Sleeping in your car can seem like a cost-effective alternative to booking accommodation for the night, yet it can come with risks. You mustn’t leave your engine running to avoid gasses like carbon monoxide making you sick, so sleeping in your car is no different than sleeping in a tent. Yet, how cold is too cold to sleep in your car?
It is too cold to sleep in your car when temperatures reach freezing, which is 32°F (0°C). Any lower than this, your body can go into hypothermic shock, resulting in severe illness and even death. Taking proper precautions before you start your journey could save your life.
There are several ways of increasing your body temperature and the temperature of your car to ensure that you don’t reach below freezing while you’re asleep. Here is everything you need to consider if you plan to spend the night in your car.
How To Ensure Your Car Isn’t Too Cold To Sleep In
You can take several precautions before you set off on your trip to ensure you are well-equipped to withstand low temperatures.
1. Insulate Your Car
You can maximize your car’s protection at night by insulating it. Insulation can involve covering the inside panels of the vehicle with foam to trap heat and reduce the amount of open air to heat inside the car. It is imperative to insulate the windows in the car, as they let out the most heat.
Here is a YouTube clip with more details on properly insulating your car.
2. Insulate Yourself
Choosing the correct clothing and sleeping gear is vital when planning to spend the night in your car. Some sleeping bags, such as this TETON Deer Hunter Sleeping Bag (available on Amazon.com), are designed specifically for cold-weather camping and can protect you in cold temperatures. Make sure you are aware of nighttime temperatures in your area and consider this when choosing your sleeping bag.
Ensure you pack insulating sleepwear, including thermals, plenty of pairs of socks, a warm hat, and gloves. It is better to overpack than be left stranded in a freezing car, so if in doubt, you should bring any items you are on the fence about.
3. Bring Heating Equipment
Bringing a good camping stove and insulated food containers can be the difference between a good night’s sleep or a freezing night spent awake when you sleep in your car. Heating water so that you can fill a hot water bottle or make yourself a flask of tea can help you stave off the shivers and sleep through the night. I recommend the Stanley Base Camp Cook Set if you want a complete set.
Here are some more of my favorite camping kitchen accessories.
4. Keep Your Car on Until You Fall Asleep
It can take your car about 30 minutes to return to its average temperature after you have shut the engine off, so keeping your heater on until you fall asleep will give you a little time to settle down before it drops to freezing temperatures. Remember to never leave your car engine on when you fall asleep. An undetected carbon dioxide leak could quickly kill you.
5. Have a Hot Meal and Drink Before You Go To Sleep
Here is where the camping stove from earlier comes in. Hop out of your car if you are in a safe location to do so, and light up the camping stove. Heat some water to make a hot beverage, fill a hot water bottle, and heat something warm like soup. It is essential to stay well-fed and hydrated so that your body wastes none of its energy and can concentrate on keeping you warm.
6. Don’t Underestimate How Cold It Will Get
One of the most dangerous mistakes you can make when sleeping in your car at night is stripping off because you are too hot. Your clothes and gear are all designed to keep you warm, so if you have been sitting in a heated car with a mug of soup, it is easy to assume you will be too warm. Beware that it gets far colder in the middle of the night, and your body temperature will drop. It’s better to be too hot than too cold.
7. Don’t Hold Your Bladder
There’s a good chance that you’ll need to pee during the night, which can leave you in a predicament. While it may seem counterproductive to go out into the cold when you have spent all that time insulating your car, your body will waste energy trying to keep your urine warm for as long as you hold it in. Pee into a sealed container or hop outside to relieve yourself, but don’t hold it in.
8. Ventilate Your Car
Ventilating your care is another strategy that may seem counterproductive, but if you wake up with condensation on the windows, it is better to rid the air of moisture than keep them closed. Having your windows open for five minutes to dispel condensation will increase the car’s overall temperature, even if it feels a bit cold while you’re doing it.
9. Protect Your Electronics
Mobile devices such as your cell phone are equally susceptible to the cold and may have a lowered function and battery life if they are left out in the cold. You can’t guarantee that all your precautions will ensure your safety, and you need to be able to call for help if necessary. Keeping your mobile phone wrapped up and placed in your sleeping bag overnight can prevent you from getting stranded in the cold.
While camping in your car, you should be extra cautious. Another article lists the most essential safety tips for car camping. Don’t miss it.
Conclusion
Your car is no more suited to keeping you warm than a tent, so if you plan on spending the night, don’t set off without anything you wouldn’t take on a camping trip.
No matter how tempting it is, do not leave your car on overnight, and don’t take the risk if the temperatures are likely below 32°F (0°C). If you keep these precautions in mind, you should be able to travel safely while stopping overnight in your car.