I live in Washington state and winter is coming. Would I be OK if I bought a large tent to put in the garage to keep out bugs and use a space heater I have that turns off when it hits a certain temperature? I have smoke detectors that are also carbon detectors. The tent would have the mesh areas for ventilation.
Sounds like the worst Airbnb ever.
Aza said:
Sounds like the worst Airbnb ever.
Jerks probably will still charge a $150 cleaning fee and will still make you clean up your mess.
Hear me out: what if you lived in the house instead?
My wife turns off at a certain temperature as well.
You’d have to ask your mom if that is ok.
I lived in a garage in Oregon, sleeping in a tent, but only for October and November. (I moved in early and someone was still in the room I was going to live in). I used a heated blanket for heat and slept in my highest rated sleeping bag. Kept me warm for the night. Then I bundled up before leaving the tent. I had access to the heated house and could hang out there, but I wanted more privacy than a couch could afford.
It sucks and I wouldn’t suggest making this a long term situation. Make sure the garage has ventilation and that any heaters or furnaces are ventilated with CO and CO2 detectors present.
@Grady
Just trying to help a friend out who is desperate for a room. The heated blanket is a great idea. Thank you.
Wynn said:
@Grady
Just trying to help a friend out who is desperate for a room. The heated blanket is a great idea. Thank you.
Good to hear and good karma to you. Definitely have sleep socks and layers. Being cozy makes it so much better. The tent would be needed for any crawlies that might wander around.
Wynn said:
@Grady
Just trying to help a friend out who is desperate for a room. The heated blanket is a great idea. Thank you.
Costco has em for $30. Four different levels and they auto turn off after 4 hours. Shit gets toasty.
@Dior
Heated blankets are awesome. Although, it does make it pretty hard to get up in the morning, if your room is cold.
A tent won’t really keep heat in it, but it’s an electric heater, it’ll be safe enough. Or did you mean a gas heater?
Nori said:
A tent won’t really keep heat in it, but it’s an electric heater, it’ll be safe enough. Or did you mean a gas heater?
It’s an electric heater
Nori said:
A tent won’t really keep heat in it, but it’s an electric heater, it’ll be safe enough. Or did you mean a gas heater?
It’s an electric heater
Your electric bill will be insanely high because electric space heaters are energy hogs and tents provide almost zero insulation. So be ready for that bill.
@Lennie
Technically, waste energy is almost exclusively heat so electric heaters are extremely efficient at converting electricity into heat. What is not efficient, as you pointed out, is trying to heat a tent inside a (probably) uninsulated garage.
@Lennon
The efficiency is exactly 100% measured from the wallplug.
Nori said:
A tent won’t really keep heat in it, but it’s an electric heater, it’ll be safe enough. Or did you mean a gas heater?
It’s an electric heater
You might be better off with an electric blanket.
@Bennet
Also a cot would be nice. The slight elevation increases comfort and temperature.
I’d personally go for a temperature-compatible sleeping bag instead of a heater. Once you buy it, there are zero running costs, zero risk of a fire, etc.
A lot of your cold will come from the ground up. So insulate the cot bottom. Backpackers use pads like the Nemo switchback to retain heat. They run $40-45 at REI, and they will keep you warmer at night. Get a similarly priced silk or polyester bag liner. It will keep your sleeping bag clean and add some warmth. Put a hardware store tarp over the tent. The ‘extra roof’ will hold in a few more degrees of heat. You can find used wools and cashmeres at thrift stores that can be stitched together for more heat. …also, find gaps at the garage door- and seal them with rug rolls or anything else. Wind steals heat.