Retiring in December, thinking of hiring a small van to sleep in the back of for a week or two and running away to Scotland to walk up various Munros, Corbetts, hills, lumps and so on.

I’ve camped in Scotland in the dark and damp months and the van idea is simply an extension of that, hopefully allowing more mobility and an equally hopeful dry spot to sleep in.

Probably aim for Glencoe then Skye, then Torridon until I cannae stand it anymore…

Anyone done the sleeping in a van rather than a vanlife van?

A little bit – they are not well insulated, so wrap up warm! 🙂

Go for it! I will when I retire. Best years of your life if you have the right attitude. I cant wait.

There’s a chap who’s done exactly this since April, parked his caravan at Invercoe and either goes hillwalking or plays golf every day. He’s loving it. Think he’s run away from a ratbag, reading between the lines.

Yeah sounds great, but don’t underestimate how cold it can get in an uninsulated metal box.

It can be warmer in a tent I reckon.

I also think that tents are warmer, but at those temps you’re splitting hairs really. Go for it!

Definitely warmer in a tent! I’ve done the tent thing, but I’m looking to cover a bit more ground using a small van hired locally to me so I can move on without the whole big-wet-outer-tent to have to manage.
As is usual in Scotland, I appreciate the whole weather issue will be make or break, thinking along the lines of a Peugeot Partner van, maybe a Kangoo; I’m off to check out size-in-the-back later this week..

I can take a tent too!

edit – scratch that I didn’t see you’re hiring the van

Folding bucket, with a lid and watertight bags

Have a look at
http://www.smallmotorhome.co.uk/small-motorhomes-for-sale.html, might get some ideas.

There is a nice wee camper based on the Berlingo Nu venture, nu surf I don’t know if they’re hired out anywhere.

Surely if you are in a van it is not cold that is the issue but ventilation.
Cold is solved with clothing, mattress, sleeping bag and quilts as required.
The moisture you produce is what you need to ventillate from the van to avoid all sorts of problems. This is not so easy to do unless it is windy and you have open windows etc. that do not also let in rain.
If it’s cold you’ll typically wake up to ice on the inside of your windows without really good ventilation.
I suspect you’ll need to visit a town weekly to use a launderette tumble dryer.

Why not both? Stick one of those small cheap one-man tents inside the van as a sleeping pod.

I drove back from Sicily in December and decided to doss in the van. Even with a decent sleeping bag it was cold and damp. This was through Switzerland and Germany (Italy was ok) well south of, so warmer than, Scotland. So pick your sleeping arrangement carefully.
Also think about joining the YHA or SYHA. Hostels are cheaper than B&Bs and pretty much always have laundry facilities as well as being more likely to be open in winter

Surely if you are in a van it is not cold that is the issue but ventilation

You’ll be woken by a big fat drop of condensation going straight in you ear – as you’re jolted awake all the rest of the condensation rains down on you. 🙂

Also don’t underestimate how grim it is sleeping in a place with no natural light whatsoever – make sure you have at least some windows somewhere

You’ve worked hard for so many years, push the boat out and mark your retirement by stopping at some nice warm B&Bs/SYHAs.

Wettest place I ever slept was in a snowhole in a thaw. Made the mistake of not wearing waterproof overtrousers during the couple of hours it took to dig the hole, got soaked, got in my sleeping bag with wet trousers thinking they would dry out but the sleeping bag turned to wet bog paper, result: a miserable cold night with water dripping off the roof. We ended up deploying the bivvi bag to try to keep dry.

You should have a look at camptoo. Might be able to find something a lot better than a van at a similar price, especially in December.

don’t underestimate how grim it is sleeping in a place with no natural light whatsoever

Erm… Scotland…Winter…. It’s dark for about 16 hours a day!

I’ve camped there, it’s no place to go for a suntan…

I will be fully able to use B&Bs, hotels, and I’m aiming to use campsites; the idea is to avoid the messing about with tents and be able to drive about then sleep with minimal hassle. I could just hire a car and drive from heated hotel to heated hotel, but where’s the fun, where’s the adventure in that?

Also don’t underestimate how grim it is sleeping in a place with no natural light whatsoever

Eh? Most people find darkness conducive to sleep.

I could just hire a car

Mondeo estate ought to work.

Done it a few times in my van – piece of foam for a mattress, a few duvets and pillows, cheap porta potty and a dog to snuggle up with!
I’d recommend taping a piece of polythene above where you’re sleeping as the condensation can be really quite bad.

post image online

As above, proper van will e chilly, but also loads of room for carrying many duvets, sleeping ags ete etc. Take many, and a decent matress.
A couple of those little tea-light things heat up a small space surprisingly quickly and too small to give you CO poisoning while you sleep.

At least there will be no midges at that time of year..

Best of both worlds.

If your hiring a van, why not just hire a little moho and do it in comfort ?

crikey – whatever you end up doing I hope you enjoy your retirement. You are doing it right!

Spin

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Eh? Most people find darkness conducive to sleep.

Used to sleep in the back of a Vito panel van with a bulkhead, getting to sleep was fine, waking up not so much (until I found the lamp at very least), couldn’t even see what way was up. Which means having to open a door to get natural light in, something you might not actually want to do in the middle of a Scottish winter

I could just hire a car and drive from heated hotel to heated hotel, but where’s the fun, where’s the adventure in that?

In the things you do in between your comfortable nights’ sleep.

Meh, I’m beginning to suspect that my idea of adventure is not the same as you lot.

The idea is to be able to go at short-ish notice, aiming for that gap in the weather, that settled few days when the sun makes a wintertime appearance, then get on up things and crash out in a dry space before driving on to the next stop.
A bit of discomfort, a bit of roughing it and being self reliant adds to the experience rather than detracts from it.

Some days I might not even have a wash!

Have you considered buying a van and adding insultation, ventilation and a sleeping platform of some sort (or camp bed)?

You’ll get plenty of use out of it if you’re retiring, eh?

That’s a possibility in the future, although I would rather use the cash to have adventures abroad as well. Mrs Crikey is quite tolerant and I’m sure has already looked into it, she has probably got spread sheets with specs on as well as what colour cushions any future vehicle will have.

I would use a small, 1 or 1.5 tent inside the van. Solves a lot of the insulation and condensation issues.

A couple of those little tea-light things heat up a small space surprisingly quickly and too small to give you CO poisoning while you sleep.

What could possibly go wrong…!

Tents will be part of the plan, winter wild camping may ensue.
Im off to look at vans on the way to work as we speak…