View Full Version : In follow-up to the discussions on "emergency" blankets...
my main question was regarding the 10 oz. blue/red on one side/shiny on the other.....I am going solo, and trying to stay light. I will be out 9 days in the Sierras in July. I have a ground cloth for my tent, and I have a good lightweight tent. I have good rain gear...So, here is my million dollar question......is the 10-12 oz blue/silver tarp really needed? I am trying to be proactive and have all the items I need for 9 days, but I am looking at every once....
Can someone convince me this would be worth the weight?
Kerosene
06-22-2010, 12:56
If you're asking whether you need to bring an emergency blanket if you also have a tent, ground cloth, sufficiently warm and dry sleeping bag, rain gear and dry camp clothes, then the answer is 'No'.
that pretty much sums up what I am asking.
Toolshed
06-22-2010, 15:41
Ditto on "No"
Actually, before I say No, Do you have experience? are you comfortable without it and are you prepared for all conditions? Would the lighters Mylar blanket or bag bve a better fit for you and your grear, if you felt the need to bring something?
the Red/Blue 10 oz does make a nice cheap tarp if need be....
M1 Thumb
06-22-2010, 15:59
The only argument I can make in favor of it is if you are expecting a lot of rain. It is nice to string a tarp over your tent to give you a larger "dry" area to sit under and cook.
a lot of experience with backpacking, but generally with a couple of other friends and for 3-4 nights on the trail. For this one, I am going solo in the Sierras for 9 days...I am just re-evaluating EVERYTHING regarding weight...I generally take the 12 oz blue/silver tarp...I can honestly say, that with the exception of using it for a ground cloth, I've never really felt I needed it..
Just trying to get words of wisdom from individuals who know what weight to shed....
If the ground cloth for your tent is nylon, you might save some weight, and have a dual use item, if you took the emergncy blanket instead of the ground cloth.
My favorite ground cloth is an old and much patched red/silver emergency blanket. It also makes a quick sunscreen/rain shelter for short breaks.
Thanks..not a bad idea. I will have to think about that...my tent "footprint" is very light, however.
What purpose does it serve you? Emergency what? The real emergency blankets are the thin mylar ones that weigh almost nothing. The one you have is a tarp with a shiny side that might be used to reflect your heat back to you when you sleep on it. So either use that as your groundsheet (if it's lighter than your current groundsheet) or don't bring it. It's not really needed. Don't what-if yourself to death.
Appalachian Tater
06-22-2010, 22:17
Why don't you post your entire packing list here in categories with weights and get a virtual shake down? Just be specific about where and when you'll be hiking since it isn't the A.T. I would say that being over-prepared and carrying too much weight might be worse than being slightly underprepared because the odds are much greater that you will injure yourself if carrying too much weight than that you will encounter an emergency for which some piece of heavy equipment is needed to save your life.
Yes, you could drop your pack over a cliff into the river and then get hit by lightning and have your clothing burned off of your miraculously untouched skin so you then freeze to death in the never-before-seen subzero temperatures in the middle of July but how could you prepare for that?
Better to have a light pack with exactly what you need and a few ounces of emergency and repair equipment than to be bogged down, slow moving, unbalanced and uncomfortable and possibly injured with a heavy pack.
Why don't you post your entire packing list here in categories with weights and get a virtual shake down? Just be specific about where and when you'll be hiking since it isn't the A.T. I would say that being over-prepared and carrying too much weight might be worse than being slightly underprepared because the odds are much greater that you will injure yourself if carrying too much weight than that you will encounter an emergency for which some piece of heavy equipment is needed to save your life.
Yes, you could drop your pack over a cliff into the river and then get hit by lightning and have your clothing burned off of your miraculously untouched skin so you then freeze to death in the never-before-seen subzero temperatures in the middle of July but how could you prepare for that?
Better to have a light pack with exactly what you need and a few ounces of emergency and repair equipment than to be bogged down, slow moving, unbalanced and uncomfortable and possibly injured with a heavy pack.
As stated, never planned for such a long trip and by myself...so, trying to prepare for all contingencies. Seems there are so many on this site that have been there, done that...so, I think I will list my equipment and get some opinions.
On the middle of a 5-6 day trip, particularly if its been wet and cold, its good to lay out your stuff and look at everything and think about what could have been left behind or turned into something else, like a thicker wool sweater, or a proper rain coat, or even a 12oz steak.
The only difference between a 3-4 day hike and a 9 day hike is 5-6 days of food and funkiness. If you've carried the e-blanket all this time and wondered why, it's time to leave it at home. If you're that concerned, at least replace it with the 2-ounce mylar job. If you carry that on a few trips and never take it out of the original wrapper, there's your clue.
You'll be going solo, in an emergency it might save your life. You're 55 and needs are different than when you were 45;)
Take it!!!