just curious .. mylar space blankets / survival / emergency blankets

Myal

Myal

Joined
Jun 7, 2003
Messages
1,850
Just curious who has actually used these ?
I find them really handy , if a little noisy .

If you've used them , please tell why , what for , if you think they are worth having or not .

Thanks in advance :)
 
I've used them sometimes as a ground cloth in a brush shelter. there also great for reflecting fire heat on to yourself, and for quicky improvised shelters.
the little mylar ones are really single use, and noisy, but are great to throw in emergency kits.
the heavier version (casualty blankets) have 1 reflective side and are more like mini tarps. and are great for repeated use. though not as reflective as the true mylar jobs.
 
Just bought one with the silver/gold sides recently from the Air and Space Museum in DC on our vacation for my son as a souvenir. :). Can't figure out how to roll it back into the original tiny, packed shape after opening. Want to pick up some of the cheaper mylar ones now to put in the emergency kits in our cars now.
 
I tried one of the inexpensive silver mylar against an SOL orange/silver lightweight blankets. The inexpensive mylar tears very easily. The lightweight SOL is quite a bit tougher but several times more expensive. I keep an SOL in each vehicle and in a grab and go fanny pack for day hikes. I haven't had the opportunity to use them for camping or survival situations.
 
thanks for responses :)

I bought a bulk lot of the mylar ones a couple year ago , since then they get used as a lot of stuff , put under sleeping bags to stop heat loss , mini tarps , wrapped a couple people in them when they had shock shivers after a rollover , ( didnt want them to bleed all over my only blankets .. the mylar ones they could keep for their ambulance ride too )

I asked because I have heard a few people locally talk about them as junk items , space fillers for people flogging crappy kits , and was wondering if I was the only one who found them useful .

I do have a few SOL heat sheets and bivvys in the vehicles and in our personal kits , so far tho I havent used one , knowing the mylar is less than a dollar a throw means I grab it first and improvise something to back it up if it needs it .
 
Heh 1st post in ages, I will get flammed but here goes. They have a 1000 uses which is great but aren't worth shit for what they are made for. great for reflecting, let's leave it at that. We won't say what or how much. They are shinny and 1$.
 
Fr throw away one time usage they are good. If needed for more than a few hours then there are better products. For their intended use and how you are using them, I believe you are maximizing there usefulness. Rock on. I know we can't say that about the $400 custom blades we own.
 
cuphead said:
Heh 1st post in ages, I will get flammed but here goes. They have a 1000 uses which is great but aren't worth shit for what they are made for. great for reflecting, let's leave it at that. We won't say what or how much. They are shinny and 1$.
Click to expand...

Pretty much sums it up. I don't recall anyone saying that you couldn't find uses for them (much like just about anything...), but yeah, try spending a cold night out in one. Your margins are slim indeed if that's the only thing standing between you and hypothermia.
 
Smithhammer said:
Pretty much sums it up. I don't recall anyone saying that you couldn't find uses for them (much like just about anything...), but yeah, try spending a cold night out in one. Your margins are slim indeed if that's the only thing standing between you and hypothermia.
Click to expand...

That sums up my feelings about finding oneself relying on only a mini kit at all .

Its kinda where gear stops counting near so much and intelligence / resourcefulness comes into play
 
They are made to stop wind, rain/snow, and reflective heat loss. As noted, they reflect a fire's radiant energy pretty well, unlike a wooden "fire reflector."

They are advertised by many low class retailers as preventing loss of
up to 80% of your Body's Heat
Click to expand...
- a lie.

So OK for what they are made for and not good for what they are often advertised to be for.
 
The cheap ones are great as a heat reflector, I watched Cody Lundin construct a pretty cool reflective "cocoon" on a TV show and the backdrop was a reflective blanket that he set up to push heat from the fire back down onto his body, and he used a clear plastic sheet in front of the shelter to block wind and rain, it was a pretty smart way to go and I would be willing to try a night in that kind of setup.
The one issue that people don't mention often is condensation- spending a night wrapped up in a silver blanket that is also waterproof is going to soak you to the skin with reflected moisture from your body. I haven't taken the dive yet, but the newer and more expensive blankets which are set up to breathe might be a good piece of gear. We do use two of the heavy duty blankets with reflective material on one side and olive drab plastic on the other side as ground cloths under air mattresses but I am not sure how much heat they reflect at night, but maybe a bit of peace of mind.
 
I get multiple uses out of the AMK heat sheets as a reflector. They are more durable and quieter than the traditional blankets for relatively the same size/weight. Couple more bucks, but worth it in how I use them...

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Coming winter I will be using one again in this SuperShelter (Harlton) configuration: http://masterwoodsman.com/2013/the-harlton-hacienda-supershelter/
 
They work great when paired with another blanket or sleeping bag.

A little plastic poncho does about the same though.

In the winter I keep them with sleeping bags, the weight and size are great.

I might carry them in the summer for improvised shade.
 
I ended up using one for a single night after a backpacking trip went bad. Severe weather plus poor campsite choice equals soaked gear. The foil blanket wasn't perfect but I was glad that I had it. The biggest value in it at the time was that is still does what it does even when wet.
 
I first purchased my space blanket in 71
I used it as my groundsheet, tarp, or keep warm blanket over clothes
The reflective quality kept me warmer than just wrapping up in a poncho
I rate it highly as a very useful peice of kit

The thin ones are best understood as casualty blankets
Helping keep from gettin colder
 
I've used them for many things and find them very effective cheap radiant barriers/reflectors. My first experience was when hiking in the mountains of NC and found it effective at keeping the chill off of my bare legs after dark (forgot my long pants. When a student, I made some temporary radiant barriers applied to my auto windows with velcro when my AC couldn't keep up with the summer heat (kinda cheap, temporary tinting) You can actually see through the stuff during the day. I know, I know, a ghetto rig, but it worked. A trucker teased me on the CB, said it looked like I was baking chicken :-). I lined the inside of a dog house to help the dogs stay warmer in the winter. Mylar placed under rafters will markedly reduce radiant heat gain into an attic. (they make specialty radiant barriers for building application, but a space blanket can be used for temporary applications in small shelters. I've glued them to foam core boards for cheap photographic lighting reflectors. The down side: it rips easily, is noisy with movement/wind.
So, Yes I find them very useful. I buy a handful and toss them into glove compartments, emergency kits, tackle boxes, etc.
 
To be honest I have never peeled one out of it's pouch. I have them in various bags etc. I just use my tent\tarps and my military wool blanket is always in the trunk, covered in a garbage bag. I haven't thought much about them but reading this thread is sure giving me ideas.
:thumbup:
 
I have several of the "space blankets" one is in my car, two or three in my camping gear and one in my bugout bag.
 
I was on my way to do some late season deer hunting and stopped to get some quick breakfast items. I reached my pull off spot on the state forest road about 5:AM and headed up the mountain. I hadn't gone far when I started feeling very nauseous.
I proceeded to push on and wasn't going to let a stomach ache stop me. I got about 3/4 of the way up the slope when it hit me real hard. I got very,very sick with stomach pain and vomiting. I was sweating but I shaking real bad and felt cold. The weather got bad with a nasty mix sleet and snow. I dug in my pack and got out my space blanket. It was the heavier style, not the compact emergency type. I didn't have a cell phone, the wind and snow were picking up and I was hoping that I'd see another hunter. A few hours passed and I was getting a bit too warm. The snow blanket was a blessing, but it was not self regulating. A few more hours had passed and I was staring to feel a little better. By mid-afternoon I was able to shoulder my pack and rifle and head back down towards my truck. I'd left an itinerary stating the roads I'd travel and the area that I planned to hunt. I really don't know if I'd have made it off that mountain without the space blanket to keep me sheltered and warm.
 
i've never bothered with the "shirt pocket" types, but the "heavy duty ones are great. I velcro around the edges to turn it into a bag, and create a "hood" out of more of the stuff. Given a silk bag liner, GoreTex clothing and Expedition Weight longjohns, a skimask and gloves, on a hammok, under a 2 poncho "tent' (suspended rope set up) I have slept just fine at plus 20F degrees.
 
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