Placing emergency blanket under sleeping pad

[BCrob]

Would placing one of those silver emergency blankets under you sleeping pad increase your warmth? Me and a buddy were talking about this other day. Anyone try it before?

Cheers

 

[Don K]

Cabela's Online Store - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear

I picked up one of these from Cabelas last year and had it when I packed in. One night it got down in the 20's and I used this over my sleeping bag and it worked incredible.

 

[BCrob]

Cabela's Online Store - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear

I picked up one of these from Cabelas last year and had it when I packed in. One night it got down in the 20's and I used this over my sleeping bag and it worked incredible.

Good to know thanks. I've got a 30 degree quilt I'm planning on using on an upcoming goat/sheep hunt. I'll have baselayers if needed as well

 

[CLICKBANGBANG]

I don't think you'll get any extra warmth from the emergency blanket. The space blanket will just conduct the cold from the ground into the bag and will give you no more R value. Look at the Thermarest neoair xlite (or similar). It has baffles with an interior space blanket. The air baffles and material reflect the heat back into the sleeping bag. And the stacking air baffles transition the cold from the ground, into a warmer base for the sleeping bag. This creates R value. Different pads will have higher or lower R value based on performance of design and materials used. If a Space blanket or emergency space bag gave you 3.2 R value and kept you warm, I'm betting everyone would just use it in the cold and not a $100-$200 sleeping pad.

Edit- Cold doesn't reflect. The space blankets are designed to reflect the heat (like the one linked). By the time the blanket is under the pad, I don't think it will help at all. Now if you put the blanket on top of the sleeping pad, maybe would help more.

I've stayed a week of nights freezing and using a space bag in different ways. Huge unexpected cold snap. My bag and gear was way sub par back then. I ended up staying back in the truck (with camper shell) in a sleeping bag with the emergency space bag. What I found was, I'd rather die by hypothermia then try to use one. Lol! I'm a light sleeper and the crinkle sound just from breathing would wake me. Also if the sleeping bag can't breath (due to the space bag), you'll be a soaking wet freezing mess. I ended up just sleeping in all of my clothes in the cheapo sleeping bag without the space blanket.

 

[paleraider]

I attempted to use a space blanket under my air mattress last season and it didn't really do anything, in fact as mentioned above I think it made things worse.

I am not trying to poke a hole in your plan as I don't know what time of year or where you upcoming hunt is. I will however say that a 30 degree quilt seems like it might not be enough. Please note this comes from someone who is a cold sleeper so if you know it is good to go then disregard. Yet for me I go with a 0 degree quilt and I will also pack some thermal underwear just in case. Last year I went with a 32 degree bag and at 9,000 feet in late September I was a very cold camper. Yet for me I will not go out in the high country in september where I hunt with anything greater than a 15 degree back, I like to sleep comfortably

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have used both types of emergency blankets. The thin Mylar ones block wind and reflect a little heat but they are loud and I am not sure they would do much for you in that role. The heavier ones like the cabelas are more durable but I am not sure they do much more. I notice some of the sleeping pad makers were using reflective material for a while but got away from it.

If I were looking for a light and cheap way to enhance my sleeping rig I would use this:

Amazon.com: S.O.L. Survive Outdoors Longer Escape Bivvy (OD Green): Health & Personal Care

 

[Lockster]

I've used one of those SOL escape bivies as part of a sleep system before as a trial. I use a hammock and I figured that it could potentially have a dual purpose if I could use it as my insulation underneath me (this was before I used an under quilt and was using a bulky sleeping mat. I was hoping to replace the need for carrying the mat.

my theory was that if the bivy was designed to keep people alive then it should keep my back warm when laid under me. It ultimately was a total ffailure and I had to revert back to the mat fairly early into the evening.

what it taught me was that when it comesto sstaying warm at night it is more important to bring something that works than bringing something just because it is light! It also made me re evaluate the ultimate function of these emergency bivies, I think that they have a value to potentially keep a lost bushwalker ALIVE through a night but they would be most exceptionally uncomfortable through the night.

The particular night that I did my experiment was cold AND raining and I remember thinking at the time that I doubted any chance of survival if I had been relying on just the emergency bivy.

Just some food for thought.

 

[BCrob]

I've used one of those SOL escape bivies as part of a sleep system before as a trial. I use a hammock and I figured that it could potentially have a dual purpose if I could use it as my insulation underneath me (this was before I used an under quilt and was using a bulky sleeping mat. I was hoping to replace the need for carrying the mat.

my theory was that if the bivy was designed to keep people alive then it should keep my back warm when laid under me. It ultimately was a total ffailure and I had to revert back to the mat fairly early into the evening.

what it taught me was that when it comesto sstaying warm at night it is more important to bring something that works than bringing something just because it is light! It also made me re evaluate the ultimate function of these emergency bivies, I think that they have a value to potentially keep a lost bushwalker ALIVE through a night but they would be most exceptionally uncomfortable through the night.

The particular night that I did my experiment was cold AND raining and I remember thinking at the time that I doubted any chance of survival if I had been relying on just the emergency bivy.

Just some food for thought.

What was your bag rated to? I'm assuming that if it was rainin so it was above freezing. Disappointing it didn't work for you.

 

[Lockster]

It was a down bag, rated to around 0c, but the rating of bags is a little irrelevant in a hammock as the fill gets crushed between your body and the hammock fabric, hence why I was cold despite the emergency bivy, there just wasn't sufficient insulation between me and the cold night air.

 

[fort fireman]

I have one of the heavy duty double sided ones. Silver and orange. I put it under my pad but it's basically just a ground cover, since I sleep in a floorless. I use it because I'm going to carry it anyway and it's that whole serve 2 purposes things. Instead of carrying it and a tyvek sheet or tarp. All that being said I haven't noticed it helping at all with being warmer.

 

[BCrob]

Good info. Thanks guys. Got a good deal on a 30 degree EE quilt. Would have rather ed the 20 degree but I can up grade to that next year if needed. Be leaving on the 2nd for an 8 day goat/sheep hunt and wondering if this will be warm enough. I have good baselayer if needed. If it looks like it will be colder I can bring my Mont bell bag instaed

 

[SnapT]

BCrob you can always send your EE quilt and have them throw in extra down and make it a 20 degree .. . I did that with mine and it came back as new (but now 20 degree lol) .
cheers

 

[BCrob]

BCrob you can always send your EE quilt and have them throw in extra down and make it a 20 degree .. . I did that with mine and it came back as new (but now 20 degree lol) .
cheers

Good to know. Thanks. I'll get in touch with them.

 

[BCrob]

Spoke with the folks at EE and it'll be $50 to change it from a 30 degree bag to a 20. Good to know.

Rob

 

[ozyclint]

what it taught me was that when it comes to staying warm at night it is more important to bring something that works than bringing something just because it is light!

IMO, this applies to all backpacking gear. something ultralight that doesn't work is heavy.

 

[Hunter Sargent]

I did this last year, but not for additional warmth. I forgot a ground cloth and the space blanket actually worked great as a ground cloth.

 

[FreeRange]

I've used a mylar space blanket the last 2 seasons with a 20 deg HG quilt and torso length xlite. I like it, I don't expect it adds a lot of warmth but it has to be a little better than tyvek in that regard. I've thought if things really hit the fan I could always wrap myself up in it and it'd be better in that case than a tyvek or polycryo ground sheet (which I've never tried as a ground sheet but is the other really ultralight option). The mylar blankets are noisy but surprisingly durable and absolutely waterproof. If you really want to add a better thermal barrier between you and the ground an Xtherm is the best way to do that for the weight. I've gone down to 20 with my 20 degree quilt and survived and was only mildly uncomfortable, in retrospect it wasn't so bad that I'd change my setup but being a little chilly doesn't bother me as much as it might bother others. I love that my whole sleep system is well under 2lbs and it's never a second thought to keep it in the pack all day and sleep wherever I want. I can fold the mylar blanket back up and stuff it in the sack that came with my xlite.