How cold is to cold to sleep in truck?

[guesswho]

Personally, I am a "Three Dog Night" man myself....
(Just seeing how many here will get the reference....)

Your a lot older than me and not near as handsome, so you know I have no idea what your talking about.

[squirrel]

Done it to -20 but can't say it is much fun when you have to get out in the morning and your frost has the topper locked with you inside.  This was officially a two dog night, but if id a had 3 id a used em.

[idgobble]

If you have a foam pad, good sleeping bag, warm knit hat and shell on the back of the truck you'll be fine. Dress warm and take a medium size dog and have it in the sleeping bag with you.  They give off lots of heat. For extra cold nights (below zero) have two dogs.

Personally, I am a "Three Dog Night" man myself....
(Just seeing how many here will get the reference....)

A couple dozen good hits  '60s/'70s. Always liked them.

[Mossberg90MN]

If you have a foam pad, good sleeping bag, warm knit hat and shell on the back of the truck you'll be fine. Dress warm and take a medium size dog and have it in the sleeping bag with you.  They give off lots of heat. For extra cold nights (below zero) have two dogs. I did lots of winter camping in Vermont when I was young. A springer spaniel is about the right size.

Hahaha that's pretty good!!  True that!


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[Mossberg90MN]

Gonna reiterate something things here. Bed of the truck, sleeping pad, good sleeping bag and a cardboard box. Cut holes for personal ventilation. Use one that a freezer or large appliance came in. It'll act as a shell to trap warmth. Sounds crazy but I swear it's true. My FIL does it and I have too. Amazing what cardboard will do.

If you have no camper top, cover with a tarp and you can forget the box. The tarp, if sealed properly around the bed will do similarly. I've slept in the back of mine with just a bag and tonneau cover. It does make getting out more difficult tho.

I'd prefer not to sleep in the cab. Condensation freezing on the windows...no bueno.


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I got a tonneau cover on mine. I imagine it would be pretty difficult to stay warm just sleeping in the back like that without a heater right?


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Might stay warmer, less area to heat. Have to have somebody let you out in the morning though!

Nah. My cover was solid. So long as no one had a key to lock me inside, just push it up and get out. The truck I've got now has a soft cover. Haven't tried that one yet.


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See I currently have a soft top. Think that's not thick enough?


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[Mossberg90MN]

Done it to -20 but can't say it is much fun when you have to get out in the morning and your frost has the topper locked with you inside.  This was officially a two dog night, but if id a had 3 id a used em.

-20, ouch!!

How did you do that?! Just in the bed? When you say topper do you mean like a camper shell? Or a tonneau cover?


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[wvmntnhick]

Gonna reiterate something things here. Bed of the truck, sleeping pad, good sleeping bag and a cardboard box. Cut holes for personal ventilation. Use one that a freezer or large appliance came in. It'll act as a shell to trap warmth. Sounds crazy but I swear it's true. My FIL does it and I have too. Amazing what cardboard will do.

If you have no camper top, cover with a tarp and you can forget the box. The tarp, if sealed properly around the bed will do similarly. I've slept in the back of mine with just a bag and tonneau cover. It does make getting out more difficult tho.

I'd prefer not to sleep in the cab. Condensation freezing on the windows...no bueno.


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I got a tonneau cover on mine. I imagine it would be pretty difficult to stay warm just sleeping in the back like that without a heater right?


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Might stay warmer, less area to heat. Have to have somebody let you out in the morning though!

Nah. My cover was solid. So long as no one had a key to lock me inside, just push it up and get out. The truck I've got now has a soft cover. Haven't tried that one yet.


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See I currently have a soft top. Think that's not thick enough?


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You'll be fine.


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[MK M GOBL]

I have done this a lot, here's been mine. I have an inflatable bed/mattress super comfortable to sleep on, my pillows and bed set. I set this up in truck bed, I had "crossmembers" 2x6's and a piece of 3/4" plywood, it's high enough up to get gear under and with truck cap room to sit up. I have a Pelonis Ceramic Heater (Has thermostat and tip over protection) Heats up to 600 square feet, and the unit is small around 6x6x7. I have a small generator running this, moved away from truck for noise and had an extension cord to power strip ran into truck bed so I could charge cell and run a light too. Dad and I slept pretty comfortable.

MK M GOBL

[Mossberg90MN]

I have done this a lot, here's been mine. I have an inflatable bed/mattress super comfortable to sleep on, my pillows and bed set. I set this up in truck bed, I had "crossmembers" 2x6's and a piece of 3/4" plywood, it's high enough up to get gear under and with truck cap room to sit up. I have a Pelonis Ceramic Heater (Has thermostat and tip over protection) Heats up to 600 square feet, and the unit is small around 6x6x7. I have a small generator running this, moved away from truck for noise and had an extension cord to power strip ran into truck bed so I could charge cell and run a light too. Dad and I slept pretty comfortable.

MK M GOBL

Sounds like a good set up!


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[singlestrand]

Get a carbon monoxide detector like you have in your house.

[Sir-diealot]

If you have a foam pad, good sleeping bag, warm knit hat and shell on the back of the truck you'll be fine. Dress warm and take a medium size dog and have it in the sleeping bag with you.  They give off lots of heat. For extra cold nights (below zero) have two dogs.

Personally, I am a "Three Dog Night" man myself....
(Just seeing how many here will get the reference....)

Don't forget the bullfrog.

[owlhoot]

Gonna reiterate something things here. Bed of the truck, sleeping pad, good sleeping bag and a cardboard box. Cut holes for personal ventilation. Use one that a freezer or large appliance came in. It'll act as a shell to trap warmth. Sounds crazy but I swear it's true. My FIL does it and I have too. Amazing what cardboard will do.

If you have no camper top, cover with a tarp and you can forget the box. The tarp, if sealed properly around the bed will do similarly. I've slept in the back of mine with just a bag and tonneau cover. It does make getting out more difficult tho.

I'd prefer not to sleep in the cab. Condensation freezing on the windows...no bueno.


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I got a tonneau cover on mine. I imagine it would be pretty difficult to stay warm just sleeping in the back like that without a heater right?


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Might stay warmer, less area to heat. Have to have somebody let you out in the morning though!

Yea I could see that haha luckily mine cover can open itself from the inside. Then I just reach my arm over pop open the tailgate.


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if it ain't frozen   

[Happy hooker]

3 dogs or not,,sleeping outside without heat in under 30 degrees is certainly not a night spent in "shambala"

[Crghss]

Get a sleeping bag rated for 0 degrees (not 20). Get a comforter for above and below. People don't realize that the truck or air mattress will pull heat from you. So you need a blanket between it and you.

I've slept a lot in an expedition when I had it. Just had to bring enough blanks to keep warm. Laid down a Doubled up comforter, sleeping blanket, than another comforter. Calculate how many blankets/comforter you'll need then bring one more.

Worst part was getting up in the morning. Was nice and warm in those blankets.

[crow]

If you have a foam pad, good sleeping bag, warm knit hat and shell on the back of the truck you'll be fine. Dress warm and take a medium size dog and have it in the sleeping bag with you.  They give off lots of heat. For extra cold nights (below zero) have two dogs.

Personally, I am a "Three Dog Night" man myself....
(Just seeing how many here will get the reference....)

Back in the 90's I did the traditional long hunter trecking thing for awhile, have slept out on the ground with a Hudson Bay blanket, no tent and in the low teens. sometimes with a mt. cur or 2 of them under the blanket, sometimes none.

Definitely much better with a dog with you, 3 would be warm but would be a crowd.