A Survival Tips and Techniques Blog | UrbanWoodsman.com

Thermal blankets were originally developed by NASA for the countryâ??s space program in 1964. Also known as space, emergency, or mylar blankets, they were made from a relatively thin sheet of plastic with a metallic coat used for reflecting back heat. Nowadays, thermal blankets are also used for camping and other outdoor activities.

Common Features of a Thermal Blanket

Weatherproof
Sleeping outdoors may be fun and adventurous, but it also exposes you to certain dangers you normally donâ??t encounter indoors. Wind and rain, for instance, can easily make you susceptible to hypothermia and other undesirable illnesses. A thermal blanket, however, can protect you from the adverse effects of prolonged exposure to unfavorable weather conditions.

By wrapping around a thermal blanket around yourself, your body heat is reflected back to you by the blanket, and this helps you stay warm even in the strongest of storms. Thermal blankets are also made from exceptionally durable materials and as such, you wonâ??t have to worry about water or wind permeating through the blanket.

Reusable
Yes, thermal blankets can indeed be used repetitively. You wonâ??t have to bring one thermal blanket for each night you plan to spend outdoors. This is definitely great news for campers who wish to travel light.

Compact
All thermal blankets, regardless of size or type of materials used, are designed for compact packing. When youâ??re outdoors, after all, youâ??ll be able to move around more swiftly and easily if you donâ??t have so many things to lug around with you.

How to Choose the Right Thermal Blanket
Thermal blankets come in a range of sizes and with varying features. For optimal use and protection, be sure to choose the one thatâ??s most capable of meeting your needs.

Single or Double Use?
There are thermal blankets for single-person use and then there are those that two persons can use together. A two-person thermal blanket is ideal if youâ??re traveling with your child and youâ??d like to keep him or her safe with you at night.

Size
As mentioned earlier on, thermal blankets come in various sizes. Be sure to choose one that will be able to keep you warm and completely covered from head to toe if necessary. If you will use it to line your sleeping bag, make sure as well that the dimensions are adequate.

Comfortable
Last but not the least, donâ??t forget to test it out for yourself prior to making any purchase. While all thermal blankets offer the same level of safety and protection, some of them may feel more comfortable for you to use than others.

If you are going on a camping trip, make sure that your survival kit has an emergency blanket included. In case of unexpected downpours and windstorms, using them is sure to keep you toasty warm throughout the night.

Shopping Tips for Emergency Blankets
With so many bogus products crowding the market today, authentic emergency blankets, which may also be referred to as space blankets, are harder to find. Use the tips below to make sure that your purchase is 100% capable of keeping you safe and warm in whatever weather condition you find yourself in.

The Right Materials
Basic emergency blankets are made of aluminized non-stretch polyester. Anything else will not be able to effectively or sufficiently reflect your body heat and provide you with the extra warmth you need.

Heavy-duty emergency blankets, on the other hand, are made of a more durable kind of polyethylene. If you’re expecting to meet extreme weather conditions on your camping trip, you’ll be glad to know that this kind of emergency blanket is capable of reflecting 90% of your body heat.

Lastly, authentic emergency blankets are weatherproof. Be sure to test it out for yourself. Emergency blankets must not only be capable of keeping water out but it must also protect your body from strong gusts of wind.

Compact and Lightweight
Because emergency blankets are designed for outdoor use, its manufacturers have ensured that lightweight materials are used for making them to facilitate traveling. If the emergency blanket you are interested in buying is bulky and heavy then it’s probably a fake and won’t give you any semblance of safety or warmth when you finally make use of it on your camping trip.

Flexible
Be sure to test the flexibility of the emergency blanket. You want something that will effectively mold to your shape even in sub-zero conditions.

Size
If you are of exceptional height or girth, be sure to check the dimensions of the emergency blanket. Don’t settle for anything incapable of keeping you fully covered as this could compromise your health and safety.

Appearance
Look for something that’s easy distinguishable even in low light conditions. In cases where you’ll have to pack quickly and move to another camping site, you won’t have a hard time looking for your emergency blanket.

It’s Not for Sharing
Last but not the least, not all emergency blankets are designed for sharing and at the most, they are only capable of keeping two persons under wraps. Anything more would render the emergency blanket less effective than it should be.