looking forward to seeing how all of these compare. Thank you, Bob!
We put rocks close to a campfire then dropped into q sock.. Use in the bottom of sleeping bag.. They stay warm a long time.
I could use a hot water bottle wrapped with wool for my cold feet. My feet were cold the other night and I woke up a couple hours and the tips of my toes were still cold. I sure see some good ways to get warmer from watching your videos on this subject. Thank you very much Bob and all of the folks behind the scenes who help make your channel what it is doing for all folks of life even some of us still have a home to live in.👍
Lama wool is light and extremely warm. Reindeer pelts are extremely warm too.
We just added the 12v blanket to our off grid cabin bedding. It fit the queen size bed by placing it in the middle of the bed east-west. We were ready to use hot water bottles for our feet but didn’t need to. The blanket is only large enough for one person if used to wrap up in.
I ruined 2 blankets 110v wrapping up in them. Fast too. Only 1 or 2 nights. Hopefully, 12 v is more durable.
Great Ideas!!
Thanks Bob for taking the imes to show us these kind of videos and saving us money.
Have a big dog! Remember Three Dog Night!
Thank you for sharing all the different ways to stay warm. Very timely video. Mary 💕 Fred
Hey there Bob. I'm about to start building out a trailer for hopefully four season use. I'm looking to avoid propane as a primary heating source, strictly due to any logistical issues that might prop up down the road. I'm leaning very heavily towards installing a small wood stove, meant for use in hot tents for ice fishing. It would also have a secondary function as a cooking stove, for those times I am required to prepare meals inside. I spent my early years using a wood stove to heat the ranch house, so there won't be a learning curve involved. Wood is readily accessible in most places. I know already to bring a decent supply and a good hand axe/hatchet, when I head out to the Arizona desert later this year.
As far as bedding, I'll start with what I have. My trusty "woobie", an Army issue poncho liner, for light use. And for colder nights, I picked up a huge heavy fleece blanket last winter, and I love it. And of course, I'll modify the plan as needed. Looking forward to the follow on videos in the series.
There are down socks that backpackers use & there’s heated usb powered socks as well. I like both of those. But really I prefer my heated blanket. It stays on for 10 hours too so I don’t wake up freezing.
I carry extra cans of sterno for back up.
Thanks for the tips Bob! Not on the road yet but getting my things ready. I recently bought some merino wool socks and a merino wool long underwear type shirt and leggings. I plan on using my butane stove for some heat in my mini van also
Just drive to South Beach Miami for Winter!
I love Brian to!!! Fantastic Guy
Looking forward to seeing the results
Great ideas and great inquest😊❤
There is one more fuel source you should consider for this series.
Bio ethanol. There are a few small table top glass fireplaces that use bio ethanol in them.
Some of the smaller ones have a footprint of 7.75" L x 7.75" W x 13" H, Heating Coverage Area: 161 sq. ft.
I use it in little tabletop fireplaces and it gives off fantastic heat in the house!,!! It's my favorite form of heat. Wouldn't use it in my SUV though. Which I'm freezing i
Thank you soo much Bob!
Excellent series. I'm looking forward to this. I only have a heated blanket and I stay away from cold weather, as much as possible.
Always have the vehicles engine?
As long as you have gas.
a Jackery with a small solar panel will run an electronic blanket.
Small heater/defroster. I Love my MR HEATER ! PRAISE GOD AND TRY TO STAY SAFE AND WARM!
Thanks, Bob! This is very helpful. Looking forward to the next videos on the subject. I’ve learned a lot from you (and others) regarding how to heat the air; warm clothes; sleeping bags and blankets. However, I’m concerned how to keep my dog warm at night when the heaters are off. At this point, I have her kennel covered with a sleeping bag, and the inside is lined with thin foam pads. She also has several of my down pillows!! I have a polar fleece coat for her, but she’s not fond of it. Any tips for our pets would be appreciated.
Awesome video, great job my friend
Hi Bob..thx for these informational videos..we really learn alot.. great ideas 🐈
Thanks Bob!
Tampa loves you Bob
Thanks 🙏 Bob
Thanks Bob.
I 'm a full time van lifer and this winter (2021/22) will be my fourth winter in the van. Like a lot of full-timers do I spend most of my winters in AZ and NM. It can still get cold there though. What I've found works best for me before I hit the sack, are two warm water (rubber) bags. One for my feet and the other on my lap that I warm my hands up with. Warm hands and feet and I am happy. For the rest I just dress up. I've never been cold in my bed. The warm water bags go in there too ,and after that is it just layers of this and that. Another thing that works well is a Gaslamp on the floor. Only while you are awake of course. The heat is less direct and warm, and doesn't go up to the roof as quickly as with a heater. On top of that do you also have light in the van and therefore do not have to use battery/solar power ,which can be a challenge in the winter with its short, sunless days.
Great bob
Thanks good deal
I’m surprise you didn’t mention fleecy blankets we never go anywhere without them….. They work best when they were in contact with your skin then we have a downfield duvet…. On top it works fantastic we just installed a Chinese diesel heater it is fantastic for in the mornings Takes all the dampness out of the air and allows you to put on your clothes nice and warm and dry….lol I really wanted to put the Dickinson bulkhead woodstove in but I didn’t have enough room with 400 W of solar on the roof…. What would be perfect is small rocket mass woodstove that runs off of pellets….we live in the NWT of Canada … Survival in the cold is a must…lol
Arny surplus store, military wool blanket, seater scarf and sox. warm even if wet. Poncho liner, field pant n jacket liner. Im the military I traveled light, used poncho and poncho liner to make >[ranger" sleeping bag bag. When I was roughnecking in below zero and wind blowing, I'd wear my slicker {rain} suit. over my Carhart's It kept heat in and cold wind out. I rode my motorcycle year-round at posted speeds, I learned to keep warm. Venting critical for confined spaces, be careful with fire, CO2 the silent killer
Hi bob. Love you and cody. You are the best.
The Chinese diesel parking heater is by far the best way to heat your cargo style van or bigger than any other way of heating your van. It shocks me that Bob has never talked about Chinese diesel heaters before. They are a game changer.
Yeah I hear my sprinter van 2 car garage and back up for my furnace with the cheap Chinese RV heaters 2 years and no problems. They work and are economically viable but I have a hunch why some don't promote the CHINESE products.
Those seem to be good heaters but it's necessary to understand how to operate them properly. There is a clogging issue for some people because they don't know that to keep the heater operable they have to run them on high sometimes to clear them out. A friend has one and learned this the hard way. We broke his down and cleaned it out. Works well now. Good info for me if and when I decide to install one in my camper van. I agree that Bob should at least mention these heaters. He is after all the Nomad Guru.
Diesel heater is what I use in my cargo trailer. I love it ❤️
Lol he's got videos about diesel heaters you speak of from years back. Just check the channel
He has discussed them before. That said, are there any proven to be of decent quality?
I have a mini van a buddy heater is nice but sometimes it will cook you out
But I've also learned how to cook some things on it
I'm mechanically challenged, so I prefer simple solutions that feel more like my normal. Electric is my choice wherever possible. Sharing a tip as I think it may help some folks.
For Christmas, I got a couple USB light bulbs for emergency prep (about $10 each on Amazon). After watching Bob's video, it occurred to me they might work as a heat source, so I fired up my little Jackery 300 and tested them out. While they aren't hot, they do get quite warm and definitely could double for light and warming your hands a bit.
They only use 4-5 watts when running which is great! Running 1 or both as lighting only for 10 hours non-stop only used about 15% of power.
I felt would be safe to bring under a blanket to warm things up, turn off, repeat, extending the battery life. Plugged into solar, you could go forever.
In a vehicle, you could use the power station if you wanted, or, even easier, just plug them directly into the USB phone plug for instant light and hand warmer. :-)
Definitely going to put a couple in the car to go with my sleeping bag!
Hey Bob!
Watch out! There's a hungry kaiodee sneaking up on you!
Thank you I need this information
I use a USB powered ceramic vest heater and pants. They run off of a small USB powerbank and they last for 8 to 10 hours.