Chill, dude

Or 16.5°  Celsius. Yay metric system!

Rain and wind have me cooped up in the Rolling Steel Tent today. Rain and wind have also leeched heat from the interior of the van. At least it's warmer and drier than outside.

My options are:

1. Crawl back under the covers
2. Wear warmer clothing
3. Fire up the propane heater
4. Go somewhere warmer and drier

If I were to get under the covers I'd fall asleep and then not be able to sleep tonight. Wearing outerwear indoors makes me feel weird. Looking at the weather reports, there's not really a warmer, drier location within a couple hundred miles. So I went with option three.

It took a while for the propane to make its way through the heater to the pilot light, and for it to stay lit. The first use of the season can be like that. But the van warmed up quickly.

Even when it's seriously cold, I don't run the heater constantly. I warm the van to about 70/21 degrees (which takes only a few minutes), turn it off, then turn it on again when I feel cold. It's off right now.

I don't know if it's necessary, but when I finish with the heater, I first turn off the valve on the propane tank and let all the propane burn out of the heater and hose. It might be an unnecessary safety measure but, if nothing else, it means there won't be pressure in the hose, making it easier to disconnect and reconnect. Of course, that means the next time I use the heater, I'll have to wait for the hose and heater to refill with propane before the heater will light. Oh well.