frannyo 2 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Reminded me of those pics from last season http://www.snowjapan.com/e/gallery/index-snowy-japan.html Imagine waking up in the middle of all that lot Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 If you can't sleep horizontally in your car, I would bring a tent and pitch it next to your car. Two of us did that last year, while our friend stayed in the hotel. We were cold and we were woken up at 5 AM when people started arriving. Plus we looked like a couple of dorks, camping in the parking lot! To redeem ourselves in the morning, we cranked the car stereo and opened all the doors, trying extra hard to look 'cool' on our lawn chairs eating breakfast. We stayed in the hotel the next night, having realized that our third friend was much smarter than we are. It's hardly worth the few thousand yen that you save. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 That having been said, I'm sure I'm stupid enough to try it again this season at some point. Link to post Share on other sites
indosnm 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I can't sleep in small cars without a full bed. Luckily I've got the hiace with the deck in the back, everything goes underneath (boards etc) Camping in your car when you can stretch out just like your bed at home is fine.. maybe I'll post some pics if I can find some. Link to post Share on other sites
coldcat 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 not in my honda today... Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by frannyo: Reminded me of those pics from last season http://www.snowjapan.com/e/gallery/index-snowy-japan.html Imagine waking up in the middle of all that lot Or not Almost a year ago a dude in Gifu died sleeping in his car A couple metres fell and he had his car on to stay warm. The exaust got covered... Link to post Share on other sites
Fattwins 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 yes dont sleep with the car on heck youll waste money as well. if you sleep in the car come prepared for a very cold night. Link to post Share on other sites
panhead_pete 27 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 There is a full size double bed in the back of my little black VW van pictured on the first page. When I lived in Vic during the summer I used to go and surf at Bells and Winki etc and stay at the Torquay caravan park across the road from the pub. When I was at the pub once I picked up which is quite rare for me and I told the girl it was cool as I had a van across the road and we could hang out there as it was less noisey. I'm pretty sure by the look on her face when we got there she was expecting a nice big caravan Wished I had the extra body warmth at Mansfield etc. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 Whooo, I never thought that this thread would go that long. Many thanks for all the info guys and gal, its more than I have hoped for. Spud, have you ever tried to sleep with this nice cute mask you see all the people wear in the trains etc in Japan, to keep your nose from freezing and also not to directly inhale cold air? Ebc, if you are willing to camp with me in the tend and maybe share the sleeping bag (don’t think dirty, its about keeping each other warm ), I don’t mind camping at the top. Kuma, uniqulo PJ`s are up next on my things to buy list. Soub, that’s a good point. Just in case I will keep an empty bottle with me. If it happens and some other fellow SJ member gets a ride in my car, always ask before you have a sip from my Uroncha bottle. SubZero, I have a down SB so getting an inner sheet sounds like a good idea. Do you use a sheet designed for SB`s or you just bring one from home and fold it in two? I guess all that condensed vapour on the inside of the car can be translated as water that my body lost overnight. So probably you mast take a lot of water so that you don’t get dehydrated. The car is a Toyota funcargo, so it is not very big, but you can completely hide the back sits under the floor of the car, so you can create a flat about 2 tatami area from the trunk door to the front sits. I am also not tall, only 171 cm so I can fit in that space well enough to be comfy. Link to post Share on other sites
gerard 6 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Nice wheels. Sleeping horizontally without having to worry about honking the horn, flooding the engine with gas, or releasing the parking break while you sleep is KEY eh?! Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 stick your board sideways across the frontseat and put your boots in front of the vents. If you're going to the Naeba area, I used to sleep in a truck stop a bit before you get to the resort. It was a big parking lot with a bathroom. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 Yap, I don’t want to go through the process of having to call Jaff to come and help me out because I left the handbrake on all night and the brakes froze on lock position. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 Quote: Originally posted by Kumapix: If you're going to the Naeba area, I used to sleep in a truck stop a bit before you get to the resort. It was a big parking lot with a bathroom. Hey, I remember that place! Its on your left hand on the 17th national road, as you drive up towards Naeba. Last combini before wilderness is a Lausons. Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 i thought it was on the right...but it's been over 6 or 7 years since I was there. Pretty lonely spot but I prefer that to waking up with people walking all round my car on their way to the slopes! Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 Conbenis are very, errr, conbenient. Truck drivers use them all the time. The Legacy wagon is very nice. I'm 178cm, and I can just stretch out straight in the back. It's luxury accomodation compared with my old FIAT. I used to sleep in that for a month at a time on my Morocco trips. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Author Share Posted November 27, 2006 I think you are right about that, its on the right side. The Lausons is on the left. Anyway, being awakened by people is not an issue, since the plan is to sleep early and wake up early to get on the first lifts up. Link to post Share on other sites
Kumapix 0 Posted November 27, 2006 Share Posted November 27, 2006 I wasn't referring to being woken up by people...more like them looking in at my super bimbo existence maybe I'm too self-consious. One time me & a buddy slept in the womens outdoor changeroom at Oze Tokura (the mens didn't have a radiator). Trouble is, people showed up before we woke up! So we were all wrapped up in our sleeping bags thinking 'how the hell can we get out of here without making a scene???' The problem was, the longer we waited the more ladies were coming in, so we just jumped up, grabbed our stuff and ran out hahahahaha Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Author Share Posted November 28, 2006 Link to post Share on other sites
jgraves 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Nice car Tsondaboy. Reminds me a lot of my Honda Element back home. Japanese car makers seem to be the only ones these days who make cars with fully flat floors in the back. And to add to subzero, a futon is just about the worst thing to use to separate your from the floor. It just becomes one big sponge. You may be alright for one night, but I would spend the 1000 yen on one of those blue foam mats with silver on one side. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Author Share Posted November 28, 2006 I was thinking to but first an old thick carpet I have on the trunk floor and then put the futon on. Also cover it with some futon sheets before I put the sleeping bag on top. Link to post Share on other sites
AK 77 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 good topic. thanks for all the experiences related! I think I'll go for the womens' changing rooms. My plan for 'car camping' was going to be one or two of those foil covered mats (got already - they are cheap), my thermarest, and either down bag with a new goretex cover bag, or a big synthetic bag rated down to low temps but hopefully not too expensive as it can be as bulky as you like (to be left in the car for emergencies - i'm not sure i'd want to leave my down in the car that much). But that shouldn't so often as I'm going to put on my home made Toque mask and body hair wig, and crawl into bed with FT to keep warm! Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Link to post Share on other sites
js 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 'SubZero, I have a down SB so getting an inner sheet sounds like a good idea. Do you use a sheet designed for SB`s or you just bring one from home and fold it in two?.' Get one especially made for a SB (or stitch one up yourself from an old bed sheet). Using a folded sheet would be more trouble than it's worth. As said above, if you wanna use the futon for padding, definitely get a cheap thermal mat to insulate it from the car interior, otherwise you will freeze e.g. down works when it is lofted, trapping body heat between the feather fibres, the down underneath you doesn't loft because it is compressed by your body, hence the need for a thermal mat. Many mountaineers carry two mats - a closed cell mat for thermal efficiency and a thermal air mat (e.g. Thermarest) on top for increased thermal efficiency and increased comfort. The closed cell mat is also good to stand on when getting changed, etc. Link to post Share on other sites
mattlucas 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 Closed cell pads are next to impossible to find in Japan At least I never found any and I was looking Closed cell pads are usually yellow Most outdoor shops only stock the blue foam pads with the foil layer on top. These are not good enough for snow as some of us have found Link to post Share on other sites
samurai 0 Posted November 28, 2006 Share Posted November 28, 2006 If you plan on sleeping in more than one parking lot for more than one night, consider customizing your heaters. I ran mini hoses down from under my heating duct in my old truck, this gave me custom hoses to plug into boots and gloves, which makes for a sick road-trip rig. perhaps a pain in the bum for you now... perhaps not. Link to post Share on other sites
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