Traveling during the winter

shuey

shuey

New member
I'm wondering how traveling during the winter in the us is. I've only ever hitched during the spring/summer. Any advice or stories would be helpful.
 
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San jose cali ( generally silicon valley) is a nice neutral place to be in the winter. You can live outside and be fairly comfy. Other than that most peeps I know head to new orleans and get restaurant jobs to house them for the majority of the winter
 
last year i travelled north for the winter in my van and i survived. but i dont like wearing a coat to bed so this year im going south, which is what most people do
 
migrating south... going to cali, travel around who knows. i'm testing the use of reflective surfaces. just found a tube of some teflon air duct coating in the trash gonna give it a whirl. the car windsheild cover i've been using as a sleeping pad works really well to reflect body heat/ it's super thin and lightweight
 
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i've been thinking about this too. living in an rv in pittsburgh. will have a small wood stove but interested in a little travelin as well to break up the monotony..
 
I've done some tenting in the winter here in upstate NY. Mostly went well, had a couple snow storms - but yeah - there is nothing like sleeping with lots of clothes on - wool socks over my hands. But there were a couple nights where it took A LOOOOONG time to leave the fire and run to the tent (toast the front side, then the back side and ... run, but first re-toast the front side, then the back side andddd repeat ... hehe). Camped like that a few times and then said screw it, if I'm going to do that again I'm bringing a long extension cord and plugging in an electric blanket (was at campground). hehe :p
 
Advice:
Head south before it gets too cold.
Wear layers.
Use cardboard beneath your body and above.
Eat plenty of high calorie food.
Dry your body from perspiration long before bedding down.
Running equipment generates heat, use it.
Keep your clothes clean, especially the layer next to your skin.
If you wake up very cold, go dumpster dive (you'll find calories and generate heat).

If you are skinny and get cold easily, find somebody who isn't and likes to cuddle.
 
eh driving the rv is a bit expensive. < 9 miles per gallon. i've got a good set up for now and need to do some work on it anyway..
 
It looks like I might have to do that... and I'm currently in the northeast. I'm not happy about this, but hopefully, I will be able to avoid it.
 
Oh my..,another winter travel thread...search ppl search!

Anyways, I've been in the north in the winter a lot, it's cold as fuck. You could die. I've gotten frostbite and hypothermia.

I've also been in the south in winter, don't let anyone fool ya..,it can get cold in the south too, unless your in The Keys. I've had some below freezing Florida nights...

Wear layers and wool, don't be afraid to crack a squat, don't be ashamed to get a hotel room for a night or two...
 
Corinne said:
last year i travelled north for the winter in my van and i survived. but i dont like wearing a coat to bed so this year im going south, which is what most people do
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If you're wearing a coat to bed, you need a better sleep system to be in that kind of temps
 
Ive been winter camping in Oregon and Colorado for a couple years now. A car helps a hell of a lot. But other than that:

-Have some kind of shelter: Tarp, tent, Bivy, cave, squat, ect.
-Long underwear dude, not flattering, but lifesaving (Also, Carharts are fucking awesome.
-synthetic clothing, no cotton, cotton kills! (This especially goes for your sleeping gear)
-always carry extra food, ramen and peanut butter, fukin' classic
if you have a small camping stove, take it. Has saved my ass a couple times
-Have a way to make money, I learned to play guitar on the road, and i can make money anywhere
-Keep clean, oils and dirt reduce clothing's ability to keep you warm, wash your cloths often
-Dont believe the "Alcohol makes you warmer" bullshit, if you pass out black-out drunk with no bag in 35 degree weather, you are probably going to freeze to death, processing alcohol makes your body colder, like 3 times colder. Although beer does help alot with falling asleep IN your gear.
-using some kind of insulation from the cold/wind (Cardboard, sleeping pad, pine needles, sand, ect.) will make you alot more comfortable
-GET FOOD STAMPS! lol
-Get a dog or girlfriend/boyfriend

That is how I have survived week-long stints of Sub-zero temps while traveling.
 
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