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With the winter months approaching, staying warm and comfortable in your campervan can become a mission. To explore New Zealand’s beauty and make the most of your experience while you’re here, you might have to take some extra steps to stay warm and comfortable in your campervan. Here are some tips on how you can do this to ensure you have the best time while travelling around New Zealand.

Check the weather

Before you head on your adventure, check the weather at your destination and be informed of your surroundings. This involves checking the road conditions, forecasted temperature drops, where you will park your campervan, whether there are any road closures, and what your backup options are. It’s also a good idea to inform someone about your plans and whereabouts. If disaster strikes and you can’t make contact with anyone, it’s important someone knows where you are.

If it’s snowing outside make sure you have some reliable snow boots to walk outside in or you may be at risk of slipping easily. If you’re driving in snow, make sure you have snow chains in the vehicle. Some roads, especially those leading to ski fields, mandate that you have snow chains available to drive on them. Each Escape Rentals campervan can come with free snow chains during winter months (May to September). They’re available on request and subject to availability, so make sure to ask when you book!

Layer up

Grab your beanie, gloves, scarfs, jackets, socks, and boots! Make sure there is enough space in your luggage for these essentials during a New Zealand winter. Woolen clothing items will further increase your warmth and cosiness. Wool fibres trap air and don’t allow heat to transfer through it easily, even when wet. It’s far better at maintaining your body temperature than cotton.

It’s important to wear as many layers as possible to keep your body at an optimal temperature. Wear a thermal layer under your outer clothing to capture warmth and increase your body temperature. There’s no such thing as too much when it comes to layering; you can always take a layer off if it gets too hot.

Sleeping bag

The easiest way to stay warm while you sleep is with a sleeping bag. If you don’t have one, or didn’t have room in your luggage, you can purchase a sleeping bag from Escape Rentals for $50. The combination of sleeping bags and blankets together ensures a warm bed for the night. You’ll be able to get a comfortable night’s sleep and be ready to face the next morning for another day full of adventure. Every Escape Rentals campervan also has a full queen size bed and free bedding that is professionally dry cleaned before each hire.

Blankets

It’s no surprise that blankets are a necessity in those cold winter months. For those chilly nights in your campervan you’re going to want as many blankets as you can store. Remember to pack enough for everyone travelling with you, the more you have the warmer you will be. To take your warmth level one step further you can even get a heated blanket that will warm you up quickly. Make sure to get one with a safety timer so it doesn’t stay on all night. Careful though, if you use one once, it’ll be hard to go back!

Cover up

To maintain warmth within your campervan it’s useful to cover all the windows. You can cover the windows with curtains if they have them, or with any material you may have handy such as towels or spare blankets. Glass transfers heat outside very easily, so this will stop precious warmth from escaping the vehicle. Keep the heat in and you’ll have a comfortable stay in your campervan while travelling around New Zealand.
Hydration and nutrition

During the winter months, it’s important to keep in mind what you are putting in your body. Remember to stay hydrated, drink plenty of water, and eat warm meals. This will increase your warmth and comfort instantly. Your body generates heat just by digesting food, and hot food is even better as it will make you feel warmer instantly. Meals such as soup are simple to prepare when on the go and so are drinks such as tea, hot chocolate, and coffee. Carrying a thermos is also a good idea as they’ll keep your drinks (or even soup!) warm for longer too.

Heating

A mini heater can work wonders if you get cold easily. It can help you start and end your day warm and comfortable. If you’re intending on travelling for long periods of time this may be very beneficial for you. Every Escape Rentals campervan has a mains powered heater and lamp. For even more warmth, you can look at getting hot water bottles and heating pads for your journey too. Have a look at the different options and decide what’s going to work best for you before hitting the road. Don’t forget to close all the doors and windows before heading to bed either!

Park at campgrounds

When you’re choosing a spot to park at for the night try and find one next to other campervans. Having other campers on either side will decrease any wind buffeting you might experience. It can also be an opportunity to meet other travellers who are living the adventure just like you. Be sure to ask them for their tips on staying warm as well!

If there’s no other campers around, look for parking spots next to buildings or treelines. Any shelter you can find will keep it warmer and quieter inside the camper than it may be otherwise.

To ensure you have a warm and comfortable stay in your campervan just keep the three essentials in mind:

  • Blankets & sleeping bag
  • Multiple layers of clothing
  • Plenty of hot food & drink

For easy access to camping tips on the go, these two apps are sure to help:

Escape Rentals are here to help you have the best time possible travelling around New Zealand in our campervans. If you want to know more about our campervans, call us on 0800 21 61 71.