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Blacking out a car for sleeping in

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 Pete Dangerous 11 Apr 2017
I bought a Focus estate for climbing trips and intend to sleep in the back for one or two nights every now and then. There was a good thread on this a while ago but it didn't mention anything about blacking out the windows. Does anyone bother to do this and if you do, how so?

Cheers!
 ianstevens 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:
Multiple options, all with varying degrees of effort required:

1) Get in your sleeping bag the "wrong" way up and put the hood over your face. Pros: super easy. Cons: hood in your face.
2) Leave the parcel shelf pulled over, and stick your head under it. Pros: easy-ish. Cons: need to slither round to sit up, looks a bit wierd, have to orientate yourself the "wrong" way round in the car, feels claustrophobic.
3) Cut out some old roll-mat (foam type of course) to match your windows. It can then be pushed in/out at will, without needing any permenant fixtures. Pros: no permenant fixtures, cheap. Cons: need old roll mat, some time and effort (both to make and set up).
4) Fit some curtains. Pros: clearly the best, thats why you use them at home. Cons: takes a while to make, really obvious to all and sundry that you kip in your car, can get in the way of visibility at junctions even when pulled back, look really shit.

Personally I opt for 1, and used to do 2 when I had a Landrover with a high parcel shelf. Have been thinking about 3 but have more pressing jobs to do.
Post edited at 15:19
 Bulls Crack 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

I've been thinking about this and might try some black material draped over the back of a seat and tied out to a couple of points to keep it off my face - bit like a hawking hood!
 jkarran 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Do you need dark to sleep? If not, why bother. If so, why worry what others do

Corrugated card cutouts will last a few trips. For more regular use maybe transfer the pattern to some cheap dark coloured camping mat. Double sided velcro dots to stick them to the glass. Foil the outside face of the 'blind' with tape and space-blanket material if going somewhere sunny and wanting to stay cooler.

Alternatively, sleep head with your head at the of the car rear under the parcel shelf and bulldog clip a towel to the front edge of the shelf to mostly close the gap between shelf and floor.
jk
Post edited at 15:26
Rigid Raider 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Just go to the pub until it gets dark then go to bed, FFS.
 Bulls Crack 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Rigid Raider:

And in the morning? Need to sleep hangover off
1
 Sir Chasm 11 Apr 2017
 Luke90 11 Apr 2017
In reply to ianstevens:

Option 3 also providing some insulation and anti-condensation advantages as well, of course.
 skog 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Why not just use a sleep mask/blindfold?
In reply to Rigid Raider:

> Just go to the pub

I did initially read the title as 'Blacking out in a car' so the pub suggestion kindof works

 MrJared 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/WINDOW-TINT-TINTING-SUPER-BLACK/dp/B00LFMHGCW

This? you cant do the front windows but blocks a lot of the light out
 nathan79 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Bought my Kia Cee'd sportswagon for the same purpose. I just bought a roll of aluminium bubble wrap style insulation and some wee sucker cups, cut out the appropriate shapes for all my windows and voila.
Cost maybe £10-15 all in and I've still got most of the roll left for replacements and any other purposes I find for it.
In reply to Rigid Raider:
It's more the morning that bothers me
Post edited at 16:38
In reply to ianstevens:

.3) Cut out some old roll-mat (foam type of course) to match your windows. It can then be pushed in/out at will, without needing any permenant fixtures. Pros: no permenant fixtures, cheap. Cons: need old roll mat, some time and effort (both to make and set up


This is what I had in mind. I just wanted to see what other people did.

 ianstevens 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Bulls Crack:

> And in the morning? Need to sleep hangover off

If you get woken by the sun it's not a real hangover
In reply to tmawer:



Yeah, pretty good. I'd want to do the front section too but could improvise I guess.
 Trangia 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Why do you need it to be dark to sleep? I normally don't bother to draw my curtains at home (unless I'm getting changed). It's much nicer to sleep in natural light/dark and doesn't take long to get used to. Dawn is lovely!
2
 Rob Exile Ward 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Get a tent.

(That's my initial entry for the unhelpful comment of the year award.)
 Chris Harris 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

What about chucking a car cover over the whole thing?
 timjones 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Bulls Crack:

> And in the morning? Need to sleep hangover off

Only if you are a lightweight

The strong get up and walk or climb the hangover off.
 Matt Vigg 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Go to bed when it gets dark and wake up when it's light, it's the best way to sleep. I slept in my focus estate last weekend before a big hike and the length of the car is by far the biggest problem, waking up with the sunrise is lovely.
 CasWebb 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Trangia:

Try that in the far north during summer and you'll only get 2 hrs sleep per night
Lusk 11 Apr 2017
 Billhook 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Get a van!
 buzby 11 Apr 2017
In reply to tmawer:


Ohh they look good, I just might get a set, not so much for the not being able to sleep when its light, but more to do with not wanting people seeing into the car easily when im parked up for the night. Should be able to bring the blow up doll along for my next trip without those judging looks from passing motorists making me feel all self conscious.
 Jim Hamilton 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Fix/weigh down one side of a suitably sized sheet on the (extended) parcel shelf and drape the other side over the front seat headrests, the sides of the sheet sort of cover the rear side windows..
 Trangia 11 Apr 2017
In reply to CasWebb:
> Try that in the far north during summer and you'll only get 2 hrs sleep per night

Why?

Go to bed at say 11 pm wake up at say 7 am. That's 8 hours. Being light is irrelevant, you sleep. It being light doesn't keep me awake.
Post edited at 21:19
1
 snoop6060 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Trangia:

Head in boot for me, parcel shelf pulled over. Has the added benefit of making you quite hard to spot if someone peers in. Windows being a bit open gives it away but those wind deflector things are great.
 summo 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Park in a garage, wear a blindfold... have a big day on the hill followed by a bar meal and a gallon of ale.. .
 Bulls Crack 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Trangia:

> Why? Go to bed at say 11 pm wake up at say 7 am. That's 8 hours. Being light is irrelevant, you sleep. It being light doesn't keep me awake.

Well, maybe not everyone isn't as luminously unchallenged as you are?

 Big Ger 11 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Replace all the windows with plywood.
1
 Toerag 12 Apr 2017
In reply to timjones:

> Only if you are a lightweight The strong get up and walk or climb the hangover off.

The real hardcore don't have hangovers 'cos they're still drunk when they wake up.
 Toerag 12 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Go to the pub. Chat someone up and sleep at their house in a nice comfy bed.
 CasWebb 12 Apr 2017
In reply to Trangia:

But it does keep some of us poor soles awake despite 4 decades of trying ????
 FactorXXX 12 Apr 2017
In reply to Chris Harris:

What about chucking a car cover over the whole thing?

Is that the best that one of new hosts at Top Gear can come up with?
 NathanP 12 Apr 2017
In reply to Lusk:


Doesn't that cover the doors? How do you put it over and, when fully fixed, how do you get out?

I can imagine struggling to get out of the car in the morning; finally giving in, winding down a window, cutting a hole in the cover and climbing out to find a large and amused crowd have videoed me and put it on YouTube as 'idiot stuck in a covered car'.
 Andy Nisbet 12 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:

Someone else has said it, but wear a mask. You get them free on some airlines, but I'm sure you can buy one for a tiny sum.
In reply to Andy Nisbet:

I guess this is the simplest option. I was thinking of something with a bit of privacy for some areas where I know I'd park up in Portland. I won't be sleeping arse out I don't imagine but it'll be areas which aren't away from others.

The cover is an idea but some ventilation would be nice in summer. Having said that I have air con.

I think I'll try making something for the windows. I'm pretty sure you can get material which will stick to glass and peel off.
 Dave Bond 12 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:
Tin foil. A great way to blackout windows. We use it on holidays in hotels/cottages to black the kids rooms. Slightly moisten the window and slap on the foil, works a treat. It will stay stuck indefinitely.
Post edited at 21:24
 kevin stephens 12 Apr 2017
In reply to skog:

> Why not just use a sleep mask/blindfold?

This, surely ^^^
 Robert Durran 14 Apr 2017
In reply to skog:

> Why not just use a sleep mask/blindfold?

I find that shutting my eyes works fine.
1
 Andy Nisbet 14 Apr 2017
In reply to Robert Durran:

> I find that shutting my eyes works fine.

You must have thicker eyelids than me.
 Chris Harris 14 Apr 2017
In reply to FactorXXX:

> What about chucking a car cover over the whole thing?Is that the best that one of new hosts at Top Gear can come up with?

Yes, but at least it's proper consumer advice at last.
 kwoods 14 Apr 2017
In reply to Pete Dangerous:
I sleep in the back of my car quite a lot (a Hyundai i10!), and it's not so much the light itself that bothers me, so much as a sense of privacy. If I feel exposed then I'll sleep really badly.

Most of the time I can find a quiet corner of a car park etc, but there are times that a set of covers for the back windows would make my life a lot easier!
Post edited at 10:10

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