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#165321 - 01/27/09 07:37 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: ]
bigreddog Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 07/02/06
Posts: 253
Originally Posted By: Sherpadog
Although I carry a space blanket, it is only a very small part of the equation in staying warm on cold wet nights.

Space blankets are "maligned" for this very reason as people have carried them for years and wonder why these blankets offer very little warmth when needed. If you are wearing cold wet clothes, the little heat that your body is giving off is not enough to dry nor warm these clothes....this also does not factor in ambient temperature, wind and humidity. Wrapping yourself in a space blanket may help somewhat but it is no substitute for proper preparation of shelter.



True. Not my first choice but so small and light and cheap there is no excuse not to have at least that. In addition, it is a great way to add a rainproof layer to a shelter - and when cold tired injured and lost, with the light failing, it can make a difference, when the tarp is still in your daypack you left behind, and constructing a lean to is just beyond your abilities at that point.

It's not all you need - but it's the least you should have, andit can sit alongside your PSK and pocketknife so it is always with you.

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#165326 - 01/27/09 07:53 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: bigreddog]
Glock-A-Roo Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 04/16/03
Posts: 1076
Originally Posted By: bigreddog
It's not all you need - but it's the least you should have


That is a good standalone phrase right there.

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#165337 - 01/27/09 08:29 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: Glock-A-Roo]
scafool Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 12/18/08
Posts: 1534
Loc: Muskoka
My problem with space blankys is that you can't keep the separation from your clothing large enough to let them work as a heat reflector.When they are tight to you all they really are doing is either keeping rain off you or breaking the wind.
They have no value as insulation for heat loss by conduction instead of radiation.
They are not really big enough to be an effective tarp either.
(the original ones with the ripstop fabric and grommets were a bit better, but not enough to matter.

In return for that they trap condensation from your perspiration and make your clothes damp if they are not wet already.

Large (yard size?)heavy duty garbage bags will do all of that for me and much more cheaply.
Orange trash bags make pretty good flags too, and might increase the odds of me getting found if there is anybody looking for me.

Trash bags are also just strong enough to use for other things too like tarp, water carrier....etc

Where a space blanket does work is hanging it at an angle above or behind you to reflect more of the radiant heat from a fire onto your body instead of losing that radiated heat to the trees or outer space.

If you are sitting up and the Space Blanky is draped loosely it is able to work better.


Edited by scafool (01/27/09 08:45 PM)
Edit Reason: correction of a bad statement
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#165338 - 01/27/09 08:36 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: Glock-A-Roo]
scafool Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 12/18/08
Posts: 1534
Loc: Muskoka
Say Glock-A-Roo, are those plastic bags you showed the same as the ones thay are used to ship matresses in?
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#165340 - 01/27/09 08:51 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: scafool]
Glock-A-Roo Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 04/16/03
Posts: 1076
Originally Posted By: scafool
Say Glock-A-Roo, are those plastic bags you showed the same as the ones thay are used to ship matresses in?


I don't know, they come flat packed from that website. They are about the size of mattress bags, though. That's probably the kind of thing the website sources the bags from.

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#165500 - 01/28/09 07:09 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: Glock-A-Roo]
quick_joey_small Offline
Addict

Registered: 01/13/09
Posts: 571
Loc: UK
I see Wiggy bags are actually available shrink wrapped. Do they really work after that?
QJS

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#165508 - 01/28/09 08:33 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: quick_joey_small]
scafool Offline
Pooh-Bah

Registered: 12/18/08
Posts: 1534
Loc: Muskoka
I would assume they do Joey, but how would you repack them?

I have been disappointed in the claims made by space blankets and what is effectively a space blankety sleeping bag makes me wonder.

I quit trusting what was said on packaging for anything said a long time ago.
I figure if I am betting my life on something I want to be sure it does what it says it will do, and that means actually trying it out in a controlled situation on myself.

I might consider getting one to try out, and maybe if it works well I would get more of them for packing in bail out or car kits.

Repacking it might not matter if it was a real situation.

EDIT: OK, I misunderstood what you meant by a Wiggy Bag and was going by what I had seen posted on their web page.
Forget about this post as a comment on Wiggy bags and just read it as being about the space blanketty type bags.


Edited by scafool (01/30/09 05:22 AM)
Edit Reason: correction
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#165525 - 01/28/09 09:36 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: DavidEnoch]
Leigh_Ratcliffe Offline
Veteran

Registered: 03/31/06
Posts: 1355
Loc: United Kingdom.
Originally Posted By: DavidEnoch
Every time I see a well thought out survival kit, I print it out and keep a copy of it. Last night I was reading through several kits and got to thinking.

Why do we worry so much about making our kits so small and lightweight. Think of what it will take to be warm and dry on a wet rainy night. In my imagination, a survival situation will be wet with wet grass, wet ground, and wet leaves. Even if you get a fire going you will not have a dry place to sit or sleep and anything you would try to make a shelter from is also wet. Adding 4 pounds of shelter and warmth would make survival so much easier. With a decent pack, I don't notice the weight that much. 4 pounds would give you a warm dry place to sleep and a light sleeping bag or blanket. There are lots of ways to get there; a poncho and liner, a tube tent and sleeping bag, a bivy and sleeping bag, etc. will all make for a comfortable night out.

I always wear a day pack when I hike. A compact sleeping bag and a little shelter are very manageable in addition to a few survival tools, water and gear. All this together shouldn't weigh over 10 pounds unless I have to carry a lot of water.

David Enoch



I carry (in a day sack or haversack) 2 foam sit mats, A lightweight poncho, waterbottle, snacks, hat, gloves, extra warm layer, head torch. Plus the usual in my pockets.

One thing that was drummed in to me years ago was that you never, ever, go anywhere without it. Not even to take a wizz. Because if it goes wrong, it will go wrong with very little or no warning.
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#165527 - 01/28/09 10:04 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: Leigh_Ratcliffe]
clearwater Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 03/19/05
Posts: 1177
Loc: Channeled Scablands
Originally Posted By: Leigh_Ratcliffe

One thing that was drummed in to me years ago was that you never, ever, go anywhere without it. Not even to take a wizz. Because if it goes wrong, it will go wrong with very little or no warning.


Amen.

Ski training once, just outside the search truck, we piled all our
packs in the ski rescue sled (to simulate a body) to see how steep a hill we could ski it down.

Where we couldn't get our snow pits
to show signs of layer weakness or cornices to fail with one person jumping up and down, with the load of 8 bodies holding
onto the sled, the snow collapsed and the sled rode 50' down
the little hill with a small avalanche.

In our packs, in the buried sled,
were our shovels and probes.


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#165536 - 01/28/09 10:48 PM Re: Carrying 4 pounds of shelter and warmth [Re: Leigh_Ratcliffe]
oldsoldier Offline
Old Hand

Registered: 11/25/06
Posts: 742
Loc: MA
Originally Posted By: Leigh_Ratcliffe

One thing that was drummed in to me years ago was that you never, ever, go anywhere without it. Not even to take a wizz. Because if it goes wrong, it will go wrong with very little or no warning.


Hence, ALWAYS carrying stuff, you will always be prepared, and Mr. Murphy will overlook you wink
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