Sleeping in Cars: a suggestion or two

[Wasteland Watcher]

I've very recently been informed that being in cars is considered being outside.
I've also recently read that we can sleep in cars (which I did not know) and which makes sense even though there would be a high probability of freezing to death while doing so.

Cars are cold but I guess if the daytime temperature was warm enough or if our clothes were thick enough we could manage to sleep in a car for a few hours.
Some have suggested allowing a warmth bonus if a bedroll is in inventory and this makes sense. It'd be nice if this was added. 

However, the main suggestion I'd like to make and see added is that while sleeping in cars you burn substantially more calories than if you were sleeping comfortably in a warm bed.
First of all the car is much colder than a warm bed in a building and while in a car you've got a lot less protection from the elements so you're more likely to be shivering while in the car and highly likely to wake briefly to adjust your position every now and then. Why? Because it is not a warm, comfortable bed.

While sleeping in a car the calories burned ought to be the same amount of calories burned as when hitting the "pass time" button.
That's what I'd like to see added in a future update.
 

[Stytch Fingal]

Good points @Wasteland Watcher. I tend to agree with you on these.

My only caveat would be that if candles are added at some point (either found in the world, as they really should be, or crafted from bear fat and moss or cloth) then sleeping in cars should have a warmth and rest bonus while a candle is burning. Anyone who has ever been stranded in a car in a snowstorm and had the foresight to keep candles in the glove compartment in winter knows a candle can heat up the inside quite nicely, even with a window slivered open for air.

[Wasteland Watcher]

1 hour ago, Stytch Fingal said:

Good points @Wasteland Watcher. I tend to agree with you on these.

My only caveat would be that if candles are added at some point (either found in the world, as they really should be, or crafted from bear fat and moss or cloth) then sleeping in cars should have a warmth and rest bonus while a candle is burning. Anyone who has ever been stranded in a car in a snowstorm and had the foresight to keep candles in the glove compartment in winter knows a candle can heat up the inside quite nicely, even with a window slivered open for air.

Good point on candle warmth but sleeping with a lit candle in a car is a really, really, really unsafe idea
You wake up on fire and/or dead!

I can't agree with a rest bonus while sleeping in a car. I've done it pretty often and...it's just no where as comfortable as sleeping in an actual bed

[cekivi]

But still a lot better than sleeping on the ground

[Wasteland Watcher]

2 hours ago, cekivi said:

But still a lot better than sleeping on the ground

Definitely! No arguments there!

[Wastelander]

An aquintance of mine got kicked out of his home by his soon-to-be ex-wife earlier this year and decided to sleep in his car before he figured that he had friends that could let him crash. Now, this winter was mild, but it still got mighty cold, even inside the car. However, his was a pretty recent model and apparently was quite well insulated, so his body warmth was trapped in the car - maybe that'll count?

Definitely agree that any kind of open flame in a car while you're asleep is a bad idea. Well, an open flame while you're asleep is a bad idea no matter where you are. Kind of learned this the hard way when me and my ex fell asleep with candles on and woke up to pretty much everything on the table being on fire.

[SteelFire]

So, helpful hint for sleeping in cold cars in TLD, just like sleeping anyplace else outside, start a fire. A campfire right outside the car will impart warmth to you inside the car. I haven't done it enough to notice if it's reduced at all by the car body.

[Ruruwawa]

I've been told that cars are better than bedrolls if you need to regain condition, and that strikes me as a bit odd.  Consider a bedroll inside the Dam, for example -- shouldn't that be better for a sick or injured person than sleeping in a car?

https://www.reddit.com/r/thelongdark/comments/4k54wd/is_bedroll_worseless_efficient_to_sleep_in/d3cy8t4

Maybe the rate of recovery should be tied to indoors/ outdoors?

[Wasteland Watcher]

@Wastelander I've experienced sleeping in cars more often than I'd like to admit back when I was in San Diego. Very, very uncomfortable. It's actually harder to sleep more than an hour at a time (or a few hours at best) and I'd often wake with a sore neck. It was a terrible experience. But it was better than sleeping in the dirt or on a sidewalk. 
Anyhow, because of experiences like that I absolutely believe that giving the nice, slow calorie burn rest (like in bed) should definitely not apply in a car.
You and candles at home... sounded scary

@SteelFire I'm interested in trying out seeing if a lit campfire warms the inside of the car if close enough.
It's actually not at all realistic so if I am warmer inside a car with the fire outside I guess I'll open a bug report on it.

@Ruruwawa Definitely agree with you that improving condition while sleeping in a car being better than bedroll is a glitch. Even putting the car seat all the way back is not nearly as comfortable as lying down properly inside a sleeping bag.