Some facts first:
1- I have a Mazda protege
2- I often like to drive from Quebec city to some US NE climbs
3- I usually leave on a Friday night and arrive around midnight at my destination
4- I wake up early (before sunrise) to be the first on a classic climb (Say Black Dike)
5- I always went to a Motel but find it expensive for the time spent there
6- I'm considering sleeping in the car or buying a bivy.
7- There are usually 2 of us
8- The solution must work for winter (Canada and NE US)

What do you or would you do? I thought that a bivy must be more comfortable than the car but I would have to buy one and convince my friend to also buy one. Guess I could set up a tent but I would attract more attention and might be kicked out. How is it to sleep in a car in winter... say at -20C?

when I was climbing in New Hampshire, I'd do it all the time. I have a -40F(or C) bag and was always comfy (even the morning I woke up and it was -18F (or -28C). The only problem is, is drying ropes.

CClaude wrote:when I was climbing in New Hampshire, I'd do it all the time. I have a -40F(or C) bag and was always comfy (even the morning I woke up and it was -18F (or -28C). The only problem is, is drying ropes.

You were sleeping in the car?

rferron wrote:What do you or would you do?

I've been fine sleeping in my car down to about -18 C with an appropriate sleeping bag. At most trailheads in CO/CA that allow overnight parking, you don't seem to get pestered. Frozen sweaty clothes, frozen condensation on the windows, and frozen drinking water are a nuisance, but not unbearable.

another solution is to sleep in the car on Friday night and check in into a motel on Saturday - warm bed, hot shower and heat radiators to dry out your gear... preferably get 2 more people to split a motel room...

rferron wrote:

CClaude wrote:when I was climbing in New Hampshire, I'd do it all the time. I have a -40F(or C) bag and was always comfy (even the morning I woke up and it was -18F (or -28C). The only problem is, is drying ropes.

You were sleeping in the car?

Yup, a rental. But as I said, with a -40F bag you feel toasty warm until you need to get out of the bag.

welle wrote:another solution is to sleep in the car on Friday night and check in into a motel on Saturday - warm bed, hot shower and heat radiators to dry out your gear... preferably get 2 more people to split a motel room...

Yeah I was starting to think about this...

Yep, totally doable, as has been said before the only problem is drying stuff, most things do pretty well if you put them in your bag w/ you but ropes are an issue. I like setting up a tent, personally, because I don't like icing up the windows on the inside, but either way works.

When sleeping in the car, make sure to have a couple of windows opened 1/4". Conversely to letting in cold air, it will keep the relative humidity down and you'll feel warmer. And misted windows attract the attention of parking attendants. Better if you've got a station wagon to lie flat in.

For many years, I used to regularly sleep in my Blazer at ski resorts. Crested Butte in Colorado used to offer a month of free skiing between Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I'd drive up there and live out of the truck. I also slept in my car up in Summit County when skiing over the 5 years I lived in Colorado Springs. The coldest night I ever experienced in the truck was -20 degrees F.

I discovered that it really helps to soak in a hot tub before jumping into your sleeping bag. Often I'd make friends with the desk clerks at hotels around dinner time and later return to steal a shower in the sauna room and poach a soak in the hot tub. Then, while you're still toasty and warm, run out your vehicle and jump inside the sleeping bag.

The other advantage to sleeping in your car is that you can run the motor and heat the vehicle if the cold becomes unbearable. Obviously this has some risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, but I point the car into the wind and keep the windows rolled up. I also have a small carbon monoxide detector that I can use in the vehicle. If you're really paranoid, don't go to sleep while you're running the engine.

http://www.canarysense.com/p3791/bw_gas_alert_extreme.php

I used to sleep inside of my Volkwagen in the winter, but immediately discovered that was bad idea since those cars didn't have defrosters! If you can picture me sitting on the front seat with a roaring MSR stove in one hand and and ice scraper in the other....

The Conway hostel is a reasonable alternative, I think still under twenty-five bucks, with full kitchen privileges. And they supply the bed-linens.