3 Electric Blankets Head to Head: Best Heated Blanket for Keeping You Warm Camping!
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- Опубликовано: 26 ноя 2020
- These three electric blankets will keep you warm camping while using very little energy. Try out Squarespace for free and get 10% off when you are ready to purchase by going to www.squarespace.com/playingwit...
So what electric blanket is best for winter camping? That answer is not as easy as you may think. Take us for example. We actually use two different heated blankets in combination to get the best benefits for our small camper trailer. If you own a teardrop trailer or any other small camper trailer our hope is that we can help you find the perfect electric blanket for your power needs and help you to get the best night sleep you can experience while winter camping.
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$20 Budget Blanket 12v "Stalwart" amzn.to/3maUmtN
AC Heated Blanket "Brookstone" amzn.to/2V4LSIW
12v Heated Mattress Pad amzn.to/3fyz9HC
AC50s Bluetti Power Station 500 Watt amzn.to/3qHaNR6
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2,400 Watt Bluetti Power Station amzn.to/3gqkr62
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Currently Our Favorite Portable Power Station Bluetti AC50s amzn.to/3m7aeO7
Looking for more ways to stay warm in your small camper trailer? Check out this playlist • Want to Stay Warm in Y... 
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*Great **Generater.Systems** so far. We have the same brand just a little less power. This one is so much quieter then our first one. Great buy*
Thanks for sharing.
I know this was done quite awhile ago but I have rewatched this a few times as I get closer to starting my camper conversion and I must say you did a great job, very well filmed, edited and delivery.
We just purchased the Stalwart 12v blanket. We’ve been able to power it all night with our tiny 220Wh lithium battery without a problem. Gets very warm with a quilt over top. Thanks for the tip on this one, it’s a wonderful blanket!
Yesss!!! I love hearing when others benefit from some of the things we stumbled across. Even though we have the two stronger blankets the Stalwart is still our go to. It is almost just right for a whole nights sleep. Gets a little too hot for us come early morning. But all that takes is unplugging it until we wake up.
Oh my... are you sure "they're made to be used under another blanket" ??? Especially ALL night?
Because I'm pretty sure that's not at all safe or advised by manufacturers, certainly not the 110v versions, regardless, putting a fiber filled blanket of any sort would be a 100% nope. Those are filled with batten which is a petroleum based product... that would be crazy to do to be honest.
@@thebandplayedon..6145 it’s a flannel type blanket, no filling, and a 12v blanket (if you’ve ever used one) does not get hot. Just warm so it’s very safe
If anyone is worried wool blankets are basically flame resistant
Would love to hear if either of you have run into any long term issues with the Stalwart. Coupled it with a Rockpals 300W since early December 2021 and it'll pull about 40w for roughly 5 minutes before going down to 0w despite the red indicator light remaining on. Essentially this renders it impossible to keep the blanket on long enough for it to heat up. Cannot seem to find a way to keep it on longer - would be great to hear your long term experiences. Thank you.
Thank you so much for your well made reviews and for the ideas for wife and I to stay warm on winter camping tips! Really considering the blanket and the pad options. Be safe and be well out there.
I was looking for information about a 12V heating blanket and sure enough you had all this detailed information. I can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate all your efforts into making down to the point videos. Thanks.
bob at cheap rv living has a good one too.
Super secret though: just get a heating pad. Uses less than half the juice, does the job for me.
@theminister1154 great suggestion!
Heating up the bed before getting in is pure heaven! Besides my 12volt fridge, it is my favorite camping item.
I wanted a mattress pad to trap the heat under me. The other feature I wanted was a thermostat. At the time I could not find a 12volt DC mattress pad. I ended up with a regular AC mattress pad. Love it. Runs at 91 watts, but cycles, so it uses between 13 and 22 AmpHours of my AGM battery or between 150 and 270 WattHours, so no problem with battery power.
It truly is. We keep ours heated on the drive to ensure the lithium batteries don't get too cold before we get to our destination. Once we get there we turn off the blankets, use them to wrap up the batteries and the temp seems to hold very well. Now, lets see how that works at 30 below! Thermostat would be great. Like you, we have come to find the AC blankets really are pretty efficient. And so far besides the $94 dollar pad we haven't found any DC blankets that heat up nearly as quickly as AC.
I have been kinda researching backups in case power goes out how can we stay warm in winter. I do have a Solar array and a battery all the proper size/gauge hookups all that. Anyway I am now sold on this as heat backup if power loss. Not that it would be just for that event I would use it on couch too. Thanks for the post it was just was I was looking for, people's testimonies are a great research tool..peace!
I'm glad to have run into your channel, it's been quite helpful.
I got to give you Props on your skill as a content creator bc it's very good and concise.
I'm very impressed at how minimal things ya'll have, it's inspiring.
BTW your family is adorable, the lil guys remind me of my son at that age very helpful and fearless.
Thank You so much, Safe travels & 1Love Alwayz.
My alaskan friends use rigid foam insulation for the seats in their outhouses- not sure if you want to mess with that while camping, but it keeps the shock factor down when sitting down.
The heated blanket stuff is great info. My actual at-home bed is an air mattress with a memory foam/gel topper & an electric blanket as a heating pad. I travel and use regular beds and miss it. I haven’t found a lot of people running heated blankets off portable power stations, so I’m glad to know it works, with caveats. Because sliding into warm bedding can’t be beat - and the heat drives out dampness too, so a quick warm up even in middle temps keeps the bedding dry.
that's an excellent plan. You can just replace em after an accident reckon.
Heating the toilet seat😃. You just changed my life! I live in fear of freezing to the seat🤣. Well ... maybe I fear only that first “gasp” 😬. Either way, heating the seat is the way to go! Nice! Thanks!
Glad someone saw the humor in that. The joke fell flat on somebody else. I've never been good at telling jokes though 😀 But, after doing it I think I actually will try to put up the instant privacy tent more this winter and see how quickly I can get it up to temp with the heater for morning clothes changes. May be worth the little effort, especially if I attach the tent to the teardrop like in the summer. Another thing we have been doing this winter is using the electric blankets while sitting outside. It actually works really well with the AC blanket. I'm looking back to those football games in college thinking wouldn't it be nice to sit in those bleachers with the family under an electric blanket? Wonder if folks would let us into the stadium with a little portable power station?
I PLACE SOCKS ON MY OUTDOOR TOILET SEAT.
I keep my house really cool at night but I find that flannel sheets and pillowcases are the best. Also a mattress pad of faux Sherpa. These return your body heat. I find that regular woven sheets are so cold to get into and take too long to warm up. Probably just my own quirks 😁.
A lot of heat loss will come from wind blowing underneath the trailer. To improve insulation, build a skirt that can be removed for transport, to trap air under the trailer when it's stationary. Styrofoam panels that can be packed in the trailer works. Also a tarp that you can weigh down with snow (can get noisy on windy nights).
Love the review! Got the blanket and the projector. I am going to turn Bean into an awesome theater!
Awesome Mark! You definitely will have us beat. Well, unless we go out and get ourselves a Bean. Then we are back on an even playing field 😀
Real helpful video. I think we will try the 12V blanket first, as our trailer is well insulated. Thanks Drew!
You really can't go wrong with a 12 volt blanket. But, you will see in our video 2 videos from now, if you have a well insulated camper you will really benefit from a small electric heater. And spoiler alert in future videos our favorite is a combination of the two. Glad the video was helpful for you David.
Thank you so much for all the info! Can’t wait to watch all your vids!
I’m curious Sean and Fawn. Do you two currently own a trailer or are you in the market for one? Or are you truck or tent campers. Would love to know what you have or what you have your eye on!
Great video! I swear by wool blankets! And find them in thrift stores! And recent found a 12v
Thanks for sharing! 😉👍
just purchased a Jackery 500 and looking for heated blankets. Fantastic information. Thank you!
I always put heated blankets under me as hot air rises. you create a cocoon. it's nice
Cocoon. That describes it perfectly! Thanks for sharing Dave.
The stalwarts instructions say not to sit or lay on Lol
@@847MicRoss true! I got extreme pain in my legs so I researched and found that it makes the platelets in your blood travel in the opposite direction thus messing with your circulation.
@@CLR1952 maybe just put it under your upper body and not your legs
I came to this video for information I'm subscribing because of how peaceful I felt watching haha your editing style is great.
Really good heads up on the potential fan cycling on the Power Station. One of the reasons for my wanting to get a Power Station was powering an electric mattress pad when I did not have my AGM. In the short term the cycling would bother me. Long term the body gets accustom to the environment. Good info. Thanks!
Good point Mike on the body getting used to the environment. I think I used the wrong word with intermittent . Mainly because I associate that term more with windshield wipers and I wonder if others do as well? Which although they go on and off, they keep the same tempo. What I found on these fans was that the tempo was not consistent, which would probablly take the body a bit more to adapt to. But again, at least for my body, it will adapt.
I have two 50 watt 12volt blankets. Between them and myself, I'm able to heat my 49 square foot tiny home to 20 degrees above ambient, and a 800w 12 volt electric space heater to get the chill off before bed and waking up.
Great info as always Drew, thanks. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving.
Thanks guys! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving too.
YES! the 12V electric blanket is the #1 way I've told all of our customers since 2007. Great episode Drew. Love it.
That is really great to hear that you recommend this as well! Wish I was more in your neck of the woods so I could be one of your customers.
Sorry guys, they don't work as well as a good down comforter 😁
@@gellotion You don't have to apologize! It is always nice to learn new alternatives. Especially if they don't require power.
@@PlayingwithSticks thanks, and I'm glad you're open to the suggestion. Look for one that has baffle construction...little "walls" that separate the top from the bottom, as opposed to "stitched through" construction, where the top is stitched to the bottom and the stitch lines become cold spots because there's no down right along those lines. Does that make sense?
I live on a boat year round in the northeast, and have a tiny home in the Hudson Valley that was uninsulated for the first few years... I've learned how to keep warm and comfortable in cold climates 👍
@@PlayingwithSticks sleeping with a merino balaclava is also a great help. But do get the merino, not the polyester fleece. It makes a huge difference.
Hats always end up falling off, but the balaclava stays on all night keeping your head and neck warm and relaxed, so you're not scrunched up trying to hide under your comforter.
All the best!
Very very useful because I wanted to purchase a good heated blanket with low wattage for SUV camping and an affordable solar battery generator. I live in Quebec so it can get cold. Thank you for sharing your experience.
I was just looking for video like this! Thanks 🥰
Glad it was helpful Dora!
Just added the dc mattress warmer to our teardrop last week and tried it out over Thanksgiving. Ran it for an hour under our blankets before climbing into a toasty bed. Since the pad is only twin size, we ran sideways across our queen mattress which worked well.
Great idea running the pad sideways. We just started thinking about doing that as well in our 13' Vintage trailer. Andrew, just curious, what model of teardrop do you own?
@@PlayingwithSticks Camp-inn 560 Raindrop. Picked it up this summer and loving it! We have a roof top tent on top for the kids. Family of 5 ready for adventure!
I'm 81 camped out most all my life it was a way of life , heat rises so I like the heated mattress pad with a 4 Inch goose down blanket ,sleep like a baby at 40 below and have ,I run them off a large battery back and inverter ,just added 6 battle born battery to rv can run the heat pad all night couple days ,I can not sleep unless I hv a open window window ,
I use a electric blanket in my off grid, works great. I have solar panels and harness enough energy to operate a electric blanket all night. Its been 0f several times, over night. Its a economical way of keeping warm , mine has a 10 hour timer, so i really dont worry of not turning it off when going to work. I got the habit from living in Denver Colorado using an electric blanket. Many people here thought i was nuts to build a cabin in the woods not on the grid, meaning i have to generate my own energy. My main concern was leaving a fire in a woodstove and going to work, since i have to do daily, i have propane heaters but I will turn those off at bed time because despite how safe they say they are, i dont trust the writing on the box, just a few weeks back a family died of CO emissions in their RV, probably because they forgot an oven was left on, i dont know, but thats a educated guess of how they would fill a RV with toxic gas and not smell or know it, a carbon monoxide alarm would have probably saved their lives. Since I do harness substantial energy from my solar energy system, that being the key, making it large enough to sustain the small gear to keep your RV warm. I use oil radiators in combination with a electric blanket. Which i suggest anyone looking into efficient ways to heat their RV safer and more economical. Only problem with an oil radiator is they dont heat up instantaniously, i could take upto 12 hours to be fully effective, my space is 12x28 feet with one radiator at each end of cabin, it will stay around 68f , the first day probably less, but if its sunny during daytime the heat from sun reflecting on building , will stay inside much longer with the radiators operating. It does drop to 55 inside late at night inside , but am in bed with an toasty electric blanket . So i just suggest you all look into a electric oil radiator as well
nice!!!! you are taking up subjects nobody is touching . you the man
Awesome! Glad you are enjoying this.
Drew you are the man! I love your videos and your vibe. You bring so many overlooked details to light as well as real world experience. Thanks to you the electrowarmth blanket and ac50s have become the core of my Tacoma topper setup. I’ve also added the inline thermostat and that mini space heater to plug into my eb240. But my question is this... anyone try using the eb70 for their electrowarmth blanket? I love that my ac50s powers the EW blanket silently. And it also powers it all night (10 hours ish?) . but sometimes I wish it had just a little more power so I could run the blanket for that extra hour or 2 while I’m waking up. Sometimes if I sleep in too late I will wake up to no more heated blanket / dead ac50s. This is with the EW on the very lowest setting btw (below 1 out of 7). Thanks everyone! Thanks drew!
Aww, thanks Robbie. Good question on the eb70. For us we do the heat before bed and start it up in the morning with a timer. But, I am starting to do a lot more hot water bottles before bed. I am finding this is eliminating the need for the blanket the first few hours of the night.
Cute family. I liked separating the different needs for A/C vs. DC blanket, haven't really seen that before. Something definitely to think about. Cool projector if it meets within your range.
Thanks re: blanket choices. I'm freezing in van🙂🙃🙂💯
Another great vid, brother! Informative, and useful. Stay safe . . .
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed this one.
Thank you guys again for your lovely videos I loved the walkie talkie one hehe so cute!
Aww, thank you! We are excited to make that type of video again soon. Another few weeks we will be out of this home and out on the road for 4 months.
Excellent informative video. As a person living in a van in canada. I was thinking about an eclectic blanket for when those damp spring days/ nights. ease stiff muscles. I now have a heat fan but was thinking more for a full Body warmth you answered my questions, subbed 😊
My hubby and I needed this on our October 16 degree Fahrenheit tent camping trip. It was awesome, but so cold! ❄️ Great video, thank you.
Yes, that is COLD! Sounds like a fun trip though Veronica.
@@PlayingwithSticks This grandma and grandpa loved it! Have a lovely day!
I use the Exped Mega Mat Duo 10 insulated sleeping mat and I don’t know why people struggle with cold foam mattresses? It has an R-value of 9.5, it’s 4 inches thick, it’s self inflating for 80-90% with a hand pump to get the perfect firmness. I don’t have to worry about water damage or mold growing on it cuz it’s washable (wipe it clean), it’s lighter than most RV mattresses and can be used in the house for guests . Sometimes I put it in a big Hennessy Hammock with just half the air and it’s like heaven! It blocks the cold and radiates my own body heat back to me. We used it camping in the early spring up at Mt St Helen’s, on the ground in a tent and neither of us were cold! My husband had to strip down to his underwear during the night as he had gone to bed with lots of layers, scared of getting cold. Highly recommend. Now they have a Mega Mat 15, that’s 6” of comfort. The mega mat comes in single & single XL, and two sizes for the Duo, one about full-size truck bed sized and ours is the smaller duo so we can put it in the Honda Pilot.
I have two electric blankets (Brand: SoftHeat) a throw size blanket I loved so much that I got a king sized one for the winter on our house bed that has two easy to use controllers (for each side). What I love about these blankets is that you never feel the coils cuz they are very thin and the blanket is designed to warm you up gently rather than burn you out of it. The heat is consistent, without hot and cold spots. Both are by SoftHeat brand. They plug in, but have a convert on the cord that converts AC (110 watts) to DC power, allowing the very small wires, closer together, eliminating those hot/cold spots. I highly recommend this type verses a traditional plug in blanket (like Sunbeam).
Thanks for the feedback on both the mat and the blankets. The blanket brand/style you are using is new to us. Love the idea that it converts to DC as well.
Now that is a great idea man. Good video!
Really enjoying your content. looking at building an offroad teardrop soon, and really appreciate your perspective. keep it up! Also was stationed in Anchorage in 05-08 LOVED IT! would move back in a heartbeat if the wife would agree. The goal with the Teardrop is to make a trip up to Prudhoe and Tuk in the late fall/winter.
Hey fellow Alaskan! Glad you are enjoying the content Brandon. Would love to hear more about your teardrop build once you get it off the ground. I would love to do the same thing, but unfortunately do not have the time with the growing kids and the channel. A trip up to the "top of the world" sounds like a great idea! We have been there by plane, but have never made the journey on the road. And love that you want to do it in late fall/winter. What a blast that would be!
Great video very informal thanks
Great episode, Drew and May... we've been using heating pads (the small ones for back and muscle aches) and making a sort of "tent" under our covers... i also put my wool socks inside the heating pad cover and get to put them on all toasty warm. We only have to leave the heating pads on for about 15 mins while we get our percolator ready for morning coffee and brush our teeth... The covers are soooo cozy warm this way! We turn the heating pads off and our body heat keeps the warmth going the rest of the night. This works great when it's just below 40º F. We have a small electric heater to warm the cabin when it's below freezing and we are most likely camping at home LoL Happy Thanksgiving! ~ Maria
We are going to have to add the wool sock heating method to one of our next videos. Love it! Great idea on the heating pads. Like you, we have found you really don't need a large blanket to get this done. We will be sharing the electric heaters here in not the next video, but the one after I believe. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving Maria! Always good to hear from you.
I have used heating pads. It works and they are so much lower in wattage.
me too. 40 watts on high & I never need high.@@wishingb5859
Loved watching these ones on warming up over here in Australia unless you go too the snow in winter most camping trips are in the 20s up sometimes in winter it gets down to 4 degrees so looking for cooling ideas also should I put a blanket or some other sort of insulation under my mattress to stop the cold coming up thru the floor
you guys got it for sure dc electric blankets in the winter is the only way two camp in the winter.....bravo.. we buy the 4x6 ones you need 2..
That is a great point about buying 2. Someone mentioned having a heated blanket below them and a sleeping bag on top, which is what most of us do. You just got me thinking, I wonder what it would feel like to have one electric blanket on top and one below. With all our blankets I have never tried that. May be a bit much, but will be fun to try. And the 4x6 ones you mention they don't seem to have any cool sections. What I have found with our larger blankets is there seems to be pockets of the blanket that are cold and some areas that don't really heat up at all. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this. Thanks for sharing Jason. Feels like it has been quite a while since we have chatted with you. Good to hear from you! Hope all is going well.
I have the Audew 300wh solar gen.... no fan no noise ..... Loved the video ..... I'm now doing research for the 12v blankets.
Thanks for sharing Timothy. We just heard from someone else with the 1000 watt Jackery also had no fan noise. So it is starting to sound like it may come down to brand, not just size.
Thanks so much for this!! I got some gear based on your videos. Buying a Togo 330 power station has been a game changer for us! I got a 12v blanket and it will drop down to 1 watt occasionally I guess it does this to avoid overheating. But it makes spring and fall camping soooo comfortable!
And I use a little swamp cooler in the dry hot summer, it’s awesome.
Love hearing this. Do you know the brand and model of the swamp cooler you have?
@@PlayingwithSticks It’s the 1st gen Arctic Air, a great help in summer!
By the way, used my 12v blanket camping this week, it got down to 43 but I was nice and comfortable :)
Game changer!!
I took your suggestion and got the 12v heated mattress pad and it kept me warm below freezing while boondocking on the Natchez Trace Pkwy last week. I just clicked through that link to buy a propane heater that I haven't seen in your videos but I wanted to let you know I am supporting you. Your information is very helpful. Thank you.
That is awesome to hear about the blanket. Were you on the Tenessee or Missisipi side? Sounds like a fun trip. We just used ours the last few days at 11 degrees. It was so nice not having to use sleeping bags. Felt like we were sleeping at home.Thanks so much for supporting us Erik! We really appreciate it.
Hey Eric, how much battery power did it take to run that mattress pad all night?
Thanks!
Awesome video and great advise. We have not experimented with electric blankets, but love the idea! An electric mattress with our heavy 0% degree sleeping bags might be the trick to extending the camping season. And let's be honest, who doesn't love some winter camping.
Side note: your sponsored breaks are nicely done and well delivered. Keep it up!
* 0 degree...(not %)
Someday I may need to make this video, but our family actually goes back and forth between comfort trips and what I call "camping trips" in the winter. (Well not really our family, just me and the boys. Only comfort trips for May :) There is still something to be said about going completely without heat. Pulling that mummy bag tight around your head, putting in the hot nalgene bottle at your feet, and watching your warm breath collide with the cold air. Hard to beat that! I really appreciate the kind words about the sponsored segments. I was a bit nervous to see the responses from the community as this isn't really common in small camper videos. So far though, seems to not have everyone up in arms. Also, I don't know if you have picked up on our angle yet with these Squarespace videos. Our intention with those is to share a bit of our roadmap for folks like you who are getting into this internet space. It makes creating these little segments more fun knowing we shared a bit of our behind the scenes so others can see one way of approaching this internet space and sharing their adventures with the world. And, I must say, the sponsorships have been nice to jump start our funding for our next big adventure.
@@PlayingwithSticks There is an element of peace and stillness around winter camping that can't be beat. I will second your comment about "Comfort" camping. Andrea is originally from the gulf coast and is generally not a fan of being cold, so engineered warming solutions are well received in our household.
I (Matt) truly appreciate your angle and intent to be consistent with your sponsorships. For me, I am getting two bits of information that interest me greatly. Your foundation of small camping content and insight on your path navigating through "RUclips" and "Internet" ...Win - Win.
We enjoying sharing our experiences and lessoned learned with the "world" and I personally, would love the added bonus of funding the adventure from a few other avenues.
Good Video...I had that idea still trying to work it out
Working out these ideas are some of the best parts of small camper life. It is fun doing all the experimentation and finding what works and doesn't work.
Here at home we always look forward to your next video! Even our 21mo daughter loves the aerial footages, especially when the teardrop shows up - she calls it a truck.
Your channel has encouraged my wife and I to take our little one (and our dog too) outdoors, and they've been loving it! We just bought our first small teardrop (more like a squaredrop..) and now are waiting for its completion (in a month or so). We're starting start slow, but we dream of one day be driving all the way north to Alaska.
Thank you and your blessed family for the great content, amazing videos and shared love. We can see your videos are made with special care. Cheers from the Bay Area - CA. Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for this super sweet comment Fabio. I'm starting to think you didn't get our last response from this copy and paste from your last comment. Sometimes we respond, but for some reason it doesn't go through. Sorry about that. Nothing beats hearing that this channel has inspired a family. Our original intention for creating this channel was for someone really close to us. He continues to tell us how he can't live his life until his kids can wipe their own backsides. Which we just laugh at. As much as we try to help him get out there, he just doesn't buy into it. So, we thought we would put it on video so he can see physical proof that you can still have kids and your cake too! I am not even sure if he watches any of these though 😂 What manufacturer did you end up purchasing your squaredrop from? Love knowing what trailers people are getting into. If you ever make it up this way in the summer let us know, would love to take a camping trip with you and your family. I don't know if you have seen "Uncle Sam" in any of our videos. I don't think there is one video where he is not wearing Bay Area clothing. May's family is from Northern California, they all have a special place in their hearts for the Bay Area. Happy Thanksgiving to your family as well! Tell the little one hi from us. We will have to put that truck in more of these winter episodes. A little tougher flying that drone in the winter, but it can be done.
@@PlayingwithSticks Thank you, Drew. You're right, I've moved my comment from the community tab to the video comments section, cause I thought you wouldn't see it there! Haha! And I didn't see your response to the first one indeed, sorry. You know, one of the things I do respect the most in your channel is that you take the time to respond to every single comment, and that clearly shows how dedicated you are to your audience.
Poor guy your friend! Having a kid means a lot of work, but it also means a lot of fun. And I truly believe you don't tell a child how to be happy, you have to show him/her. So maybe if your friend watches some of your videos, and the joy in your boy's face, he would give it a second thought.
We bought our trailer from Sherpa, a manufacturer in MT. It's a 5'x8' without the rear galley, so it has plenty of room inside. We liked because it's simple, affordable, highly customizable, and it has a large bunk bed (5'x4'). May (in one of the Scamp vs. TD videos) convinced my wife that a Scamp wasn't for us. We'll see how it goes, we're very looking forward to it!
Yeah, I noticed "Uncle Sam" wearing the Santa Cruz hoodie in one of the videos. I laughed when you said he's a coffee guy, Santa Cruz has some of the best coffee shops I've tried.
And thank you for the kind note about my daughter. You guys are great, you now have huge fans in the Bay Area!
By the way, we've included the 12V blanket in our Amazon Black Friday shopping list, as well as the small heater/cooking stove. We're going to pick up the trailer in Portland in a month, and my wife is affraid of the chilly and wet weather - I don't think it's going to be that bad, but maybe I'm being too optimistic... :) (sorry for the looong response!)
This video was super helpful. I’m mostly after heating and cooling with my purchase. I have 2 teens and a tot tho. I’m now thinking instead of a beast sogen, I should do individual and smaller units? In an outage they could use for heating blanket in the winter, a fan in the warm months, and device charging. The sogen cooling fan would probably run alot if I tried to run 3 blankets on a beast system, or safety shut off. Any input GREATLY appreciated! Thank you! Considering Jackery bc it charges in overcast.
After watching this and getting by with a hot water bottle on a 3 week camping trip that turned out rainy and cold, I did an experiment after I got home. With my 24x12" plush heating pad on its lowest setting, plugged in to my Ecoflow River Pro (750wH), it heated my butt to 100F in 10 minutes and after 20 minutes had dropped the battery capacity by only 3% (90% to 87%). The pad is heating pad model tk-hp2412 and prices vary on line. Mine is gray and pulls 120 watts on high, but lowest setting was warm enough. Off time is adjustable 30 to 120 minutes. I plan to use it to preheat the bed and take the chill off me after I crawl in, but not leave it on beyond 20 minutes. It warms a much bigger area than the rubber hot water bottle and at a more consistent temp.
Great video, thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
A couple of days ago I received a Progeny 300w solar battery that I bought on Amazon on Cyber Monday for under $200. One of the first things I tested out with it was best large heating pad I've ever had since it does not shut off in 2 hours and gets nice and hot (so hot that once I left it on when I got up and it was laying over the controller and melted part of it but is still usable although I can only plug it in on high now). It keeps my core nice and warm from my waist to my neck.
The battery showed it pulling 45w and kept it powered for 6 hours, exactly what was expected.
So I am confident that even if I slept in my van in a cold Wisconsin winter (I have 2 sleeping bags, one which is a Goretex military -20 sleeping bag) I could stay comfortably warm.
Love hearing about the deal you got on your solar power station. Can't beat that! Okay, what heating pad did you use Steve? Sounds like a winner.
@@PlayingwithSticks I've been using this heating pad since 2014 and bought it on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-732-500-King-Heating-UltraHeatTechnology/dp/B000FGDDI0/ref=sr_1_5?dchild
and most seem to like it has no 2 hour shut-off. It's 12"X24" so it covers a good area and stays very warm. 89% give it 4 or 5 stars, it's $18 now with a $2 coupon.
Thank you for sharing this. Maria, a big supporter in the PWS community was talking about her small pads and I had trouble finding them online. And then here they are! And that price is great. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for this valuable info. My friends and I are going to winter camp in January. I have a portable electric blanket by Sierra Madre Research. It is called Hot Pocket. It's new this fall. It can heat up a sleeping bag, then unzip the Hot Pocket and use it as a blanket to heat my core. The heat from the blanket is 15 mins at a time. The small portable battery has enough power for 2 hrs of 15 min increments. The larger battery has 3.5+ hours of 15 min increments. I've used it outside at an outdoor event and I do like the 15 mins of heat at a time. I'll have to see how it does when I'm sleeping outside.
We are going to have to check out this Madre blanket. Sounds really cool. Also would love to hear back from you once you take it outside. Thanks for sharing this, always fun to learn new things.
I have used the cheap 12 volt blankets for years in my transport trucks they work ok on cooler nights , saves running motor as much.
That is us too Bob. We have had ok experiences with them. If they heated up a little faster they would be perfect for our family.
I bought the matress pad and I think it makes the most sense. Why heat the space when you can heat underneath you. A good wool blanket or down comforter and you'll be toasty. Great review!!
Yes, that is how we feel as well. Sometimes I still try to heat up the space to make everyone really cozy. But it is really inefficient.
Having a warm bed to crawl into is great, then I am fine for the rest of the night!
Awesome information thanks 🇨🇦
How many of you have tried winter camping? We would be interested to know if it is something you love, hate, or are interested in? And if you have tried it. Are you all sleeping bags. A heater user, electric blanket user, or a combination of the three.
I've been living in my van trying to stay warm with a tent wood stove, problems I've run into is mostly it just won't stay going for the entire night, and I don't have a good blanket for when the fire goes out. I bought a buddy heater recently, I plan on turning it on when wood stove goes out. Haven't really tested that plan out yet
@@harmondraws The Buddy heaters work pretty well in a van as long as you put the time in to insulate it well. If you haven't gone the insulation route yet. Many of the old school van dwellers who I highly respect suggest Poly iso sheets. They appear to be the best bang for the buck. Insulation they are r 7 value per inch. With the insulation you not only hold in more heat, it means you run the Buddy Heater for less time which equates to less moisture issues. The real issue once you introduce propane vs your wood stove is that moisture. So hard to dry out the next morning and day. Your lifestyle sounds really fun Harmon. Let us know how things go in terms of what you try out for heat in the future.
I tent camp, so about 35 degrees is my limit.
@@PlayingwithSticks my van is halfway insulated, the walls are pretty much fully insulated, but their are 4 windows on one wall and 2 windows on the other wall, and 4 doors are not insulated and they all have Windows as well. Been trying to think about how I'm gonna attack it all. I just have refletix on the ceiling, but that's just temporary I need to figure out something different
@@harmondraws Sounds like you have a good start though. Always a bit tougher to tackle these projects in the middle of the winter.
came for a blanket ...left with a projector ....great vid! thanks for sharing...
You are most welcome! I was trying to contain my excitement over that projector. But, I tend to get a bit animated when I am geeking out about my favorite products. It has been a while since I have used some tech that really makes me feel like a kid on Christmas again. That is me right now with projectors.
Same here 🤣
@@Element_lifestyle Love it!
I just got a solar generator and I've been looking for how to heat via electric! Ceramic just doesnt work at 1500 watts. I liked your review of the mini ceramic heaters, and the recommendation for heated blankets. Excited to watch this video. Thanks!
Glad the information is helpful. I think these tips in combination with a heated water bottle or Nalgene bottle are the way to go.
If I had the Stalwart 9v blanket, and a Jackery 240 or 500 (or something similar), how many hours would the blanket run?
I was looking at electric blankets for winter camping and this video brought up something I never thought of, fan noise. I have the Bluetti 1500 and the AC50s as well and a fan going in my little camper at night would make me crazy. You saved me from finding out the hard way, thanks!
Yes! We love knowing these videos helped at least one person. And knowing our family we thought there would potentially be quite a few people like you who would find this a turnoff. Honestly, I love them when they are constant. But intermittent fans are the worst thing for a good night's sleep! Isn't that AC50s amazing Wally! The only con I can find so far and it really doesn't matter is that it underrates the wattage being consumed by products. For example if a heater runs at 205 watts on my Rockpals and when testing with the Kill-A-Watt meter I find that same heater may show it runs at only 185 or 195 on my AC50s. Again, not a big deal because over time you will learn how long you can run each item. But when you first get an item it is a little harder to predict run times. Other than that this thing is TRULY AMAZING! About time someone made the perfect solar portable power station for us small campers. Okay, they actually made it really fast. I am quite surprised they already are this advanced in their technology.
@@PlayingwithSticks Just a heads up on Kilowatt meters. They are not as accurate with inductive loads like heating elements. However, as a Chinese philosopher said “The man with two watches never knows what time it is.” 🤣. Good point.
@@mikemead2315 Now that is good to know. I was putting it up on a pedestal, like it was the Holy Grail of measuring watts. Love the Chinese quote :)
It's good to know that some people at least have received there ac50s.
I ordered mine on there website oct.3, still waiting.
@@bernieswonger4780 Yes, they said they hit a roadbump in their supply chain. We got lucky because we got it straight from them. Thanks to all of you actually! I was going on and on about there not being the perfect solar portable power station a few episodes ago. And many people including Bluetti reached out and said, nope Drew, you are wrong, it actually comes out November. They actually sent us one, no strings attached, which was nice. No reviews required or anything. But, I think they knew we would fall in love with it and use it. Sneaky folks :)
We have all 3. We can't live without the mattress pad! And we have not had to turn on the heat yet because we use the electric blanket. 12v one is good to put on the floor or to heat up a couch or chair.
Nice! Now that is neat. This took us years to figure out. And we really only discovered it because Susie and Charles Moman shared it with us. That is neat that you don't have to turn on your heat. I used to think electric blankets consumed such large amounts of energy. But, compare that with most 1,500 watt space heaters 100 watts seems pretty minimal.
Great video and Happy Thanksgiving!
Love how you are always first to comment. Makes us feel good! Hoping your Thanksgiving is going amazing this year. Ours has been great!
That’s a very informative video! How are you
getting all your different power stations into Alaska? I’m in Anchorage and it seems like goal zero is the option, locally. Im interested in other manufacturers but cannot figure out the AK shipping. Thanks.
Ty, great info😎👍 Cool Projector 📽
Glad you enjoyed it! We are going to have to check out your channel one of these days. Your channel name sounds really fun!
@@PlayingwithSticks I actually changed it a couple times I started out on RUclips years ago building a cargo trailer into a camper than years past got back into the channel, are used to be an avid mountain bike rider but since I tore both rotators,
So then my channel was going to be based on drones e scooters, but I just change the name again to jeep dogs camping because when I get my Sunray 109, I will be focusing on camping a lot more but still from time to time I will have some drones on there and scooters I even do giveaways👍
@@JerseyStyle7 We have a few things in common I see (camping, drones, scooters). The sad one for both of us are shoulders. Mine both have torn labrums. And that is after the original surgeries. Playing hard has its consequences sometimes. But, I think for me it was for the better. Has definitely slowed me down and placed me in other outdoor pursuits, that I never would have even thought about doing before i.e. small camper trailers.
Koreans use the mattress pad blankets, they call them a hot carpet. I have one, it works great.
I routinely use PWM controllers for DC items that normally have either inadequate or no internal controls in order to dial in the "just right" amount of power to do precisely what I want that item to do. you might want to try (as an experiment) a PWM that is especially for that mattress pad you described last in your video. that also MIGHT reduce (eliminate?) the surge effect that you experienced using just the native controller.
I get cold VERY EASILY so I appreciate your video showing some of these "tools" for trying to stay warm while you are getting that VERY NECESSARY sleep time. since I was a Boy Scout one thing that stands out was how miserable I felt when I was getting too cold to sleep. shivering may be the body's way of staying warm -- but it's not fun when the body is doing that.
Surface heat is alot more efficent then heating up the whole place you are in, thats why a blanket is so good for this.. and the right methode is indeed that you laying on the heated blanket and use another warm blanket to cover you.. then you insolate the heat:) good job!
"Heat the core"--I find that to be absolutely essential for me living here in Wisconsin.
I've used electric blanket in my bedroom which lasted a winter or two. Finally I ditched the electric blanket and switched to a large heating pad which covered my core. Perfect!
With a heavy quilt over that I am as snug and a bug in the proverbial rug, toasty warm.
Yes and with your body temperature of 98 degrees or more you are a heat source in a small room or area. I've gone into my small bathroom at home and with a digital thermometer on the wall with no heat going or hot water running, the room temperature will go up a degree in just a minute or two. Heat escaping from an electric blanket or a heating pad would do the same thing.
That is neat to hear about the bathroom heat rising just from one body. At work we have a weatherization program that has some statistics on how much heat each individual adds to the home. One thing many home builders didn't consider when building homes in the past was that each individual also has a pretty big impact on the amount of moisture entering the homes. That combined with the old style of sealing up homes tight instead of letting them breathe added to a lot of black mold problems here in our villages in Alaska. Pretty neat that they have moved away from this old building style and have adopted new building techniques to allow homes to properly breath, but still be very efficient. In our little teardrop, each kid we add makes a noticeable difference in both heat and moisture.
@@PlayingwithSticks Frankly I've observed the same thing in my small bedroom, less than 100 sq. ft. I'll go in to lie down and watch tv or better yet, ride my stationary bike, and with no heat on at all the room temperature will rise a few degrees in an hour.
Now in my van I have a curtain behind the front seats and then another a couple of feet behind the rear window meaning the area left may be around 30 sq. ft., a small space to heat and any warmth coming from a body or an electric blanket would help to raise that temperature.
@@stevec3872 In a van with the right r value you really can use very minimal heat sources. And like you said, if you cut down the space even more with a divider you really can save some energy. Thanks for sharing all this Steve.
I have a heavy 100% wool blanket and a down comforter, which will keep me toasty in sun zero temps, BUT getting into bed is really uncomfortable for the first 5 minutes until they warm up. I’m going to get one of the cheap electric blankets to preheat the bed, problem solved, so excited!
Your set up sounds like ours. We would highly suggest the AC blanket because it gets hot fast!
@@PlayingwithSticks just purchased two twin size Sealy heated blankets to use in our soon to arrive Patriot X1 camper. As I read the manual, it says “product not for use with inverter supplied power such as from a motor home or boat”. I called Sealy and customer service said it’s not a safety issue but some customers say it works fine plugging into the 110 socket and others say they get an error message and won’t turn on at all. Your thoughts greatly appreciated.
I agree. AC/DC is the best.
Thank you, sir.
You are most welcome! Always happy to help a prepper.
Thanks for the review. I'm looking for a good blanket for vending booths this summer (since it doesn't get too hot here in the KenPen). I need something to compliment my massage table warmer for the colder days while I do short massage sessions :) I can't believe they DISCONTINUED Rockpals. I was set on getting one this summer
Great video. I'm looking for 12V blanket options and the mattress pad sounds perfect for my rooftop tent. I didn't know about that and was glad to had discovered it from your video. Thank you. 🙏 I run a large LiFePo battery in the jeep (solar+dcdc charger) so no fan noise here. :)
I have been researching off of youtube for months to decide what solar battery system I want to get... which one do you have? Did you build your own system or buy a station? I want it for SHTF scenarios at home mainly, as well as SUV camping.
@@cherylmockotr Search for "Will Prowse Solar" here on RUclips. He has plenty of reviews to help you. I went with the brand SOK for my LiFePo battery.
@@williamlee7782 thanks!
Wasn't aware of a 12V option. Thanks.
You two are most welcome! It will be perfect for your little Escapod once get it from the factory.
Just wondering--Could placing the solar generator in the galley area, and passing power cords through the back wall help to mitigate fan noises?
I have a small camper what do you recommend for heat in winter? It fits in the bed of my truck 7 foot by 4 1/2 wide
Great blankets! I love all of them!
Glad you love them. They sure make camping quite a bit more cozy.
We use a electric blanket and a electric heater with the roof vent slightly open, to stay warm and dry in the wet PNW during winter. I have a love/hate relationship with those blankets, the wires get bent and dont work after a couple uses, they always come in a weird slippery material that slide up while you sleep regardless of how you strap it down. ceiling, this helps prevent moisture build up along the allumin cage(maybe adding so R value?).
Thanks for sharing Mike. You got me interested with your last sentence, but I think it cut off. What are you using on the ceiling to prevent moisture build up?
@@PlayingwithSticks whoops sorry. I erase the part we’re I mention how I copied your TD/scamp with carpet on the ceiling. Thinking about just using a heating floor mat, to cut down on moisture underneath the mattress and to heat the camper.
Last winter I used a 100 watt 12v electric blanket. It would draw about 75 watts in real use. The problem I had is that the blanket is definitely a converted aquarium heater pad and will heat up to 100F. Too damn hot.
I'm gonna add a thermostat.
I camp in the central Oregon desert when our rocket club has its monthly launch events. In April and October, it gets really cold, and I don't have a trailer. I now have a decent 3+ season tent to protect me from the elements, but it's still dang cold, and we are not allowed to run generators at night. The mattress pad might fill the bill on top of an AeroBed twin mattress covered with a standard twin-size mattress cover. That 12V electric mattress pad seems to be the ideal solution because I could just pin it to the mattress cover. My question is, would I be able to run that the entire night on a deep-cycle AGM battery?
It should easily run all night on a deep cycle AGM battery. A 12 volt 105 AH battery could run 1260 Watt-hours in theory if completely discharged. Now you don't want to be doing a full discharge, but this just gives you an idea of how large an AGM battery is compared to the power stations I used in this video. This fall I camped a few times in my tent with the electric blanket. It was great. I can't even imagine how much better it would be with the electric mattress pad.
Another great review. Thanks 👍🚙🏞
I like choices buy them all lol
Harbor Freight moving blankets are the best cheap quilts . I bought the largest one and it covers me head to ankle 6 feet 5 inch tall
What about using the battery that comes with your tear drop trailer like the ones sold in bend Oregon? How long would the cheap 12 volt (50 wats or so) run and would it damage the battery if it drained it to low? Would the 100 watt solar charging kit get the better back up for the evening? Thanks for the respose ahead of time, great video
So hey what’s the best wattage you can use all night with a solar generator?
A military poncho liner(woobie) style blanket are pretty good as a sleeping bag liner.
When you put in sleeping bag is great... whit a heavy sleeping bag... the heat stay in .. very great
I'm looking for a blanket for a friend sleeping in my garage this winter.. What would be the best on a low budget?
I’m trying to be able to have a big heating blanket for my daughter and I at her Girl Scout cookie booths. I got a Jackery power thingy. Now I’m nervous because I don’t know if it’s enough power. What’s your advice? We sit out in -20 sometimes .
My guess is it’s going to be large enough. Because I assume you’re only sitting out for 3 to 4 hours tops? What size is your Jackery Marie?
Where did you happen to get that "Pendleton knock-off" as well? Love it
Drew,
I think you need to review the VTOMAN 1800 with a queen size Sunbeam mattress pad heater with 20 heat levels.... I think you will be impressed. This is what I use in my extremely small teardrop. I can get 2 to 3 days worth of heating with a little bit of solar (100 W panel) at -10°c. All my cooking and outdoor heat is propane. I do also have air conditioning 5000 BTU, that I can get 3-8 hours or if I shift over to a fridge, I can get about 48 hours. The heated mattress pad draws 250 W maximum for five or six minutes, then drops down to 100 W and then turns off..... Until more require heat is needed. Then only draws 130W-ish for a few minutes and then turns off for a half hour.
On my VTOMAN 1800 the fan never comes on, on the inverter battery bank using only the Sunbeam heated mattress pad. I guess maybe with smaller inverters it might. The small big problem is that the controllers draw 8 Watts of power continuously whether turned on or off. So you need to always unplug when the heating pad is not in use!
Sometimes every Watt counts, especially when off grid, Boon-docking!
I always carry a 2200 generator fully fueled to get me out of trouble.
Keep in mind, some, most..... AC heating blankets or mattress pads need pure sine wave. Some inverters have pure sine wave, and some do not.
HI, I know you're in Alaska but you won't happen to have a video for keeping cool in the summer would you?
More information needed.12 volt wattage use ? Tell temperature with thermometer under covers.
2 Pack....12V Electric Blankets with a wired remote. I bought mine 2 years ago. Still have not burned up the 1st one. $25.00 at Amazon....for the pair!(where else?) I car camp in the winter in a built out 2006 Four Runner. I have a small place at 7500’ in Colorado and I often car camp in the mountains of Northern New Mexico as well. Jackery Explorer 500 with panels on my 4 WD ride. Been OK at -10*F........tough, but I survived. Have to use a butane camp stove with aluminum foil heat shield (ala Bob Wells) and windows cracked at those temps plus the electric blanket. In my late 60’s, lol 😝
Love hearing these details. Okay, first question I have for you. At elevation (7,500) are you able to successfully use a buddy heater. I have heard quite a few negative posts about this. Sounds like the Little Buddy does best at elevation. Second, we love New Mexico. Some of the best backpacking we have done in the States. And the north is a gem. You have a pretty blessed life! Big Bob Wells fans here too! Thank you for sharing all of this.
First, you are quite welcome Sir. Back of a 4Rnr for a Buddy, even the small one....WAY too much heat. I use a Camp One single burner camp stove on a custom slide out within arm’s reach. No matches required so single hand to adjust/start/stop. It will use butane cans which are VERY handy if I’ve driven 450 to 500 miles in a day. Too tired to do anything but reload another can of butane and sleep BUT butane REALLY doesn’t like the cold where propane (I have a propane furnace in my 695 sq. ft. cabin at 7500’) so I am modding my rig (again..huhmm, bummer) to accept the one pound propane tanks which, set on low on my stove will last all night as opposed to at least one reload on the butane. Thank goodness for the Jackery and the 12V blankets from AMAZON. It’s a little sketchy but many trips! Just be sure to VENTILATE! You have a lovely family Bud. GBU and keep on making super vids! Michael in Houston (where my camping gear is deployed all over my house. Houston is toast. Not made for this weather. Peace ☮️
Life goals, Toilet Seat for my outdoor trips
Haha. I must admit at first I was hesitant. My wife's parents wanted it to use on one of our dipnetting trips. But, now I love carrying around my little toilet.
How much is the projector you carry everywhere? Thanks
Another good video! Going to give that Stalwart a chance. I have been wondering how to make winter camping pleasant without hookups for my wife and kids. I really want to avoid a generator but that 50watt I can easily run over night and have solar help replenish during the day. Another step closer to making off grid trailer camping possible for my family. We have a small Nobo 10.6 and if it helps raise ambient temp that is a bonus too but not sure since it is a bit larger than your tear drop.
Yes, the nice thing about this is that you can bypass the generator. I am not a big fan of gas generators, but during the winter when nobody is around we have been known to pull one out from time to time. Especially when the temps dip way below zero. But this winter I am really excited to see if we can make it without it as a challenge. We have done it before with no heat at all, but that is more about the fun of pushing the limits. I really want to see if we can heat the trailer with offgrid electricity and make it feel like an early fall camping trip (no mummy bags required).
@@PlayingwithSticks haha those temps. I have nothing to brag about, coolest I have done is 30s car camping without the family. Nothing very tough about that but working to get my wife and kids to be comfortable with those temps. Getting there, she is happy with hookups at least.
@@PlayingwithSticks Oh as a side note, I am in Nevada so I am a bit lucky there. Once I get things dialed in, hopefully next winter we can try for some snow camping.
The surges are due to the heat settings doing whats called pulse width modulation. Also i cant remeber if you mentioned it in the video but you can fry the controller in some AC blankets if you use a modified sine wave inverter instead of a pure sine wave.
Now the fact that you know all this is really cool. And also thank you for sharing about using a pure sine wave inverter. I didn't mention it, but should have. Sometimes I mention it so often on the channel for sensitive electronics I forget other electronics without computers can be impacted by the quality of power as well.
@@PlayingwithSticks i have a couple of chinese brand "solar power generators" a 500w/666wh Allpowers a smaller 200w/200wh by X-Dragon? And a medium sized one made by UKing. The allpowers one fan kicks in almost inmediately under little load the 2 smaller ones will run heavy loads and the fan rarely ever comes on its weird.
Its probably the inverter because i think the 666Wh allpowers can output the maximum amps (10A) from it car accessory port without the fan kicking in.
Do you have a method for insulating you bluetti and other power banks? I read that the lithium batteries wont charge under 32f and one buy says his wont run at 20f or below