Question about mylar

A

Aerose91

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Feb 11, 2014
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I'm going on a long term off the grid thing in the desert and am trying to use mylar as a ghetto form of insulation. I'd love to do more but money, time and bulk don't allow it. I know enough about conductive insulation but have never done much with radiant. My questions are as follows-

1) I want to put some mylar on top of my cooler to keep the sun from beating on it but since its so fragile I would put a layer of duct tape or something over it. Mylar works the same if covered, right? I assume it does because it's blocking rays that are outside of the visible spectrum but I don't know if covering the reflective surface will hinder it. This would also work inside the cooler to retain cold, right? I know insulation works for cold or warm but I'm not sure if radiant does this

2) I'm thinking of layering some mylar around my tent to keep the morning sun from turning it into an oven and keeping the cool air in (I built a swamp cooler from a bucket). Since its so fragile though I'm going to sandwich it in painters plastic. Plastic won't inhibit the mylar, right? See question 1-

3) and third, mylar under the tent? I know this would help when it's cold but during the summer I've always dug a few inches into the ground to stay cooler. Would contact with the ground here help or hurt. And wouldn't mylar reflect my heat back into the tent? Or is that negligible. I'm on the fence about this one.

I appreciate any help on this. I know that direct contact with mylar will make it a conductor which isn't what I want so I'm unsure of these things.
 
I have serious concerns about the viability of your plan.

Shelter is huge in the desert.

Your system needs to be foolproof BEFORE you head out there long term. It should be pretty well thought out and tested before you even head out short term. You will NEED some permanent shelter to make it long term. Adobe or rammed earth structures are cheap.

If the food & water situation is as poorly thought out as the shelter you are setting yourself up to fail.

You seem articulate. Might I suggest spending a bit of time acquiring resources within the confines of society and gently easing into the off grid lifestyle.

Mylar will reflect the light that hits it. The more reflective the material the less it retains heat. If you cover it with a less reflective material you'll be retaining more heat.

The ground for the most part if either warmer or colder than your body. Any time you are in physical contact with it you will be gaining or losing body heat. The only way to stop it is to put an insulation layer between you and the earth. If you get into a heat transfer fight with the earth you will lose.
 
Good luck using that idea in a desert as hot as Phoenix or Bullhead City. Even tin foil isn't the best insulator for a cooler or tent. For a cooler, try the bubble foil that's used to insulate a hot water heater, but you'd have to totally encapsulate your cooler rather than just place a piece on the surface. Also, take several desert survival courses, and know the laws in the area you plan to inhabit. Many species of cacti are protected, and if you start cutting them up for a few ounces of water, that would create a visible trail leading right to your door.
 
You're talking about using an aluminized mylar space blanket as a reflector, right? You can get aluminized sheets of much thicker material at an art supplies store, or get a big plastic mirror at Walmart and cut it to fit your cooler.
 
I will be living on a river so water is no concern nor is food since I have done all this before. I don't even have to do any insulating, I'm just trying to improve my situation a little.
 
What about just pitching a large tarp over the tent, with a little clearance? That way your tent isn't getting the direct sun, and you've still got airflow, instead of being sealed up in a nylon cave. This has made a noticeable difference for me when I've been inside a tent in hot weather. Just trying to think of other, simple solutions.
 
Smithhammer said:
What about just pitching a large tarp over the tent, with a little clearance? That way your tent isn't getting the direct sun, and you've still got airflow, instead of being sealed up in a nylon cave. This has made a noticeable difference for me when I've been inside a tent in hot weather. Just trying to think of other, simple solutions.
Click to expand...

I'm definitely doing that, I have a large tyvek tarp that I will use. I'm just thinking of a layer of pseudo-insulation. While keeping enough air flow for ventilation, of course. I appreciate the suggestion
 
Cougar Allen said:
You're talking about using an aluminized mylar space blanket as a reflector, right? You can get aluminized sheets of much thicker material at an art supplies store, or get a big plastic mirror at Walmart and cut it to fit your cooler.
Click to expand...

Good to know
 
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