Space blankets any good?


gila_dog

gila_dog

Bushmaster
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I've carried a space blanket in my day pack for years, but never had to use it for real shelter. I like it because it's very light. I've always assumed I could rig it as a lean-to shelter and build a fire close by, or make a little pup tent out of it, or use it to keep myself off the cold wet ground or snow. The only thing I've ever used it for was to wrap my blue foam sleeping pad in it and slip it under my sleeping bag in my hammock. That did seem to keep me warmer. They really are delicate, tho, and easily damaged. Has anybody actually used one for anything serious?
 
I always have one in my rucks. Last Febuary I was in the Appalachians for a couple of weeks hiking. I spent most nights on the tops of mountains, the weather was fair with 50* daytime temps. On my way out, I was about two days from my truck when a severe winter storm came through. The temps dropped to single digits with blowing snow. I built a reflector wall and draped the emergency blanket over it to reflect the heat from the fire. It definetly saved my bacon.
 
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Well heck yeah they are good!! A leanto with a fire will keep ya toasty warm. I use one every time I camp in the winter. In conjunction with a heavy duty one as a ground cloth and a fire, you got your self a bushcrafter microwave. I slept in one with a plastic sheet pitched plowpoint and the mylar as a liner in 20 degree night time temps with no fire and it was helpfull. With a fire you can physically feel the heat radiating off of one. They might be a bit delicate, but its a non issue if you are carefull with em. I always carry one in my shelter kit to use as a liner for my tarp. They make a nice makeshift poncho, you can rig a water machine with one for the snow, improvised signal device, improvised pack cover for the rain and on and on.... Too small and light to not carry IMO. Multi use item fo sho.
 
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These are invaluable pieces of kit. Their effective uses and versatility for the weight is remarkable. Now as great as they are they are like any other piece of kit you carry. You have to practice with it otherwise you have no way to know it's value and limitations. Just carrying one around in your rucksack doesn't do you much good.

Not to sound like a pseudo intellectual Yoda but a big part of what we do is practice our skills and use our gear. The best way to learn about them is to put them to use. These things are fragile, they are disposable. They are inexpensive pieces of kit that could save your life, or at the very least make a night's stay in the woods way more comfortable.

There are some great videos on the use of these blankets for everything from shelter building to reflector fires. I recommend watching these videos to get some ideas and get out in the dirt and practice.

Have fun, be safe, get dirty.

Lerch
 
take a few out with like a pack up tarp try just using them bc its a whole different thing between thinking you can use it and have physically tried
 
I never leave the planet without a few:9:, I also like the combat casualty blanket which is the heavy duty one.
 
Not sure what the Spaceblanket brand is like now...

But the Adventure Medical Kit Heatsheets are pretty durable and not so noisy compared to what many would expect. No excuse not to carry one.
 
Pics of it actually being used.

with nat shelter
hardwoodsman076.jpg


Improvised plastic sheet shelter from advanced MWSB class.
Outside
fishfry119.jpg


Inside
fishfry120.jpg


With plastic sheet/lean to. Built and slept in by Ranger Joe from same class.
fishfry123.jpg
 
Along the lines of what IA Woodsmen shows in his 2nd vid, a few yrs ago my girls taped a space blanket to the inside of a cheap dollar store rain poncho. Their idea was that it could be a cheap form of shelter for the homeless and they called it the hobo shelter it would keep people dry and warm. My oldest took it outside in -10c
all she wore were jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt and a hat and sat on a blue insul pad for 30 min and was warm, I kept that little project if I find it I'll post a pic of it.
 
I keep (2) in My main pack and (1) in My day pack. Like Brother J said "A leanto with a fire will keep ya toasty warm" I would Say YES for sure gila_dog.
 
landscraper75 said:
The ultra-light ones may be good for an absolute emergency, but from my experiments (many many moons ago) they're just too flimsy to be relied on. I prefer to carry one of the heavier ones. Similar to these:
Click to expand...

I carry the kind called "hooded space blanket", I think I spent abt $13 for it. It has a hood on one side so it is also like a poncho, keeps your head warm, is durable like a tarp, and has grommets at the corners to string it up for a shelter. I use it with a sleeping pad in a hammock, helps to keep the backside warm.
 
Well it's not too bushcrafty but I use the heck out of under slab insulation . It is very tough and light but it is kinda bulky . You could almost use it as a sleeping bag in a pinch.
 
Well it's not too bushcrafty but I use the heck out of under slab insulation . It is very tough and light but it is kinda bulky . You could almost use it as a sleeping bag in a pinch.

IMG_0759_2.jpg
 
I've always carried one in my PSK. Only ever used it once. A couple of years ago in the mid '80's, I was running nature hikes at summer camp over the ridge into a local mining ghost town. We got over the ridge and about 1/3 of the way into the hike when a couple of the younger boys went down. Rigged it as a sunshade to get them out of the sun while we waited for extraction via camp truck.

It was one of the flimsy cheapo ones...and it was cheap. It shredded to garbage while taking it down, but it worked for just long enough.

Someone posted how to re-enforce one with duct tape. Been wanting to try that one o these days. BCO has a heavier one I've got on my wishlist for about 13 bucks.
 
They keep you dry, and reflect heat from your body back to you, as well as blocking the wind. They do not insulate , however.

For use as a reflector in a shelter, or behind a fire, they are great. As a lightweight _emergency_ cover for sleeping, they are a great deal better than nothing.

Well worth the minimal weight and bulk.

Like others, I prefer the heavier duty $12-13 version that is grommeted and more durable. Still pretty light, though a bit bulkier.
 
I carry a couple from muller supply in my daily bag. Mostly I consider them a first aid item for treating shock.
 
Similar to a space blanket but not quite. I use a hammock so take this appropiately. I use one of those cheap reflective car sun shades, the ones that have the alluminum reflective coating and are just a thin foam, can be had at many dollar stores, walmart etc.

It makes a great sit pad in winter, and serves as a great augment to my underquilt in severe cold. It acts just like a space blanket and also has a little more insulation due to the thin foam. If i had to guess it adds about 15-20F to an insulation system. They are pretty light weight too. If your using a space blanket under you on the ground this may be a good dual use item for you to try out.
 
The only ones I use are the Heavy duty ones. The flimsy ones are just too much af a pain in the backside to work with and even then are only good for one use due to their ripping very easily.
 
Thanks, all. I will buy a few more from BCO and practice rigging them into lean-tos, rain shelters, and fire reflectors.

I once used one when I had to leave a field dressed elk out in the woods til the next day. I rigged to tree branches low over the elk to keep the rain and sun off it, and to hide it from the ravens. It seemed to work fine.
 
gila_dog said:
... Thanks, all. I will buy a few more from BCO and practice rigging them into lean-tos, rain shelters, and fire reflectors.
Click to expand...

They are surprisingly durable, and fold up relatively small. I have used mine for a ground-cloth M A N Y times, as well as for a lean-to and other covering uses .. and only a few 'holes/leaks' (patched with DuckTape .. heh!)
... and as I said - The one I am using (soon to be replaced) is probably 10 years old, and has been used M A N Y times :-)

Yeah - I am a believer in them
 
defintiely a good piece of kit. lightweight ones are more useful for amoisture barrier or reflector. i always carry at least one in conjuction with a reusable heavy duty one.
 
Mor Kochansky says use the mylar lightweight ones for reflecting heat in his super shelter and just replace them since they are so cheap. So that's what I do.

I've had the thicker ones, too. They last well but don't reflect as well. Good enough? You be the judge. The thick ones are durable enough to be a substitute for a tarp. They are also much more quiet than the flimsy ones. Those make a lot of noise in the slightest wind.
 
bailed me out of a few situations that'd been pretty rough with out them.....life threatening? probably not, but they are convenient and easy to manipulate I'll admit. I am a bigger fan of the casualty type though far more utilitarian. I find if a use an emergency blanket, it's generally toast. But I buy them 5 at a time. Hard to find me anywhere without at least one on me, generally 2.
 
I personally recommend the AMK Emergency blanket (looks the same).
However the AMK offers:
*90% body heat reflection (traditional mylar is only 80%)
*Stretchy material. Much more durable.
*Orange on one side, silver on the other. (Great for signaling)
*They offer a 2 person model which is better if you plan to use it as a shelter piece.

I've used mine once to prevent hypothermia from taking effect with my cousin and myself after a crazy trip.

I always carry one or two!
 
I like them, carry one in my pack and have them in each vehicle.
When in Colorado serving as ASM for out Boy Scout troop we'd routinely use them on our winter camp outs in the mountains around Kenosha Pass. Put one on the floor of the tent or shelter, another hung up around the roof and walls. Made things much warmer.
If you have some, be glad. If not, get some.
 
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