Wool blankets-cold weather

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goatariba

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Apr 18, 2008
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I am a tarp and wool blanket guy through the summer, but my blankets left something to be desired. they're ancient and thin good for fairweathered nights, here are my questions.
1-down to what temps do you use yours?
2-what blanket are you using?
3-are you always fully clothed boots and all (as i generally am) in your blanket?
4-should i move to sleeping bags? though i don't like them as much, less versatile i find.
thanks in advanced, lots to learn and improve on here.
Russell
 
i add more blankets as it gets colder(mine are about 3 point size).
i sleep in longjohns and wool shirt and double thick homemade woolblanket mocassin liners, and a hat(knitted cap)
 
I use a fleece sleeping bag (I have 2) for temps down into the 50s. I can unzip and just use as a blanket, plus they are light to pack/carry. I sleep in clothes if I think i need to, otherwise I strip down to boxers and tshirt. I keep socks on if anticipating cold. I use a sleeping bag too, if it is warm I just sleep on top of it.
 
goatariba said:
I am a tarp and wool blanket guy through the summer, but my blankets left something to be desired. they're ancient and thin good for fairweathered nights, here are my questions.
1-down to what temps do you use yours?
2-what blanket are you using?
3-are you always fully clothed boots and all (as i generally am) in your blanket?
4-should i move to sleeping bags? though i don't like them as much, less versatile i find.
thanks in advanced, lots to learn and improve on here.
Russell
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I live in the south and don't use wool...too heavy for my needs. This is a question Rick (Magnussen) needs to chime in on. He is really into his wool, and is like a wool expert or something. I think he has already done something on this...I'll see if I can find a link.


***Edited, found some links***


Here are some links to some of his threads. If you go through his post history you'll see more wilderness training threads. The man likes his wool and I have learned enough from him to know that if I ever head to colder climates I'll be taking wool blankets (and I hate the feel of wool)


Winter Anorak (wool)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=618590


Winter Training Gear List (you'll see where the wool blanket is on this list)

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=621274


A night in the snow

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=606558
 
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Sleeping bag + blanket is nice.Or maybe two heavy wool blankets ?I have two military blankets and they're very very thick and warm ;)
 
goatariba said:
I am a tarp and wool blanket guy through the summer, but my blankets left something to be desired. they're ancient and thin good for fairweathered nights, here are my questions.
1-down to what temps do you use yours?
2-what blanket are you using?
3-are you always fully clothed boots and all (as i generally am) in your blanket?
4-should i move to sleeping bags? though i don't like them as much, less versatile i find.
thanks in advanced, lots to learn and improve on here.
Russell
Click to expand...

1- upper 40s F - any lower and I want a sleeping bag or a nice fire

2- Italian blankets from Cheaper than Dirt - they're incredibly high quality blankets (Italian mills are some of the best in the world) and incredibly cheap - but with a major downside that the Italian military soaked them in napthalene. It takes some serious airing out and serious washing to get them usable. Smoking them over a fire helps too. My recommendation if you order one is DON'T open the box indoors! :barf:

3- Usually fully dressed - wool just doesn't insulate as well as a sleeping bag, especially considering their weight. Staying warm is all about insulation and trapped air is an excellent insulator - which is why crawling into a pile of leaves or making a snow cave will keep you warm in some seriously low temps. But wool just doesn't trap much air compared to a high loft sleeping bag.

4- absolutely - unless you have some other means of keeping warm like a pile of leaves or a snow cave or a fire or a hot water bottle, a sleeping bag is your best bet for really low temps. And if you backpack in cold temps it'll save you a couple of pounds of weight - and that extra weight you save can go towards carrying high-fat foods to keep you warm at night. A belly full of calories will go a long way toward keeping you warm. :thumbup:
 
Yep I am a blanket kind of guy to for the warmer weather I do not use wool in summer though. I like to use my poucho liner but when the temps get lower I like a wool blanket to. Now I know this will sound crazy to some but ho well. I also like to use for summer a peace of or a small 4' by 7' long canvas tarp or a covering as a blanket.
Canvas is a tough tight woven materail and I that is anice for the milder weather. And if i sparks gets on it that is just fine LOL not like my poncho liner that gets holes way to easy LOL.

winter time I am a wiggys sleeping bag kind of guy LOL.

Bryan
 
I'm no expert on the subject, but will tell you what works for me. In temperatures >35 deg I will wrap tight in my wool blanket (Italian military surplus)
Anything below that I'll dig a trench in the ground and put some hot rocks from the fire (heated them for about an hour), cover them and sleep on top of that after the soil has dried. Don't get me wrong, when it's below zero and you try this you will be cold. The only time i have not needed a blanket or sleeping bag is when I've slept in a debris hut... even at zero degrees with a single layer on I've stayed warm. This was with 5 feet of debris all around.

If you decide on an italian military wool blanket, realize that they come in different weights. Even though I've never seen this disclosed on a website, I've ordered two and one is about half the weight of the other (half the thickness too). But I'm 6' 1", 180lbs and fit very comfortably in them (they are huge - 66"x88" or something). Plus if you get a blanket pin you can wear it as a very warm outerlayer jacket.
 
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I use two cheap sleeping bags, one on bottom and one as a cover, undies-tshirt no socks. They are poly fill and keep you warm in moderate temps >40. I put a wool blanket over the top if temps drop or a tarp when expecting dew.
 
Patrickknives said:
I use two cheap sleeping bags, one on bottom and one as a cover, undies-tshirt no socks. They are poly fill and keep you warm in moderate temps >40. I put a wool blanket over the top if temps drop or a tarp when expecting dew.
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Any top layer will trap some air between but also crush some of the air out of the polyester fill. Down is worse in that regard - loses more loft under weight. Of course, some don't like the feel of wool on their skin (or pelt, as the case may be :D)
 
You need one like I use - it's a Hudson's Bay wool blanket that my grandmother got for me from a yard sale for $5! I use it to suppliment my sleeping bag in cold weather (fall & winter).
 
I've been a fool for a good blanket Roll ever since I tried them out:

Use a hudson bay 4 point blanket and do some research on blanket rolls and pins. Using a blanket is an art form, and you want to get a very large size in order to use it properly. The only catch 22 is that the good wool blankets like a hudson bay trade blankets or the pendletons is that they can go as much as a good sleeping bag. Using them correctly results in a very nice sleep with a little bit of tradition whispering in your ear, along with warm feet to boot. Using them wrong usually results in a cold chest area. Many places will show you how to roll them, but none tell the user how to sleep. I think in David Wescott's book on traditional camping, there is a tidbit about how to sleep in one. Thats the way I have used. Isn't there one in Wildwood wisdom as well?
 
Bruce Culberson said:
You need one like I use - it's a Hudson's Bay wool blanket that my grandmother got for me from a yard sale for $5! I use it to suppliment my sleeping bag in cold weather (fall & winter).
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hudson bay or whitney blankets have a nice loft. Also have some Italian blankets that I am still airing out. Might keep the bugs away.
 
Bruce Culberson said:
You need one like I use - it's a Hudson's Bay wool blanket that my grandmother got for me from a yard sale for $5! I use it to suppliment my sleeping bag in cold weather (fall & winter).
Click to expand...

Bruce did you go for sheep yet? there better be photos to post.

as for the blankets, it's simply a matter of not loving sleeping bags. i've spent a lot of time in the bush and tend to just double up wool blankets. i suppose springing for a great wool blanket could eliminate that, which i am VERY happy to hear so i don't have to envelop myself in a sleeping bag.

great thread, great info. now i just have to suck it up and spend some cash.....this forum's killing my bank account.
 
If a blanket isn't enough, you could use a quilt. Very "traditional."

If you have trouble keeping the quilt in place, you could put a zipper around three sides. Wait, that would be a . . . . .
 
Here is one I found. Sounds fairly heavyweight at five pounds.
 

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