The Allure Of Vanlife: Snow Build-Outs

How to guarantee a seat on the first lift, the last lift and save a few pennies - you camp in the car park, obviously. Slightly less appealing than an above the tideline surf post-up, sun-soaked and brekkie out the side door, however, for proper keenos and mountain people - it’s the ‘bee’s knees’... or so we’ve heard.

Big, small, DIY, custom or completely outlandish - we’ve all seen ‘em. Windows steamed up from morning brews and gear hung to dry. Boards, skis and poles strapped up top; rinse and repeat, slopes to après to parking spot. The simple life, mountain-style. But where do you start? How do you go about building a rig for winter? Enter Nate Duffy and co. - good buddies, grease monkeys and field testers of all things Made To Roam .

We dip a reluctant toe into the frozen waters and chat with vanlifers (full and part-time) to get a feel for alpine life stripped back—wood cabins, chalets and fresh sheets a hindrance to the pure experience. Nate Duffy talks through dream setups, diesel heaters and why frying bacon is a big no-no, Advanture Mag’s Alex Brown gives an insight into ski touring and storage solutions, and ambassadors Somewhere Wilder take us on a tour of their well-loved (winterised) Land Rover Defender.

Phew…

ALEX BROWN, Editor of Advanture Magazine: “It’s the newer VW T5 that comes out to play more in the winter. Some of the main cold-weather features include the built-in kitchen and diesel heater. For years my girlfriend and I spent months ski-mountaineering and living out of a van without a heater… you wake up with ice coating everything from the ceiling down to your sleeping bag. It’s great to know we braved those times, but now we really appreciate a bit more comfort. The other van, Snickers the VW T3, is getting old now. It doesn’t like to turn on (reliably) when the temperature drops below zero ha!”

SOMEWHERE WILDER, Passenger Ambassadors: “Our Land Rover’s pretty well kitted out! All season tyres, diesel heater, insulated window covers, it’s easy to get it warm and toasty. With the dogs, they’re like little furry hot water bottles so we’re quite cosy. Little details we found helpful in Norway were our old-fashioned halogen bulb headlights, they create more heat than light, but it meant they weren’t getting covered in snow when driving, compared to newer cars with their LED headlights.”

NATE DUFFY, Friend of Passenger: “Inspired by rigs of the internet, and the cozy setups I would see from the iced-up windows of my old station wagon when I was a 20-something. I’ve been through too many setups now, but the camper/truck combo was my ultimate solution to a constant problem: how do I get up to the mountains and stay there as long as possible?”

NATE: “ The reality for me was mainly driving a huge cab-over-camper, it slows your truck down, it’s a windsail, and you have a high center of gravity which can feel sketchy in some situations. But ultimately, it’s priceless to see a system moving in, drive to it, and post up for days chasing deep snow... makes up for any stress, being woken up by the loaders clearing the parking lots at 5am, riding bell to bell, and coming home to a little cabin on wheels to dry out, cook dinner, read a book and fall asleep early.”

ALEX: “Honestly, winter vanlife is it for me. I love the mountain weather, the speed at which it can change and the variety of conditions it brings. For me, there is nothing better than packing your bag for a day (or overnight) out in the mountains to tick off a new route or stand on top of something. I like the challenge of the environment to photograph in, everything from the landscapes to winter sports.”

NATE: “The current camper is built entirely for summer, smaller, lighter, can still tackle a winter pow trip, but there’s less going on. It’s definitely catered to the shift in my life, chasing the beach vs chasing pow. But my Bigfoot was the culmination of years of dreaming of the perfect snow camper, and this was it, hands-down. It could do every season well, but it excelled at being a basecamp for winter excursions.”

ALEX: “We keep all of our sporting gear like hiking boots, ski kit, walking poles and stuff like that in durable duffel bags. So when summer ends, it is a case of sweeping all of the sand out and then packing in the bags so we are ready for harder weather. Living in the Pyrenees means it could snow or rainstorm at any time, so I do like to be prepared. I think a roof box might be more essential during the winter than one in the summer… I’ve got a ski-specific box which is very long, but instead of storing skis in it (they can happily stay on the roof or under the van), I use it to store clothing, footwear and bedding. Just remember to keep them in a waterproof bag/duffel.”

SOMEWHERE WILDER: “The main change is how thick our duvet or sleeping bags are! This summer we managed with just a thin linen sheet, but as soon as winter comes we’ll unpack the duvet and bring that with us. If the forecast is looking especially chilly, we’ll be in our sleeping bags under the duvet for double the warmth…”

SOMEWHERE WILDER: “Simpler the better! Gas cookers don’t work as well in the cold so quicker meals are best - Frida’s nailed a recipe for tasty noodle soups that just needs some boiled water, so there’s less washing up too!”

ALEX: “One of my favourite meals when we are on the French side is steak hache. Get yourself some good French beef, served with some canned vegetables, rice, and a fried egg. That’s going to warm you up and replenish you from all the calories spent during the day. I think being able to cook something fast is more suited to the type of van trips we make during the winter, as after a long day out you don’t really want to hang around long before getting some decent food in your mouth.”

NATE: “Oh hands down the morning camper coffees. I really don’t like cooking inside my campers, everything gets so gross... high carbs, low grease, because if you’re cooking bacon in a camper it gets nasty fast. Probably the best winter quickie is grilled cheese and tomato soup, you can make it quick and it warms you up quicker.”

NATE: “It never gets old, makes it all worth it, plus for me, getting to look at this habitat I built with the help of all my friends, sitting parked with a foot of fresh snow on it, smoke trickling out of the chimney, just brings a smile to my face.”

ALEX: “No, it never gets old! There isn’t anything more exciting than peeling back the thermo-blind in the morning and assessing the weather first-hand. If the snow is so thick that you can’t even see out of the window… oh boy it’s gonna be a sweet day. A few years ago, before my daughter was born, I’d wake up hours before sunrise to climb something for sunrise. The views were well worth the hours of pre-dawn freezing conditions. Now, a lie in and enjoying looking out of the frosted window as a family is just as rewarding.”

ALEX: “I live in the Eastern Pyrenees and there are six ski resorts within 30-45 minutes of the town. My favourite is a tiny French resort called Cambre d’Aze. The Bottom Station bar/restaurant reminds me of an old school gym. There are lovely tree-lined runs (from beginner to advanced), and it has an epic 1000m+ vertical climb for ski touring. I’ve made it so far as just beyond the top chairlift, but still need to stand on the ridge line and look down on the world from 2750m above sea level… my skill level has stopped me so far due to the out-of-bounds sector having crazy vertical drop-offs…”

NATE: “I usually save myself for the North Cascades (Washington State) every season. One to check off… probably getting back to the Powder Highway, chase that out to Revelstoke (BC Canada). Or get up to Nelson (BC Canada), always wanted to get up there... Mt. Cain is on my list for sure.”

There’s so much in making a big ol’ stride for the door, turning the key and heading north. Driving out, embracing the winter, and taking the long route down. You’re sure in for some stunner sunsets, good vibes, and future stories to tell. Why not share your winter vanlife adventures with us?

#MyEscapism