JCD wrote:First,
Woodwalker, what brand of emergency blanket do you use? I'd like to check it out.
Second,
By "working" does this mean you've tried it out for an overnight?
This is the one I use.
http://www.actiongear.com/cgi-bin/tame. ... 5.ctx=8358
It can be purchased at Dick’s, EMS or REI and all over the web. Here are the stats.
MPI SPACE® BRAND ALL WEATHER™ THERMAL BLANKET
Heavy duty, compact plastic lined foil 84'' x 60'' blanket will reflect and help retain over 80% of radiated body heat, providing warmth and protection, even in sub zero temperatures. Similar to the Army's Casualty Blanket, this is excellent for emergency use, camping, hunting and viewing sporting events. One in the car for winter travel could save a life! Waterproof, light-weight, and durable.
ALL WEATHER BLANKET FEATURES:
• ASTROLAR® reinforcing fabric provides up to 50% more tear and puncture resistance.
• Grommeted corners for making improvised shelter.
• Reflective metal surface make this the "ideal outdoor safety blanket", for personal protection, shelters, ground covers, boating, hiking, sight visibility.
• Radar reflector.
SPECS:
• Material: Four ply laminate of clear polyethylene film, a precise vacuum deposition of pure aluminum, a special reinforcing fabric and a layer of colored polyethylene film.
• Waterproof
• Size: 84 X 60 inches / 2.14 x 1.52m.
• Weight: 10 oz.
• Color: Olive Drab to Silver
• Made in USA.
• MPI Outdoors Part Number # 8325
Shipping Weight: 0.87 lb / 0.39 kg
It is one of the most useful gear items I camp with. It does so many things so well. It is one of the strongest survival blankets around. The darn thing is so strong that I once used one for a ground cloth and it took two years of hard core camping before I tossed it. They come in a few colors but tend to go with OD. Thinking for my daypack red could be better. Maybe next trip to EMS? The quality of the blanket is amazing considering the cheap price. The edges are sewn. The grommets are even reinforced. Loops are better but considering the cheap price I can’t really bitch. Makes for a super strong ER tarp. Not the biggest tarp (5x7) but far better than nothing. Makes for a reflective survival blanket. Once used it for this purpose after I packed a marginal bag for a -5 degree night. Worked ok as the bag was only rated for 32 and I even got a few hours of sleep. But just a few.
The blanket makes for a nice ground cloth as it can be staked down. Packs down small and is very light weight considering the extreme durability. Not as light as a Mylar blanket but I get so much multi purpose for only 10 oz. Made in the USA makes me happy. Quality gear at a very reasonable price. I guess there is hope. One big pro of this blanket is a scout fire can be burned near the thing and the silver underside reflects the heat. Being cheaper than my Sil tarps the worry factor is much lower. The other Mylar blankets are just too weak and without grommets nearly impossible to set up as a Lean-too or flying A-frame near a fire. Once had a little scout fire under an A-frame made from this blanket. Worked good and only got a few spark holes. Had that been a 75 dollar Sil tarp I would have been pissed off. Note to anyone reading this care should be taken if you bring a fire near or under any tarp etc. A very workable option but some basic Bushcraft skills are required.
I do pack some cheap Mylar blankets.. I am betting the HeatSheet is much better than those however I am fielding 5 packs. The INCH, 72-hour, Daypack, Camping pack and mini-BOB. I just don’t want to spend 6 bucks per pack to replace a gear item that I don’t really need but have anyway do to the low cost and near zero weight and pack size. I guess if maybe one day at EMS I would purchase the Heatsheet if it was right there. But to order the thing on-line is more trouble than I am willing to do for the upgrade.
Currently I only have one MPI blanket. A big downside to having so many packs it that each one must get duplicates or equivalent items within the standard possibilities pouch. Robbing Peter to pay Paul is a sure way to NOT have an essential item inside the pack being fielded. So it gets expensive. This means that gear upgrades or additions take some time to work it’s way though the whole semi crazy system.
Here is an interesting use the MPI blanket. As doors for a heated tarp shelter. I set up a 10x10 tarp as a ground A-frame. Added a stove jack and two MPI blankets for the doors. Worked out well. Both blankets got used up over the years. One to cat piss
and the other was just worn out as a ground cloth.
On the topic of Guerrilla509's BOB I don't think he is going to pack that wooden sword. It was just put in the photo as he said.
custom or stock, LED or conventional Maglights? Is a small one taped to a bigger one or something? I can't quite make it out in the pics...
and maybe a pocket knife of sorts? Im sure you got one just pictured
