There is just something about summertime. Temperatures shoot up. Pools are open for business. People flock to beaches. Winter keeps us cooped indoors; summer sets us free. Yes, life is good in the summer.
Camping is a favorite summer pastime. Why sleep in the same old bed when you can have an adventure?
You can even camp in your car. The glorious summer heat may not be ideal though if you’re sleeping in a car with the windows up. Parked cars get notoriously hot in the summer. Before falling asleep, you need to take precautions to keep yourself cool and safe. In this article we’re going to share with you what you need to know about how to stay cool while sleeping in your car.
1) Pick a Good Spot to Park
Before you can settle in for the night, you have to find a place to park your car. With a world full of parking lots, this seems like an easy task. Unfortunately, there are many laws on the books about parking. Sleeping in a car is perfectly legal, for example, but parking in certain places overnight is considered trespassing. Businesses’ parking is up to the discretion of the owner. On the other hand, rest areas and campsites are always legal options.
The perfect parking location has three aspects: no asphalt, shade, and access to shore power. Firstly, shade is important for keeping your parked car cool. Direct sunlight will raise the temperature of a car’s interior. Secondly, avoid parking on asphalt. Dark-colored asphalt absorbs heat and can make your car hotter. Lastly, if possible, find a location with access to shore power. Campsites and RV parks usually have fees, but you do have access to electricity.
If you’re planning to go camping in a small car for one night, a campsite is the way to go. However, if the car sleepover is a little more long-term, you’ll be spending a lot of money to park at RV parks and campsites. Before starting this venture, do your research. Check the laws in the area. Where can you park legally overnight? Are there limits?
2) Battle the Sun
In the war to keep cool, the sun is your greatest enemy. Overnight, there’s no sun. However, the amount of sunlight your car receives during the day can affect how cool it is at night. Armor your car with sun protection during the day. Sunshades and car tents can give you the best results.
Sunshades are easy to use. There are different types. The easiest version is a cling sunshade that sticks straight to the window. This tends to be the cheapest version as well. You can also find sunshades that attach with suction cups.
This sunshade by ShadeSox is the best option for sleeping in a car in warm weather. This nylon mesh fabric stretches right over your car’s windows. It will fit most normal car windows, but you may need a larger size for SUVs or truckers. Since this sunshade isn’t attached to the glass, you can still roll down the window and enjoy the breeze. Bonus: bugs won’t get in past the mesh!
What about a car tent? You may not have heard of a car tent before. It’s a relatively new product. It’s perfect for you, as you’re looking for how to stay cool in while sleeping in your car. It’s a small tent that covers your car, as the name would suggest.
With a car tent, four windproof ropes attach to your car at the side mirrors and the rear car handles. From there, the tent opens up umbrella-style. The silver-coated material of the tent blocks 99% of UV rays. If you can keep your car parked all day with this tent up, your car will be perfectly cool by nighttime. If you need to sleep in your car long-term, a car tent is an amazing solution.
3) Keep the Car Interior Cool
Air conditioning, of course, is the easiest way to cool down the interior of a car. However, hopefully, you don’t plan on running an AC all night. A plan like that leads only to an empty gas tank and a dead battery. So how do you stay cool in a car without air conditioning? Easily!
Long before the advent of the magical AC, mankind survived with fans. You can go with a battery-powered fan or a solar-powered one. A vent fan attaches to your car’s vents and cools that way. It works best with the air conditioning running, but it can pack a punch without it. This mighty little fan clips easily and quickly to a vent. This motor can reach 4000 RPM and can last for up to 8 hours. The fan comes with its own rechargeable battery, so you don’t have to drain the one in your car.
If you aren’t sitting in a front seat, you may not have easy access to a vent. A normal fan can do the trick if you have a surface it can rest on. This little fan makes minimal noise so it won’t disrupt your sleep. It runs on two D batteries and folds away when not in use. Best of all, you can get it in fun colors like blue or raspberry.
A cool seat is the best seat. There are a lot of great cooling seat cushions out there; unfortunately, most of them require power. Since we’re going electricity-free, a cooling gel cushion is a great alternative. This car seat cushion covers the bottom portion of your seat. It requires no batteries, no electricity, and no refrigeration. This cool gel mat can cool you down quick.
The last trick for keeping the car interior cool is the simplest. Just crack the windows! It doesn’t get any easier than that. It requires no special products or tools. It’s easy to do and you get instant relief.
4) Keep Yourself Cool
The most important part of this entire venture is keeping you cool. The car can be downright chilly but that doesn’t matter unless you are too. It is vital that you stay hydrated. Avoid sugary or caffeinated beverages. Nothing works quite like plain water.
If you want your water to stay ice cold, keep it in a Hydro Flask. The wide-mouth bottle with a straw lid is a best seller. It will keep your water cold for 24 hours. Needless to say, you should not chug down the entire bottle before bed. A few sips here and there are all you need.
If you’d rather go without a fancy bottle, just make sure you have some water bottles stashed in a cooler. A small cooler is sufficient enough. This Coleman cooler will keep ice up to 24 hours. It can hold 30 cans or an equivalent number of bottles.
When it comes to staying cool, make sure you’re dressed for success. Choose clothing in light colors because dark colors absorb heat. Try to stick to loose clothing. It’s more comfortable anyway. If you’d like, you can wear something moisture-wicking to keep your sweat at bay. For the ladies, this short-sleeve V-neck will keep you cool. Gentleman, you can keep dry in this short-sleeve shirt.
A quick tip: you may be tempted to strip down and sleep in the nude. It’s hot, after all! If you’re sleeping in a car though, keep your clothes on. You’ll want to be properly clothed in case a police officer approaches your vehicle. Actually, it’s probably best you are dressed in the event anyone at all gets near your vehicle.
If you can sleep without covers, you’re all set! Meanwhile, a lot of people find it hard to doze off without some sort of blanket. You can get the bare minimum coverage with some lightweight sheets. It’s a weird idea to use sheets without a bed, but why use a bulky blanket? Grab a set of breathable sheets from Bare Home. It’s stain-resistant too!
You might be close to dreamland but it’s still so stuffy inside your car. Time to mist it up. A handheld fan can work wonders but you take it a step farther with a mist hand fan. This hand fan features a 17-milliliter water tank that can keep you misty for up to 20 minutes. The fan can be charged via USB or can run off batteries.
Finally, if you’re still toasty, bring out the bring guns. A neck ice pack will drop the temperature a few degrees. Hopefully, you have a cooler in your car where you can stash an ice pack. When you are feeling the heat, take out your ice pack and drape it against your neck and shoulders. NEWGO has this tough ice pack that promises no leaks. It’s recommended you freeze the ice pack for 2 hours before use. It also doubles as a heating pad for later use.
It’s not the easiest task to stay cool in a car overnight. It can be done though, with preparation and forethought. Remember, research the best place to park and keep yourself hydrated and healthy.