Space blanket!

Pete Biggs said:

My latest purchase is a Hi Gear Plarshield Emergency silver foil Blanket,
130 x 200cm, 60 grams, pack is 11 x 9 x 2.5cm (£2.50 from Cotswold
Outdoor).

Do they really work?

I think they work by trapping your own body heat in, so they work if
you're warm to start with, not once you're already cold. Best to put
round you as soon as you think you're going to need extra insulation. I
carry one on long rides in the winter - for use during emergency bike
repairs, or after an accident so I wont get cold whilst stood around.
I've not needed to use it yet but it's there just in case.

Pete Biggs said:

Do they really work?

FSVO "work", yes they do. But only for some values, mind. For serious
use up in the hills and on the seas the serious folk are now using
Blizzard Packs, which pack down to about VHS cassette size and cost £25.
Rather bulkier and heavier than what you have, but they'll keep you
warm as opposed to "slightly less perishing". Bit OTT for a road bike
trip though.

Quoted message said:

research, of course -- I don't really want to remove from the packet in
case I can't fold it back up so small.

Smart move! Blizzard Packs are vacuum packed, and the company offers a
repacking service if you've deployed in an emergency... I imagine a
space blanket/bag will be similarly unhappy to go back in the bag.

Quoted message said:

I get my clothing well sorted for the actual cycling -- the excersise
keeps me warm -- but I worry about what would happen if me or my bike
brake down beyond repair in the middle of nowhere on a wintery night,
requiring a long wait for assistance, especially as I have limited natural
insulation (Skinny Bloke Syndrome). Trouble is, there's no room left in
my road bike saddle bag for a big warm fleece top or anything much at all,
and I don't want to use a larger bag or rack on this bike.

I would hope that if you've got a 'phone with you then you shouldn't be
/that/ far from someone coming out to rescue you if it comes down to it
and there are no habitations nearby. At this level I'd guess it'll
help, but note you'll still get bloody cold. That /is/ better than even
colder than bloody cold, though, and should be good enough...

If you're slightly more paranoid and want something that compacts very
well that will keep you genuinely warm then maybe look at a down filled
vest from the likes of Rab or ME, like this:
http://www.rab.uk.com/products_neutrino_neutvest.html
This will pack much smaller than a fleece and is quite a bit toastier.
Not much use if it gets soaked (or rather, no use at all if it gets
soaked), but under a cycling rain jacket it should be fine, and gives
you warm clothing for any time, which a space blanket doesn't.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Peter Clinch said:

Pete Biggs said:

Do they really work?

FSVO "work", yes they do. But only for some values, mind. For serious
use up in the hills and on the seas the serious folk are now using
Blizzard Packs, which pack down to about VHS cassette size and cost £25.
Rather bulkier and heavier than what you have, but they'll keep you
warm as opposed to "slightly less perishing". Bit OTT for a road bike
trip though.

Quoted message said:

research, of course -- I don't really want to remove from the packet in
case I can't fold it back up so small.

Smart move! Blizzard Packs are vacuum packed, and the company offers a
repacking service if you've deployed in an emergency... I imagine a
space blanket/bag will be similarly unhappy to go back in the bag.

Quoted message said:

I get my clothing well sorted for the actual cycling -- the excersise
keeps me warm -- but I worry about what would happen if me or my bike
brake down beyond repair in the middle of nowhere on a wintery night,
requiring a long wait for assistance, especially as I have limited
natural
insulation (Skinny Bloke Syndrome). Trouble is, there's no room left in
my road bike saddle bag for a big warm fleece top or anything much at
all,
and I don't want to use a larger bag or rack on this bike.

I would hope that if you've got a 'phone with you then you shouldn't be
/that/ far from someone coming out to rescue you if it comes down to it
and there are no habitations nearby. At this level I'd guess it'll
help, but note you'll still get bloody cold. That /is/ better than even
colder than bloody cold, though, and should be good enough...

Seconded. They give these out at marathons so I've used a couple, and
they're better than nothing, in that they keep the wind off your
shoulders, but that's about it.

Quoted message said:

If you're slightly more paranoid and want something that compacts very
well that will keep you genuinely warm then maybe look at a down filled
vest from the likes of Rab or ME, like this:
http://www.rab.uk.com/products_neutrino_neutvest.html
This will pack much smaller than a fleece and is quite a bit toastier.
Not much use if it gets soaked (or rather, no use at all if it gets
soaked), but under a cycling rain jacket it should be fine, and gives
you warm clothing for any time, which a space blanket doesn't.

Rab also have:
http://www.rab.uk.com/products_neutrino_phvest.html

which is a svelte 230g, though I've no idea how small it packs. Very
small, I imagine.

Ben

Peter Clinch said:

FSVO "work", yes they do. But only for some values, mind. For
serious use up in the hills and on the seas the serious folk are
now using Blizzard Packs, which pack down to about VHS cassette
size and cost £25.

What about the lightweight survival bags you see in camping shops? How
do these stack up against the space blankets and Blizzard
Packs? I'm thinking of the situation where you're dropping from
exhaustion and need to get half an hour's kip by the side of the road
but it's cold and wet and you have minimal kit. Are they any better
than a heavy duty bin liner?

--
Dave...

Pete Biggs said:

Do they really work? Although I'm temped to go out on the street,
get naked and wrap myself up in it right now -- purely in the
interest of research, of course -- I don't really want to remove
from the packet in case I can't fold it back up so small.

I've used them on the desert in Nevada to keep cool and they're very,
very good for that. I would guess they'd be similarly good for not
radiating my heat away.

Chris
--
Chris Eilbeck
MARS Flight Crew http://www.mars.org.uk/
UKRA #1108 Level 2 UYB
Tripoli UK Member #9527 LSMR

dkahn400 said:

What about the lightweight survival bags you see in camping shops? How
do these stack up against the space blankets and Blizzard
Packs? I'm thinking of the situation where you're dropping from
exhaustion and need to get half an hour's kip by the side of the road
but it's cold and wet and you have minimal kit. Are they any better
than a heavy duty bin liner?

I believe the orange poly bivvy bags are human-sized, so are a better option
than a bin liner. They're pretty heavy-duty polythene as well - certainly
much sturdier than a space blanket (which can be susceptible to tearing -
one little nick and it's a gonner), and probably better than most bin
liners, short of those heavy garden rubble thingies.

--
Wally
www.artbywally.com
www.wally.myby.co.uk

Wally said:

I believe the orange poly bivvy bags are human-sized, so are a better option
than a bin liner. They're pretty heavy-duty polythene as well - certainly
much sturdier than a space blanket (which can be susceptible to tearing -
one little nick and it's a gonner), and probably better than most bin
liners, short of those heavy garden rubble thingies.

They also make great impromptu sledges, unlike space blankets.

Colin

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> wrote in
message news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

My latest purchase is a Hi Gear Plarshield Emergency silver foil Blanket,
130 x 200cm, 60 grams, pack is 11 x 9 x 2.5cm (£2.50 from Cotswold
Outdoor).

Do they really work? Although I'm temped to go out on the street, get
naked and wrap myself up in it right now -- purely in the interest of
research, of course -- I don't really want to remove from the packet in
case I can't fold it back up so small.

Yes, but bin bags can do a good job in an emergency. After I packed up
racing motor bikes (enduro) I spent a few years as a travelling marshall. I
always carried a few bin bags during the cold wet months. If a rider broke
down then I gave them a bin bag to put on. Many riders wear coats that
aren't fully water or wind proof, so they get very cold if they are left
waiting for an hour or two on a windy hill.

Having said that, I now carry a space blanket on winter cycle rides.

John

Ben Blaukopf said:

Peter Clinch wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

research, of course -- I don't really want to remove from the
packet in case I can't fold it back up so small.

Smart move! Blizzard Packs are vacuum packed, and the company
offers a repacking service if you've deployed in an emergency... I
imagine a space blanket/bag will be similarly unhappy to go back in
the bag.

The Hi Gear one isn't vacuum packed but is folded up well. Anyone know of
a vacuum packed space blanket? I like the idea of an even smaller pack.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I would hope that if you've got a 'phone with you then you shouldn't
be /that/ far from someone coming out to rescue you if it comes down
to it and there are no habitations nearby. At this level I'd guess
it'll help, but note you'll still get bloody cold. That /is/ better
than even colder than bloody cold, though, and should be good
enough...

Seconded. They give these out at marathons so I've used a couple, and
they're better than nothing, in that they keep the wind off your
shoulders, but that's about it.

I wonder if I could wear something over the top to press the blanket
closer to my body? I'll be totally avoiding /icy/ conditions this year
anyway (slippage prevention) so hopefully it'd never be too bad.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If you're slightly more paranoid and want something that compacts
very well that will keep you genuinely warm then maybe look at a
down filled vest from the likes of Rab or ME, like this:
http://www.rab.uk.com/products_neutrino_neutvest.html
This will pack much smaller than a fleece and is quite a bit
toastier. Not much use if it gets soaked (or rather, no use at all
if it gets soaked), but under a cycling rain jacket it should be
fine, and gives you warm clothing for any time, which a space
blanket doesn't.

Thanks, I wouldn't mind taking something like that, and maybe a blizzard
pack, on my other bike with panniers.

Quoted message said:

Rab also have:
http://www.rab.uk.com/products_neutrino_phvest.html

which is a svelte 230g, though I've no idea how small it packs. Very
small, I imagine.

That looks good as well. Santa!!

Thanks for the replies everyone.

~PB

dkahn400 said:

What about the lightweight survival bags you see in camping shops? How
do these stack up against the space blankets and Blizzard
Packs? I'm thinking of the situation where you're dropping from
exhaustion and need to get half an hour's kip by the side of the road
but it's cold and wet and you have minimal kit.

Or even a whole night! :-)

They're also only £2.50 from Cotswold so I could have bought one as well.
I think they pack up quite a lot larger than a space blanket though (prob
too large for what I want). But if you've got room for it, why not.

~PB

In message <[email hidden]>

Pete Biggs said:

Ben Blaukopf said:

Peter Clinch wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> research, of course -- I don't really want to remove from the
> packet in case I can't fold it back up so small.

Smart move! Blizzard Packs are vacuum packed, and the company
offers a repacking service if you've deployed in an emergency... I
imagine a space blanket/bag will be similarly unhappy to go back in
the bag.

The Hi Gear one isn't vacuum packed but is folded up well. Anyone know of
a vacuum packed space blanket? I like the idea of an even smaller pack.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

I would hope that if you've got a 'phone with you then you shouldn't
be /that/ far from someone coming out to rescue you if it comes down
to it and there are no habitations nearby. At this level I'd guess
it'll help, but note you'll still get bloody cold. That /is/ better
than even colder than bloody cold, though, and should be good
enough...

Seconded. They give these out at marathons so I've used a couple, and
they're better than nothing, in that they keep the wind off your
shoulders, but that's about it.

I wonder if I could wear something over the top to press the blanket
closer to my body? I'll be totally avoiding /icy/ conditions this year
anyway (slippage prevention) so hopefully it'd never be too bad.

You don't want it pressed onto your body. Idealy you only want it pressed
where the edges are to stop drafts, and pressed together where it joins.
You want a small air gap as this will help insulate.

Also if two blankets weigh the same, a thin one wrapped twice around the
body is better than a thicker one wrapped once.

Martin.

--
Typed by monkey #27662472869676 on typewriter #7552416572242
When emailing me, please include the word Banana in the subject line.

Martin Dann said:

Quoted message said:

I wonder if I could wear something over the top to press the blanket
closer to my body?

You don't want it pressed onto your body. Idealy you only want it
pressed
where the edges are to stop drafts, and pressed together where it
joins. You want a small air gap as this will help insulate.

It wouldn't actually be pressed /right/ against, so I was thinking this
would create a smaller air gap than just draping it around me, which would
leave a large gap.

~PB

dkahn400 said:

What about the lightweight survival bags you see in camping shops? How
do these stack up against the space blankets and Blizzard
Packs?

You've got a couple of flavours. There's your canonical plastic bivvi
bag, which is a person-sized heavy duty polythene bag. They pack down
reasonably small, but not nearly as small (or light) as a space blanket.
By providing a windproof external shell they make quite a heat
difference over not having one but they're more unwieldy and you can't
move around in them unless you butcher them a bit (but they only cost a
couple of quid, so that's not tragic). For PB's use I'd go for the
space blanket here. Note that space-bags are available as well as
blankets which are a little bigger but more efficient thermally, and
again with a little selective butchery you can walk (or at least waddle)
about in them to try and keep a bit warmer.

Next up is the lightweight /comfortable/ survival bag, which is made in
a breathable waterproof fabric. Probably the smallest and lightest (and
quite amazingly one of the cheaper options too) is the Rab Survival
Zone, effectively a waterproof over-bag. Not something to take scissors
too, though, it's really just for lying around in which without a ground
mat means you'll get colder in this application. So I wouldn't really
think they're the thing here.

http://www.blizzardprotectionsystems.com/ will tell you all about the
Blizzard packs (also available in blanket form as well as bags). The
Blizzard unlike the others, has some intrinsic thermal insulation in its
structure so it is substantially warmer than the other options. Pals
leading a ski tour in Norway last year had one of their clients twist a
knee and he was quite comfortable (thermally, at least!) lying about for
a fair while in the snow in the Blizzard bag. They reckon it's
equivalent to a 2-3 season sleeping bag, but waterproof too.

Quoted message said:

I'm thinking of the situation where you're dropping from
exhaustion and need to get half an hour's kip by the side of the road
but it's cold and wet and you have minimal kit. Are they any better
than a heavy duty bin liner?

I'm obviously not trying hard enough on my bike... ;-/
A poly-bivvi bag is better than a heavy duty bin liner because it's
man-size size, but folded up it takes up a similar bulk/weight to a
Blizzard pack in its vacuum pack and will be considerably less good. If
you really envisage having an hour's kip on a rainy roadside then the
blizzard is probably the best option here. For (other) Pete's original
standing around getting cold for a while awaiting the cavalry I think
I'd go for the space-bag and/or light down vest. The down vest isn't
much use in your scenario because it isn't warm under compression (i.e.,
lying down with your weight on it) and is useless if it gets soaked.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch Medical Physics IT Officer
Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Univ. of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK
net [email hidden] http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/

Pete Biggs said:

My latest purchase is a Hi Gear Plarshield Emergency silver foil Blanket,
130 x 200cm, 60 grams, pack is 11 x 9 x 2.5cm (£2.50 from Cotswold
Outdoor).

Do they really work?

I've only used one once.
I was freezing cold and very wet on an early spring trip bivvying tour
in Andalucia and had been carrying a 'Space Blanket' for a number of
years.
I had found a delapidated building to 'camp' up in and wrapped myself in
the blanket. I then also got into the sleeping bag.
It was a Bad Move. Being damp certainly didn't help - and I just became
colder and colder. Also everytime I moved the blanket rustled Very
Loudly, preventing sleep.
The episode sticks in my memory as one of my worst nights out.

I'm sure they have their uses, but you do need to be Dry.
I do still carry one in my first aid kit tho'.

Quoted message said:

Although I'm temped to go out on the street, get
naked and wrap myself up in it right now -- purely in the interest of
research, of course -- I don't really want to remove from the packet in
case I can't fold it back up so small.

Repacking is near impossible. I think they are a one-use item.

Quoted message said:

I get my clothing well sorted for the actual cycling -- the excersise
keeps me warm -- but I worry about what would happen if me or my bike
brake down beyond repair in the middle of nowhere on a wintery night,
requiring a long wait for assistance, especially as I have limited natural
insulation (Skinny Bloke Syndrome). Trouble is, there's no room left in
my road bike saddle bag for a big warm fleece top or anything much at all,
and I don't want to use a larger bag or rack on this bike.

Mobile phone; distress flares; bottle of a good malt?

John B

Chris Eilbeck <[email hidden]>typed

Quoted message said:

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> writes:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Do they really work? Although I'm temped to go out on the street,
get naked and wrap myself up in it right now -- purely in the
interest of research, of course -- I don't really want to remove
from the packet in case I can't fold it back up so small.

Quoted message said:

I've used them on the desert in Nevada to keep cool and they're very,
very good for that. I would guess they'd be similarly good for not
radiating my heat away.

Quoted message said:

Chris

Except they don't stop conduction, apotentially major problem on wet ground...

--
Helen D. Vecht: [email hidden]
Edgware.

"Pete Biggs" <[email hidden]> sd /
msg <[email hidden]> dtd Tue, 11 Oct 2005 15:06:17
+0100:

Quoted message said:

My latest purchase is a Hi Gear Plarshield Emergency silver foil Blanket,
130 x 200cm, 60 grams, pack is 11 x 9 x 2.5cm (£2.50 from Cotswold
Outdoor).

I blagged a load after the Reading half marathon :-)

Guy
--
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

"To every complex problem there is a solution which is
simple, neat and wrong" - HL Mencken

Peter Clinch wrote:

(much good stuff)

Very useful info, Pete. Thanks for taking the trouble.

--
Dave...

Colin Blackburn said:

They also make great impromptu sledges, unlike space blankets.

Packed solid with snow they make an almost unstoppable 3 man
bob-sleigh/ground based missile! Bloody good fun! 😄

Graeme