Emergency Space Blanket

[Jellybean]

(though i did see a tent made from them )

A TENT?? you'd have to be Nuts to try that..........

Finally ... some humour!

[Jellybean]

PS, i'd go the bivy.. you could always slice it open

There seems to be an echo in here!

[corvus]

I used one once. 17hrs into a 7 hr walk... DEAD tired and needed a catnap as i was flaking fast. In winter, cold night... curled up on the side of a road. Woke up 45 minutes later and the amount of moisture inside the space blanket was disturbing. They DO NOT breathe....

useless!!

Mate does this need an edit
corvus

[ILUVSWTAS]

I used one once. 17hrs into a 7 hr walk... DEAD tired and needed a catnap as i was flaking fast. In winter, cold night... curled up on the side of a road. Woke up 45 minutes later and the amount of moisture inside the space blanket was disturbing. They DO NOT breathe....

useless!!

Mate does this need an edit
corvus

What on earth for??

[corvus]

Mate were you really 17 hours into a 7 hour walk

[ILUVSWTAS]

Mate were you really 17 hours into a 7 hour walk

Yep. Left home at 5am. got home at 2am the following day..... Mt Picton. 7 hr walk. Took me just under 7 hrs... got back to find my car had sunk in the mud. It was winter...
Tried to pile sticks and stuff under the wheels for a while, no joy. Decided to walk to Arve road in the hope i'd find a forestry worker... walked 52k's before i found a car. it was a copper who was out looking for me 3 k's out of Geeveston.

It was after that my wife made me buy a PLB......

[ollster]

It was after that my wife made me buy a PLB......

Maybe an AWD/4WD car would be a better investment? Winch?

[ILUVSWTAS]

It was after that my wife made me buy a PLB......

Maybe an AWD/4WD car would be a better investment? Winch?

you calling my wife a winch, oh wait i get ya.... yeh well at $400 the PLB was still the cheaper alternative... I did look into Sat. phones, but they are expensive. I REALLY need a 3G phone now. Given Dan was on the phone inside PV hut, the coverage is now excellent!!

[ollster]

I REALLY need a 3G phone now. Given Dan was on the phone inside PV hut, the coverage is now excellent!!

And this is a... good thing?!

[ILUVSWTAS]

Under the right circumstances absolutely!!

Because we were wasted and trying to find out where Doogs was, maybe not.... but in an emergency, it beats setting off the PLB.

[corvus]

Thanks for the clarification and sometimes even two 4wd vehicles and winches still mean a *&%$#! long walk out as I have experienced
corvus

[tasadam]

Note that the discussion on when is an appropriate time to activate a PLB has been split to its own topic titled When should a PLB be activated? [split]

[pancake]

I agree with corvus on the previous page, sounds like this guy's looking for a lightweight sleep system not an emergency heat reflector? If the wind was flapping it around why not put it cylinder-style between your shirt and jumper?
If you're stuck in cold+rain night with only daypack stuff (in which case your 'kinda ina pickle' anyway) why prioritize taking an emergency blanket over a regular rain jacket in the first place? if that's the case try use it as a hooded 'anorak' style not as a traditional blanket

The space blanket's downfall is that it is very difficult to get it wrapped around a person in a manner that will actually allow the material to do its job of reflecting radiant heat and protecting you from wind and rain. A space bag, however, because you can crawl into it and it completely surrounds you, does these things very well.

how are you going to get a broken-leg or a spinal case into a bag? is it worth analgesics to get the poor bugger out of a bag just for a scat/ambo team to diagnose between a sprained or fracced ankle then get them in again ? emergency blankets can be quickly removed and placed again on someone in a stokes but if in a bag ?

a bit unfair for this guy to be comparing emergency blankets with OR advanced bivi on the same page. different items for different purposes

[skinny1]

was wondering if a space blanket would be any good as a ground sheet? would be travelling very light, very low volume, no tent, sleeping out.

[John Sheridan]

Isn't a real space blanket supposed to be made out of Mylar as that reflects heat the best any material can and it's very thing and light.

Cheers.

[wildwalks]

This is an interesting read in the Space Blanket (the thin disposable ones)
http://www.traditionalmountaineering.org/FAQ_SpaceBlankets.htm

Basically it says they are not great
but suggest using an emergency Bivy instead.
Seems that a few people are using these Emergency Bivies as there only bag on warmer nights, not sure about this, any one used a fancy emergency bivy in anger??
Matt

[north-north-west]

It was after that my wife made me buy a PLB......

Maybe an AWD/4WD car would be a better investment? Winch?

Even 4WDs can get bogged if the hole is deep enough. As I found out a few weeks ago . . .

[DarrenM]

Never used one in anger, but have carried them around for years. The only place I found them to be marginally useful was in a canyon while eating lunch. Had a case of the shivers in an old wetsuit while sitting around so wrapped it around the shoulders and found it slightly warmer provided the air was trapped.

I also did some experimenting recently to find out how much the bivy sack style one condensates in the snow and had no real problem, although there are just too many other factors that can change the outcome. I'll probably continue to carry one until my shipment of cuben fibre arrives.

[Nuts]

Used the blankets (on others) a couple of times, ok but not ideal. Do like the bivy idea (as mentioned) but usually carry one anyway.
I had the obvious thought when I first saw them but these do make sense:

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/290488185138 ... 1423.l2649

[ninjapuppet]

after much thought, Ive ditched the idea of the emergency blanket which Ive carried for over a decade.
Bought myself one of those space bivies but I think I'll be carrying my bothy bag instead. Ive got a 4 man, but will also get a 2 man for solo walks that weighs 260g and packs to the size of a silk liner
http://www.campsaver.com/search/?keywords=bothy

The lightest manufactured bothy in the world is from wildthings made of cuben, but they wanted a good premium for it which I am not prepared to pay. I think terra nova's superlite is a good compromise at $70/125 for the 2/4 man.
With a bothy, getting anther person in can help warm up the injured. I'm not 100% sure on this idea, but I would believe heat from your group in a bothy would warm you up quicker than your own shivering body heat reflected back in a space blanket.

In an emergency, the injured can still lie in down in the 4 man, or still curl up at a pinch in the 2 man if they curl up into the foetal position. The best part is that you can use it for non-emergencies like lunch or to shelter from short hailstorms where no shelter is available.

[tasadam]

Bought myself one of those space bivies but I think I'll be carrying my bothy bag instead. Ive got a 4 man, but will also get a 2 man for solo walks that weighs 260g and packs to the size of a silk liner http://www.campsaver.com/search/?keywords=bothy

Is there a site anywhere with better descriptions and photos of this product?
Interesting.....

[ninjapuppet]

http://www.terra-nova.co.uk/Search_Results/?searchterm=bothy&x=0&y=0

the standard bothies are not that much heavier than the superlite ones, but they are much bulkier. I saw them for sale in the snowy mountains, but I havnt seen anyone in Australia stock the superlight ones.
superlite 4 specs:
Weight 325g
Pack size 24x10cms

superlight 2 specs:
Weight 230g
Pack size 20x10cms

Ive got the superlite 4, and it weighs 319g with the stuff sack, and a fair bit smaller than its stated pack size. i get it down to about the size of a small 500mL nalgene with an extra strap.



For comparisons sake,
heres a video of the superlite 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHmfxOBB3Ug
and a video of the standard 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FpfT3hUovY&feature=related

you can see the standard is bulkier. I shove my bothy into a smaller stuff sack deisgned for my inflatable pillow so i can get it smaller than its stated size.

[corvus]

Love that Emergency Shelter but it is not what we were discussing which is an Emergency Blanket for use in the manner it was intended not as a shelter or alternate sleep system or am I missing the point somewhere
Perhaps a new Emergency Shelter thread should be started
corvus

[DarrenM]

The problem is, unless you test them in a less critical situation, you may find them dangerously lacking when you do need something.....

[Nuts]

new breathable 'space' bivy