emergency blanket tarp

[The Hammocker]

Has anyone ever used an emergency blanket as a tarp? I was thinking about it.

[SGT Rock]

Yes, they don't last long.

[TDale]

At the first nick they shred.

[The Hammocker]

Thanks for the input.

[Bjorkin]

What about those stronger emergency blankets for an undercover? Like this

It's a 10 oz. 84 x 60 inch, plastic lined foil blanket. Looks to be a lot more heavy duty than a regular emergency blanket and even current undercovers sold. Reflective silver on one side and olive drab on the other. Waterproof and looks durable enough to serve as a ground cover in case you need to go to the ground. It's a little larger and a tad heavier than current undercovers, but it's very waterproof and has the advantage of being a multi-use item as a ground cover. You can't say the same for any other undercover, can you?

If it were cut down to size you might shave a few ounces and then it wouldn't weigh any more than the current undercovers like the JRB at 7.7 ozs. The HH site says their undercover and pad is 13 ozs., but I don't know about the cover alone. I'm sure all 3 would be close.

Combine that with a MacCat tarp and you could have great shelter options for sleeping on balds or other treeless locations.

Oh, and it's only $11.99.

[Frosty]

When I was a Scoutmaster, I always carried a couple of these. THere was always a boy with an inadequate bag, or was cold, or wet, or something. I'd lay the tarp on the ground, foil up, put his pad/bag on it, then wrap it over him like a blanket. That and a couple of Nalgene bottles filled with hot water (and slid into a sock) used as hot-water bottles always did the trick.

Used and re-used them many times. Still have them, and still carry one mylsef on winter hikes, including dayhikes. They are a bit heavy for thruhiking, though.

What about those stronger emergency blankets for an undercover? Like this

It's a 10 oz. 84 x 60 inch, plastic lined foil blanket. Looks to be a lot more heavy duty than a regular emergency blanket and even current undercovers sold. Reflective silver on one side and olive drab on the other. Waterproof and looks durable enough to serve as a ground cover in case you need to go to the ground. It's a little larger and a tad heavier than current undercovers, but it's very waterproof and has the advantage of being a multi-use item as a ground cover. You can't say the same for any other undercover, can you?

If it were cut down to size you might shave a few ounces and then it wouldn't weigh any more than the current undercovers like the JRB at 7.7 ozs. The HH site says their undercover and pad is 13 ozs., but I don't know about the cover alone. I'm sure all 3 would be close.

Combine that with a MacCat tarp and you could have great shelter options for sleeping on balds or other treeless locations.

Oh, and it's only $11.99.

[Bjorkin]

When I was a Scoutmaster, I always carried a couple of these. THere was always a boy with an inadequate bag, or was cold, or wet, or something. I'd lay the tarp on the ground, foil up, put his pad/bag on it, then wrap it over him like a blanket. That and a couple of Nalgene bottles filled with hot water (and slid into a sock) used as hot-water bottles always did the trick.

Used and re-used them many times. Still have them, and still carry one mylsef on winter hikes, including dayhikes. They are a bit heavy for thruhiking, though.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with them. At $12 I'll try some experiments. I know that fit against the hammock is king for an undercover since you don't want your nicely trapped warm air to escape. So, maybe that larger size can come in handy to bunch the ends together which will allow it to curve better.

At 2 ounces heavier than current solutions for hammockers I can't see how it's too overly heavy for a thru though, but may go against your better judgment. When you consider the different options you pick up for that 2 ozs it seems very worthwhile. As long as I stay right around 30 lbs. I'll be fine anyway.

[The Hammocker]

well I was only doing it for the wieght. I can use a regular tarp and its the same weght for a rainfly. Plus I was just toying with the idea of something really cheap and light.