With the Reflectix in mind...

Cars have virtually no insulation at all. What about tucking the edge of a plain mylar emergency blanket in the tops of the side windows and letting them drape down to the floor to reflect interior body heat?

Sue

Not a bad idea. Back when I was living up north, I haven't always been in Florida, a friend used scrap pieces of outdoor carpet to cover the windows on his car. He placed them pile side down outside the car. When frost and ice formed it formed on the carpet which made clearing the windows in the morning easy. He just pulled off the carpet pieces and stuffed them in the truck.

He didn't mention the effect but I suspect that the carpets greatly improved the insulation of the vehicle by limiting heat loss through the glass. Most late model cars have some insulation in the body and door panels but the large areas of glass remain entirely uninsulated.

Reflectix is pretty good stuff. It is light, easy to work with and fairly good insulation. A bit expensive for the R-value you get but it has its uses. If you can arrange for an air gap you get better performance. Ive used it to insulate electric water heaters, pipes, a pump house, and a hen house. The later two cases it worked out well because the stuff doesn't absorb water like fiberglass does. Which meant that the insides of both were easier to clean because they could could be sprayed with detergent and/or bleach and get hosed out.

Old trick anyone living up north learns pretty quickly. You can use newspapers, carpets and even dedicated nylon coverings (that covers the entire car, and packs down to the size of a football).

On a cold, cloudless night, there is a great radiation loss from the earth's surface to space. Any object with a clear view of the stars will cool significantly. If
a) the temperature is below freezing - or even a few degrees ABOVE freezing
and b) the thin bodywork of the car (metal) and the glas windows cools below the air's dew point,
then ice crystals will form on those surfaces.

You can use basically anything - the ice will form on the outer layer of your carpet/newspaper/tarp or whatever, leaving your windows ice free.

one of Dad's early rural mail vehicles was a 63 Chevy wagon with AC installed after purchase by the dealer..provided marginal cooling with the large area, so he closed off the rear of the wagon with clear plastic... used a couple of yard sticks to make an arched support with the roof... ends fitted against the trim panels and held plastic firmly against the roof... used "chicago screws" machine post screws to hold the two pieces of wood with the right amount of tension... might work for you to partition off the rear of your vehicles with mylar

I believe cleaner burning means less soot but not necessarily less carbon monoxide. I would think the need for ventilation would not change when using Klean Heat vs. K-1 kerosene.

HJ

http://www.zippo.com/products/handwarmer.aspx?bhcp=1

http://www.hotsnapz.com/mm5/merchant.mvc...&Quantity=1

http://www.amazon.com/Texsport-Solid-Fuel-Pocket-Handwarmer/dp/B002LFSLIA

Ideas opinions? I Have a old hand warmer like the zippo one I never used and I have a solid fuel one that works pretty well.

I would be very hesitant about using an Dietz lantern in a confined vehicle. If that lantern gets knocked over and the fuel escapes then catches, you are going to be in dire straits very quickly...

I agree, it's a tricky proposition, requiring a great deal of care. Though based on my experience with the Dietz, it's considerably safer than the "open pots of flaming liquid" some have suggested.

I'm using the Air Pilot model, which is rather squat and has a very wide base; I can tilt it to 45 degrees and it will right itself. Some cheaper lanterns I've seen are quite top-heavy, even with the tank full.

One thing I've noticed is that lanterns burn hotter and brighter as the burner and fuel warm up. I'm constantly turning the wicks down. So I'll start at minimum and adjust to keep it there. Otherwise I'll have kerosene soot all over the car. Not good.

dougwalkabout... after Teslinhikers comment, I tipped my Air Pilot over and it did leak, but the flame almost extinguished itself, almost.... there is a lot of space between where the burner fits into the fount... an "O" ring or some teflon tape might prevent excess leakage...

I would be cautious about using any liquid fuel that will burn without benefit of a wick. Wax would be pretty safe. Minor spills of alcohol and most oils are usually pretty easy to put out. Gasoline would be much more problematic. A fire running you out of your vehicle in the middle of a blizzard would be a major setback. And that assumes everyone gets out unburned and all the survival gear gets out with them.

Finding yourself standing outside in a snowstorm, seriously burned, watching your vehicle, much of your exterior winter-wear, and all of your survival gear burn would be a major setback.