They are not meant to insulate, but to block wind and water. They can raise the temperature around your body a few degrees, which is enough to survive in some cases. I actually like the combination of a wool blanket with the space blanket outside of that. It is very warm, and it let me sleep in temperatures around 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Not as good as a down sleeping bag, but better than shivering to death all night. Laying on a good bed of pine straw, it was surprisingly warm.

> They can raise the temperature around your body a few degrees, which
> is enough to survive in some cases.

Yes, a space blanket meant the difference between us camping only one night or the whole weekend, one Thanksgiving in Death Valley. They have their place.

I've used the mylar sheets with a blanket (on top) and it did help, but the NOISE kept me awake.

I've not tested it, but I carry them in the car. Since they do reflect heat, I'm thinking they would help contain body heat if a person(s) had to spend time in their car in the cold. Roll the edge in the top of the windows, and tape them in place with duct tape.

Has anyone ever done this?

Sue

While I carry a AMK Heatsheet or Bivy in my pocket, I really don't have much confidence in either. Always in my pack and both of my dogs packs are the Sportsman's Blankets, they are tough and they work and cost around $13. For years I've used them silver side out in the warm weather at dog events to cover crates and keep the dogs cool. They last for years and are well worth the money. The only downside is they aren't pocket able.

The Sportsman Blankets seems to be identical to the Trekmates Thermo Blanket, which I found at a discount store along with some luminous nylon rope for about $13 the other day. I also picked up a discounted Trekmates Travel Towel (useful for cold conditions to wring out wet clothing), stainless steel hip flask and Trekmates Mosquito net (another important consideration for a survival kit, which is not often mentioned)

This is a much more heavy duty and robust solution to the Mylar space blanket or a AMK Heatsheet blanket. It could be a very flexible bit of kit, i.e. a groundsheet, a fire reflector lean-to Tarp shelter, a RADAR reflector, a marker panel, a tent groundsheet protector and a solar shade reflector. The additional weight (360 grams) and bulk seems to be well worth it and the 4 corner grommets allow easy and flexible staking out with the comfort of knowing that the shelter application isn't going to fall apart during the night due to stormy windy conditions.

Pricing is very good as well considering the benefits.

I've had those Sportsmans Blankets but the deal breaker for me is, as rebwa notes above, they're not really pocketable. The AMK Heatsheet, which is pocketable, looks durable enough for my needs though.

I'd sure like to see AMK come up with some sort of pocket case like Doug's kit, the pocket medic and the wound closure kit for the heatsheets. I actually carry mine almost all the time and a case would be nice to better protect them as they are fragile. They're pretty cheap to replace but I wonder how many actually take the time to inspect them and replace every so often.

I've tested the AMK bivy units a couple times in spring/fall conditions, and have been pretty comfortable. The only problem I've really had has been with condensation, which is why I think it's not just the bivy, but, making sure you have appropriate layering on anytime you're out there.

Here's one of my campsites using the bivy, and poncho, and a contractor bag as a ground cloth under the AMK bivy:

I used an AMK Mylar Foil Blanket as a shelter during a practice exercise last winter. It reflected the heat of the campfire well and was much tougher than I expected.
A write-up and pictures can be found in this post.

I have some better AMK Blanket pictures somewhere, I will try to find them to post.

Mike

If you will take the trouble to buy two of the "heavy duty" types, with the gunny sack material glued on the back of the mylar, lay down on them and cut out a 'mummy" configuration, glue and sew 3/4" wide velcro all the way around, use a silk bag liner, wear Goretex cammies (or wool OD greens) and Thermax Expedition wt long johns, you can sleep in this bag just fine, at 20+ degrees F, inside of a 2 poncho "tent", suspended between 2 trees, in a hammock that is similarly suspended. The Mylar tears are easily taped, and it doesnt get soaked, or lose its stuffing, and there's no zippers to get jammed or break.