During the winter months, homeless need to stay warm, and keep hydrated, to avoid dehydration, and hypothermia. However, to stay warm during the winter months when temperatures can average between 20 to -40 degrees, in some parts of the country, costs fuel when living out of any vehicle. We’re spending $30 a day to put gas into the tank and keep the vehicle running just to have some heat.
Just to see how warm our bodies have been lately I went and picked up a few different things at the local Walmart, Hardware, and borrow some equipment from the doctor’s office. This is going to help determine how well-insulated vehicles that are not RVs or Semi-Trucks really are.
My average body core temperature using a standard thermometer that simply goes under the tongue was 96.5 degrees. Almost, two degrees below normal, borderline hypothermia. I hung an outside/inside thermostat to show the average degrees outside and inside the car.
The outside temperature reader was placed on a tree nearby while the inside reader was hung at the center point of the car, one in the front, and another at the very back of the car. A one week test was conducted using the same points to determine temperature readings at sunset, midnight, late-night, and early morning. During the night, on an average temperature of 18 degrees was recorded. Inside the car, with the motor running all night, the average temperature was 58 degrees at the front of the car, 49 degrees in the center point of the car, and 37 degrees at the very back of the car.
Without proper insulation and heat, the body will do everything it can to stay warm. The organs are the most important on the human body and that is the first thing it is going to protect. Fingers and toes, not so much. There were several steps my husband and I took to help better insulate the car to keep the heat in and the cold out.
One: Flex Board Insulation – it’s not very thick but you can use it to put in the back windows and floor area to help keep the car insulated.
Two: Padding – Mattress Pads are your friend. We purchased a full-size mattress pad at Walmart. It was expensive but worth it. We folded the full-size mattress pad in half and laid it down with the back seats folded down and made a bed.
Three: Pillows – Body, Travel, and Standard Pillows – placing the pillows on top of the padding, up against the doors, down onto the floors, and windows. This will also help keep the heat in and cold out. ****I would not recommend placing any pillows on the front dash or on the floor in front of the front seats. This could potentially cause an electrical fire or other damage to the vehicle***
Four: Blankets and Comforters – Fleece Blankets and Down Comforters- Have you ever watched The Mummy? Do you remember how the mummy got wrapped up like a mummy? Well, guess what. Time to wrap up like a mummy. The fleece blankets are great for a base layer besides wool socks of course. You can wrap the fleece blanket around your feet and legs to help keep the heat in. The one down comforter underneath you and one down comforter on top of you. This will help prevent hypothermia.
The only problem with all of these items. They require money to purchase. Luckily sometimes people are giving away some of these items or the benefits of the holidays is some items are cheaper than others. So, things like blankets and down comforters, that are $200-$300 for a good one. You can purchase a cheap one for $40-$60 and it will help do the same goal you are trying to accomplish.
When in doubt don’t sleep alone if you can help it. If you do have to sleep alone, sleep during the day when it’s warmer outside. During the winter, temperatures can become extremely dangerous, threatening your life and safety.
Don’t fight mother nature. Review local weather conditions ahead of time by listening to the local radio station broadcasts or purchase a local newspaper for upcoming storms, and freezing temperatures.
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