A survival fire question, tarp and space blanket

peripatew

peripatew

Joined
Jul 31, 2007
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I'm curious which use of available materials would be best, given that you could make a fire, you had a small tarp, and a space blanket:

(a) A tarp setup to reflect heat, then a fire semi-close to that tarp, then a space blanket setup to reflect heat towards your tarp-shelter. Imaging them in a line, or a -> b -> c.

or

(b) A tarp setup to reflect heat, a fire semi-close to that tarp, and using your space blanket to keep in your body heat? So, a very similar setup, but you have the space blanket on, instead of on the other side of your fire reflecting heat.

or

(c) Some other option. Using a large rock face to reflect heat into the tarp shelter would be great, but I don't see a lot of huge boulders like that where I hike around. I also know I could setup a wood reflector, but I have not experience with this, and I didn't know how well they work, or easily it would be able to put together with minimal time and tools.

How would you utilize these items for a cold night of survival? Things you might do different?

L
 
I would have a fire, then me, then the reflective tarp behind me, and a blanket around me. The fire gives you heat in front, and the reflective tarp reflects it to your back

00241.jpg


plus i used a plywood reflector behind the fire to reflect more heat towards me. I was toasty warm.

00246.jpg


if i had time that night, i would have stayed over and stretched out between the fire and the reflective sheet. The ground was hot to the touch, i would slept well with just a blanket.
 
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It would be interesting to have some hypothetical info on wind/rain/snow conditions to discuss the questions.

Under most conditions, I'd be disinclined to get one of the thinner mylar type space blankets very near the fire----especially if I had only one or two. I'd also be concerned about getting a lightweight tarp (esp. silnylon) near flame/embers. A shift in the wind or a flare up and you could be out a tarp. Of course, the very light mylar space blankets aren't too expensive so a home test might provide some info on how much heat they will tolerate.

A friend made me a lightweight reflector out of that metallic surfaced bubble pack material. It will take a moderate amount of heat but it is a lot more substantial than the light mylar space blankets.

DancesWithKnives
 
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G'day naked

naked said:
I'm curious which use of available materials would be best, given that you could make a fire, you had a small tarp, and a space blanket:
.....

(c) Some other option.
How would you utilize these items for a cold night of survival? Things you might do different?

L
Click to expand...
Since most lightweight tarps are made from synthetic materials that don't really mix that well with floating cinders, I like to keep my tarp far enough away from the campfire that floating cinders aren't a problem. In my experience, this will necessarily reduce the effectiveness of the tarp as a reflector.

This really isn't that big a deal if the tarp acts as a wind break (i.e. positioned upwind of where you are sitting).

If you have half decent dry clothing with a space blanket wrapped around you, and your body is off the ground (after all the greatest source of heat loss is going to be by conduction through contact of your body with the ground), then IMO you would survive a cold night, provided the fire stay lit.


Just my $0.02 worth.



Kind regards
Mick
 
Ive personally got a Space blanket, but its about three times as thick as a Normal mylar blanket, and has a Orange reflector on the back side. Haven't used it yet, but I can't see why it wouldn't work, a taro all ways did.
 
Fonly, it sounds like you have one of the adventure kit 'heat sheets' which are supposed to be much more resistant to rips and tears compared to the mylar ones. I've been looking at getting the emergency bivi one by the same company.
 
I was reading a book by Cody Lundin and he said he put one of those Mylar space blankets behind him once as a reflector - and they had to take it down because they were TOO warm.

If it were me - but this is with NO experience - I would use the large tarp as A - I would be B and the Space Blanket would be C.

That would only be if I did not need shelter with those tarps.

TF
 
Not sure I understand what you mean, but would be something like, fire-me-space blanket looesly hang as a shelter in my back and around me. If another Space bl. available: set as reflector on the other side of fire.
Tarp not directly exposed to fire, as an exterior "hard shell", "mecanical" protection against wind, rain... and to protect more fragile mylar. As an option, used as a poor substition to mylar for reflector.
Always better to have space blanket exposed: should be able to see the silver reflective surface: should be exposed to heat source: you and/or fire.
 
Here is the one I was talking about, its a colhangs brand, but the AMK sheets are the step up for sure.
PB300108.jpg

PB300110.jpg


Its about 4, by 5 feet or so. I tried it inside and man it gives heat back nice.
 
naked, don't pass go, just go straight to Oregon Firearms Academy. I believe they are near you.

Some of the best survival-crossed-with-tactical training in the world. You will learn everything you need to know about tarp shelters, survival, and everything that surrounds it.

I recommend them without reservation.
 
This would be my approach:

String up the tarp to protect you from possible rain, back a little way from the fire. My instinct would be to set it up lean-to style rather than a-frame.

Build up a log reflector...this is impossibly simple. If you have big logs, just build the fire against a log. If you have smaller logs, they can be stacked or propped into position pretty easily.

Drape the space blanket around your shoulders, open to the fire. You will be warm and dry.

let's see how I do on a diagram:

...................'
....................'
........../........'
........./o......V\
......../.F......X..\
......./..L.....XXX \

..tarp you fire reflector
 
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