Hi,

Does anyone know if folding the silver emergency blankets makes them less useful, or more prone to tearing?

See the picture for what I mean.

Thanks for any input.

They should be fine as long as they are realitivly new... but yes, after a while they will be suspetable to tearing, well actually shreading. Unless, you have a new AMK Heatsheet... they are awesome, you can actually rip them and tie them in a knot without them tearing... much better than mylar sheets.

Aren't they folded to begin with? I don't think folding them over one more time will make a difference.

How do they fold them so flat? I tried it, became almost two times as large.

This is going to sound silly, but I had the same thing happen to me so I did a few tests. I had ordered a couple of cases of similar space blankets to put into PSKs to give as gifts to friends and family members and had a number left over to mess around with.

Anyway...

I would open up the original pack, unfolded the blanket, refolded it, and found out that on most occasions the final size was about twice the thickness that it had been...

NOTE. I must admit that I didn't try to hit the original factory fold lines that were crinkled into the blankets, but rather folded the blanket in half so that the opposing corners met, and continued in the same manner until I had a size that appeared to be close to that of the blanket in an unopened package.

After a bit of thought, and a few tests to test the theory, here's what I came up with. (I could be wrong though... I'm no physicist <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> ):

I don't know if the company that produced these worked out the optimal number of times to fold a emergency blanket to get an acceptable size by trial and error and set their machines at that number, or whether there's a formula (there probably is), but either way, if you fold your emergency blanket one more time than they did originally... Blam, twice the final thickness. In some instances it may actually seem that the blanket is both the same length and width, but due to irregular fold sizes, it may zigzag to be near the same dimensions in those two dimensions... Or it could even be larger.

Also, If you unfold one, and find that there is no center fold, but rather two folds, one that falls on either side of the center, they didn't fold the emergency blankets in the "Half by half, by half" method.

In any case, had I been in a survival situation, it would have been nutz trying to get any kind of accurate folds. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Finally, it looked as if every one of these survival blankets were near the same size before the package was opened, so it's obvious that the folding isn't willy-nilly. LOL

And remember, I'm no physicist, Mathematician, scientist or anything, so I could have screwed up these tests completely and some how come up with similar results in most of the cases. HAHAHA

I agree. The Adventure Medical Heat Sheets are awesome.

The Heat Sheets make a very durable emergency shelter as well as something to wrap yourself up in to keep heat close to your body.

Make a Heat Sheet shelter, one with the typical type of Emergency Blanket, throw sticks and rocks at both, and see what happens. LOL

I really need to get a new digital camera so I can post pics of some of the ridiculous things I do to test some things.

A few days ago I was complaining about the lack of extra time I have in my life, but then I think about some of the things that I do like this, and I get the idea I fill up a lot of my life with goofy experiments...

Someday I should tell you good people about the time I knocked myself out with a sledgehammer testing some nutty theory... HAHAHA

Is what you call "heat sheet" the Survival Emergency Blanket
by Adventure Medical Kits, found on Aeromedix web site ??

Is that the same product Doug spoke about, a few months ago (I'm unable to find that thread again...!! ... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> ) ???

Yes it is the same product, and it is the product that Doug spoke of earlier in the year. It is a great product that is lightyears ahead of the old mylar balnkets.

Thanks !
I guess I will give them a try, as I will anyway have to order from Aeromedix : a new mini-RSK (lost mine last week ... drop out of my pant's back pocket or got stolen while I was in the subway ... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> )

The manufactures do not to a halfsies fold. I have seen 2 different methods in use.

One is the accordian fold. When partially seperated the end view is like a series of connected Ws. Each fold is the finished size of usually the width. Then when finished the length is folded the same way.

The second and most common is the roll fold. A slightly smaller than the finished size is selected. Then the amount of the blanket is rolled similar to a flat duct tape packet. The end size for the width is the accumulation of the thicknesses added in the rolls. Then the length is flat rolled to tthe finished size.

The rolled is the most common because it is less complicated therefore easier for the machine to accomplish. No complicated math formula. As mentioned in the following tip if you are careful and fold along the original creases it can go back to the original size. The major problem is that it is very tedious to do. But if you rush to get it over and done with you end up with a lumpy over sized package.

Emergency Space Blanket Tip

Anyone that has ever opened one of those cigarette pack sized emergency space blankets knows that it can be a real pain. The static cling and thee smooth surfaces causes them to stick together. Making it difficult to open up. Have you ever wondered how with stiff and cold fingers you could ever open it in a true emergency without tearing it to shreds?

Well the answer is a little careful preparation beforehand.

The best way is to take it outside on a calm day. Because this is a little messy so you might not want to do it in your living room. First carefully and calmly unpack and open the blanket. Give it a Very light dusting with either corn starch or baby powder. Then with care refold it back into its original configuration. Yes if you take your time it can be repacked just as small as the original package. Then it can be replaced in its carrying container for storage. It just takes some time and attention to detail.

The end result is the powder acts as a lubricant allowing it to be deployed much easier when it is needed.

Why the manufacturing companies don?t do this when packing them in the first place mystifies me. I can only suspect that them would rather save a couple of pennies than improve their product.

As for the heat sheet I don't see why this trick would not for it also. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />