Influencer I
What’s the best way to stay warm in my rooftop tent?
- Thread starter Baileyelliott03
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I talked to a friend of mine that has an electrical engineering degree, 150 Amp-hours converts to 1800 watt hours at 12 volts. Which means it’ll run for about 6 hours on 300 watts!!!! I trust his knowledge
Influencer I
Yes, that’s correct. 150x12=1800 Wh. Good catch. That’s a much bigger battery than I was thinking. Not sure how it’s gonna recharge in just one day during a typical winter on the solar, though.
It says that it charges with a 120v outlet, I think the solar is just a backup option. Not completely sure yet, I'll take pics and give an update when it arrives
Backpacking and car camping, I don't care if the air is cold so long as I'm not. Quality down bag rated below your expected temps, warm long underwear, balaclava (so your hat doesn't fall off), and if car camping then a wool blanket atop it all - I'm comfortable below freezing. If we're talking 0 deg F, not so sure, except I'm not planning on camping in those temps, by virtue of chosen location and time of year. Diesel heater setups require the heater, hoses, electric power source, fuel and, critically, the fuss factor of setup, teardown while at camp. If I can accomplish the same outcome - warmth and comfort while sleeping - through insulation alone, that is the easiest, least expensive and least fussy way to go about it. I am the wrong customer for diesel heaters.
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I've camped at 5-10 degrees just like you mentioned. Nice bag, layers, extra extra handwarmers in the bag with me. Was perfectly fine, not warm in any sense, but good enough to sleep and not be pissed off all night.
The true test is morning, who draws the short straw and has to get up first to light a fire.
madcratebuilder
Rank V
Pathfinder I
Number one is a good bag, number two is a electric blanket. I use a 12v blanket to prewarm my bag, pulls very little power from my power station. I may run my Lil' Buddy just before going and getting up.
TX95ZJ
Rank I
Enthusiast I
Here are a few of my thoughts:
1. Sleep System: sleeping bag with a survival rating of at least 20* lower than the ambient temp + sleeping pad (e.g. Thermarest) to insulate you from the cold underneath; an extra wool blanket to throw over the top is also a good idea, just in case
2. Clothing: thermal base layer (aka "long johns") top & bottom, wool socks, and beanie or balaclava (preferred)
3. Ventilation: window slightly open to minimize moisture/condensation (from your breath) inside the tent
4. Food: eat a high calorie meal of proteins and carbs just prior to bedtime; your body will generate heat as it processes the food overnight
5. Tent Choice: the smaller the better when it comes to retaining heat (body or heater-generated)
6. Tent Placement: minimize wind exposure
7. Bonus tip: get/use a legitimate pee bottle to minimize the need for getting out of your bag during the night and losing all that captured body heat
All of these are helpful to keep in mind even if you choose an artificial source to supplement your body heat.
Luke shares his ideas here:
I hope this helps!
-Brent
1. Sleep System: sleeping bag with a survival rating of at least 20* lower than the ambient temp + sleeping pad (e.g. Thermarest) to insulate you from the cold underneath; an extra wool blanket to throw over the top is also a good idea, just in case
2. Clothing: thermal base layer (aka "long johns") top & bottom, wool socks, and beanie or balaclava (preferred)
3. Ventilation: window slightly open to minimize moisture/condensation (from your breath) inside the tent
4. Food: eat a high calorie meal of proteins and carbs just prior to bedtime; your body will generate heat as it processes the food overnight
5. Tent Choice: the smaller the better when it comes to retaining heat (body or heater-generated)
6. Tent Placement: minimize wind exposure
7. Bonus tip: get/use a legitimate pee bottle to minimize the need for getting out of your bag during the night and losing all that captured body heat
All of these are helpful to keep in mind even if you choose an artificial source to supplement your body heat.
Luke shares his ideas here:
I hope this helps!
-Brent
Member III
Made a rookie mistake and didn't camp with proper gear.
Summer tent and summer bag, in Utah at -14°f. Barely slept and fingers weren't moving.
Now I have a much better bag, slightly better tent, insulated underwear, warm gloves, wool socks, and a heated blanket. It draws about 50 - 75 watts per hour. Enough to last 1 night with a jackery 500. Also bring an ecoflow delta 2, which would double that.
I've thought about a diesel heater, since my jeep is diesel, but watching reviews online, it seems a good unit is luck, some work some give error codes. Also some say it's noisy and give off a weird smell.
Summer tent and summer bag, in Utah at -14°f. Barely slept and fingers weren't moving.
Now I have a much better bag, slightly better tent, insulated underwear, warm gloves, wool socks, and a heated blanket. It draws about 50 - 75 watts per hour. Enough to last 1 night with a jackery 500. Also bring an ecoflow delta 2, which would double that.
I've thought about a diesel heater, since my jeep is diesel, but watching reviews online, it seems a good unit is luck, some work some give error codes. Also some say it's noisy and give off a weird smell.
Traveler III
Honestly it has nothing to do with luck, but the age old wisdom of you get what you pay for. I'd hazard a guess that 99.9% of those "reviews" are people buying cheap heaters off of Amazon then pissing and moaning that their sub-$200 heater is throwing codes. I mean...there are entire Facebook groups for such owners to troubleshoot things. Not exactly the mark of quality
.If you're going to get a heater, get a Planar, Webasto, Eberspracher, Propex, etc....or take the money you were gonna spend on a cheap (not inexpensive...cheap) alternative and invest that in a blanket/power station/warm bag/etc. I used a diesel Planar all-in-one in our old RTT and trailer and never had one issue after many, many nights of use. Currently running a petrol-burning Webasto in our truck camper that's plumbed into the fuel tank. Two-button presses to have glorious , fume-free heat. Zero issues with hundreds of hours of usage. And if I do? There's a warranty and actual service centers all over the world.
yeah...i said the same thing about my ex-wife...and she didnt put out much heat either
not to get into a pissing match about diesel heaters, but i used to be skeptical about them and even went as far as to make fun of them. then as fate would have it, i ran into a situation where the only thing that checked all the boxes was a diesel heater. i did buy the $200 amazon special and after using it a year, i still think it is a very solid purchase. i have mine inside a cargo conversion trailer and love it. if i had to heat a RTT, i would certainly use this heater. having it outside and blowing heat in is extremely safe as the combustion chamber is separate from the heat exchanger, so no danger of exhaust gases getting you. i posted on here a while back how the wife and i honeymooned in a teardrop trailer in 20 degree weather using a buddy heater and thinking the vents were open when they were not and how we nearly made front page news of newly wed couple killed by CO. try to make something idiot proof and they will just build a better idiot...so i guess nothing is totally safe
i look at it like this: the wife and i went out to eat at a nice restaurant in baton rouge a couple weeks ago and spent $140. by the time i got home i had pretty much forgotten about the meal. add another $60 and i could have a diesel heater that works well and lasts a lot longer. and quality is subjective...i bought a $600 bosch hammer drill that crapped out after a few hours of use while a cheap harbor freight hammer drill for $65 gets used and abused and left out in the rain and still works. sure, some of the brand name units will be better built, but i find it hard to reconcile a webasto heater for $1500 when there are good heaters for $200.
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rgallant
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Hey...never said they DON'T work, and if it fits your budget/plans/risk calculus/etc. go for it <shrug>. The higher risk of failure (whether out of the box or in the future), despite some of them probably working just fine for forever, isn't worth it to me. I'm, squarely, in the buy once, cry once camp when it comes to things like that. Now...my Amazon special overhead lights? Freakin' love 'em. But if those die, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
rgallant
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Member I
The best way is of course to snuggle up next to somebody warmer than you are.
Hands down winner for cold weather camping is a diesel heater. Been using a $150 amazon for 2 years and it's been a game changer. Wife even enjoyed it last saturday at snow camp with temps in the teens. Running 12hrs it used half a talk and keeped us all dry. Just have to run a tank or 2 threw it to burn the chemicals before using.
TX95ZJ
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Enthusiast I
Tent heaters are great as supplements for added comfort (I plan on adding a diesel heater to my setup), but a friendly PSA to anyone new to camping in cold weather: do not depend on the reliable operation of your heater for your survival. Always have a solid contingency plan for if the heater fails for whatever reason. There are inexpensive options for cold rated sleeping bags, pads, wool blankets, base layer clothing, etc., that I suggest being part of everyone's cold weather setup.
Traveler III
Not only the gear, but the knowledge in how insulation/thermal transfer actually WORKS. More layers =/= more warmth all the time. Putting that heavy wool blanket over your sleeping bag, for instance, will have you shivering when you compress your sleeping bag...effectively ruining any insulating qualities. And that comfy, uninsulated, air pad will freeze you. So be sure anything you're putting under you actually has a good R-value. Bag liners are indispensable, IMO, as they allow for a warmer (i.e. thinner) sleeping bag to be stowed/carried, but also work great in a heated camper with regular bedding when your wife is cold-blooded and you're laying spread eagle on top of the comforter trying not to sweat
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We have found its the moisture build up in the tent that causes us the most grief, we have warm bedding and a 12v electric blanket to preheat the bed prior to getting inside so have not had a problem staying warm. On multi day winter trips everything is just damp if not wet inside the tent, even with windows left open. We used a mr buddy in our Gazelle on a couple of trips and that just created more moisture, and not going to ignite a heater in a cramped rooftop tent. A couple of years ago we purchased a cheap diesel heater and it's a game changer. We set it up and run full blast for about 20 minutes before bed, then turn it to its lowest setting (using the manual control not the built in thermostat) where it runs all night. When we get ready to get up in the morning we crank it back to full blast for another 20 minutes or so while squaring away camp and getting breakfast started, this effectively drys out the canvas (and makes it more flexible in super cold weather) and then promptly fold up the tent for travel. Burning the heater on full blast at startup and stop has done a good job of preventing the dreaded carboning up of the burn chamber that occurs when only using them on low setting. One overnight trip where we forgot to pack the supply air hose to the tent we remembered how much it sucked to fold up a frozen snow covered soft shell RTT, that won't be happening again.
TX95ZJ
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Enthusiast I
Good info here. Liners are a great option, and layering know-how is key.Not only the gear, but the knowledge in how insulation/thermal transfer actually WORKS. More layers =/= more warmth all the time. Putting that heavy wool blanket over your sleeping bag, for instance, will have you shivering when you compress your sleeping bag...effectively ruining any insulating qualities. And that comfy, uninsulated, air pad will freeze you. So be sure anything you're putting under you actually has a good R-value. Bag liners are indispensable, IMO, as they allow for a warmer (i.e. thinner) sleeping bag to be stowed/carried, but also work great in a heated camper with regular bedding when your wife is cold-blooded and you're laying spread eagle on top of the comforter trying not to sweat
Avoiding sleeping bag compression is another good tip you mentioned. However, I've used a wool blanket draped over my O* sleeping bag to great effect to substantially INCREASE the overall R-value (I went from feeling quite cold to warm in fairly short order with no other changes). I've done this with my young children's bags as well to warm them up. One benefit over a liner is that you can easily add or remove all or part of it from you (while remaining in your bag) to regulate temperature. If it's large enough, you can even place half of it under your sleeping bag to improve the R-value of your insulated sleeping pad.
As a side benefit, wool maintains it's insulating properties when wet, which is a bonus. It's a very value piece of equipment to have in the cold weather kit.
