Overlanding with laptop?

I want to bring my laptop with me on my overlanding excursions. What do you all do to protect your computer from overheating, or freezing when you leave the truck for a day hike, or extended backpacking trip (3 nights)?

I work from my laptop but I am worried I'll destroy it.

Ideas so far (let me know what you think). All require turning the computer completely off.

1. Use a pelican case and throw one or two laptop cooling fans in there which can run off a basic USB battery pack

2. Use a neoprene sleeve, increase my fridge temperature to around ~45 and put the computer in the fridge while I'm gone (fridge lasts about 48 hours)

3. Bring the laptop with me... although I still think it will get too hot in my backpack

 

Get a Toughbook.

 

2nd the Toughbook or similar. The internals are also shock mounted.

 

How hot or cold? If it’s off, laptops can take extreme temps. They sit in the back of ups trucks all day in the summer in tx and az and you don’t hear widespread issues. I’d be more worried about securing it and break ins if someone knows your truck is alone for days at a time on a remote trail.

 

Yeah I'm not seeing why the temps matter of it's turned off. It should be fine when not being used.

 

I would expect it would be exposed to about 100 to 110 during the hottest part of the day.
I have a macbook and don't want to buy a new computer. I left my macbook in the back of my car in Colorado in the summer and the battery exploded. No idea what the temp was at but would imagine above 100.

 

Apple says 32 - 95 are the "safe temps"

 

That's probably a CYA move on their part. I work in transportation. I can promise you these computers are shipped in a lot worse conditions with higher and lower temps than those. You're more likely to have that laptop stolen from your truck than you to damage it from extreme temperature. Just don't leave it in direct sunlight. I have a GPS that's been left in our vehicles for nearly a decade and works fine.

 

If the computer is powered off then you shouldnt have to worry about it.

I had a Dell in Iraq that went through more than you could ever put yours through and it came out fine.

I did everything you could think of except drag it behind a tank.

Heat will only hurt it if you have it powered on and running.

I keep the same note book in my truck now and it powers on anytime I need it which it often.

 

It probably sounds ridiculous but I have used my iPad and phone in really extreme temperatures. When I’m not using them, sometimes I will put it in the ice chest if I have to leave it. LOL

 

Not at all ridiculous -- that's what I was going to suggest.

A cooler is nothing more than an insulation chamber that tempers variations in heat/cold.

If the OP wants to test it, just take a standard household thermometer and put it in a cooler and leave it in the back seat of your truck on a hot summer day. Come back at the end of the day, and see what the thermometer reads. There are a lot of variables that would affect the outcome: starting ambient air temp, max temp inside the vehicle, starting temp of the laptop, starting temp of the cooler.
Using a windshield sun shade would go a long way toward keeping interior temps down, as would ventshades and cracking the windows.

EDIT: Coolers also work great at keeping warm things from getting cold. Caterers use them all the time to transport warm food. Again, it's just an insulated chamber.

 

That’s operating temperature. Non operating temp is -4 to 113. Yes, the inside of a truck can get hotter than that in direct sunlight. Just leave it in the shade and don’t turn it on until it cools down. I guarantee you the truck it was shipped on had worse conditions.

 

@Bailey