space blanket under sleeping bag?

A

awad

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Oct 16, 2009
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i have a newer big agnes sleeping bad that has no bottom insulation and only a space for a pad to be put in. i also have an inflatable pad that fits in there, i'm wondering if it would work at all if i wrapped the pad in a space blanket prior to putting it in the bag, would it still reflect my heat back onto me? any experience with this?

thanks!
 
awad said:
i have a newer big agnes sleeping bad that has no bottom insulation and only a space for a pad to be put in. i also have an inflatable pad that fits in there, i'm wondering if it would work at all if i wrapped the pad in a space blanket prior to putting it in the bag, would it still reflect my heat back onto me? any experience with this?

thanks!
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Yeah, that should work. Though, for maximum value, I would put the space blanket as far from your skin as possible.

Marion
 
ah, i was under the impression that the closer to the skin, the better. great info! thanks.
 
Not what you asked, but I would be reluctant to follow that fellow's advice about wrapping a space blanket around the outside of a sleeping bag unless water/wind protection was critical at the time. I believe the mylar/plastic layer could trap body moisture in the bag's insulation and might compromise warmth as much as or more than aiding it. I had a friend try that once (against my advice) and it was not successful.

If you're going to use a mylar space BAG as a vapor barrier INSIDE the sleeping bag, that's another thing.

DancesWithKnives
 
DWK2 said:
Not what you asked, but I would be reluctant to follow that fellow's advice about wrapping a space blanket around the outside of a sleeping bag unless water/wind protection was critical at the time. I believe the mylar/plastic layer could trap body moisture in the bag's insulation and might compromise warmth as much as or more than aiding it. I had a friend try that once (against my advice) and it was not successful.

If you're going to use a mylar space BAG as a vapor barrier INSIDE the sleeping bag, that's another thing.

DancesWithKnives
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The way I read his original post, he is trying to use the mylar blanket to insulate himself from the ground. As such, I believe it will have benefit. Maybe I mis-read his original post.

Marion
 
I have a tent that doesn't have a footprint, and I've used a space blanket many times in place of a footprint. It works well enough, and is actually not too noisy with a tent on top of it. I've used it under my sleeping bad as well, not necessarily for reflective properties, but again for moisture management. It worked well in that situation also.
 
Marion David Poff said:
The way I read his original post, he is trying to use the mylar blanket to insulate himself from the ground. As such, I believe it will have benefit. Maybe I mis-read his original post.

Marion
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no, you had it on the button. i'm using a sleeping bag with no insulation on the bottom and i wanted to use the space blanket to help insulate me and my non-insulated air pad from the ground.
 
Marion,

I apologize if you thought I was referring to your remarks. I was referring to the advice contained in the link that appeared immediately before my comment (in post #4). Toward the end of that link, the fellow talks about wrapping a space blanket around the outside of a summer bag to extend its warmth.

Sorry about the misunderstanding. I meant no offense to you.

DancesWithKnives
 
DWK2 said:
Marion,

I apologize if you thought I was referring to your remarks. I was referring to the advice contained in the link that appeared immediately before my comment (in post #4). Toward the end of that link, the fellow talks about wrapping a space blanket around the outside of a summer bag to extend its warmth.

Sorry about the misunderstanding. I meant no offense to you.

DancesWithKnives
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No worries, no drama.

I just wanted to make sure that we were steering him the right way.

And you make a very good point.

Sincerely,
Marion
 
I'd just use the space blanket as a ground sheet and set a Thermarest or Ridgerest on top of that. You'll need the ridgerest to insulate yourself from the cold ground.

SOmetimes I use a tarp
DSC05990.jpg

Other times I just use a thin plastic sheet and leave the tarp at home
DSC06767.jpg
 
It wasn't below freezing but I was camping once on the edge of a canyon where the wind was cranking and even in my 20 degre bag I was COLD.

I took a space blanket and put it on top of my bag. There was some condensation but it worked to keep me warm.:thumbup:
 
I use one as a footprint for my backpacking tent, too. Shiney side down to insulate from the ground.
 
A space blanket doesn't provide much insulation. Your body looses heat 3 ways simultaneously, 1)radiation, 2)convection, and 3) conduction. The space blanket only prevents cooling (loss of btus of body heat) by stopping evaporative cooling.

An interesting discussion of thermodynamics regarding sleeping bags (and the BA in particular) here on backpackinglight.

This explains it ten times better than I can.

Codger
 
7 million yrs ago ( well ok the late '70's) When I was a boy Scout. Before the arrival of closed cell mats let alone Self inflators I used ( at my Grandfathers instruction) a ( whole) news paper for ground insultion. Of course it has many many other uses. Firelighting cooking toilet paper, boredom ( love them crosswords) origami,
Carl
 
if you can obtain some small pine branches to put on ground 1st, you might increase your comfort. if terrain & woods allow, one ole indian trick is to build a decent fire, rake the coals & ASHES TO ONE SIDE .when it's cooled a little put your sleeping equip. on warm area. the fire not only warms the ground it helps to make a dry surface.
 
most Space Blankets are cheap, and only act as vapor barriers to any affective degree. i prefer tarps for classic space blanket applications.

there are some advantages to space blankets that tarps of various materials can not do, like making sunglasses wit them and signalling, but those options are a little far fetched for this vector....

if you get a space blanket, make sure that it is a quality one, otherwise just get 3 - 6 Mil plastic bags, is my advice.

vec
 
I would think that a mylar space blanket would be pretty crunchy/crinkly to sleep on. Why not get a roll of blue camping foam from wal-mart?
 
BenchmadeBoy said:
I would think that a mylar space blanket would be pretty crunchy/crinkly to sleep on. Why not get a roll of blue camping foam from wal-mart?
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Yes, that is what I am seeing too. It is fine if you want to protect an inflatable sleeping pad with a space blanket (or tyvek or blue tarp) from bottom punctures, but it doesn't add to the R value significantly. Blue foam (CCF) above or below the inflatable pad ups the R value (without trapping condensation in the bag).
 
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