Hello all, after spending hours and hours here benefiting from your collective wisdom, I find the need to create a new post.

I am assembling emergency kits for family/friends, and I am putting either a fleece blanket or a wool blanket in the kits. I know that fleece isn't as windproof as wool, but I will include a small tarp and instructions on how to make a good shelter. I'm finding wool blend blankets from $10-$15 and fleece blankets from $4, and I'm thinking I might use fleece to save money.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

I use either depending on application both in blankets and outerwear. I do believe wool is worth the extra bucks, particularly in applications that involve open flame or cold & damp. Wool won't ignite or melt like poly, and it continues to provide insulation when wet.

Ditto. Bought a couple of the surplus wool Italian Officers blankets that were available a couple years ago. Found out why they all appeared unused. Not even in the same class as a Pendleton.

I would say yes, if you can manage the weight and bulk with the rest of your kit.

Wool works better when wet, doesn't absorb as much water, and doesn't melt.

Wool will not melt near a fire.If there are plans for fire in the kit...go with wool.

I would get both. But, if you have to select one, go with wool.

Also, I found a good trick to make wool blankets more usable.
Wash it using a full bottle of hair conditioner. It makes the blanket softer. You will need to let it air dry so it doesn't shrink.

I have tried this trick with surplus wool Italian Officers blankets with success.

The answer is, it depends on the application. I've become a big fan of merino wool and wool clothes, but it's not a one size fits all applications. There are advantages and disadvantages.

In this case, I think I'm probably gonna have to disagree and say go for the fleece for a couple of reasons. One, the wool blend blankets you find for $15 probably aren't very good quality, and are most likely blended with low quality synthetics, so any advantage wool would have had is probably gone. Second, wool is heavy, and the cheap blankets are scratchy, so they're not very comfortable. A lot of people just don't like the feel of wool, whereas most people like the softness of fleece. If you're giving them to friends and family, they probably won't be able to appreciate the difference between a wool blanket or fleece anyway, all they're going to know is that one is nice and soft, and the other is scratchy and uncomfortable (plus they smell funny sometimes).

Also, while wool might be warm when wet, it can take days to dry out on it's own. Wool will actually absorb up to 30% of it's weight in water before it feels damp, so that could be good or bad depdending on how you look at it. A fleece blanket doesn't absorb the moisture, you can wring out almost all the water and the rest will dry from body heat. Actually, it's kinda funny when people mention the fact that synthetics or wool being warm when wet. Don't be misled into thinking they're very comfortable when wet. It's still miserable to be wearing wet clothes, you just won't die as quickly.

One advantage of wool that's been mentioned is that it doesn't melt. So if there's a chance that you'll be using it near fire, then that's something you'll have to consider.

The biggest flaw for me in an outdoor situation with Fleece is that while it is soft, light weight and keeps you warm, its also doesn't block the wind at all. I might be warmer than not having it but the wind chill is not abated.

Wool blankets have their +/- but is superior in very way for survival verse fleece the common fleece blanket.

Superior in every way is a pretty bold statment.

It depends on the type of fleece, and the type of wool. The new windblocker fleeces have a laminate layer that blocks wind. And some wool weaves don't block wind at all. Either way, it would be better to use a shell with either choice and use the blankets for insulation. The OP did mention he'd be including tarps as wind protection.

+1 ducktapeguy

I have a nostalgic feeling for wool but my comments below won't seem like it. But even good quality wool has its limitations. That said, good quality fleece (like a polarplus 300 or synchilla, or similar can not be had for $4 a blanket. Anyway, both are bulky and the weight of wool is a minus. The weight of wet wool is a bigger minus. Good quality fleece is bulky, but the weight is nothing like wool...ESPECIALLY after a soaking. You're right...wet wool is miserable. Wet fleece can be dried quickly by wringing out, spinning out excess water over the head, and further dried quickly by other means...even body heat. Though I do differ slightly...wet fleece...even when you don't dry it thoroughly is not nearly as miserable as wet wool.

I do have a fondness for wool though. I just can't shake it. Go figure.

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.

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

Pete,

First - I don't really like wearing hats, but I recognize the necessity of having a hat to wear both at work or because of the weather.

The only hats that I carry around are:

Ball caps or hats with attached (chin) strap that I can hang onto a Lanyard Clip that is on my belt.

Touques or Berets that I can tuck under my belt or roll up and put under the epaulets that are on a shirt or jacket.

That's the closest I have come to a solution that will keep me from losing hats.

Alligator clips, like our mothers used to fasten our mittens to us?

Yep, time for the idiot mittens. I used to use them so I could just let them hang around my neck when in the lodge between ski runs.

When I am wearing a jacket, I usually roll up the hat and put it in the sleeve figuring, I would have to remember I had a hat when I put my arm in the sleeve and encountered the hat . However, I have been known to put on my jacket, miss the hat and sometime latter say to myself “I know I had a hat, what did I do with it?” .

Pete

Perhaps 'Polartec Powershield with high loft', soft shell fabric would make a better blanket material than the Gore Windstopper. The Poweshield fabric seems to be regarded as being more comfortable and durable with a high insulation factor than the Gore Windstopper fabric.

A 2 metre by 1.5 metre blanket made from 'Powershield High Loft' would weigh around 1kg


The Artillery blanket fleece material seems very interesting as I have not come across a true waterproof fleece which is as waterproof to the same extent as say Goretex.

The Polartec Powershield Fabric appears to be available in Canada,

http://www.justmakeit.com/fabrics/fleece/index.html

All these new textiles have me discussing with my seamstress, er, spouse about some new ideas. Trouble there...

Yes, I will positively confirm that my artillery blanket will not allow water to soak through the fabric so long as I put no holes in it. The lamination is a 100% water barrier. You have to physically damage it to make it leak, and since the weave is naturally hydrophillic, moisture deposited on the surface tends to stay at the surface, unless it is hydraulically forced into the weave, and even then it will want to migrate back to the surface once the pressure is removed.

Benjammin, I went to the website to look at the artillery blanket. At roughly 6 1/2 feet x 4 3/4 feet, how heavy is it? Not looking for something UL, but does it weigh 2 pounds or 4 pounds?

Maybe you could stand on a scale with and without it or you might even have a fish scale or food scale you could use.

Thanks for taking the time to investigate this. At $80, if it does what you say it does, it would be worth 2x the cost of a 'improved' woobie.

Benjamin is doing a GREAT job answering questions - you sure you're not a spokesman?

I almost pulled the trigger on a discounted blanket, but the 48x60 size stopped me - too small to wrap around myself comfortably.

I'll be interested if the others of you that are buying second Benjamin's observations. I might have to get an Arty blanket then.

Thanks for answering so quickly.

To kinda second Benjamin,
If this is the same fleece / laminate combo that I talked about in the "quiet clothes, tents and tarps" thread it is amazing. If rain won't penetrate my light jacket while riding at highway speed on my motorcycle, it isn't going thru during a night sleeping in the rain.

If I were going to a wet environment I would carry fleece. If it were dry, and I didn't mind the weight, wool. Wool is much more durable and versatile, just heavier and it takes longer to dry; however it will still keep you warm when wet.

Are you more worried about weight or durability?

What I did for my car kit is take a thick wool blanket and use it with a homemade Tyvek sleeping bag. The Tyvek bag is very small,light and cheap to build. And even though it isn't exactly bulletproof, it does hold up quite well.

Polyester fleece can melt and burn. Given their insulation value it is no wonder people have been known to back up to a fire and catch themselves on fire while being completely unaware of the problem. There is supposed to be a Nomex fleece available that doesn't. Wool chars but won't melt.

On the other hand polyester won't rot or get eaten by moths. If you are storing blankets long term in less than ideal conditions, like perhaps in an underground cache, especially in buggy Florida, there is a good chance your wool blankets end up with holes. Lost my favorite OD green Marine 'Wooli-pulli' to moths even though it was supposedly moth proof. Put it into a drawer in January and it was fine. Come next December it was shot.

Most poly blankets let the wind blow through. The average wool blanket is tighter. But the more expensive tighter woven poly fleece is almost as tight as your average wool and poly with a laminated wind barrier blocks wind better than any wool blanket.

Wool maintains some insulation value when wet but so does poly fleece. Wool holds about 30% of its weight in water and sometimes more. Even at the minimum value it takes a long time to dry. Poly, wrung dry and shook, holds less then 10% water and dries swiftly worn wet.

Wool tends to be expensive for quality but ex-military blankets of good quality can be pretty cheap. Fleece is cheap, used to be cheap fleece was pretty miserable stuff and quality was more expensive than wool, but prices have dropped. Now good quality fleece, tight, dense, high loft stuff that doesn't pill, is cheaper than even cheap wool. Laminated fleece are still pricey but but they should be coming down as they gain popularity.

Also wool is heavy, when it gets wet it is heavier still. Poly is relatively light and after you wring it out it stays light. Don't wring that wool or it will get pulled out of shape. I have a trapezoid shaped blanket at home because it wasn't laid out properly when it was drying.

Wool combines many rolls. Tightly woven it will shed a good amount of rain. Tight and dense it blocks wind pretty well. And, of course, it is pretty good insulation.

Poly fleece doesn't shed rain unless it is treated with a water repellent. Treated with a DWR it sheds rain well and it will even after a few washes. The looser weaves don't stop the wind. This can be an advantage.

Personally I have both wool blankets and poly blankets. Forced to pick only one I would go with the wool. But usually I pick fleece and include a lightweight nylon tarp that is a little bigger than the blanket because it gives me a lot of options. In moderate cold the fleece alone is great. Add rain and the tarp becomes a rain shelter and, perhaps, a ground cloth. In wind the tarp gets lowered on one edge and becomes a lean-to. Colder and windier I tighten up the tarp. If it gets warmer and it rains, like it does down here, the tarp works alone. If it gets a lot hotter the tarp keeps the sun off.

The kicker is that the fleece blanket, light nylon tarp, a few lengths of light line and a few stakes weigh less and are less bulky than the wool blanket. And even after being stored for a few years I can expect it to come out of storage without holes.

You mean Nomex Fleece like this?

I have a few pieces of Massif fleece and some of their long u/w too. Good stuff, pricey but good.

From my scale measurement, I put my arty blanket at a little over 3 lbs. at 78" x 57", it is about 2/3 the weight of my pendleton blanket, which is thicker but less area.

The wife has my first blanket, which is 48" x 60". It fits her as well as my arty blanket fits me.

No, I am not a spokesman, nor do I have any interest in the company. When I find something that satisfies my desire as well as this does, I will advocate it. I feel the same way about my Leatherman Wave, or my Busse Knives, or my cast iron cookware, or my Montana canvas wall tent, or any of my Browning A-Bolt stainless stalker rifles. With all such things, I feel I am getting at least what I am paying for, and maybe a bit more. Sometimes a good deal isn't just about spending the least.

I still love wool. My favorite clothing items have been wool, though there are synthetics/blends that get real close to the top of my list too.

Before I found this laminated fleece, I would carry wool blankets. Standard fleece is not what I would consider good for survival gear, unless it is combined with other foul weather gear. Laminated fleece is just such a different beast, once I found it, I just had to make it my go-to choice.

Slightly obese custom home builder drives up and hijacks another thread. . .

I have noticed several mentions of using TyVek to construct different items. I am sure some have seen that DuPont released a new version called Thermal Wrap. It is reflective silver on one side and has a tested R2 insulating value. It might behoove one to switch to this product for future use.

It works, but is somewhat more expensive.

Yea, that's the stuff Desperado.

Nomex fleece could be important if your exposed to fire, high-heat or arc-flash. I wonder how it compares in feel and warmth to poly fleece.

A good polyester fleece pullover goes for less than $20. A similar one from that supplier in Nomex goes for $139. Interesting is that poly fleece was going for around that fifteen or twenty years ago.

Art,
The Firelite Pullover is comparable to a fleece sweater, loose fitting, comfortable. The Flamestretch pullover is body hugging, didn't want that for my app.

Do these products have the Nomex itch? It wasn't like wool, just funky feeling?

"Nomex itch?" That I can't say. It feels fine to me. The long underwear "Hotjohns", feels like poly, no itch at all, wear it all day.

Thanks Benjammin. 3 lbs. isn't crazy weight for back up stuff.

Well, it's a bit of a guesstimate, at that end of the scale, the accuracy probably ain't too reliable.

Well, maybe itch isn't the right word. They just never felt right.

"...maybe itch isn't the right word..."

How 'bout scratchy???

Wool is nice, but fleece is cheaper, lighter. I have several of them in my car, and if I happen to take one or two out of their package to keep someone warm (an accident victim or whatever), I won't care as much.

I love my merino wool baselayers but for blankets, I prefer fleece.

Naw, kinda like a cheap uniform shirt without a t-shirt. Hard to describe, but with the old Nomex L/S shirts we had for climbing poles in the old job, they just never felt good in the summer. With all the advances in textile technology, the problem is surely gone. Don't think I have to worry too much though, that crap is expensive, and I don't plan on going into any burning buildings or working high voltage.

I watched the national news this morning regarding the massive water pipe break in Maryland. Luckily no one was seriously hurt but what immediately came to mind was this exact thread and thinking, "Wool or fleece, as long as I had something in my car to use until help arrived is better than nothing in those conditions."

I appreciate all the feedback this thread has had. Getting everyone's two cents certainly makes me a richer man.

In this case, I do not believe ether (wool or fleece blanket) by itself would have made much difference. Getting the people out of the wet clothing and into a warm ambulance was really the only way to prevent severe hypothermia. Blankets, whether wool or fleece will not be very effective, if the body is not producing heat and if the wet clothing is not removed quickly.

If, you are unable to remove the wet clothing and dry a person off, it is best to place a couple of hand warmers with the patient, wrap in a blanket (wool or fleece) and then wrap the person in a vapor barrier (plastic tarp, survival blanket, heat wrap, etc.). You will not be actively rewarming the patient, but will prevent further heat loss.

Pete

Very true. While it's fun to discuss the merits and theoretical advanages of different pieces of gear and everyone gets to share their opinion, in the big picture it's not really that critical. Wool vs. fleece, down vs. synthetic, S30V vs D2 blade steel, etc., that's all just minutiae. As long as you have anything, you're 100x better off than the person who has nothing. Nobody is going to refuse a blanket if they're cold, even if it's just a cheap airline blanket. What's important to remember is that the equipment itself isn't really that important, having it with you when you need it is what makes the difference.

"In this case, I do not believe ether (wool or fleece blanket) by itself would have made much difference. Getting the people out of the wet clothing and into a warm ambulance was really the only way to prevent severe hypothermia. Blankets, whether wool or fleece will not be very effective, if the body is not producing heat and if the wet clothing is not removed quickly."

A bit OT but lacking any other options there is another alternative:

We have had good results warming people by assembling what amounts to a one person heated environment. One way is to get the person out of the majority of their wet clothing. Getting them into a poncho, with a liner if available. They sit on a sleeping pad cross legged or with knees pulled up with the poncho forming a tent around them. A candle, small oil lamp or carbide headlamp is placed between their legs so the knees, and hands if needed, keeps the poncho away from the flame.

The result is that the small flame rapidly warms the enclosed area and this warms the person even if they aren't producing much heat. In a few minutes the interior of the one-man environment is pushing 80F and warming proceeds rapidly.

I have used a similar method in wet caves. We would carry large garbage bags that formed the enclosure once a hole is cut for the head. When the symptoms of hypothermia became apparent we would all get into our bags and use our carbide headlamps for heat.

I agree, the method you describe works well and for a wilderness or rural settings where a heated cab or ambulance may be some distance or time away, may be the method of choice. In this case, it was an urban setting with heated vehicle resources close at hand.

Pete

Yep, a man's gotta know his limitations, and also that of his gear. Waterproof fleece or a wool blanket ain't gonna do a thing for you if you are immersed in water with ice floating in it. Once you go hypothermic, it will take a dramatic effect to turn your condition around, and not even a darned good sleeping bag will be enough. You're gonna need an external heat source in order to recover.

In my experience, fleece is more durable andlong lasting. Moths have not yet learned to consume fleece, but they do nibble away at my wool garments. My subjective opinion is that fleece dries more quickly when wet, and hence is somewhat warmer, but wool does quite well in this regard.

I have two fleece sweaters that are more than thirty years old. One, aged 38, is definitely worn, while the other remains in top shape (It did spend a season on Denali, but isn't used extensively in southern California). My wool items have lasted only about fifteen years or so.

Either fabric is a good cold weather choice and both are available in different weights. Quality of design and manufacture is more significant than the choice of either fabric. Some items are garbage and some are excellent

Good grief! This thread is ten years old...

For daily use at home, on a bed, I would favour wool blankets over any synthetic material. Warm, comfortable, not flammable.
Except for young children bed blankets need to be a generous size. As a minimum a full UK single size of 70 inches wide by 90 inches long. Bigger is better.
Synthetic bed blankets are IME less warm and are also uncomfortable as they trap moisture and produce an unpleasant sweaty or clammy feeling.
The best but still reasonably affordable wool bed blankets are made from 100% NEW wool and contain no recycled material.

For camping or outdoor activities, I would also favour wool for the same reasons as above, with the inherent fire resistance being of importance near camp fires.
Rough or outdoor use increases the chance of loss or damage and I would therefore favour the cheaper military type of wool blanket, these are often a bit smaller which keeps the cost down and reduces weight and bulk.

For blankets kept in a vehicle for emergencies any type will do, Comfort is secondary for short term emergency use.
Options include the very cheap part wool blankets made from recycled materials, as distributed by charities in disaster zones. Alternatively the cheap synthetic fleece blankets that are sold everywhere at low prices.
Or second-hand wool bed blankets as may be purchased very cheaply from charity shops.

You guys know that you are responding to a 10 year old tread that has been spammed by a person who only signed up today right?

I have reported the spammer to the MOD's..

Granted the thread has a long gray beard, what qualifies it as spam?

I am sorry to say that I did not notice the date.
Still, no harm done, the points raised are still relevant.

I like fleece; cheaper and much lighter. You can also get 'windproof" which is a tighter weave.

Good job, CM!
-Blast, retired but occasionally still riding by.

Hats off to you, Blast!!

Thanks! We'd sure be happy to see more of you.

Just be sure you are getting 'wool'. A few years ago they gave us 'wool' blankets to use on the bus. The tag read and I quote, "Man made material of unknown origin." They also disintegrated upon washing..... make sure it is REAL wool.

Again, this a 10 year old thread, only brought back from the dead by a spammer. I think by now the OP has decided on what to purchase.

I agree that the O/P has probably decided what to purchase by now ! No harm IMHO in continuing to discuss the relative merits of wool and synthetic fleece blankets as this is a subject of ongoing relevance.

And anyway, the O/P might need a replacement by now !

The OP has not posted in 4 years, maybe he has moved on - or worse?

Revival of old threads can be good, but when most of the members who originally posted, are no longer active, it does not make sense conversation wise. I liken it to attempting to sit around and share an old story with friends and family who are now longer around for a number of reasons.

I moderate on another forum where threads are auto locked after 6 months of inactivity for these very reasons - and help keep the spammers from reviving them. New threads usually mean more up to date info - and more participation.

I like old threads, and I am often amused to read back when someone revives them. The information around here hardly goes stale.

OTOH, I don't like loading more work on our fine volunteer Moderators. Maybe the threads don't need to be locked from commenting, but instead all new links could be auto-nuked after a predetermined period? Might deter the spammers? Just a thought.

And I still think fleece is a better choice than wool. Like I said before ...