7 ways to stay warm in your campervan this winter
Wintertime doesn’t mean your camper trips have to stop: here’s how to keep toasty as the temperatures plummet.
Whenever you see images of people campervanning, you invariably encounter bare legs dangling out of vans or bottles of frosty beer being sunk at sunset. So, campervanning is a summer thing, right? The rest of the year, your camper stays in the garage, only getting used once the temps creep up?
Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. Certainly at SV, we’ve designed our vans to be used in all seasons (think underfloor heating and a good hunk of wool insulation). We’ve stayed in the Alps in winter, not to mention the coldest climes of Scotland, and still kept cosy. There’s nothing like coming home to a warm van after a frolic in the snow, and heading to cold places is actually one of our favourite ways to travel – cold water swimming and surfing, plus we get to experience beautiful spots that are otherwise choca with tourists in the warmer months.
So here are our tips for keeping warm in your camper when the temperatures drop, but you still want to get away from it all.
Make Friends With Your Flask
When you get up in the morning to make your tea or coffee, fill up a decent-sized flask with boiling water while you’re at it. It means that through the day, if you start to feel the chill, a hot drink is but moments away, and you don’t have to keep using up your van’s precious energy by boiling water.
Wool For The Win
For crying out loud, get good bedding, and make sure it’s warm. Bypass synthetic fillers, and go for wool ideally as it tends to be the most ethical, or buy ethical/green down as a second choice (look for the Responsible Down Standard certification). Wool is particularly good because not only does it naturally thermo-regulate, it’s also antibacterial and wicks moisture, which is ideal if you’re storing your bedding away during the day as it won’t get damp.
Layers Of Plenty
Same goes for your clothes – this ain’t no beach party so don’t expect to be comfortable wearing just a singlet inside your van in winter. You might be fine for a while, but as soon as someone opens that door… get ready for a world of pain. Get yourself a woollen jumper and some thick woolly socks – and make sure you dress in layers, including a decent winter coat for when you venture into the elements, so you can add or take-off whatever you need whether you’re inside the van or out.
Get On The Bottle
It sounds minor, but before you get into bed, make yourself a hot water bottle. In the middle of the night, when the heating has been off for many an hour and the insulation has done all it can, you will be grateful for that hottie, we promise you – toes will be toasty, extremities will be snug. You can even cradle the damn thing like a baby if you are so inclined (holding it against your groin/torso is actually the best way to get your entire body warm, as it turns out).
Under The Pump
Whether you’re in a Studio Van camper or a van of your own design, sort yourself out with some underfloor heating, stat. Noisy fan heaters are annoying and inefficient. Underfloor heating is virtually silent and super effective. It means you can watch Netflix, have your tunes on or listen to the waves crashing outside without a fan white-noising all the good stuff you’re trying to experience, plus your toes will be so warm you’ll be tempted to coorie up on the floor.
Hat Thing
Turns out it’s a bit of a myth that you lose 75% of your heat out of your head. It’s a filthy lie people, so let’s all just try and move on. In reality, it’s estimated to be around 10%, which actually is no mean feat. So pack a hat, and wear it if you’re feeling the chill. It won’t work if you are otherwise nudie, but it will still help to keep you cosy.
Get Out
It may be freezing out there, but a spot of exercise warms up your core no end. So go for that run, or do some exercises outside the van before coming back inside. You’ll be warmer, fitter and altogether more smug afterwards. And that’s a good set of reasons to do just about anything.
7 ways to stay warm in your campervan this winter
Studio Vans Journal Stories
By Freya Herring