I noticed inflatable vests at REI advertized for emergency cold situations. They seem meant for short-term use only.

Better than nothing I suppose, and they are certainly compact. I am not sure but with a little modification they might double as a safety orange vest for hunting areas, and a safety vest to wear when dealing with roadway situations.

What so you think this technology is worth?

Do you have any link to this product? I couldn't find it at Rei...

Hypothesing wildly, I would think such a vest has certain benefits and drawbacks. The chief drawback is that anything inflatable will be air tight, i.e. a vapor barrier. Moisture from your sweat will be trapped underneath. Trapping moisture will result in condense at some point. This may be a slight nuisance, no problem or a big challenge, depending on circumstances and what else you're wearing.


The benefit would be obvious: A (supposedly) very compact, lightweight and warm west. The only competing technology would be down, but quality down is ridiculous expensive and don't work at all when wet.


As for the benefits of a west - to really protect your core you need to cover your head area as well. Since the west doesn't do it your clothing must do it. A hooded version would be more demanding to make, harder to use without rupture, cost more money and be heavier - and would be MUCH warmer.


I'd like to see when someone makes a super compact and lightweight inflatable emergency shelter... something like AMK bivy bag, but insulated. These guys may or may not be close, I don't know anything about their product except their web site:
Blizzard survival bag

Be Prepared also offers a Aerovest by SolaTec. Link also has their review on it.

Fill it with Argon.

Argon would displace Hot Air, the original filling. I am skeptical - the claims for this vest are likely to be grossly inflated, as it were.

I'll stick to down for really cold, dry conditions, and fleece and wool for wetter and more moderate situatiosn.

A thousand years ago when I was a little kid my Dad gave me an orange inflatable hood which was a survival item from Navy pilot's ejection seat kits.

Of course I tried it and yes indeed it made my head warm!

Inflatable insulation is a simple, functional, idea though it wouldn't be real durable and probably loses some efficiency due to air circulation within the chambers. Then again, it doesn't lose loft when wet.

I've used a partially inflated Thermarest lite seat mat as a chest protector inside a wind proof jacket in very cold windy environments and it works well when just standing around in the cold wind. If I was needing to sit down, I just inflate the lite seat a bit more then sit on it. Much more comfortable than sitting on wet grass, snow, cold rocks etc for a quick brew up. If was to begin hiking again I would just deflate it, roll it up and put it my jacket pocket. Taking of a Goretex jacket to put on a thermal jacket then putting back on the Goretex jacket can sometime be a pain in the neck especially if your brew stop lasts only 10-15 minutes.

The Thermarest lite seat is a great all round flexible bit of kit. Basically if you are having to rely on a SolaTec Aerovest for survival rather than already specifying good insulated clothing then basically you haven't prepared well enough for the weather conditions expected. A lightweight down or primaloft jacket would be much more preferable to the Aerovest.

http://www.sltrib.com/features/ci_13009009?source=rss

better than down?

Berghaus does a small range of Lithium Ion rechargeable power electrically heated jackets and gloves.

http://www.exo2.co.uk/berghaus_products.html#softcell

Combine it with a portable solar panel such as a Sunlinq 25+ Watt folding panel then solar radiation energy collected during the day could be stored and then used during the cold night time hours.

Now if they had a sleeping bag liner, which could measure the internal temperature of the bag and activate the heater pad automatically to regulate the temperature to stop that 4am waking up in the middle of the night cold effect...

Apparently REI online is out of this product; I saw a couple on the shelf at the local outlet.

http://www.rei.com/product/769403