On Doug's review of the Exploration Products
DeHavilland Survival Kit, he lists one of the items as "Mylar Thread". I have never quite worked out what mylar, as a material is. I own a mylar space blanket, although it was not listed as that on the lable. To me mylar seems to be a kind of metalic plastic although i may be mistaken and it is infact a coating that covers foil inside the blanket. Or is it something else? Please can someone explain to me <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />.
Thanks

Is a "mylar banket' the same as a 'space blanket'?

I assume so. <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Mylar® is a trademark of DuPont. It is a polyester film; sometimes generically called "PET" film. The nomenclature is "DMT Ethylene Glycol Dimethyl Terephalate"; PET is an acronym for "polyethylene terephalate"...

Anyway, it's polyester film - remarkable stuff. If it's "Mylar®" then DuPont made it. Do a search on polyester film, PET, Mylar - awesome stuff. Frequently "metalized" - a thin layer of aluminum, like on "space blankets", which have a layer of metalized mylar bonded to a layer of polyethelene "fabric", I think (the stuff cheap tarps are made from). I'm sure you get the idea, anyway - oh, another common varient: those gaudy metallic helium filled ballons are made from mylar.

And if you store grains and other foodstuffs in HDPE pails, you probably use mylar bags inside the pails...

I have no idea what the "mylar thread" is - I would imagine shiny flat stuff used to gussy up hand tied fishing flys, but that's just a guess.

Regards,

Tom

I sort of wonder if the thread is not actually Kevlar thread instead of mylar. I have seen mylar tinsel like Tom refers to for flytying, but I really do not think mylar film would be a good thread...kevlar on the other hand would be good.

Yes they are.