Space Blankets

I am in the practice of trying something out before commiting it to a kit. Well I got around to trying out a Spaceblanket last night. It wasnt that cold, about 20 f. During the day I made a nice Aframe shelter. I scraped away what snow was on the ground and use one of my foam sleeping mats as a ground cover. At 2200 I went out to the shelter behind the house, unfolded the Spaceblanket and crawled into the shelter, wrapped myself in the blanket and tried to go to sleep. Long about 0100 I was shivering so bad I couldnt hardly crawl out of the shelter. I went into the house and made a cup of tea and wrapped up in a wool blanket. After a bit I started warming up and fell asleep.

Space Blankets are light weight and compact. However I dont think I will be depending on it to keep me alive over night in anything under about 40f. This is just my Opinion based on my experience with this item. I hope my experiment helps someone deside whether or not to carry or use one.

Thanks for the report on your field test. It does sound like it did some good. How do you think having a fire outside your shelter would have changed the equation?

I had built the wrong type of shelter to take advantage of a fire, however a fire would surely have improved things a bit.

You may have better luck with an emergency bivy vs. a space blanket:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-...ght/00055.html

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...roductId=99840

http://www.mountaingear.com/pages/pr...m/112812/N/641

Thanks. Any information is more than you had so it's always good and I appreciate you sharing it. I carry a survival blanket. I would think it's reflective qualities would work best in front of a fire but I also thought it might be enough to conserve your body heat. Obviously, it doesn't.

Still, I would rather have it with me than not. Knowing that it does little to help with body heat I might be inclined to incorporate it as a reflecting wall in a lean to. Perhaps it would help reflect the heat from a fire in that way or.....wrapped up over a Dakota fire pit or recessed fire pit. Just a couple of thoughts.

I have a Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivysak and fleece blanket that I carry when hunting. I have used it several times and it works pretty good. I have a small tarp that I use with it. I lay the tarp out, get in the bivy with the fleece then pull the other half of the tarp over me. I have only used it in 40degree weather though.

This is the one in my bag. I'm with rick, would rather have it than not. I've only used one, one time but had it as a lean to with a small fire. (Didn't use this one though)

http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/...itNO=0140-0701

KIKAK, Think about that 14 year old in the helicopter crash Tuesday.

We use the space blanket as a signal devise to the bush pilot, for when were ready for extraction.

Does anyone use an elephants foot...????

Hmmm. What is it?

Scarry thought hopeak, I'm glad they got him out alive. It must have been rough in that chopper all night. Poor kid. I think in that situation having anything would have been a blessing. September 27, 2006 I shattered my right lower leg in an ATV accident while moose hunting. My hunting buddy went for help. I layed there in the rain covered with my tarp for about 4 hours. It was miserable. I cried with joy when I heard the Lifeguard chopper comming.

I had to look the story up. I hadn't heard it on the news down here.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/379362.html

Elephants foot is a very short sleeping bag that comes to your waist. It is used by Mountain climbers in conjunction with a super parka. We have used this on spring bear hunts where it is daylight all but 4 hours. It allows one to hunt till 11:30 PM and not go back to camp as the sun will be up at 3:30 AM; so we just sleep on top of what ever hill or mountain we are glassing from.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by hopeak

Elephants foot is a very short sleeping bag that comes to your waist. It is used by Mountain climbers in conjunction with a super parka. We have used this on spring bear hunts where it is daylight all but 4 hours. It allows one to hunt till 11:30 PM and not go back to camp as the sun will be up at 3:30 AM; so we just sleep on top of what ever hill or mountain we are glassing from.

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Sure am glad you cleared that up. I was thinking....man! what a waste of a perfectly good elephant.

One note of caution with space blankets you really need to make sure they are the ones with the ripstop in them. They cost more but as a space blanket with a large rip or tear in it is far less desireable they are worth it. The one Tahyo linked to looks like are pretty good one.

Hopeak - I've never seen them. Is that something you acquire locally? Do you have a site that sells them? I tried to google elephant foot and all these ads for elephant shoes came up.:rolleyes:

I would like to see a pic if you have a site.

Rick, I would look under sleeping bags. It is a type or style bag like a mummy, or semi-mummy bag. I am awful at finding stuff on the internet. The other option would be a childs sleeping bag. I have no Idea why it is called an elephants foot.

We would have got them from Eddie Bauer or some mail order as this was back in the 70's.

RICK, Type in : elephants foot sleeping bag

I found them on yahoo search. But I am not smart enough to import the site.

Found it!! Here's a link if anyone else is interested.

http://www.nunatakusa.com/sleeping_bag_akula.html

Thanks, Hopeak!!

We would keep our boots on, so it was a good idea to have two heavy duty stuff sacks with the elephants foot, or the vibram soles trashed the bags.

I still have my Eddie Bauer "MAX EXPEDITION" down parka. Now days you can not buy one half as good of a parka at any price.

I have never know of a space blanket to work worth a dang by itself. I have used one with a wool blanket to stay warm in 0F weather. They also block the wind.

I would rather have one and not need it then need it and not have one.

Don

I like spacebags (emergency blankets) but I use them as insulation for shelters. I prefer a wool blanket to sleep in.

I've been told that the space blankets are meant to be used, dare I say it...Naked. The reflect your body heat back on to you better this way. Not saying it's true, but many have said this is how they where designed to use. That said, no way I'll do it. that super thin mylar and my meaty butt in the freezing cold, no way.

I have one of those tiny ultra light bags, the ones that are smaller than a loaf of bread. That and a wool or fleece bag work for me. But it's never really cold down here.

You are correct bladefrenzy, they are meant to be used buck naked. Think of it like the foil around your baked potato, it reflects the infrared waves emitted by your body to help keep that heat in. The key is, you should then put additional layers of insulation on the outside of the space blanket to help add a stable layer of warm air outside of the space blanket since the space blanket itself will no protect you from conductive or convective heat loss (i.e laying on the cold ground, or the wind chill stealing heat from you.)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by klkak

I am in the practice of trying something out before commiting it to a kit. Well I got around to trying out a Spaceblanket last night. It wasnt that cold, about 20 f. During the day I made a nice Aframe shelter. I scraped away what snow was on the ground and use one of my foam sleeping mats as a ground cover. At 2200 I went out to the shelter behind the house, unfolded the Spaceblanket and crawled into the shelter, wrapped myself in the blanket and tried to go to sleep. Long about 0100 I was shivering so bad I couldnt hardly crawl out of the shelter. I went into the house and made a cup of tea and wrapped up in a wool blanket. After a bit I started warming up and fell asleep.

Space Blankets are light weight and compact. However I dont think I will be depending on it to keep me alive over night in anything under about 40f. This is just my Opinion based on my experience with this item. I hope my experiment helps someone deside whether or not to carry or use one.

---

I read elsewhere recently that they weren't worth much in keeping warm. I've never fully understood how putting cold foil on your skin would keep you warmer especially since it'd be reflecting light and heat. Granted, it'll trap some residual body heat. Why am I replying? Boredom.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arkansas_Ranger

I read elsewhere recently that they weren't worth much in keeping warm. I've never fully understood how putting cold foil on your skin would keep you warmer especially since it'd be reflecting light and heat. Granted, it'll trap some residual body heat. Why am I replying? Boredom.

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