Hiking without the technology...how to store it?

[Pringles]

I'm going to get to do a month and a half road trip this spring, stopping at lots of national parks. I'd like to be able to do short backcountry overnights at places like Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Arches and the Grand Canyon, among others. I will have a netbook, car GPS and Kindle and other gizmos that I want to have on the trip, but don't want to take hiking. But the areas I'm going to could be fairly warm, if not downright hot, at the time of year I get to go. I am concerned about storing the gizmos in the trunk without baking (frying?) them. Does anybody have recommendations for storing electronics in the trunk of the car when the car will be in a hot, probably sunny, parking lot? Thanks.

Pringles

[JustaTouron]

never tried it...but you could try.....

put gear in zip lock

put zip lock in another zip lock

put 2nd zip in a dry bag

put dry bag in 2nd dry bag

put 2nd dry bag in huge ice cooler

fill ice cooler with ice

[moytoy]

As long as you do not have anything powered on during storage you shouldn't have to worry about the heat. The suggestion to store in Ziploc bags is a good one though. Keeps moisture and humidity out.

[Slo-go'en]

Get a white car?

Actually, you shouldn't have any trouble. The manuals for the equipment might state the max storage temp for the device, which is likely well above 100C - the boiling point of water.

Just don't leave anything on the dashboard or rear window deck. It can get exceptionally hot there parked in the sun. Hot enough to melt the plastic case on a lot of stuff.

[Pringles]

I've got the white car, so I guess the hard part's taken care of, and the ziplocks won't be hard. I would just hate to come back to my car after a nice night or two in the backcountry and find I had very expensive blobs of plastic. I also doubt I could go a month and a half without any of my techno-toys. Thanks for the ideas.

Pringles

[AggieAl]

I live in Southern New Mexico where we have extremes in weather. You wont have a problem if you put your stuff in the trunk. Avoid leaving them in the car and never on a dash.

In Guadalupe NP, consider taking the trail up McKittirck (sp?) Canyon and into the back country bowl. Who would believe that there is Aspen & Elk in Texas. Take lots of water into the back country there. Springs are unreliable, although this may be a good year.

[Jester2000]

You can put them in a cooler without the ice. It will still insulate from outside heat.

[rjc]

I had a laptop once where the plastic deformed when in my trunk during summer in VA. It was a Radio Shack special, quality not the best. I would feel fine leaving my iPod, Kindle, etc. in the trunk of a car. If possible I'd try to park in a shaded area just in case but I wouldn't sweat it.

I don't see a ziplock back being too helpful in keeping moisture out, but I can see how it would hurt!

[JAK]

It might be obsolete by the time you get back to the car anyway.

I think the trunk is probably the coolest option, as there are no windows.
The gas tank and ground might also provide some thermal mass there.
If anything I might put a blanket of the top of it all, but not under it.
Some sort of vent might be good, but I wouldn't mess with that idea too much.

It's a fair question, just how how a trunk might get.
Test it maybe, with a thermometer on a hot day.

[JAK]

Geez my word substitution is getting bad.

[Pringles]

rjc, what you described is what I was afraid of. I think putting the stuff in the trunk during quick overnight trips will be ok. I guess if it isn't, I'll have some interesting/designer paperweights.

JAK, I would like to measure the temperature in the trunk, just to see how hot it gets, but the temperatures where I'm going (Arizona, Texas, New Mexico) are vastly different from where I live (Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, approximately where Lakes Superior, Michigan and Huron meet). Maybe I can do some searching for that, though. I hadn't started by focusing on the trunk of my car, just looking for recommendations. I'll see what I come up with. Thanks.

Pringles

[Jester2000]

Here's someone's test:

http://tom-morrow-land.com/tests/cartemp/index.htm

He was interested in differences between diiferent colored cars, but it does have trunk temps.

[Powder River]

Here's someone's test:

http://tom-morrow-land.com/tests/cartemp/index.htm

He was interested in differences between diiferent colored cars, but it does have trunk temps.

Looks like he was testing the top of the trunk lids. I personally have left electronics in the trunk before with no problems. Insulation is key and the fact that there are no windows makes it the best place to store items.

[bigcranky]

Turn off the electronics. I keep mine locked inside a Pelican Case, which is itself cable locked to the truck. Makes me feel a little safer leaving stuff like that in the car.