Car camping in winter with camera gear + portable battery - how do you deal with condensation & cold temps?
Posted by AdmiralPanda20@reddit | overlanding | View on Reddit | 21 comments
Hey all,
I’ve got a Jeep Grand Cherokee and I’m planning a few winter car-camping weekends in the Eastern Sierras and other cold spots. I’ll have my camera gear (Mirrorless Camera + Drone) and a 1000W portable power station with me. I know condensation can destroy electronics if you’re not careful, so I’m trying to get this right.
A few questions for those of you who actually do this in cold/freezing temps: 1. Is cracking a window slightly enough to manage condensation? I’ll have at least one window cracked, but I’m not sure if that’s sufficient when temps drop into the teens. 2. How do you handle portable batteries in the cold? Most lithium power stations aren’t rated for freezing temps, and everyone says not to charge/run them below 32°F. But I see tons of people using Jackery/EcoFlow setups with heated blankets in winter. What’s the trick — insulation? keeping it in a bag? letting the cabin warm up first? 3. What about nights when it’s raining or snowing and cracking a window isn’t an option? Any proven setups for ventilation or moisture control in bad weather? I’m not interested in getting a diesel heater yet, unless that’s the only option.
Looking for real-world experience — what actually works, what fails, and what you’ve learned the hard way. Thanks!
iluvmezcal@reddit
RTT and a diesel heater
Firemanlouvier@reddit
Could always buy a moisture bag?
2wheeldopamine@reddit
Please consider leaving the drone at home. If I was camping close to you I'd be pissed. They are both a nuisance and an invasion of privacy. I've had people fly drones directly over my camp site. If I had a gun with me I would have shot it down.
CafeRoaster@reddit
I just keep mine in my Peak Design backpack. Condensation is already accounted for by using a hanging Damp Rid bag. Can also get smaller desiccant packs to put in with your electronics if you’re worried.
Kerensky97@reddit
The real facts are that you shouldn't be dependent on auxiliary heating to stay warm. Your sleeping bag and pad should cover all you need. Auxiliary heating is just for comfort when you're awake either just before bed or when waking up.
Going cold camping with warm weather gear and depending on a heater is dangerous if the heater loses power or breaks down or runs out of gas. You don't want to freeze to death because of a power glitch or heater problem. Your camping should be failsafe.
And good tents should have good ventilation or windows that can be opened a crack to vent. If your tent doesn't have that, upgrade the tent. If you're sleeping in the car? Well that's a big drawback sleeping in something that wasn't designed to be slept in, these drawbacks are what you accepted when you choose to sleep in a non standard shelter. You can try opening a window and maybe affixing some type of bug screen over the window.
Itellitlikeitis2day@reddit
Did I join the wrong sub?
I thought this was about camping with jeeps and trucks, not living in a car.
Kerensky97@reddit
Nope not anymore. Diesel heaters and satellite Internet so you can watch TV when you're in the back country now.
Although let's admit it. Half the overland rigs are more for showing off at the mall.
DepartmentNatural@reddit
Spend $100 for a Chinese diesel heater, totally safe and will keep the interior warm
FrogFlavor@reddit
I see this answer a lot but the cheap device isn’t the whole story. You need to install it or lay out ventilation? Buy a fuel can and store that somewhere?
Personally OP I have small cameras so I keep their batteries on my person. My body heat keeps them warm.
DepartmentNatural@reddit
Install it? It sits on the ground outside the car
Layout ventilation? Like open a window
A plastic tote can easily be found the same size as the heater & fuel can
I can see people not wanting to use it but your points are really weak compared to staying warm
FrogFlavor@reddit
Okay thanks for answering the questions. You have to move it around every time you use it, run it with a window open (like any heater than burns fuel) and have room for a tub to contain the heater and fuel can.
So… not that different from a little propane heater. Propane releases a lot more water but on the other hand, may use the same fuel as your cooking system and can’t be spilled.
DepartmentNatural@reddit
OK fine if you are dead set on trying to find a reason not to use one but in my opinion you don't have any valid reasons. A open window? Moving something, like everything else that is packed. Depending on the temps it will run for a long weekend on 1 talk of fuel If you want to add water vapor to the inside of the truck have at it
FrogFlavor@reddit
I’m not invalidating your data I’m painting a picture so OP can decide. I have no horse in this race bro/sis
AdmiralPanda20@reddit (OP)
Exactly. It’s not about just getting the heater. It’s everything that comes with it. And I don’t think I’ll even have space to keep it.
DepartmentNatural@reddit
https://youtu.be/PiZeaIQC0yY?si=aCKMavpgAnxjRfKh
If you don't have room for this you definitely are packing too much
fidelityflip@reddit
https://a.co/d/eVNpuNr
https://a.co/d/dwqqtvf
211logos@reddit
You need to crack a window considerably, and even then you'll get some condensation absent wind or a van, in a vehicle as small as that. A bigger shelter, like a larger tent, is less of a problem.
Lithiums can discharge below freezing, but they they cannot charge below freezing if the battery itself is that cold. That's why many use self heating batteries. Warm camera batteries or small portable ones say in your pocket first.
Raining or snowing? tent. Or at least something over the vehicle to allow them to be open, without snow falling in. Some tarpage. We used to open the rear hatch with a tarp over it and staked out to poles.
Lenses and camera gear can work in cold, it's when it goes from warm to cold, like out on a tripod from the house, that condensation often happens. Letting gear adjust to the cold say in their packs should work; it's the transition that's tricky.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
Lots of lithium iron phosphate batteries will discharge down to 14 F. Some of the newer cells go down to like -4 F.
You just can't charge them under 32 F.
AdmiralPanda20@reddit (OP)
But I see people running electric blankets below 32F. How are they doing that?
I did ask a couple of people in YT comments. Don’t know if they’ll reply though.
Shmokesshweed@reddit
By having batteries that can discharge under 32 degrees. Which is most of the newer batteries on the market within the past few years.
AdmiralPanda20@reddit (OP)
Got it. Thanks!