small blanket

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andrew7978

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Mar 19, 2007
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After carrying a 50 pound pack for over 50 miles, I am interested in trying out the "ultra-light" side of camping. I am looking for a blanket to replace my sleeping bag. I am looking for something that is warm and waterproof. It would also be nice if it could roll up real small. BTW I am from New England and plan to use the blanket is the spring, summer, and early to mid fall. Any suggestions on material or actual blankets would be appreciated.
 
I don't know of any blankets but they make jungle sleepng bags that are ultralight and store up really tiny, one of the members here I thinkk it's myakka has one, you might also try googling it.
 
Finding a waterproof blanket that would keep you warm is going to be tough. Marmot makes a good line of ultralight bags that use either waterproof outer shells or highly water resistant shells. Jacks-r-Us does make some hiking blankets. Check out Backpackinglight.com. Hope this helps.:)
 
The current GI issue patrol bag with the goretex bivy and a tarp would be a pretty light set up. The bivy is kind of heavy but works very well and the bag will compress pretty small. I have looked at some of the jungle bags, the halo recon 3 and snugpak and they look really flimsy to me and would be interested to hear from someone with some woods experience with either or both. Chris

EDIT: I have also come to be a believer in quality sleeping pads, I have a thermarest 3/4, they really make a difference in warmth and comfort. I have been freezing my butt off sleeping in my patrol bag on a bare cot, got up and put my thermarest down on the cot and slept snug and warm for the rest of the night. Chris
 
Not waterproof, but try a GI poncho liner: http://www.uswings.com/milacc.asp (scroll down about halfway) They weigh almost nothing but they don't compress much. Mine rolls up to 6"X10" and is a small double when open. It can even be used to line a poncho!

I used one last week in a lean to with a small fire while wearing shorts. The temp got down to 10 deg(C) that night but I was warm enough. Sometimes it feels like it's actually producing the heat! Don't know if I'd want to rely on it for 3 season use though. Packing extra clothes just to wear just at night doesn't seem like an advantage over a bag.

Speaking of bags, I have a LiteLoft full mummy bag that, with compression, will stuff into the same size and between 3 and 4 pounds. It's probably still one of the highest warmth/weight synthetics and it's more compressible than down, but it's also 15 years old now. The best thing about it is that I have been warm in -15 degC but not been TOO warm at +15 degC. Of course, being a synthetic, it's still decent when wet, but it really shines when combined with a bivy bag. LiteLoft is great stuff.

You could try a fleece blanket, but I've found that they tend to lose their loft when rolled up for any length of time.
 
I think a good light weight sleeping bag is nothing to skimp on or do without. You could probally shed pounds on other items to lessen your load.
 
ya I have to say I only brought a fleece blanket to the Catskills and was a little cold. The temperature was about 50 and I was in shorts and a t-shirt. You guys might be right, maybe I shouldn't skimp on the sleeping bag and just reduce my other gear.
 
There are down and synthetic quilts made specifically for lightweight backpacking. Depending on model, they may work down to freezing or so. If you're carrying 50 pounds for a 50 mile hike, as you now know, there are lots of other ways to lose the weight. Those quilts are out there, though.
 
Down is very light, and very warm, but bulky and if it gets wet, for get it, you'll be a week drying it. For warm weather, there are a variety of polypro blankets. If you want to get really hardcore as an ultralighter, make a tyvek bivy bag and use a silk bag liner, and maybe a fleece liner if it is going to be cooler. But that is only going to take you comfortably to about 50 degrees, maybe 45, unless your fleece is heavy enough to no longer by light weight.

But I'll be honest, I think sleeping gear is one of the places where ultralighters are taking too many risks and shaving too many corners (along with pack strength, water, and medical).
 
In the fall and spring it's difficult to shave weight, because you need cold gear to be prepared for sudden weather changes. But in the summer, 50 lbs seems ~way~ too much. Makes me wonder what's in your pack...

50 miles is just an overnight hike at 25 miles/day. So you should be able to get that down to 20-25lbs during the summer, no problem. And 25 miles with a 25lb pack is entirely reasonable, even for an occational hiker in sub-average condition (like me).

For instance, on a summer overnight I don't carry a tent, stove, extra blanket, heavy clothes, or much food.

My heaviest pack was a week-long solo early spring hike in Arkansas, 170 miles, 65lbs. The heaviest single category was food (11lbs). But I also carried a two-man tent, heavy clothes, extra wool blanket, extra fuel, etc. I was thankful for all of it because of the cold, sleet, and rain that I encountered. Only made 4 miles the first day with a pack like that, but by the end I was averaging 17 miles/day.

A big hint, eat the heavy food first. :D
And don't skip any of the Ten Essentials! :(

By watching what people pack, a lot of weight is often taken by optional, recreational, educational, or leisure items. Candy, guide books, electronics, fresh foods, musical instruments, journal books, duplicate gear for comparison testing, etc.

A 35mm SLR camera and 300mm zoom lens are my 'luxury' item that I refuse to sacrafice. :D

-Bob
 
I think you can learn a lot from ultralighters, Just don't try to be one!:) I did a trip that was not real long, but I took a two man tent, stove, bag, first aid, food, and gun, and it weighed less than 35lbs, including the pack and a HUGE container of ground coffee.:) After the first night, I left my bag and tent at the sight, along w/ some food, and lost about 10lbs for the next day. Just some ideas.
 
www.snugpak.com

Check out these bags. Very light, very compact. TAD Gear has a couple of the military models, but if you want another model, you might have to order from the UK.
 
I would not skimp on my bag, too much. You might look at a Lafuma bag, they have the Extreme 600; it is synthetic bag rated to 45F; it packs down very small (c.5x10) and weighs a few ounces less than 1.5lbs (c.$60). I am still using an old similar TNF bag, but everyone I know says great things about these Lafuma bags.
You could also look at Adventure Medical Kits they have the
Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivvy, it would not be the most comfy (rated for c. 50F), but I think it is reusable (tyvek type material?) and weighs c. 7oz. (c.$35). It packs down to c. 4x7.
 
Look for a fleece sleeping bag. It is not waterproof, but fleece does not absorb water readily, wrings out well, and drys fast. Have you ever pulled a fleece sweater out of the washing machine? They come out of my machine dry enough to wear.
 
Bob W said:
In the fall and spring it's difficult to shave weight, because you need cold gear to be prepared for sudden weather changes. But in the summer, 50 lbs seems ~way~ too much. Makes me wonder what's in your pack...
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Well it was a summer trip but way up in the mountains and it got down into the 20s. It even snowed one night. I am impressed if you can hike 25 miles a day, but I took a week doing 10 miles a day. To my credit it was pretty hilly and rocky terrain.
 
You have a few options, most of which cost real money.

Get a good, light sleeping bag. There are many. Look to Feathered Friends, Nunatak, Western Mountaineering, etc.

Get (or make) a quilt. See: Fanatic Fringe, Thru-Hiker, Ray Jardine Quilt kit

Get a hybrid. I have one of these:
Arc Alpinist They are really expensive but it's downright amazing. 18oz 20 degree bag. I've had it for 2-3 years and don't regret it.

I bought tons of cheaper bags for several years before this and wasn't happy until I spent the money on a 'real' bag. It's like holsters: it's cheaper to buy the good one than the dozen cheaper ones you buy until you learn that you need to get the expensive one.
 
No blanket would be as good as a sleeping bag out there . Pound for pound a sleeping bag is atlist 5 times warmer.

Sasha
 
sasha said:
No blanket would be as good as a sleeping bag out there . Pound for pound a sleeping bag is atlist 5 times warmer.

Sasha
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No disrespect intended, but this is 100% false. A good, quality quilt is every bit a swarm as a bag and additionally is alot lighter. It's all in the implimentation. Somene who is not versed in the usage of a quilt should definately stick with a conventional sleeping bag. I have switched over to a quilt, bivy, tarp set up along time ago and would never look back. That being said I own some top of the line sleeping bags and enjoy them, but they fill a niche for only the most extreme of conditions.

One of the main misconceptions out there is that UL backpackers suffer or take risks. This is also 100% false. An ULer looks at their gear as a system in which each item is to be used to compliment the others. Why pack layers of clothes for warmth and then carry a bag rated to 20 degrees and not sleep in the layers that you brought? I see tis time and time again. For the most part in the Sierras, 3 seasons out of 4, a 30 degree quilt is way more than enough when used in conjunction with your layering system. A quilt used with a waterproof bivy and tarp is sufficent tokeep me warm and dry through the most difficult of weather. The whole packages weighs in 40 something ounces.

Nunatek makes awesome, high end, down quilts, Kifaru has a really promising synthetics, high end. quilt. I sometimes use my Snugpak jungle bag which is a reasonably priced synthetic bag that can be unzipped and used as a quilt.

ULing isn't for everyone, but I've been doing variations on it for years and have never once felt unsafe or under prepared.

Nessmuk, Muir were ULer's and they seemed to make it just fine.
 
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