favorite ways to stay warm while winter camping

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view from the nevada side of the snowy sierra nevada mountains

we’re spending seven weeks on the road in our heatless camper van for a wild winter adventure! while we’re sticking to the southwest to avoid snow (as much as possible), we have been experiencing temperatures in the 20s and expect more chilly nights ahead. because we don’t have heat in our van, we’ve taken some extra steps to ensure we stay nice and cozy while winter camping. here are the five things we’re using to stay toasty:

• good sleeping bags: when it’s warmer we just use regular bedding (sheets and blanket) when van camping, but winter calls for pulling out the good sleeping bags. we have this one and this one that can be used comfortably in temps down to 20 degrees fahrenheit. (i use the men’s because it’s lighter than the long women’s and i hope to eventually take it backpacking!) and sometimes we still put our blanket to put on top!

• warm base layers: these were a recent addition to our camping essentials, but we absolutely them! i have this top and this bottom of merino wool base layers from smartwool. and kiddo has this set from rei.

• mini heater: i bought this personal space heater in a moment of panic and i’m really glad i did! we are loving it! so much so, i’m seriously considering getting an extra one to put under my desk to warm my feet! we turn it on while we’re getting ready for bed and again first thing in the morning to coax us out of our sleeping bags. we use our jackery solar generator to power it when we’re not connected to electricity.

• hot water bottle: this was another item i thought might be overkill. but who doesn’t love a hot water bottle at the foot of the bed? it packs almost completely flat and all we need to do is boil water for hours of extra warmth in the bed.

• hand warmers: we keep a set of hand warmers in our rv emergency essentials. they are so small it’s worth having them on hand all the time. fortunately, we haven’t had to use them, but if we find ourselves in an unexpected storm we just might break them out.

hope this list helps keep you cozy and warm during your winter camping adventures! let me know what other tips you use for staying warm when you go out wild.

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favorite emergency essentials we keep in our campervan

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building our vehicle emergency kit has been years in the making. when we lived in seattle there was lots of talk of THE BIG ONE, meaning a massive earthquake. that’s when I put together a basic car emergency kit, after researching all the earthquake kit essentials.

it wasn’t until we left the pacific northwest in 2018 that we started hiking, camping and adventuring more. we moved to the joshua tree area, and after an extremely unfortunate incident of getting lost in the desert by myself with a dead phone and no gas (like IN the desert, in a wash, away from the road), I decided it was time to reassess my emergency kit. that’s when I started adding things like a solar charger and rechargeable power banks and glow sticks.

then, in 2020 we got a popup camper and we added a few more essentials like a fuse kit and air compressor for our rv emergency essentials kit. so, after we transitioned from the camper to the camper van, I was pretty confident we already had everything. but, before we took our first big trip in the van in 2022, I figured I had better be sure. and I still managed to add a few more things, including a fire extinguisher and flat tire repair kit.

here’s a list of everything in our camper van or RV emergency kit. many items on this list would also be great in a car emergency kit. many of these items we’ve never had to use, but they help with peace of mind and will certainly be much appreciated should we ever run into trouble.

vehicle emergency kit essentials

air compressor: this is one of those essentials that we didn’t purchase until we got the camper, but is definitely useful for any road trip emergency kit. we have this one and after pulling it out of the van a couple times to use on the car, I ended up buying a second one!

glow sticks: these are a handy light source in a pinch but they are also attention grabbing. because of their neon glow, they’re great for placing on the road or wearing if you need to be out of your vehicle after dark to be sure you’re easily spotted. I also keep these in my regular car emergency kit and bring them tent camping and backpacking since they’re small, light and easy to transport.

one important note - glow sticks expire rather quickly so be sure to restock regularly and enjoy having a glow stick party with the expired ones. we used our old pack for halloween fun last year!

flashlights and/or lantern: we keep both a lantern and several flashlights in the van because our camping philosophy is: the more light sources the better! we bought this pack of colorful flashlights for our kiddo to stash in various pockets (and we ended up buying a second pack to stash around the house, which comes in very handy!). and before our summer road trip i bought this lantern because it also functions as a flashlight, is rechargeable and has a red flashing light in case of emergency. one or two solar lanterns would also be great to have on hand. (side note: I have this compact solar lantern for backpacking and I love it so much I started bringing it camping, too.)

car jump starter: this is one of those items that we added after we got the rv but really we should have had all along. the one we have isn’t currently available, but this portable jump starter is similar. this is the one thing in our emergency kit that we have had to use the most (the van had some electrical issues that are now fixed!) and it has been a life saver! this is my most important car safety essential.

tire repair kit: another item we didn’t get until we had an rv but would be handy to keep in any vehicle emergency kit. this tire repair kit is the one we keep in our camper van essentials.

warning reflectors: we keep these safety triangles tucked in our rv emergency kit in case we’re ever stuck on the side of the road. they are especially necessary should there be a breakdown after sunset.

rv roadside emergency kit

solar chargers: we started out with this small solar power bank for camping trips. super portable and enough to keep our phones charged for a few days away. we recently upgraded to this jackery set up for the camper van so we can spend more time in the wilderness while still having power for the basics. it’s been so great to have on hand!

fire extinguisher: like most rvs, we have a propane stove in our camper van. an open flame in a small, enclosed space poses a fair amount of risk so we take extra steps to ensure fire safety. we’ve had one of these fire blankets in our car emergency kit (and one in our kitchen!) for several years and recently added one to the van. we also have two of these fire extinguishers in the van (I’m paranoid I won’t be able to reach it fast enough!). both may be overkill, but should a fire emergency arise, I want to be sure we have something immediately available that’s easy to use in order to avoid catastrophic loss.

tool kit: having a mechanics tool kit on hand means we have a one-stop place in our rv essentials kit for all the various tools we might need. while the full kit is definitely bulkier than other items, it really contains a lot of must-haves all in one spot. this is another one of those things I’ve had to pull out multiple times, including to help others! again, even though it seems overkill, I highly recommend making space for this essential.

extra fuses: I never would have thought to keep extra fuses on hand until we bought a camper. keeping a fuse kit in our rv essentials was recommended by another camper on our very first night with our trailer. we bought one after that first trip and lo and behold we used it shortly thereafter when our propane alarm malfunctioned in the trailer. we now have this one in our van, too.

the basics

any emergency kit (whether home or vehicle!) should contain some basics like food (we keep snacks like granola bars in our vehicles), water and a first aid kit.

we keep varying sizes of first-aid kits in different places, like this small first aid kit for hiking packs and this larger first aid kit for our camper van.

water is an essential, too! when we went beach camping in baja, I got 2 of these water jugs because I wasn’t sure how accessible potable water would be. now, i always bring at least one full water jug on every trip in the camper van.

extra rv essentials

duct tape: can’t go wrong with duct tape! funny story (that wasn’t funny at the time) - less than 10 miles after picking up our camper, a critical component fell off it’s mount (due to a missing pin) and was dragging down the highway. we had to pull over on a narrow bridge with cars racing past and honking. it was duct tape to the rescue until we could get to a dealer with the correct part to repair. now we always keep a roll on hand.

zip ties: these are handy for all sorts of reasons - organizing cords, strapping together gear, and even holding together broken components when duct tape isn’t an option. these zip ties don’t take up too much space and are worth having on hand in case of roadside emergency.

extra batteries: these are one of those things that seem to never be there when you need them, right? we recently had to stop at a gas station in the camper van because our smoke detector started beeping and we didn’t have the right size batteries in our spare stash. now we keep AA batteries, AAA batteries and 9v batteries in the camper van for all the various little appliances.

carbon monoxide detector: though we have a wired propane alarm in the camper van, I feel safer also having a portable carbon monoxide detector. we also like that it tells us the temperature in the van! we tuck it into backseat organizer pocket and forget it’s there. not an absolute must, but one of those extra items that’s easy to add to an rv emergency kit and provide extra peace of mind.

waterproof matches: this is one of those things we carried over from our home emergency kit. while waterproof matches may not seem absolutely necessary when you have an rv, we have pulled them out multiple times when the lighters for the stove run out of fuel. (anybody else forget to refill those every darn time?) and for those who backpack, they are a super small and portable essential that’s easily transferable from one emergency kit location to another.

winter essentials: we traveled to yosemite in winter and put together an extra winter emergency kit just in case. it includes things like an extra blanket, extra warm clothing, handwarmers, and a small window scraper. we also bought this foldable camping shovel for our winter emergency kit, but it really could be used to dig out of sand, mud or other sticky situations!

and that’s that! it seems like an awful lot but many of these items are easy to tuck into a pocket or storage space. i hope having these items on hand prove helpful in an emergency, should one arise. or, fingers crossed, provide exactly the peace of mind you need to travel confidently. and do let me know if i missed anything that you keep in your emergency preparedness kit!

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