Methinks that Benjammin loves his laminated fleece!

Some questions, can the lamination seperate from the fleece? Can it be washed?

It does sound like some good stuff...

So Benjamin, I was looking at that artillery blanket...
Not super impressed by the website, so I have some questions!

Kinda pricey, but are the claims on the site true? Waterproof? I'm talking waterproof similar to a plastic tarp.

Really that tough? If I'm dropping that money, I want something that'll last longer than, say, 1 night in the field by itself.

Big enough for a regular sized adult? What about 2 people?

How thick is the fleece? Is this similar to the Polartec 100, 200, or 300? Is it the "standard" fleece, or the "monkey hair" kind of fleece?

Yes, perhaps they could do more with the website than what they have.

Yes, it is as waterproof as a plastic tarp. I've seen it demoed where it is hung by the corners and a gallon of water is poured into the middle and absolutely no water penetrates to the bottom all day long. In my own experience, the only time the inside got wet was due to me perspiring on it or me letting water come in around the edge. Even then, the fabric did not soak (well it did just a bit where I had the blanket compressed up under my arms and my pits sweated into the fabric under tight contact, but I would say moist, not soaked).

You cannot push a blunt tip through it using body strength/weight. You cannot rip it with your bare hands. You can cut a hole in it with a knife, but if you snag on barbed wire, it won't tear, but the puncture may stretch a tad. Laying on top of it on top of a bed of gravel, it showed no signs of abrasion. I could damage a army surplus wool blanket easier than I could my artillery blanket using the same effort.

I am 6'5" tall and weigh 265-270. The artillery blanket is big enough to wrap around me 1 1/2 times from just past my toes to over my shoulders and up to my chin. I've thrown it around me and the wife more than once, and while it won't wrap us quite as snug as by myself, I can get the sides to touch around us. Draped over us in bed, it is wide enough to cover us both if we snuggle.

I've had it as a shooting pad in the prone position at the range for an all day shoot, which meant laying on it, squirming around, standing and walking on it, having cases and guns and gear strewn upon it. It will melt if the brass gets too hot to handle or you spill solvent or some such on it, so I exercised a modicum of care in that regard, but when I took it home and washed it, it looked as good as new. I've washed one of the blankets at least a hundred times in a washing machine that likes to eat terry cloth towels, and no problems, it will not delaminate under any condition I've exposed it to as yet.

Surprisingly, it is not as thick as you would think. It feels denser than the typical fleece material, because the laminate adds a bit to the resilience. It behaves more like supple leather in that regard, and wearing clothing made out of it is like wearing supple leather as well, except that it has a knap that you can feel. It absolutely will not pil, or get those little balls on it. If you were to run your hand over it, you might think it feels almost like mohair, almost. It is somewhere in between standard fleece and monkey hair, in that the knap is not as crushable as monkey hair is, and it shows more of a woven style than monkey hair, but does have a bias to it of sorts. Comfort wise I put it right up there with Polartec 300.

Back when I was first trying to decide on whether to make such an investment (I was a skeptic as well), I asked for a sample of the material. They sent me a swatch, and it didn't take me long afterwards to make my decision. Maybe if you contact them they will send you a sample as well.

Yes, it is spendy. You do get a one year damage warranty, which seems fairly substantial for something made out of fleece material. I've owned products from them for 5 years now, and none of it has failed or been damaged in any way, even the wear I've put on them is nearly unnoticable.

If you don't want to throw down too much up front, get one of their discontinued bucket hats for $10. For that price, if you don't like what you get, I'll buy it off you.

Thanks for the great review... Very tempty to add one to my camping supplies.

If your handy with a sewing machine and a pair of scissors you could make your own custom blacket by just purchasing the material directly;

http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Hardwa...opper-Real-Teal


Or by using a pattern make your own 'bod-i-bag'

http://www.bodibag.com/diy.php

using the Gore Windstopper material.

Not quite the same sort of fleece material setup, but very interesting. I may buy a swatch and see what it actually looks like.

Okay you twisted my arm (well it didn't take much, in fact none at all ) and purchased a couple of the discontinued H2P blankets and a hat.

Pete

Let me know how it goes. If you really dont' find them to your liking, my offer stands. Blankets are one size fits all, and the hat I am sure will fit at least one head in our household. Clothing would be another issue.

YoDuh, it ain't even friday yet! Must be them oats again, eh?

The hat will most likely go the way of many of my other hats; left somewhere. I get a hat just right and then end leaving it at some restaurant, no matter hard I try; sooner or later it’s gone . Getting old or something, I forget what though, it will come to me, I think .

If someone wants to follow me around, sooner or later you will likely get lots of good stuff .

Pete