Sleeping In Your Car - Ski Bumming It

TheProfitSkier

TheProfitSkier

Active member
Two friends and I plan to spend part of X Mas break sleeping in a Chevy Suburban at the Mad RIver Glen Parking lop. Does anyone have helpful tips to have a more enjoyable experience for these 3 nights? THanks
 
let me further explain. they have 2 beds that hold 2 people easily. some come with stoves. others come with sinks? maybe? I think so. and there is room to change while the beds are down...it is like a mini hotel.
 
my vote is for the vanogan

ive only done 1 night before, heres my question about 3 nights...how are you gonna be doin' on the hygenic front?
 
jonishisubie.jpg

 
A Vanowagon would be sick but were gonna stick with the suberban.........as for hygene, shit in lodge, screw bathing, well carry gum for good breath, and piss in the lot
 
Best bet is rotate 2 in the front one in the back with the gear with the seats folded down if possible. A thule will help tons.
 
-Chairs - Pretty much the most important thing.

-Camp stove/grill

-hot cocoa and peppermint shnapps

-Portable DVD player

-sleeping pads/pillows

 
I've slept in my jeep. It sounds like a great idea, drive up before a storm, sleep overnight and spend a few days up there... but it kinda sucked. After the first day, your shits usually kinda wet from sweat and melted snow. My car reeked of my boots for two weeks afterwards. I'd get a dedicated car with sleeping arrangements - you can usually rent an RV for amazingly cheap, get your parents to do it and drive it up there.
 
you are really going to need some WARM sleeping bags, rated to at least 0 degrees F. Theres a strong chance it will get below 0, and the car itself will provide litlte to no warmth. Seriously though, if your sleeping bag is shitty be prepared for some hypothermia
 
ok so in mt bachelor, oregon, there was a kid who basically built a little igloo thing in the parking lot w/his sleeping bag and stuff. a storm rolled in, some new snow fell. a snowplow machine thing (the ones with the big rotating scythe kind of things in the front) was clearing the lot in the early morning. he basically was completly shredded apart. the moral: stay in your car!
 
i had a high idea once with two of my friends to drive to mountain creek one night to get first tracks in the morning. being in the back a f 150 isnt very comfortable. paid off the next day though
 
that looks real uncomfortable... i think about the best ive had was a dodge caravan with a mattress in the back if youve just got 2 people thats the way to go
 
It is always a good idea to make sure the resort is ok with you sleeping there. Most of the time it only cost 10 bucks or so to camp. you are going to want a GOOD sleeping bag. I rock a -20 degree mountain hardware bag. you are going to want it unless you plan on running your car all night for warmth.

Personally If you have a good tent (read: 4 season made for winter) I would sleep in there rather then your car. Usually if we camp we sleep in the tent with our sleeping pads and bags and then just throw everything else in the truck. A stove is nice to have, if a bunch of other people are camping sometimes you can get a barrel fire going. Consider trying to dry your boots out in the lodge, hang out in there till they kick you out. Then go to the bar and eventually back to bed.

The most important thing is to plan. Even though you will have your car and a town right there if you are not prepared you can easily get frostbite. Remember to have fun too.
 
Instead of re-typing, I just copied a message sent to another user who asked me what he needed to prepare for in car camping. I stayed for a good 2.5 weeks and this year I'll be camping for 4-6 weeks.

"The coldest it got last year was negative 3 degrees. I usually roll down the window a few inches to keep the air circulating; I am just worried abuot the oxygen content even though there is plenty, just a fear. Don't sleep with car on. I did turn it on a few times during the night, but it takes time to warm up in super cold conditions. And then you'll fall asleep and forget about it and waste a lot of gas. Carbon monoxide shouldnt be a problem, but you never know. What I learned is 1 beanie and 2 pairs of wool socks. Your core should stay warm pretty good. I would wear pajama pants and a long sleeve shirt over a short sleeve shirt. Just cotton stuff too, nothing too fancy. Sometimes I would get so hot I'd take some layers off. My sleeping back is only like a 30deg. too. Also, I'd recommend a big gatorade bottle or something to pee in. You will not want to get out of your car in the middle of the night when it is freezing out; more/less get out of your sleeping bag. Your car acts like a fridge for food, but be careful on drinks as they will freeze, obviously. My gallons of water would freeze each night. Use your defroster in the morning and after skiing to dry out your socks, long johns, etc. It works awesome and doesn't take too long. I always dried them out after each day and even warmed them up in the mornings. Start your car in the mornings and then get back in the sleeping bag while you eat your breakfest bars, deodorant, etc. I hope this isn't too much, just trying to give as much pointers as possible. Oh yeah, also, look for places to stay that our somewhat safe. Apartment complexes are not bad, hotel parking lots, etc. In Breckenridge, there is like no where to stay. It says no overnight parking and stuff like that, so I'd always sleep in the Keystone resort parking lot. Just try to find somewhere that seems cool. I would get a power converter too for your cameras and such. I've got a 4 door tahoe too, what do you have. Any other things you are wondering about? Where you car camping at? Also, tryout that couchsurfing.com website. I signed up tonight, messaged 12 people, and already have 2 people that are going to let me crash on their couch for a few nights. That normally is not my thing at all, but I figure why not. ???"
 
i was planning to do that at some point this winter... its one of those things that you feel like you just have to do as a skier
 
my parents own a vanagon, im gunna take it when i graduate and give it a permanent parking spot in a parking lot at the base of whistler since its my closest good mountain
 
bring extra things like gloves and socks. if they get wet, its a pain in the ass to dry them out (lodge or car heater works fine though after a while). Good sleeping bag is good too.

maybe some type of entertainment (dvds, firewood for fire if permitted or something). If there isn't any night skiing and you're staying put, the night can move very slowly.

I'd almost recommend a tent rather than a car (only if you have a money mountain tent). Surprisingly more comfortable and warmer. Just be plenty far of snowbanks and shit (the Mt. Bachelor incident is a clear as fuck example. I remember seeing it on the news).
 
I've got a vanagon back home, best car EVER. although the rear wheel drive and like 9 inch wheels dont do so hot in the snow. but yea they are dank as hell, two 2 person beds, a sink, stove, and a fridge. booyahhh. but good luck finding one that runs. suburban should be just fine, just bring lots of warm stuff and make sure you'll always have dry stuff to sleep in, and maybe something to isolate your wet ski shit from your sleeping area like a trash bag... whatever have fun it should be a sweet time, and it's not like your far from civilization worst case scenario you can just drive somewhere or something you're not hiking everest or anything.
 
You can still brush your teeth with some water a brush and paste. You guys will be smellin nasty.
 
Charlie Ager lived for 2 full seasons in his suburban, his parents are super super rich but he is the nicest most humble guy ever and he just bumed it... before he went pro.. now he throws fakie 7s of raod gaps .. ski bumming is awesome
 
dude bring a sleeping bag and pay 12 dollars a night there is a small hostelesque pplace right by the mountain i know u prolly wanna be hardcore or whatever but ur gonna be miserable
 
Lots of blankets are nice.

A stove is essential.

Get a decent headlamp too, one of the small LED ones that run forever on a couple batteries. Way more handy for reading or finding things in the dark.
 
take out the third seat before you leave, if you put your skis under the car to make room don't forget and drive over them in the morning.
 
Real moral of the story: If your gonna build an igloo, try and go a little farther than 10 ft. from your car before you set up shop.
 
You might see if the lodge or a shop will let you keep your boots inside, that way they will have a better chance of drying and they will be warm when you put them on, and they won't be stinkin up the chevy.
 
remove back seats and throw an air matress in. super cheap super comfy. Those $20 coleman stoves are the bomb. just grill some brats and burgers and you will be set. Oh and lots of whiskey and beer
 
dude lol... its gonna be freaking cold, I've done it once in my car, not by choice... well it was, long story... but it sucked

Get a super awesome warm sleeping bag, then bring LOTS of layers of clothes so that if you do get cold you can look like a marshmellow, also you can change into new ones after your done skiing.

finally, a bottle of jack and crown for each of you, then if worst comes to worst and you are SUPER cold... bottoms up
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top