It can be very challenging for anyone to cope with the freezing weather conditions that are prevalent during winter. This challenge is made worse if you have to stay in your car without a heater. You will become miserable very fast if you do not adequately prepare for the weather.
If you are wondering how to keep warm in a car with no heat, then you probably know how miserable it can make you. Extreme cold can also pose a danger to your health, especially if you are exposed to it for an extended period of time. Luckily, there are a number of different measures that you can take, to ensure that you keep warm in your car with no heat source available.
Some of the measures you can adopt to keep warm in a car with no heat include:
Layer up
How you dress when the weather is cold is essential in helping you keep warm. The key to staying warm with your clothing is to layer up effectively, and you can do this by making use of the right layers of clothing. If you are going to be in your car on a cold winter day, the first layer of clothes that you should wear is compression clothes, otherwise known as a thermal layer. I use this one by Helly Hansen that I found on Amazon.
These clothes will stick to your body and help to lock in or retain your body heat, thereby keeping you reasonably warm. Above the thermal layer, you can wear a hoodie, sweatshirt or any other thick fabric sweater as the second layer.
It is best to use a woollen or fleece option for the second layer as they will help to block a fair amount of the cold wind from getting to your body. On top of the second layer, wear a long jacket or an overcoat as these clothing items will help to insulate your body and keep you warm and cosy.
Wear a Heated Cap
It is very vital to cover your head properly when the weather is cold. To adequately cover your head, wear a cap that would cover both your head and your ears. It is better that you get a cap that is made of thick fabric, and for more results, it should also be a heated one.
Heated caps will help you keep your head warm more than regular ones by providing enough insulation to your head during severe weather conditions and thereby, preventing heat loss.
Wear Gloves and Socks
When it is freezing, you will need to protect your hands and your feet from the weather as these areas of your body can get cold very fast. Keeping them warm will help you maintain your body temperature. You can buy a pair of thermal gloves to keep your hands warm.
There are different types in the market and online, and you can choose one that you prefer. For your feet, get insulated socks as they would keep your feet warm and cosy. As with the gloves, there are different types and sizes of insulated socks both in the market and online.
If you cannot find the right pair of socks or gloves for you, you can always double them up, and they will provide extra warmth.
Use Blankets if Possible
If you are going to be in a car without adequate heating, ensure that you keep a woollen blanket with you in the vehicle at all times. The blanket will come in handy if the cold is still too much despite the other precautions and measures that you have taken.
You should make use of a woollen blanket because wool is an excellent insulating fabric and it would help you to lock in your body heat, effectively keeping the cold out.
Use a Portable Heater
You can always keep a portable heater with you in the car so that you can use it to stay warm. You shouldn’t use a propane heater though, because of the risk of a fire. Instead, you should make use of mini electric heaters as they are much safer than propane heaters.
A downside to the use of mini electric heaters, however, is that you can’t keep them running all night as they may drain the car’s battery. You should keep an extra battery with you to power the electric heater when its battery runs down. If you are using a propane heater to warm your car, ensure that you leave a small opening for ventilation to avoid suffocation.
Insulate your Car
If you want to keep sufficiently warm in your vehicle, then it is a perfect idea for you to insulate the windows of the car. This measure is a cost-effective one. You should make use of reflective foam insulation as it helps to give you privacy when you are sleeping in the car.
You can easily get this foam as most local home improvement stores sell them. Ensure that the one you choose is about 1 to 2 inches thick. Once you have chosen the foam, cut it according to the sizes of your car’s windows. After that, fix the foam to the windows in such a way that it would fit perfectly on them.
Ensure that there are no gaps around the edges so that the windows are fully insulated. This way, you can maintain the heat in the car and prevent it from escaping.
Use Some Hand Warmers
You should also consider using hand warmers if you want to keep warm in your car when the weather is cold. Hand warmers are small, single-use and disposable packets that help to keep your hands or any other parts of your body warm.
Final Thoughts on How To Keep Warm In A Car With No Heat
You should always ensure that you are as warm as possible whenever the weather is cold as exposure to cold weather can reduce your body’s ability to fight off infections.
Aside from this, exposure to cold causes your heart to work harder, and this can increase your risk of getting a heart attack or any other serious heart problems.
Frostbite and hypothermia also result from too much exposure to cold weather. This is why it is necessary to take the measures above to keep warm if you are going to stay in your car for some time.