ARTIC PACK

[Chel]

Dear Paulie,

I own an "Artic" Pac from ATC and I use it all the time, although I'm still not sure it's worth what I paid for it.

As for R value, the Pac has very little, but as Stan says when it is installed, it provides an inch or so of dead air that does seem to keep the camper warmer.

Interestingly, I have also often used the "Artic" Pac in the summer. On sunny, summer days the dark-grey material of the pop-up sides can get very hot. If I open the pop-up's windows to the screens and leave the installed Pac's window-flaps closed, the interior stays noticeably cooler.

Maybe it could be marketed as the "Sahara" Pac for those scorching days. What do you think, Stan?

Hope this helps.

 

[Chel]

I have the Arctic Pack in my 2008 Hawk. I have spent quite a few subfreezing nights in it. It does add a layer of insulation but the main thing is that condensation forms- and freezes- on the pop up fabric. The arctic pack keeps the interior of the camper dry. If you camp in the cold it's worth the $.

 

[1tonpaulie]

stew i did not get the artic pack. i thought the price was to high.
i might only camp in 32 or lower temps once a year. sean dempsey at go anywhere is who i ordered my camper from,he said he sometimes gets used artic packs. most of my camping will be warm weather.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

stew i did not get the artic pack. i thought the price was to high.
i might only camp in 32 or lower temps once a year. sean dempsey at go anywhere is who i ordered my camper from,he said he sometimes gets used artic packs. most of my camping will be warm weather.


One Ton,

I'm putting up my Arctic Pac now before I head out to the snowy mountains of NM and AZ. If I get way south (like Old Mexico), maybe I won't need it! Anyway, the more I use the A Pac, the less it costs per trip. And I'm happy about that.

Don't forget to post photos of your new FWC (and your rig) when it arrives! Also post some views of the spots you wander to in the summer back there in the Midwest.

 

[pvstoy]

It is equally useful in summer as well as winter. In summer it helps to keep the camper cooler. That liner gets hot when the sun hits it and then the heat radiates inside.

 

[Yukon]

Hi,
I made my own version of the Arctic pac. I would say that the value of having it depends on when and where you camp and how much you care about running your furnace. I purchased the material from a company in Seattle area called Seattle Fabrics. They specialize in fabrics for outdoors products. I was not able to get the exact material that 4W Camper uses but it is very similar (don't remember the name). It has same look and feel and and is used to cover boats and cars. The important thing is that it BREATHES! I think I paid a little over $100 just for the material and then had to buy the velcro to sew on. Unless you really love sewing, etc. I would say just get it from 4WC cause it's going to be a bit of work to do it right.

Having said all that, for me, I like this option a lot. I camp up in the Pacific Northwest. I don't like to run my heater all night and the pac does in fact reduce heat loss. One thing I love about it is that it traps the moisture (we have a lot of that in Washington) between the outer wall and the pac. So, I don't end up with water drops dripping from the ceiling when camping in Winter. I would not make it out of something like moving blankets in this environment because it would get damp from condensation and would never dry out properly on a trip.

All in all, for camping in cold, wet environments, in the Winter.....I give it a thumbs-up and recommend you buy it from Stan.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Click for larger view.


Last week I was out testing the Arctic Pac in my ATC. This is a shot of my camp at sunset in the little campground at El Morro Nat Mon in western New Mexico. For some reason, nobody had set up there since the last snow.

It was minus five in the morning and there were sheets of ice on the pop-up liner behind the Arctic Pac, little icicles hanging from the staples in the ceiling, frost on all the screw heads, and the aluminum frame of the camper frosted a white stud pattern to the paneling of the walls.

With the heater turned up, the hundreds of tiny icicles hanging from the ceiling all melted, creating a small rain storm in the camper's interior.

Ain't life grand?

 

[craig333]

Stew, do you think it would have been dry if you'd let the heater run all night?

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Stew, do you think it would have been dry if you'd let the heater run all night?

Hi Craig,

With the huge temperature differential between the interior and the exterior, I suspect it would have been raining all night. The condensation building on the staples and screws would not have frozen and so would have simply dripped.

A cold look at El Morro in El Morro Nat Mon

 

[davinski]

Yukon:

I love Seattle Fabrics! You will have to share your home made arctic pack project. Now, I want to do one. Photos and hints would be nice. I don't have the velcro at the top of the camper, so not sure how I would put it up there. Ideas?

Davinski in Seattle

 

[highz]

Stew, I've never had condensation problems as severe as what you report, even in very cold temps. How many were in the camper exhaling through the night? Just one person, or more?

My Arctic Pac is the one supplied by FWC, by the way.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Stew, I've never had condensation problems as severe as what you report, even in very cold temps. How many were in the camper exhaling through the night? Just one person, or more?

My Arctic Pac is the one supplied by FWC, by the way.



Highz,

Just little ol' me, but that winter night was long and I was breathing regularly.

 

[Mark W. Ingalls]

Had you cracked the roof vent before retiring?

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Had you cracked the roof vent before retiring?


Mark,

For sure the roof vents were slightly cracked. I installed the second vent for condensation (and cooling) reasons.

I think that moisture had slowly built up over the two weeks I'd been on the road, cooking and sleeping in the camper, and the sub-zero night resulted in the excess condensation. The next night at a BLM camp in El Malpais Nat Mon, where it was lower and not as cold, there was little problem.

Interestingly, if the frame of the ATC had been made of wood and not aluminium, there would not have been frost and ice build-up on the staples and screws attached to the frame. There still would have been condensation on the pop-up liner, but not on the ceiling and walls, because wood, unlike aluminium, is a good insulator.

 

[highz]

I think that moisture had slowly built up over the two weeks I'd been on the road, cooking and sleeping in the camper, and the sub-zero night resulted in the excess condensation. The next night at a BLM camp in El Malpais Nat Mon, where it was lower and not as cold, there was little problem.



That sure could be. I will usually turn on the heater and the vent fan for a half hour or so while I am breaking camp to help dry things out before I lower the top, but I haven't had the free time to be on the road for more than a week at a time, so haven't generated as much water vapor inside. I've also read that the cushions should be set on their sides during the drying out time.

 

[craig333]

I have never seen this personally, but I don't camp in extreme cold. Leaving a vent open and running the heater I've never seen any condensation. And I don[t have an arctic pack.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

That sure could be. I will usually turn on the heater and the vent fan for a half hour or so while I am breaking camp to help dry things out before I lower the top, but I haven't had the free time to be on the road for more than a week at a time, so haven't generated as much water vapor inside. I've also read that the cushions should be set on their sides during the drying out time.


Highz,

In warmer climes on the Mexican boarder, I left the top up and windows open during the sunny days to help dry things out but apparently not enough. On cold mornings, I also sponged down the liner walls behind the Arctic Pac where moisture (or ice) had built up over the night. I used the vent fan often but maybe not enough.

I like your idea of drying out the mattress and cushions. I didn't do that while on the trip but I will do it today and on future cold adventures.

 

[Yukon]

For those wanting more details on what I did to make my own Winter Liner I am attaching two photos.

1. Photo #1: shows my liner partially rolled-up on a cardboard tube. This is how I store it. You can see how we stitched velcro on the top and bottom edges. Used home sewing machine. Material is not thick.

2. Photo #2: shows liner installed. It is velcro'd to top and bottom edges. Only takes about 1-2 minutes to put up and take down. Notice that we didn't bother with putting velcro to go around the corners. Instead, we just take the extra f00t of material at the ends and shove it into the space between the back board and outer wall. It closes that space nicely and you don't have ugly velcro on the end boards.

As stated before, I got the material and velcro at Seattle Fabrics. It is called "Evolution/Block-it" by Kimberly Clark. $12.50 per yard (54" WIDE). It's listed under "WeatherMAX" on their web pages.

Notice I did not put in windows. We decided to wait and see how we liked it. We use it as is, and like it as is, and don't feel need for windows yet. We only put it up at night anyway. Easy to install windows in future.

I have never been to -5 degrees as stated previous postings. I am assuming that's Farenheit? Lowest I have been is about 8 degrees F. Saw same thing with ice on ceiling staples and ice layer on liner between liner and wall. BUT, for me, that's a good thing. I much rather have ice between layers and not on the inside.

Cheers....

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Notice I did not put in windows. We decided to wait and see how we liked it. We use it as is, and like it as is, and don't feel need for windows yet. We only put it up at night anyway. Easy to install windows in future.

I have never been to -5 degrees as stated previous postings. I am assuming that's Farenheit? Lowest I have been is about 8 degrees F. Saw same thing with ice on ceiling staples and ice layer on liner between liner and wall. BUT, for me, that's a good thing. I much rather have ice between layers and not on the inside.




Hi Yukon,

Nice mini-Arctic Pacs! Are you skilled enough to sew them yourself? I sure ain't.

 

[Yukon]

In reply to previous question:...yep...I can use a sewing machine and have sewed things like misquito a netting . room to use with my camper in Alaska. But, I have to tell the truth, my wife did the sewing on this project. It really was not difficult at all ! It's not something that has to look beautiful.

Chris