Uses of the Survival Blanket

I

IA Woodsman

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Sep 21, 2009
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I have been trying to complete the vids about the gear that I carry in my PSK. One item I think is underrated is the Mylar space blanket. It can be use for shelter, personal protection, signaling, gathering water and all kind of other things. The nice thing about these is they are easy to practice with. They are only a couple of bucks apiece. I will post up some pics later.

[YOUTUBE]dOAD5nr4IgM[/YOUTUBE]
 
Thanks for posting this very informative video. When contemplating how to utilize an emergency survival blanket as a shelter, I always wondered about how to create a tab or hole to attach cordage. The grass button method you demonstrated looks very effective.:thumbup:
 
Very cool video, thank you for sharing. I switched to the Adventure Medical 2 Person Heetsheets a couple years ago. IMO, they are much more durable and quieter.

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BushcraftBrainTrust said:
I switched to the Adventure Medical 2 Person Heetsheets a couple years ago. IMO, they are much more durable and quieter.
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So have I but most likely people will have the mylar type due to it's relatively lower cost so it's great to see a video demonstrating the different uses for them.

Great job IA - keep em coming brother :thumbup:
 
That is a very well done video. Very clear great info and to the point. I like that you use the bark and the grass as the only way to set up the tent. Im going to get my nephew to watch your videos. Great job bud.

Sasha
 
I very much like the use of grass buttons. Last time I used one of these to make a shelter, I just tied the corners on directly which wasn't terribly secure.

I'm used to the two-person orange/mylar type sheets. I'm not sure I've even seen the dual sided mylar ones.
 
Thanks Ia! Great stuff as usual. The tip on another forum about using as a cooler liner is awesome as well. Would have never thought of that myself.
 
Roger that reflective power, IA. Last year's winter trip through WLC, we hung a Sportsman's space blanket near the fire, actually several feet from the fire. The heat reflected was so intense that you could not stand long between the blanket and the fire. Amazing.
 
Awesome! In my favorites to have my kids watch later as well. Thanks for sharing.:thumbup:
 
Good video! I never thought of using twisted grass, but have always used pebbles or nuts to add temporary guy points to a tarp.

And as you noted, it is a good idea to know which local trees provide inner bark and roots that can be used as impromptu cordage without a lot of preparation. Not only does it save time over braiding or twisting plant fibers, but it is a much easier skill to learn. :thumbup:
 
kahuana said:
Roger that reflective power, IA. Last year's winter trip through WLC, we hung a Sportsman's space blanket near the fire, actually several feet from the fire. The heat reflected was so intense that you could not stand long between the blanket and the fire. Amazing.
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It is pretty crazy how much heat it will reflect. Like you said if you are not careful it will drive you out of your shelter.
 
Great video thanks! I like how you did the natural cordage lashings, I have recently become accutely aware of basswood when I find it. I also like how you did the poncho

I did a test with an AMK a couple of years ago, and used similar tie down points because the pics on it show it as being used as a shelter but not how to attach the guy lines.

First I just tied a ridge line between two trees (I would use a sapling now as long as I had a way to cut it and tie it up) and then draped the blanket over it.

Then I pre-tied some loops in four pieces of string, with the first two being only about a foot long or so,( you may want to wait on the second two to avoid waste).
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I pulled the e blanket across the ridge to a position of roughly ¾ on one side and pull the long side till it touched the ground and this was where I drove my stakes at an angle leaning away from the shelter and just a bit wider than the material to help keep it taught. The stakes can be driven with the pommel of a knife if it's all you have available. but a good sized rock works well also.

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I took some debris(also known as duff), and placed it on the corner and wrap the material around it making a ball

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Then I took the loop and wrapped it around the ball.

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Then pulled the working end of the cord through the loop and tightened it.

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Then just tied it to the stake

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I repeated this step on all four corners doing the back ones that touch the ground first, then using the front ones to tighten it all up.


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Once I tied it up I decided to see how well it would hold up and so I left it up for over a month and documented everything even through a couple of storms and some pretty high winds. I was really impressed with the AMK Heat sheats, went and bought several more and have been packing them ever since. I have used them as reflectors wish I had though about tying it up as a rain catch in a recent contest...didn't even occurr to me in the 100 plus heat, I think my jead was fried...


KuRUpTD said:
So have I but most likely people will have the mylar type due to it's relatively lower cost so it's great to see a video demonstrating the different uses for them.

Great job IA - keep em coming brother :thumbup:
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Well said.
 
Your videos are great, thanks! I wouldn't know basswood if I saw it, but I'm going to learn more about it. I loved your "packing the alice pack" video also!
 
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