Survival bag vs survival blanket in the mountains.

[Paul_B]

BTW in my early days of going out into the hills in all conditions I used to carry everything from bivvy bags, big fak, loads of spare clothes/hats/gloves/socks and torches/head torch with plenty of redundancy and batteries. My pack was 40 litres crammed full and weighed a tonne. Later I learnt a lot about being in the outdoors. That experience meant lightening the load. If you've got an experienced group with good group practices with regard to safety of all then there is less need for emergency kit each but a certain amount of group kitting out. Now I go out without any emergency shelter at all. I find a fast and light approach safer. By that I mean with less kit I can move quicker, more agile and generally safer than the old.days with everything I could possibly ever use in the hills with me but never used. overkill now imho. I'm also the guy, or was a couple of years ago, who was to be found in the Lakes in winter with a 20l up sack wearing fell shoes and moving fast through the snow or wearing micro cramping if really needed, not often. Watching my overburdened mates slipping or struggling with all the gear (but no idea).

Just remember a novice needs to learn how to stay safe in the hills. Better that than giving them gear in the hope they know how / when to use it or even putting them in that situation in the first place.

 

[cbr6fs]

Fast and light is great until you twist an ankle or break a leg.

My guess is you wouldn't be laughing at your "overburdened mates" when they dig out a emergency bivvy bag for you to shelter in

 

[Jimmy Bojangles]

Fast and light is great until you twist an ankle or break a leg.

My guess is you wouldn't be laughing at your "overburdened mates" when they dig out a emergency bivvy bag for you to shelter in

I agree, I used to go fell running in winter on the moors in shorts and a long sleeved top keeping warm by keeping moving. But after I tore my calf Thai boxing (something I've done for years with no problems) I realized how stupid I had been (not inferring Paul_B is, but I definitely was). It went again a few months later when I was running in London, it took my nearly 40 min's to hop the half mile back to my hotel. If that'd been on the moors I'd have been spending the night!

 

[tsitenha]

I would choose a blanket, you can "cone" cover yourself and with a small fire add to your heat. I have personally used this method on a hunt, where I chosen to stay on the trail instead of going back to camp. With a bag it's only your own heat that is reflected back to you, you don't get the portion of heat that a fire would give you as well as a cowl.

 

[peaks]

If you are injured surely its easier to utilise a blanket rather than a bag?

 

[Angry Pirate]

If you are injured surely its easier to utilise a blanket rather than a bag?

Often it is. On first aid training courses we cut bags open to make a blanket you can wrap the casualty in as you'll have a tough time manhandling an unconcious casualty into a bag and you lose access if you need to monitor them. A similar argument raged on the climbing forum. The best answer I read was how would you expect to get an unconcious climber into the bag on a small alpine ledge?
That said, bags are warmer as shelter: pull over your head, tuck the bottom in round your feet (or slip them into your pack) and poke a breathing hole or two by your face. Toasty, like a one-man bothy bag. And, has been said, you can turn the bag into a blanket with a knife in seconds; you can't make a blanket work as a bag so easily.

 

[John Fenna]

I am sure I once had a Survival Blanket that had sticky tape down one side so that it could either be used as a plain blanket or made into a bag if needed...
I cannot recall the maker or even how long ago I had this kit.... I am sure I did a review of it... I have no idea if they are still available...

 

[Ahjno]

Have a look at this vid:

[video=youtube;w-nyk3uU_K0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-nyk3uU_K0[/video]

 

[cbr6fs]

Have a look at this vid:

[video=youtube;w-nyk3uU_K0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-nyk3uU_K0[/video]

Some good advice in that video.

Personally i tend to go into the bag feet first then wrap the the opening around my head with my face sticking out.

The hole and candle trick would be good in still lowland conditions, i really wouldn't want to cut a hole in my emergency bag if it was really windy though, as once a tear is started it's extremely easy for it to open up on most the plastics used on the cheaper emergency bags.

I'd also want to test the flammability of my bivvy bag before putting a candle inside.
If it only melts then the risk might well be worth it, if it's a a bag with some sort of flammable coating then i wouldn't risk it.

Saying that i have never once taken a candle out with me, so it's not really something that applies to me and the type of outdoors activities i do any ways.

 

[Paul_B]

Perhaps a modded UL tarp with hook and loop closure up sides and one end for the option of blanket and bag plus a tarp shelter too. IIRC some of the army bashas (if a bit heavy) have this folding thing so they can be used as a stretcher.

I will try and find the link to the emergency blanket with holes at the corners for other uses. I think that would be a good blanket for emergencies (plus a very good groundsheet for tarping trips.

 

[Limaed]

I am sure I once had a Survival Blanket that had sticky tape down one side so that it could either be used as a plain blanket or made into a bag if needed...
I cannot recall the maker or even how long ago I had this kit.... I am sure I did a review of it... I have no idea if they are still available...

John, the Blizzard Blankets have tape down one side so once you have the Cas in their protection is secure. We use this as the first layer in a 'Cas Wrap' it acts as a effective vapour barrier. I still prefer the sleeping bag for my own PPE, backed with a duvet jacket & Bothy bag.

 

[John Fenna]

Aye Blizzard!
I have also tested their Bags and Jackets - all excellent kit
I keep a Blizzard Bag (vacuum packed) in my canoeing kit and one that has been opened in my van (both are environments that I would not want to keep a normal sleeping bag for long) - The sticky side blanket and the jacket both got used up and recycled a long time ago
I also carry a group sized bothy bag and spare warm clothing for personal use.

 

[Rich.H]

Try an SOL bivvy bag, much better than a blanket as she can get in it if needed. The lite version will drop into a jacket pocket with ease and is hardy enough to use as an outer layer for a sleeping bag to add a season. Shop around for them though as prices do jump about a bit on retailer, but for more info on them here is an amazon link.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00EVGD0FQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you then double up on space you can include a lightweight 2 person bothy, which is also bright orange so easily seen so she can happily stay warm in a bivvy bag and out of the weather under the bothy.

http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/safety-and-first-aid/VE106.html

 

[janso]

I think Lifesystems do a SOL version as well? Not sure if there's much price difference. Yet to try mine out but it looks the same kind of emergency bag


Sent from my hidey hole using Tapatalk... sssh!

 

[BigMonster]

Yeah we have been out last weekend and tried both.
Dark and windy - bag wins hands down (we tested the SOL doubble size blanket and standard thick survival bag). Blanket is just too much hassle, and if you add wet and cold hands you have very little chance wrapping yourself properly.

So she is now carrying:
orange plastic bag (more durable, when you are cold and wet you just don't care to be gentle with it),
two chocolate bars,
whistle,
waterproof matches + small bic lighter + tampon as fire kit,
4 chemical hand warmers,
small torch.
All nicely wrapped in clinge foil making a nicely compressed, waterproof but easy to open package. Should keep her alive if she have to stay put in crappy conditions for any reason.

I know that with the blanket you can improvise a shelter, do the candle thing, make a poncho etc etc. But like I said before, it's for someone with basic skills so we need something easy, simple and fool proof. Bag wins.

 

[windbreaker]

good evening all, this is a problem that is very relevant in Scandinavia. The aluminium foil blankets are matchbox sized, and weigh little. They are not very robust, and can be uncontrolable in wind. The two bag/poncho/bivys I am linking too weigh more, cost more, take more volume - but do their job so much better. For me, and many friends, the bags are really worth the weight penalty.

http://www.helsport.no/fjellduk-pro-best-i-test?___store=english

http://jerven.mediabook.no/5/

Each walker must have their own emergency kit - I am suprised that this is seen as a group responsibility - not over here!
I use the Helsport bag, the Norwegian Army use the Jerven bag, they are basically the same.

Safe travels,
Peter, in Oslo

 

[Will_]

How small are the survival bags when folded?
Are they about the size of an OS map but thicker?
Could they be folded over again to make them smaller?
I'm wondering if they'd fit into a small(ish) pouch 7 x 5 inch...

 

[Quixoticgeek]

For a good description of the various options out there for emergency shelters, pobcastbob has done a useful video again:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6i44DjomhE

Julia

 

[cranmere]

In exposed conditions I'd go for some kind of a bag over a blanket/sheet. You can bet that when you need it it will be howling wind and rain and in those conditions a blanket is useless because you can't keep it around you efficiently. Even a cheap orange plastic bag is effective in an emergency.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

In caving we were taught that when using a survival bag, to cut the corner off, pull it over your head, and sit on the bottom, as a more effective method than just laying in it like a sleeping bag.

J