# Emergency Mylar Blanket Question



## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Hello,

I have a great poncho / poncho liner combo that fit together nicely. I also have tinkered with and come up with a great way to integrate a mylar blanket in between and it gets quite toasty. Essentially I push a little of the mylar through each eyelet, stick an almost weightless mini wine bottle cork there and use the shoe laces on the poncho liner to tie around the mylar / cork to tie the three components together. It makes a great emergency bivvy.

Here is my question - since I have a long, walk home (40 miles), I am trying to plan for being cold and thought of having a second mylar blanket with a hole cut in the middle, so I can wear the whole contraption to keep warm while walking, or if it is pouring and I need to hunker down wearing the three layers as just a poncho, not a bivvy. I have never cut a hole in one; if I cut it in the middle, I suspect that it is going to easily rip, similar to a potato chip bag or something that gets a tear in it. I thought of cutting the hole, then encasing the whole circumference of the hole with masking or electrical tape to prevent further "running on the hole" and ruining the damn thing completely. Have any of you ever punched a hole in one and if so, are my suspicions correct?

BTW - last night we had Friday evening cocktails at the office and I invited one of my customers who has bought over $100k in software from me. We closed the place down and after all of my co-workers left, we realized that we are both preppers. Small world....

Thanks,

hansonb4


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Hanson,

Good idea on integrating the mylar blanket. Very thoughtful. My suggestions since mylar blankies are pretty cheap, buy one, cut a hole and see what it does. 

However, I am more interested in the fact that your company had Friday evening cocktails at the office. Do companies do this anymore? I would think that liability issues have all but banned the office cocktail party. This brings me back to the '80's when people smoked at their desks and the executives walked around pinching secretary's asses. Way to go sir!


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

I accidentally poked a hole in one during a trial run. In my experience the hole will cause the blanket to tear at the slightest pressure. The tape thing may work though. Just try it out and see.


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## Derma-Redi (Aug 23, 2014)

gorilla tape both sides


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## Dark Jester (Jun 8, 2014)

Arklatex said:


> I accidentally poked a hole in one during a trial run. In my experience the hole will cause the blanket to tear at the slightest pressure. The tape thing may work though. Just try it out and see.



You already poked a hole in it. That should tell you what a worthless POC these Mylar sheets are in the field. I have demonstrated to a number people on how worthless and how they tend to give people false expectations; a potentially dangerous situation. If you want to stay warm and dry, get a water resistant coat to use with your poncho.


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

hansonb4 can you attach a pic of your poncho thinggy


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Zed said:


> hansonb4 can you attach a pic of your poncho thinggy


Zed - I will but I can't do it today. Soccer tournament for one of my high schoolers and then a 50th bday party for a neighbor for whom I need to buy a present. More cocktails...


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Slippy said:


> However, I am more interested in the fact that your company had Friday evening cocktails at the office. Do companies do this anymore? I would think that liability issues have all but banned the office cocktail party. This brings me back to the '80's when people smoked at their desks and the executives walked around pinching secretary's asses. Way to go sir!


It is a small software company of about 50 people and our owners have styled the business like a silicon valley start-up. This means, a fully stocked fridge with sodas, all sorts of snack food such as candy bars, chips, ramen in a cup (good prepper food at ~$.40 each, btw), a ping pong table, foozball, and cocktails every Friday night from 5-7 pm. Oh yeah, besides the inevitable ping pong and foozball tournaments, there is Halo, Black Ops, Guitar Hero and all that stuff. So, it is pretty fun but like I said it is in the city where I always feel uncomfortable. When I drive home on the side streets and then onto the expressway, I am always looking for wayward places to hide / spend the night in a SHTF scenario.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

Lay the blanket out flat, tape a square around the area yo want to cut. Cut the hole, turn it over and tape the other side. Just a suggestion.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Great idea Jeep. The other thing would be to tape two sheets together on three side, crawl inside, add an oxygen absorber and seal the fourth side.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

I think I'd be spending ALL my time trying to figure out how NOT to walk 40 miles to get home. Depending on your location and season, the walk in bad weather could kill you just as surely as any sniper.


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## Notsoyoung (Dec 2, 2013)

thepeartree said:


> I think I'd be spending ALL my time trying to figure out how NOT to walk 40 miles to get home. Depending on your location and season, the walk in bad weather could kill you just as surely as any sniper.


It sounds like he is planning for the worst case scenario, which IMO is what he should be doing. I don't know how he realistically could do anything that would guarantee that he or anyone else would not ever have to make their way home on foot if there was a sudden emergency unless they never went more then a couple of miles from their home. That's why many people carry a BOB in the back of their cars wherever they go.

Yes, cold whether can kill you which is why he is working on something to help him fight the cold if he was forced into that situation. Walking may be the last resort but it is an action that if there was a sudden SHTF event many people might find themselves in, and preparing for such an event seems a wise precaution IMO. Surviving cold weather is very possible.


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## Will2 (Mar 20, 2013)

sounds like a duct tape situation


just a tip of the key to cold weather survival is having multiple levels of layering but not having so much clothing that you sweat as the sweat can freeze and be a problem for dehydration but you don't you want to wear as many layers as you can. and try to avoid cotton


most people in the US have to worry about heat exhaustion otherwise which means you travel at night not during peak hours between 10 a.m. And 4 p.m.

If you know Stealth and evasion tactics then traveling at night can be dramatically safer than traveling at day during a ongoing crisis

however you still need to be very careful for obstacles if you aren't wearing the proper clothing


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Zed said:


> hansonb4 can you attach a pic of your poncho thinggy


Hey Zed,

Okay - I am really glad that you asked me to send you photos of my contraption. Why? Because your question actually forced me to build the damn shelter...which then showed a problem in my system. I was under the assumption that the mylar emergency blanket was slightly larger than my full-size poncho. Unfortunately, that is not true.

I am sending to you six photos. The first one shows the size of the poncho liner in a compression sack. I can squish it down even farther than this, however I don't need to in order to get it to fit it into my BOB (I have it sitting next to a Puff box for scale). In any event, the Poncho is much smaller, about the size of two twelve ounce soda cans next to each other.

The second pic is my my poncho laid out, then my mylar blanket that I cut a hole in so I can use that as an additional liner to my poncho, in case I have to walk and need help preserving body heat. OR perhaps it is raining so hard and I can't take the poncho off to build my bivvy / sleeping sack.

Then I Found another unexpected issue. I have never used my poncho liner and it doesn't have a hold through which I can slip my head/neck. So no using that as a liner while it is raining, unless I use it as a wrap, under the poncho.

Another photo shows what I planned to use to anchor the mylar by pushing the mylar through a grommet and then use the laces to tie around it. However if you look at the final picture, you can see that when it is all anchored together, it will really decrease the width of the bivvy, so I don't think I would be able to get inside of it like a sleeping bag. Also, it took me a while to get that one anchor point tied together and required dexterity. Any severe cold weather that required me tot ake my gloves off, or any wind, would make it impossible.

So in short, it was grand plan, but I cant really anchor the three together. I will just have to lay them out as in the photo, then just fold it over / in half and snap the grommets together. The poncho and poncho liner can be tied together, but the mylar would be unanchored, in between the other two. But in the end I don't have to carry the corks, which took up a little space.

I hope this helps. Take care, friend.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

Don't give up on this, I think it can be done. Wondering if one of those hand held hot guns would sort of melt something together. Like if you put saran wrap between the Poncho and Mylar and heated it up, would the saran melt the two together without damaging either one.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Jeep's idea inspired another... We vac seal mylar bags all the time. Try maybe using a FoodSaver to weld the poncho and mylar together...


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

Damn I said sumtin kinda smart !


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Jeep said:


> Don't give up on this, I think it can be done. Wondering if one of those hand held hot guns would sort of melt something together. Like if you put saran wrap between the Poncho and Mylar and heated it up, would the saran melt the two together without damaging either one.


Not a bad idea, however I think something easier that would keep the mylar locked together between the two would be 4-6 small loops of duct tape, similar to if you are attaching an Xmas card to a wrapped Xmas gift.

Thanks for your feedback Jeep / Inor.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

Yeah yeah, anytime I want to know how this comes out, may be something I try, and if mine works I'll show you mine after all, you showed me yours.


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

hansonb4 said:


> Not a bad idea, however I think something easier that would keep the mylar locked together between the two would be 4-6 small loops of duct tape, similar to if you are attaching an Xmas card to a wrapped Xmas gift.


Before someone asks - I do NOT wrap Xmas gifts using duct tape! I meant the scotch tape loop concept! :-D


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

hansonb4 said:


> Before someone asks - I do NOT wrap Xmas gifts using duct tape! I meant the scotch tape loop concept! :-D


I wrapped Mrs Inor's Garand using duct tape last Christmas. She was pretty dang happy none the less!


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Get some heat sensitive interfacing and iron the stuff together, A fabric store should sell it by the yard.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

See awesome, I knew the voice of wisdom would show


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

MrsInor said:


> Get some heat sensitive interfacing and iron the stuff together, A fabric store should sell it by the yard.


Damn! Why didn't I think of that? Everybody knows heat sensitive interfacing is the only way to go! 

Hiya Wife!


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## MrsInor (Apr 15, 2013)

Hiya spouse. Grandson finally asleep. Whoo hoo!


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

And here I thought you were just an asshole, You didn't know you had her for all these years.....Dummy


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

Jeep said:


> And here I thought you were just an asshole, You didn't know you had her for all these years.....Dummy


I AM just an asshole. She is the brains in this whole operation. I definitely married above my station. But I still need to have a conversation with her about baking some cookies.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

Cool idea!
Mylar blankets are $.99 here, so they are cheap enough to ruin a few while learning the best method.
Mylar blankets are missing the "adhesive" layer that mylar bags have, so I'm not sure that applying heat will "weld" it to anything.

Is your intent to keep this assembled in a temporary fashion, to be separated and used individually later?
If so, I'd avoid glues and gorilla tape.
You grommet/toggle idea with the corks might actually be your best option.
Trying to figure out the hole for the head will be kinda difficult. These things will tear quite easily.
Keep us updated. I really like this idea.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

www.Gator-Skins.com

They breathe better than mylar and look a lot better.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

GTGallop said:


> www.Gator-Skins.com
> 
> They breathe better than mylar and look a lot better.





> "This micro fabric is knitted from ultra microfibers that are smaller that a human red blood cell..."


Holy crap!
For what they claim, $70 for a long sleeve option doesn't sound too outrageous.
Thanks for the link!


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I carry 6 Mylar blankets in the car, reflect the sun and heat or if cold.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Kauboy said:


> Holy crap!
> For what they claim, $70 for a long sleeve option doesn't sound too outrageous.
> Thanks for the link!


NP - Father In Law has the vest. Because it is so thin and light weight, he takes it every where with him. Doesn't always wear it because he doesn't need to, but when he needs it, its there. He's completely happy with it.


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## Old SF Guy (Dec 15, 2013)

paraquack said:


> Great idea Jeep. The other thing would be to tape two sheets together on three side, crawl inside, add an oxygen absorber and seal the fourth side.


Classic!!! Love it.


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

*Exactly*



Notsoyoung said:


> It sounds like he is planning for the worst case scenario, which IMO is what he should be doing. I don't know how he realistically could do anything that would guarantee that he or anyone else would not ever have to make their way home on foot if there was a sudden emergency unless they never went more then a couple of miles from their home. That's why many people carry a BOB in the back of their cars wherever they go.
> 
> Yes, cold whether can kill you which is why he is working on something to help him fight the cold if he was forced into that situation. Walking may be the last resort but it is an action that if there was a sudden SHTF event many people might find themselves in, and preparing for such an event seems a wise precaution IMO. Surviving cold weather is very possible.


EACTLY!!!

I got all that and more. If I must spell it out, what I suggest is that he move so that his bug-out route is much shorter, if possible, or see if he can work from home some days of the week. Yes, he misses some human interaction and playing with the toys, but he could gain his life while avoiding a 40 mile death march. Consider that 40 miles across a partially urban landscape under SHTF conditions is somewhere between unlikely and ya-gotta-be-kidding. Hansonb4 you do have an Abrams tank to help out, right? Even in the best case scenario, 40 miles could take 2 days to walk (keeping to cover and growing eyes in the back of your head).


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## hansonb4 (Aug 17, 2014)

Hey Peartree,

Thanks for the post. I would move, however I would take a beating on my house value. I am almost underwater and would have to move to something much crappier. Plus, I'd have to move closer to the urban area, which I really don't care to. In any event, yes, that is my plan. I keep my tank full but know that in an emergency, the highways will get jammed and more than likely a parking lot. I will have all of the gear I need with me, in my trunk. All I would need to do is dump the laptop, grab the pre-packaged modules that I have (Food, cold clothing, shelter, fuel & FAK) and walk....far.


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## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

I wouldn't worry too much about the first two days, if that's what it takes for you to walk home.
During the first day, more than half of the population won't believe it, literally. Denial will keep them from doing too much.
Many of the rest will be paralyzed by it all, and won't go out much.
The second day, people will start to panic, but it won't be Mad Max style just yet.
Avoid dense populations, and you'll do better.
Your best option will be to blend it, and act the fool.
Practice your "in a stupor" face, so everything just thinks you're another mindless idiot without a clue as to what's going on.
Your primary hassle will be concealing the fact that you have food or water, and might just know what you're doing.


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## Jeep (Aug 5, 2014)

What Kauboy said


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## thepeartree (Aug 25, 2014)

Yep, that would be the ideal- just a gradual slump into anarchy, with people who don't believe trying to keep things going. Then there's the other model of a sudden violent collapse. The question being which one you really expect to happen. 

But, we are prepping for the worst case, right? I still think he might want to check out opportunities for telecommuting. If not, then get yourself soething that might get him home fastet, like a Hummer (?).

And, given a situation where you can' t ram yourself offroad, plan on carrying a folding bike. It's luggable past any nasty spots and could halve your travel time.


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

I don't know how well it would keep in my area, but 3M Scotch has a "cellophane" tape that is sticky on both sides. You could probably use that to seal edges by adding tape and folding over the edge or even stick 2 together to add size or thickness.


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## Zed (Aug 14, 2014)

humans are lot worse if compared to other animals in case of SHTF..people live in denial...illusory dream that...the situation will be restored and they will again magically wake-up in cozy life-style..
3-4 days and still people will stay in house..praying to Lord that after some miracle things will get better..
yet they don't understand the might of an old proverb
'god helps those, who help themselves'


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

If they work like hell while they're waiting!


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## PossumPie (Oct 2, 2014)

Have any of you practiced your Get home from work walk? It is an eye-opener. I have "only" a 13 mile walk, mostly up and down hills. It was BRUTAL to walk. With just my get home bag, on a nice day, it took well into the night. I figured 3mph a few rests, it would take 5hrs max. WRONG. I did 3 miles the first hour, then progressively stopped more and more often to rest. Had to put moleskin on, etc. I am out of shape for sure, but not drastically. It was more like 8 hrs. I challenge everyone to try their walk home...


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## Dinah (Sep 22, 2014)

paraquack said:


> Great idea Jeep. The other thing would be to tape two sheets together on three side, crawl inside, add an oxygen absorber and seal the fourth side.


I can just see that ...make sure to leave your head out. After you seal yourself in that mylar bag.. dont feel the urge to go potty for the next 40 miles.

I found this link it has good info about mylar blanket uses:
http://readynutrition.com/resources/22½-uses-for-emergency-mylar-space-blankets_27032014/

_"Using a space blanket when you are really cold is not the best idea. It will take an age to warm you up and could even make you colder in certain circumstances.
The reason these blankets are shiny is to reflect heat, and if you are already very cold there is no heat to reflect and any ambient heat will be reflected away from you because of the shiny surface."_


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## Arklatex (May 24, 2014)

If you have a fire these blankets work very well as heat reflectors. Build your shelter with the opening facing the fire and line the walls with the blankets. It will make your shelter very warm on a very cold night. Like an oven. They are also hand for signaling aircraft in a search and rescue situation.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Wife drives a convertible. They have done an amazing job at keeping the elements out of these, but I have wondered why they never put some sort of mylar reflective layer between the exterior canvass / cloth / rubber top and the interior fabric lining. Would it cause too much reflected radiation out through the top and ruin the top sooner?


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