10
Pro tip: The $12 emergency blanket from the gas station is not a joke
I laughed when my buddy packed one for a trip to the White Mountains, but it saved our butts when a freak cold snap hit. We wrapped up in that crinkly silver thing and it actually held heat through a 40-degree night. Anyone have a better compact backup for sudden weather changes?
4 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In4 Comments
henry_anderson543mo ago
Always thought those things were a gimmick until I got caught in a downpour on a day hike. Shivered in my wet jacket for an hour before a ranger handed me one. It’s just a sheet of plastic and foil, but I stopped shaking in about ten minutes. Never make fun of them now.
4
lee.cora19d ago
Oh yeah, the wind block is huge. I always tell people to think of it like a trash bag in a windstorm - it stops the air from stripping away what little warmth you have left. Another thing nobody mentions is that you have to get it snug against your skin, not loose like a cape. If it's flapping around, you're still losing heat from that cold air swirling inside. And for the love of everything, don't just toss it in your pack and forget about it. I always fold mine back up into its original little square so it's ready to go (plus it takes up no room).
3
kai8393mo ago
Honestly, that's mostly right but they don't just reflect your heat. They also stop the wind and trap a thin layer of warm air next to you. That wind block is a huge part of why you stop shivering so fast.
-1