How I Stay Warm While Sleeping in My Car

I have been living out of my car since August 2023, so I’ve experienced two winters with this lifestyle. A common question I get is, “How do you stay warm sleeping in your car during the cold winter months?”

I live and work in Maryland, where temperatures during winter rarely drop into the single digits overnight. The coldest night I slept in my car was 10 degrees Fahrenheit (-12 degrees Celsius). Still, temperatures in the teens and 20s can be challenging for staying warm and getting a good night’s sleep.

I’ve experimented with various methods. The simplest has worked best for me. It involves wearing multiple layers of clothing and using multiple blankets. I have found this method works great on nights when temperatures dip into the 30s.

I also have a zero-degree sleeping bag for colder nights, although layering with clothes and blankets has worked fine when temperatures dip into the teens and 20s. What I like about the zero-degree sleeping bag is that it will keep you comfortably warm down to 0°F (-18°C).

The sleeping bag and layering are two tried-and-true methods I’ve consistently used over the past two winters. It is what has worked best for me.

For my layers of clothing, I wear a pair of socks, sweatpants, a t-shirt, a sweater, and a beanie for my head. I also have hand and foot warmers I use on occasion. You can find them at convenience stores, gas stations, and online at sites like Amazon. I also keep a jacket and sweater in the car in case I need an extra layer, especially on cold nights.

I have experimented with other options for staying warm. I have a heated mattress pad and a heated electric blanket. I tried them out last winter for a few days. I would preheat the bed by plugging it into my EBL 1000-watt power station. One of the benefits of this setup is that the bed would already be nice and warm.

I’d still have several layers on top of the electric blanket when sleeping with this arrangement to stay warm. While I liked the heated mattress pad, I was just as comfortable without it.

Unfortunately, running them requires power, and I was not fond of draining my power station with something of little or no overall benefit. They didn’t do much for me, so I went back to layering and using my sleeping bag.

Part of my preparation for the night is using the car heater to warm up, then shutting it off just before bed. Although I have a carbon monoxide detector in my car as a safety measure, I never leave the heater on and the engine running overnight. It’s too dangerous, and it’s bad for your car. However, I do wake up on occasion overnight and will turn on the car for 20 minutes or so to warm up. My cold nose appreciates it.

While I’ve never experienced anything too cold for me, I always allowed myself the option of an occasional hotel stay during the chilliest stretches of winter. I made several short, 1- to 3-day hotel stays this past winter during frigid nights. I also have family about an hour away, and I occasionally stay with them on weekends. The same goes for friends who live nearby. It’s also a good way to break up the routine.

My cold-weather options will likely expand in the near future as I plan to retire soon. What is one very attractive option? Go south! It is what I will likely do next winter. In retirement, I can travel north in the summer and south in the winter. In fact, I plan to travel a lot after I retire.

Another option post-retirement? I’ve lived out of a small sedan this whole time, but I am considering upgrading to a larger hybrid vehicle with climate control for next winter. My small sedan has served me well, as I work full-time in an office five days a week with access to various amenities.

It won’t be the case once I’m retired. I’ll need more space, and I like the idea of getting a hybrid with an automatic climate control system to maintain a set temperature overnight. It will be an excellent option for cold winter nights and warm, muggy summer nights.

Hybrids have a big battery to power the AC or heat. When the battery level is low, the engine will activate to recharge it. This can happen several times throughout the night when the climate control system is in use. Running it will use up some gas overnight. However, most folks I’ve spoken to say it averages about a gallon or so of gas, which is only a few dollars. It’s still a lot cheaper than a hotel room.

Staying warm and comfortable in a car during cold weather and getting a restful night’s sleep is easily achievable with the proper gear and preparation, whether you are a part-time car camper or live in your vehicle full-time.

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I have lived in my car since August 2023. You can follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram