Car Campers Swear By This Seemingly Counterintuitive Tip To Stay Warm In The Winter

Car camping is one of the easiest ways to start. Since most people already own a car, it makes camping accessible and secure. One of the downsides to car camping is not being able to keep your car on with the heat running overnight, which can become tricky when you end up in ultra-cold climates. However, while it seems counterintuitive, car campers recommend cracking a window, even in frigid temperatures. This is because sleeping generates moisture, and if there's no ventilation, there's nowhere for that moisture to go. This leaves it to gather on your windows, ultimately making it colder inside.

In the best-case scenario, you can pop open your sunroof, like blogger Kathleen from The Hungry Hiker. She says, "Since I have a pod on top of my car, I like to crack open my sunroof before I go to bed for fresh air to come in overnight." However, a window works just fine. Some campers debate what works best for ventilation; some users say one window works fine, while others recommend opening two so air flows better. One Reddit user writes, "I just open one window in the front and one in the back on the opposite side and never got condensation." You may have to do some experimenting to figure out the best configuration for your car.

While airflow will help your car retain heat, it doesn't mean it will become a toasty sanctuary. You still need to make sure your car camp setup has plenty of insulation. Cars are not naturally equipped with the insulation to keep a person warm overnight, so some prepping beforehand can help make car camping more comfortable and courteous. Bring plenty of layers for your clothing, as well as sleeping bags and sleeping pads. You can do a simple game-changing car camping DIY by making some reflective car window covers to retain heat.

Before you go to bed, some campers recommend blasting the heat for a short while to warm up before settling back in. One camper on Reddit recommends pairing cracked windows with an early morning heat session, saying, "Crack a window for condensation. Never had an issue, plus you can crank the heat first thing in the morning, which is nice." Make sure you've also had a meal and hot liquids before going to bed, to make sure your body retains as much natural heat as possible. While it will be chilly, that doesn't mean car camping in the cold is impossible!