Minimalist Camping

[FuryLikeA]

I found the above picture in an old eplaya thread. The poster said

The tarps made the tent fairly comfortable but the huge difference was inside the car. The interior was only in the mid 70's on a brutal day. I opened the hatch, lashed the car tarp and tent tarp together for a make shift roof for a shade area. Later I added a ground tarp in between the two for sitting...forgot the damn chair.

Overall for a one person camp it worked out fairly well considering I only had two weeks to plan. I also arrived in the middle of the night so the heat was not a problem...(apologies if I ran over anyone's foot.

What would Eplaya think of sleeping in a car set up like this? I wouldn't be able to leave the back of my trunk open while I'm sleeping in the backseat, so airflow will be pretty much nonexistent. I would use the tent to keep my things, or as a backup in case the car does not work out. Is this minimalist or just suicidal?

[FossaFerox]

You will NEVER get the dust out of your car. Not ever. Also, if it's windy the tarps will scratch the paint in ways that are difficult to believe.

[FuryLikeA]

I am taking care to prepare my car beforehand, my dashboard and such, but am resigned to the dust

[666isMONEY]

i sleep i my minivan, cover the dash with a towel, throw a tarp over it. during heat of the day (noon to 4pm) i hang out at center camp or another chill-space. at night you don't need to have any car windows open, temps are in the 60's at night.

[FuryLikeA]

i sleep i my minivan, cover the dash with a towel, throw a tarp over it. during heat of the day (noon to 4pm) i hang out at center camp or another chill-space. at night you don't need to have any car windows open, temps are in the 60's at night.

Thanks. Are you saying that between noon and 4 I won't be able to sleep in my car from the heat?

[pink]

If you use the reflective bubble wrap on all the glass, a vehicle will stay much cooler. But it will still be hot in the afternoon.

[Ratty]

I always sleep in my van. I leave the back hatch open if it's not too windy. I have a tent for stuff and a pup tent for seldom used stuff and my ice chest. I drape fleece blankets over my front seats and dash. I have a fleece that hangs down to cover the sliding door. In dusty conditions I can still leave the door open and the fleece keeps the dust out, (mostly). I don't mind the dust.

$25 gets you a roll of the reflective bubble wrap. Cut it to cover your windows and tape it on the outside. I can nap in the van during the day but it is warm in there. If you use an air mattress cover it with a COTTON mattress pad and a cotton sheet. A small battery op fan makes a big difference. This is not minimalist camping by my standards.

[FuryLikeA]

Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely get the bubblewrap