question on Reflective Emergency Sleeping Bags

[vontar]

You know when you search the web you come across items like these Reflective Emergency Sleeping Bag, and Survival Reflective Blankets.

Just wondering, have any of you used such a product?

such as http://www.campingsurvival.com/hesubl2pe.html or http://www.amazon.com/Reflective-Emergency-Sleeping-Zone-Survival/dp/B004WMDME8/ref=pd_sim_sg_3

 

I just wonder it these reflective emergency sleeping bags would be worth having in a pack as a just in case.

Looking at them they you have to wonder about the reuse and also they make allot of noise as well as highly visible.  2 things you might not want if you are trying to avoid attention.

 

 

My main sleeping bag is a nice  surplus Mummy and it is very warm.

 

 

My self I kinda question them myself.

Edited January 6, 2013 by vontar

[MacGyver]

Space blankets are well proven survival tools.

Personally, I like the emergency bivys made by Adventure Medical. It's a fist sized addition to your kit that can absolutely keep the reaper out of your business.

http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/product.php?product=146

As someone who has probably consumed 100's of space blankets in my life, the Adventure Medical space blankets are so much better quality than any others on the market, they shouldn't even be in the same category.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001GAOISI

[vontar]

That is good to hear. My concern was they were more of a gimmick.  Guess not.

[UncleJak]

We used one of the blankets a few years ago in a pretty cold environment and it did the job.  They are a bit loud (crinkle crinkle crinkle) but reflect heat very well.

[Moped]

I keep a Causality Blanket in my car.  You can use them for a variety of things like shelter, a tarp, collecting water, and as a blanket.

[2.ooohhh]

For warmth I would take a wool blanket and a pair of large trash bags over most "space blankets" any day in a survival situation. I would even choose my wool blankets over my very expensive high fill down sleeping bag in many instances. That's not to say I don't have a space blanket, but that I've found it uses far more limited when put into actual use, and I haven't really found them to be a magic replacement for anything in my bag. When I was in BWCA several years back I actually came upon a couple that had planned to sleep in a pair of the Adventure medical blankets, they weren't dying or anything(it was late summer) but it was painfully obvious that they really regretted that decision after 4 days of paddling. Seemed to be that they couldn't both stay warm and ventilate so they either woke up soaked to the bone with sweat, or didn't sleep b/c they were too cold.  :2cents:

[MacGyver]

They are definitely a survival tool and absolutely NOT a replacement for any type of sleeping bag - summer weight or otherwise.

I do have a friend who probably owes his life to a space blanket and a tea candle that he used after an immersion accident while we got a fire going.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Layering comes in handy and in an emergency of course one needn't take off one's clothes to sleep.

 

The fleece zip-up "sleeping bag liners" are pretty compact and work as either a fleece blanket unzipped, or a "warm weather bag" zipped up. In addition, if you happen to need to sleep on a nasty bed, a sleeping bag liner might keep some of the cooties off. :)

 

A fleece sleeping bag liner inside a bivy bag such as MacGyver mentioned would be pretty comfy and that combo is what I keep in the jeep. Also there is a little orange plastic bivy tube tent that is about fist-sized that I keep in the jeep bag. Keep the rain off entirely, at least if you could pitch it somewhere with some drainage.

[vontar]

Lester

I stayed in a scary side of the road hotels once and used my sleeping bag on top of the bed.

 

I think we bothered the people at the office asking for  a room and I couldn't help but notice no other cars parked outside the other rooms.

 

I wonder if anyone knows where this is in TN.

 

[jcj]

Lester

I stayed in a scary side of the road hotels once and used my sleeping bag on top of the bed.

 

I think we bothered the people at the office asking for  a room and I couldn't help but notice no other cars parked outside the other rooms.

 

I wonder if anyone knows where this is in TN.

 

I think I would have slept in the car. 

[vontar]

I think I would have slept in the car. 

We had to Deer Rifles and my pistol on the inside.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I have a space blanket and a couple of the SOL Survival Bivvy bags in my get home bag I keep in the car.  I figure it's far better than nothing and nice insurance to have.  They are small and lightweight.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

Lester

I stayed in a scary side of the road hotels once and used my sleeping bag on top of the bed.

 

I think we bothered the people at the office asking for  a room and I couldn't help but notice no other cars parked outside the other rooms.

 

I wonder if anyone knows where this is in TN.

 

 

Was the desk clerk a nice clean cut young man with a last name of Bates?

[vontar]

Was the desk clerk a nice clean cut young man with a last name of Bates?

Nope but I wondering if anyone will get this.

 

I think dad wanted to stay there for one reason.  Back when I was about 12 that placed was packed for deer season a year in advance.  Dad had wanted to stay in that hotel and we ended up camping out.  I was just as happy to camp out myself.

Edited January 9, 2013 by vontar

[Clod Stomper]

Lester

I stayed in a scary side of the road hotels once and used my sleeping bag on top of the bed.

 

I think we bothered the people at the office asking for  a room and I couldn't help but notice no other cars parked outside the other rooms.

 

I wonder if anyone knows where this is in TN.

 

 

I have no idea where that is, but I bet it has hourly rates.

 

As far as reflective bags, they'll keep you alive, but as others have said, they are no replacement for a real sleeping bag.

 

I used one of these once to keep warm overnight at about 11,000 feet.  http://www.nationalfirefighter.com/product_info.php?cPath=152_228&products_id=1021&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=bing_shelter

 

Except the one I slept under was an older generation and had no floor.  Fortunately, I had a friend to share bodyheat with.  Unfortunately, I had sent my own backpack, with my jacket and "survival" gear on ahead of me with the last helo ride back to camp.  I didn't know at the time that it would be the last helo flight of the day.  

 

I don't know what the temp got to that night, but it was at least in the low 40s.  Probably 30s.  We deployed the fire shelter around midnight.  Fortunately it was the only time I had to deploy a fire shelter, and it was to keep heat IN instead of keeping heat OUT.  

 

It seems to be made of essentially the same stuff except fire shelters have a couple extra layers to maintain stiffness.  They work very well to block radiant heat, but they are difficult to wrap close to your body.

[Cherokee Slim]

My last three years of work were either in the jungle or 13,000+ feet up in the mountains above Cusco Peru.  I used a space blanket several times in storms, wrapped up in my truck cab.  We also brought down an old Quechua man we found almost dead in a ditch.  We always had spares since they can tear, but if you just wrap up in them they are worth their weight in gold.

Cherokee Slim

[vontar]

Yup, I have read enough to know that I will keep 2 in my bag.  They are light weight and sounds very useful to have.

[jlautiger]

I'm late to the discussion, always seem to be...

 

I'm a fan of the Adventure Medical sheets, bivvy, etc.  They are stronger than the normal space blankets and come in different options to fit your plan.  We have some space blankets too for extras and other misc needs.

 

As for the place, I'm glad I don't know where it is in TN. Are you ready to share the secret yet?

 

It does remind me a of a motel I stayed at in California when I had a last minute business trip where the US Open was being held.  It was the only available location at a very unreasonable rate.  I wished I had a sleeping bag or even one of the space blankets to sleep on.  Not a nice place. 

[vontar]

I guess it is time to share the location.  That is the Grinder Switch Inn.

 

I am sure allot of people will know Grinder Switch, however for those that don't, it is in Centerville TN (Hickman Co.)

[jlautiger]

Ah, found this review of the place on Yahoo.  Seems they agree with you... (punctuation and spelling is theirs not mine)

 

this place was nasty just plain nasty we went down 4 bike rally 07 @ grinder switch it was the only thing in that area that was not booked up it was a rat hole never again would i stay there in that condition plain nasty i am telling u

[vontar]

on the left of frame is the office, on the right side, yes that is trash leaned up against that wall.

 

That Door you see on the right side was our room.  There was on more room to the far right that is out of sight in that picture.  Behind that building.

[East_TN_Patriot]

I guess it is time to share the location.  That is the Grinder Switch Inn.

 

I am sure allot of people will know Grinder Switch, however for those that don't, it is in Centerville TN (Hickman Co.)

 

Reminds me of a couple of nice places in Panama City.