As the weather outside gets frightful, and with power cuts becoming more common, it’s important to know how to keep yourself and your devices warm when there’s no electricity. Here are twelve tips, based on the experience of people living full-time in vans and RVs, about how to stay warm even when there isn’t any electricity.
1. Create heat. One way to stay warm is to generate your own heat. You can do this with a camp stove or by burning wood in a fireplace or wood stove. If you’re using a camp stove, be sure to open a window to ventilate the room, as stoves can produce a lot of carbon monoxide.
2. Insulate your space. Another way to keep warm is to insulate your living space so that heat generated by your body and by any heat sources you’re using doesn’t escape. There are many ways to do this, including hanging blankets over doors and windows, placing rugs on floors, and using furniture and insulation panels designed for RVs and vans (which can often be found second-hand).
3. Use body heat. One of the best ways to stay warm is to use the heat generated by your own body. This means snuggling up with another person or animal, wearing layers of clothing (including thermal underwear), and sleeping under blankets or in a sleeping bag designed for cold weather camping. If you have babies or small children, they can sleep in your bed with you to stay warm.
4. Drink hot beverages. Another way to make use of your body heat is to drink hot beverages like tea, coffee, or soup throughout the day. This will help raise your core temperature and make you feel more comfortable overall. Just be sure not to drink too much caffeine, as it can make you feel jittery and anxious (not ideal when you’re trying to relax and stay warm).