I stand by my statement that for a survival situation fleece blankets do not match the level of wool blankets.

I took the question to be regarding stock options for wool blankets verse fleece blankets and windbreaker fleece blankets are not a stock option there a designer. The focus is on blankets and not jackets or other clothing options where fleece has been combined with other technology to create wonderful products.

The vast majority of fleece blankets are flimsy constructs, that while warm in a house or low wind conditions are wasted upon a stiff breeze. Wool can be itchy, smelly and heavy, however it will keep you warmer and more protected than fleece. Wool blankets are also generally larger than fleece blankets that barely cover the toes when thrown over you.

It comes down to application. For a car, inside out of the wind and rain, fleece can work fine. Outside and a fleece blanket may constitute a false sense of security. It only looks like a survival blanket. The cheap $4 blankets have their place, but probably not as a shelter item for the field.

I agree. I've never seen a fleece that will keep you warm when wet, and fleece burn too easy when near a fire. I have 2 king sized heavy fleece blankets on my bed, and several fleece lap blankets for my easy chair (using 1 now) however they are not outside blankets. I do carry 1 in my Yukon to be used in the Yukon if needed as well as several sleeping bags for outside use.

Yep,
I carry a rather nice fleece blanket in the truck with one of those wool Italian Officer blankets. That wool blanket may be scratchy and stiff, but it's all wool.

Good wool blankets are heavy, expensive, and thoroughly wonderful.

But for family kits or car kits, I would probably go with fleece:

- weight: fleece wins hands down; a kit that's too heavy tends to be left at home
- cost: you can afford to double the number of blankets you include (though to compare apples to apples you have to account for size differences)
- disposability: you can afford to lose a fleece blanket to cover, say, an accident victim; and you won't hesistate to cut it up to improvise socks, mitts, toques, etc.
- washability: much easier to wash, bleach, and dry fleece away from home; especially useful when dealing with kids or illness.

The only drawback is size -- cheap fleeces are often short. I often end up using two. An uncle of mine buys better-quality fleece by the yard from a fabric shop. That way you can make the blankets as long as you want.

Not all fleece is created equal. While I am a big fan of wool, including my lucious pendleton wool blankets, I would grab my Rivers West Fleece Artillery blanket for extreme outdoor use before I would grab anything. See for yourself why here:

http://www.riverswest.com/

Windproof, waterproof, light weight, gauranteed, extremely durable. Yes, you can melt a hole in it if you aren't careful. Yes, if you use a knife and try real hard you can cut it or poke a hole in it. I have destroyed wool blankets as well. Their product isn't cheap, but it is the best you will find out there, and the bottom line is it will work under the worst of conditions, as intended. I know, because I've put it through it's paces, and I will still recommend it over any wool blanket out there for extreme use. It does what wool cannot.

That said, if you choose to go with a wool blanket, I would not fault you for your decision. I've used wool blankets many moons before I got my hands on the Rivers West stuff, and it worked fine, as long as I used it within it's limitations. Wet wool will not keep you warm, but it will be better than nothing. There's no such thing as wet Rivers West Fleece, unless you put a hole in it, and even then it won't saturate, only leak a little until you patch it.

I guess it depends on how much reliance you would put in what you intend to stock. If you life depends on it, then the Rivers West Fleece is the best bet. If you can accomodate limitations of use, then go with the wool. If you can afford the cost and the bulk, then get both.

There's fleece, then there's laminated fleece, and Rivers West still has the best stuff out there. While you're at it, you might look at buying a fleece outfit to don in case of having to ambulate under the worst of conditions, etc. If the blanket's a good idea, then pants and a coat made of the same material are going to be even better. I have such a setup that I use for hunting coyotes in January and February up in the Colorado Rockies, with the blanket as a ground cloth in wet snow, and I can't imagine a better setup for beating the cold.

To add more confusion to this topic, I'll throw in a few other options. If I had to choose what to have in a real survival situation, I'd rather have a sleeping bag. Even a cheap $10 sleeping bag is going to be warmer than either option mentioned.

Or, you could do what I did. Buy a few yards of fleece and some silnylon (regular nylon works also) and sew them together. Then you have a very windproof, nearly waterproof blanket. They sell nylon backed fleece blankets for under $20 at walmart, but they're usually pretty thin. With a little time and sewing ability you can make it for about $4, and make it any size and style you want.

I like a more versatile rectangular sleeping bag with zipper.

I keep wool blankets in my car. Wool has kept mankind alive and warm for centuries. Fleece is great in certain applications also and much lighter, but if I had to stake my life on it...wool.

Yes, typical fleece is pretty much useless against the elements, but the new laminated fleeces are arguably an improvement over wool.

Unless you get a sleeping bag with a weatherproof shell, it is about worthless out in the open. Get one wet and see how comfortable it is to snuggle into when ambient temps are low.

I can take my laminated fleece blanket and lay on it on wet ground, wrap it around myself, and I am protected from the wet ground and from the elements above. Water won't seep through the material, and wind won't penetrate, except where it is open. The nap won't compress, so the cold spots are minimal.

Wool is a good alternative, and a decent sleeping bag is excellent when used within it's limitations. Laminated fleece is going to outperform both wool and any sleeping bag under the worst of conditions, unless you augment the wool or the sleeping bag with something more. I carry just one thing, the laminated fleece blanket, and it does what I need it to do. Sewing a nylon backing onto a standard fleece blanket is not going to be anywhere near as effective either.

Anything is better than nothing I suppose. If you want the maximum protection and durability available, you will go with laminated fleece.