Winter in the Van

I’m sure this is a contested opinion, but I see winter as a magical time. I love the glistening snow, experiencing the thrill of skiing, and enjoying hot chocolate (with booze, let’s be real) by the fireplace.. but things change when you live a van during the winter time. It can be just as magical, but there’s quite a few challenges in guaranteeing comfort. Of course, warmth is the first thing on your mind, then there’s navigating more difficult weather, and finally, you’ll have to figure out where to park since many campgrounds close for the off season. So I’m here to help you out a little and give some insight into how we survived living in our van in the Rockies last winter. 

So last winter, ‘17-’18, was a LOT of fun, and yes it was hard but it didn’t matter because it was truly living the #vanlife of my dreams. We got to be the ski bums we always wanted to be, driving to ski resorts, parking there and sleeping overnight, and waking up to a glorious day that we’d spend on the mountain. We had the Ikon Base Pass, so it allowed us access to mountains all across the country, but we stuck to the West. We started in California, going to Mammoth then Tahoe, then we booked it across Nevada to Salt Lake City, Utah where we skied Alta and Park City.

The van looking good in Park City, Utah.

After UT, we kept moving east to Colorado, making a beeline to Steamboat Springs where we stayed nearly a week. Winter Wondergrass music festival was going on there and we got the opportunity to volunteer in exchange for free passes! It was a sweet deal. The mountain at Steamboat was massive, and so much fun.

Winter Wondergrass music festival is every Feb and March in Steamboat Springs CO, Stratton VT, and Tahoe CA.

From there on we went all over the Rockies, skiing at all the spots along CO’s I-70, Vail, Breckenridge, Copper, Winterpark, etc. Then to make it even more epic, we decided to drive north across Wyoming and Montana all the way to Alberta, Canada, ultimately stopping at Banff National Park. If you need some specific recommendations at any of the spots I mentioned, please let me know and I’ll be happy to share some.

So how did we visit all these amazing, yet freezing places and not die? Let's dig in...

Starting with:

HOW TO STAY WARM DURING WINTER IN A VAN

(starting from small to large)

• Hot chocolate, tea, or coffee and instant miso soup: A hot drink and hot slurps of soup will warm you up from the inside. We use our Jet Boil to quickly heat up water.
• Hot water bottle: Again, Jet Boil can be used to fill this baby up with hot hot water.

• Warm clothing: I like wool clothing for it's moisture-wicking ability and they keep you staying very warm. Plus, the wool doesn't stink as much if you wear it over a couple of days and sweat a bit.
• Slippers or booties: I highly recommend getting yourself a pair of cozy slippers or some down booties to wear in the van for those times when socks just won't cut it!

• Wool blankets: These are a life saver! Makes your bed extra cozy and can help ya out if you want to sit outside and look at stars at night.

• Down comforter or a 0 degree sleeping bag: Get yourself some proper bedding to make sure you stay warm.
• Insulated window covers: A LOT of heat escapes out your windows, so get some window covers to save that energy and keep it inside. You can make your own for sure with fabric or with reflective foam inserts. My partner bought some insulated fabric and ending up sewing it himself (so proud!) and installing buttons so we could easily attach ours to the inside of the van. Check out the pic below of our set-up.

  

  Our homemade insulated wall and window coverings; these kept the heat in very efficiently!

• Heater: If you'll have electricity, consider getting a Mr. Buddy portable heater. Or install a heater if you have the means; we put in a Propex heater that is externally-ventilated so we don't die. Propex uses propane, so we have to be on the lookout to fill up. And PLEASE be careful if using a heater; get a carbon monoxide detector and keep it in your van.
• If your heater uses propane, make sure you keep it full! There were a couple nights last winter when we ran out of propane in the middle of the night, in the middle of the mountains. Doh! We sure felt stupid. We woke up to freezing temperatures and ice that had formed inside the van, all over the windows, our water bottles were frozen, and our poor pup was shivering. So we quickly got him wrapped in a blanket, then set to work scrapping the ice off the windows so we could drive to lower elevation and look for a propane distributor. Of course, it was the middle of the night, so we drove to a slightly warmer spot then huddled in blankets together before morning came. Now that was a LONG night! This only happened to us once, but once was enough. So now we make sure we're set on propane before the shops close. AND we keep an extra propane tank up top on our van in case of emergencies. My partner installed an easy hook-up so we can use the tank vs. our built-in tank.

One question you may have.. where do you fill up propane?

1. Uhaul center

2. Gas stations

3. Hardware and home improvement stores (Ace Hardware, Tractor Supply Co, Lowes, etc.)

If you google propane fill-up, sometimes it will give you nearby "propane suppliers" but this is for homeowners not for filling tanks.

TIPS FOR SURVIVING WINTER IN A VAN

• Keep it dry inside: it's usually too cold to dry clothes or towels, so we try to minimize what we get wet. For example, we rent towels from the gym rather than bring our own because they'll take forever to dry in the van. Plus, less moisture inside means less clinging to the windows which can then ice up and nobody wants to be scrapping ice from inside their vehicle.
• Put a step or small rug outside: This will be helpful in wiping off muddy or snow-covered boots.
• Get a pee jug: Unless you have a toilet in your van, you know the dread of having to get up and go outside to pee in the middle of the night. It's much worse in the winter when it's freezing outside. Be ready and get yourself a pee jug. And ladies, I highly recommend a SheWee! It's like a funnel that allows you to pee straight; no more accidentally peeing on your shoes! 

• Buy waterproof boots: Get these before you need 'em. There's nothing worse than soaked shoes that will take forever to dry in your van.
• Have good all-terrain tires: After a lot of research, we settled on Nokian Rotiiva all-terrain tires. We drove through so many snowy areas and didn't have to use our chains even once. Though, we didn't do any off-roading and stuck to streets that had been plowed or weren't in too bad of shape.
• Use a water jug instead of your sink: Are your water pipes and tank  insulated? Ours are not, so we had to switch to using a big water jug rather than the sink in the van. It wasn't that hard a switch. I'm glad we thought of this before heading out on the road and dealing with frozen pipes. 
• Have a pet? We leave the heater on for my dog if we leave the van, but we also installed a temperature sensor to make sure it doesn't get too hot or too cold. Check out my other blog post to read more on what I do to keep my dog comfortable: Traveling in Vans with Dogs.

And finally, it can be quite a challenge finding open campgrounds during the off season. Definitely do your research and plan ahead; don't trust online resources to tell you what campgrounds are open- call them. This also goes for Forest Service campgrounds or places you're looking to boondock, especially if the spot you want is down a long Forest Road. Call the station to check on road conditions to make sure it's not snowed in, and even ask specifically where they would recommend a camp spot for a self-contained vehicle. (For help finding free campsites, I always check out freecampsites.net).

We had a blast in the van chasing the snow last winter, but that said, if we weren't skiers and didn't do any winter sports, I would definitely choose to stay in warmer climates. That's what we're doing for the upcoming season '19-'20; we're looking to travel around Florida, and keep south, maybe even dipping into Mexico. Skiing was fun last year but it sure is pricey! So we're going with a more chill (NOT literally) winter vacation in the van.