Date:         Tue, 17 Oct 2006 09:38:28 -0400
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Westy Winter Camping Suggestions..
In-Reply-To:  <420EC805-706D-4182-B96E-9E1D077EDCFA@pottsfamily.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of Greg Potts
:::Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2006 8:29 AM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: Westy Winter Camping Suggestions..
:::
:::Hi Ric,
:::
:::For the past three years the local VW club has been getting together
:::the weekend after Valentines day for the True Canadian Winter Bus
:::Campout. It's always plenty cold, and we always have a good time.
:::
:::Some things I've learned:
:::- a 1500W ceramic heater will heat a westy with the pop-top down.
:::- If your feet and hands are cold, put a hat on.

If your feet and hands are cold, cut the caffeine, too, if you drink it.  It
makes your veins and arteries constrict, so less nice warm blood gets to
your extremities.


:::- Keep your head covered, even when sleeping.
:::- take lots of wool socks, and change them often.

I think fleece socks are much better!

And DEFINITELY sleep with a warm hat on, it makes lots of difference, unless
you can breathe when you are smothered under the quilts.

:::- Screw the diet!!! you need about 3,000 calories a day when winter
:::camping.
:::- insulating the pop-top doesn't keep you as warm as keeping it
:::closed. We insulated the westy canvas but it didn't work as well as
:::the year before when we simply kept the roof down.


Down comforters are great!

But blasting heat to keep a westy warm in winter with the poptop up seems
like a pretty wasteful use of energy to me.


On the other hand, heading south to camp in winter sounds much more sensible
to me!



Joy