Those thin cheap mylar emergency blankets

[Wildthang]

So a few years ago I bought a few of those cheap thin mylar emergency blankets for some of my car emergency kits and a couple of my Bobs. Never had to use one and I hope I never have to, but was just thinking that if you got caught out in some really cold weather, how good would they work.
It seems to me that they may serve better as a reflector for the ceiling of a survival shelter to reflect the heat from a campfire down to where you are sleeping. And from what I read, there are some good survival blankets out there.
I took one of the cheap ones out of the wrapper here a while back, and I don't think it would survive a strong wind without a wind block, or a thick plastic to reinforce it, and probably would never be reusable.
So now I have bought some tougher blankets that at least will not fall apart when the wind hits them, I bought 3 of these!

http://www.amazon.com/MPI-Weather-Em...gency+blankets

Has anybody ever had to use an emergency blanket, how much do they help?

[crashdive123]

The cheap ones do not keep you warm in extreme cold temps. They may keep you a little warmer, but may not prevent hypothermia. Several years ago one of our Alaska members did a test in his yard. He had to give up the test and go inside to warm up. I've heard good things about the heavier blankets and biveys but have not tried them.

The cheap ones will make a serviceable shelter or reflector.

[Rick]

I've never used one on my person but have used one to make a shelter waterproof and to reflect a fire. A+ for both. Around here, building a debris shelter in winter will net you a lot of slush and ice in the debris. All that starts to drip once it warms up unless you have something waterproof on the frame first. I just can't get my head around something that thin keeping you warm so I've never tried it.

[pete lynch]

GI casualty blankets are similar to those MPI ones. I have some of both.

[Ken]

Today's sleeping bags can fit in a stuff sack in a glove compartment.

http://www.rei.com/product/846746/mo...0-sleeping-bag

[hunter63]

I usually carry one in about everything....only tried to use one once, was during a pouring rain/sleet/snow, ....and blustery.

Actually did a pretty nice job of wind break and rain fly......could never get it back folded up though.

The older ones if I recall were a little thinker and was gold on one side.

Still have one in my belt pack.....right under pouch.....


Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.

[crashdive123]

Here's the thread that Klkak did on his field test. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...Space-Blankets

[ClayPick]

Anything helps when you’re freezing. A bothy bag is something I want to try.

[hunter63]

Found the orginals listed.....down to a couple left?
http://www.rei.com/product/407104/sp...:referralID=NA

[Grizz123]

does anyone use wool clothing?

[hunter63]

Of course,.......Lots of wool, ........Merino long undies, Malone pants, Pendleton shirts, as well as others.....

[Wildthang]

Now this seems to be the real deal! Of course it is bigger and more expensive but would obviously keep you much warmer than the average survival blanket!

http://www.amazon.com/Blizzard-Survi...rgency+shelter

[Batch]

I don't have much faith in the pocket mylar blankets. I carry a heavy duty emergency blanket that has a hood and also grommets in it. It is more heavy duty than most tarp material and I have used it and refolded it quite a bit. I also keep a cheap emegency blanket that I have opened and refolded at home and a SOL Survival Blanket. I have also played with that and I stick it in my pack for my girls if we have a machine problem on the trail. But, that is it and we don't even start to get cold like most.

[WhiteHorse3340]

I just got one of these not too long ago, and I was thinking of shelter more than warmth when I got it. But, here is an interesting tidbit: I was just watching Survivorman tonight, and he said that the mylar blankets do the most good when they are touching bare skin...which means that the more clothes you take off, the more this thing will warm you up, supposedly. He said that he didn't feel like getting naked in the wind, the cold, and the rain, lol...and I can't say that I blame him.

I don't know if you saw the very first episode of Dual Survival, but Cody Lundin makes a KILLER shelter with a mylar blanket and some visqueen.

[Rangefinder]

The thin mylar pocket blankets, (regardless of marketing hype) were never meant to be used as a stand-alone. The "help" retain heat, but have very little insulting capabilities when you start hitting sub-freezing temps for long periods without additional heat sources. It's a short-term advantage at best without other measures being taken for fire and sufficient shelter. They are better heat reflectors than insulators, by far. I use one of the mylar lined polyester tarps for my tarp shelters. With limited opening and a constant fire (very small is enough) shining in, it stays toasty warm down to zero. But the moment the fire is taken out of the equation, things chill down fast. Used as a blanket, it's effective as a wind break and moderate insulating layer. But at zero and minus temps, you need to "tent" it around you and burn a candle. In that way, you can actually get too warm if you aren't careful.

Use all of these as they are intended to be--heat reflection, not insulation.

[Rick]

Your naked body traps a thin layer of dead air next to it. This layer of air is held in place by hair, skin cells, pores and dirt. The trapped layer of air provides thermal protection but can easily be removed by a slight wind. When we add clothing, even a thin layer, what we are doing is protecting that thin layer of trapped air and, depending on the bulk of the material, increasing the size of the air space. That's why layering works. We trap more and more dead air spaces next to us.

If you could sandwich yourself inside a survival blanket and seal yourself in then it might offer some protection. But openings and gaps in the blanket release the trapped air space the same as opening your coat. Then you have the issue of heat convection and/or conduction. Your coat, if thin enough, will conduct cold through the material. I have to think the blankets do the same thing. That's why I can't get my head around the blankets providing very much thermal protection.

[finallyME]

I've never used one on my person but have used one to make a shelter waterproof and to reflect a fire. A+ for both. Around here, building a debris shelter in winter will net you a lot of slush and ice in the debris. All that starts to drip once it warms up unless you have something waterproof on the frame first. I just can't get my head around something that thin keeping you warm so I've never tried it.

This is the way I have always used them....as a waterproof layer in a shelter.

[Xzhcr501]

so if I am pretty new at all this. If I am going to spend the money, what would be a better investment? Just a regular MIL style wool blanket or a heavy duty mylar? I have several of the cheap Coleman pocket mylar blankets just cause they were on sale at Academy, but I have also thought about something better for the car. Not that it gets that cold in Texas compared to where yall most of yall are at, but To us sleeping on the ground in 30 degrees in the middle of the night is still pretty cold. (:

[crashdive123]

so if I am pretty new at all this. If I am going to spend the money, what would be a better investment? Just a regular MIL style wool blanket or a heavy duty mylar? I have several of the cheap Coleman pocket mylar blankets just cause they were on sale at Academy, but I have also thought about something better for the car. Not that it gets that cold in Texas compared to where yall most of yall are at, but To us sleeping on the ground in 30 degrees in the middle of the night is still pretty cold. (:

It all depends - it's kind of an apples and oranges sort of thing. My wool blankets are there to keep me warm and to be used on a regular basis when carried whereas the heavy duty mylar is carried for emergencies, not regular use. Of course the wool can be used in an emergency. If the mylar is used on a regular basis it won't last, and it may not be available in an emergency.

[hunter63]

You are not gonna go out and sleep in a mylar blanket and stay warm.....was made to keep you alive, not act a sleeping bag/bivy.

They don't breath, so moisture is gonna be a problem.....

Go with a wool blanket, or at least a sleeping bag or both.....then consider the mylar as either water proofing/ground cloth/rain shield.