How An EMERGENCY Blanket Almost KILLED me! | Winter Camping FAIL!

Emergency blankets. You know all about them right? WRONG! Using one of these in the wrong ways at the wrong time could prove fatal... BELIEVE ME!
*NOTE*: What I describe in this video was NOT an emergency survival situation! The advice given is my own PERSONAL experience for trying to stay COMFORTABLE in the backcountry. In an emergency situation ensure you have the skills and knowledge of what to do and how to properly use your gear (including when to get an emergency blanket RIGHT NEXT TO A PERSON'S SKIN) and listen to experts (which I am NOT).
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↤↢↤↢↤ RELATED VIDEOS ↦↣↦↣↦
PLAYLIST - Winter Camping TIPS : • How To START Winter Ca...
EXTREME Winter Camping Sleep System: • EXTREME Winter Sleep S...
My FIRST Winter Backpacking Trip: • First Winter Backpacki...
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↢↤↢↤ BONUS TIP ↦↣↦↣
Vapour barriers can actually be incredibly effective to keep a person both warm AND dry. By limiting the amount of evaporation, you can limit the amount of heat loss, while allowing for more conscious nuanced decisions about personal thermoregulation. My favourite backpacking KZbinr (Jason THEBestBackpacker) talks about this concept at 3:52 in this video: • Video . For MORE information on Vapour Barriers Read Andrew Skurka's write up here: andrewskurka.c...
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[@kevinlytle6215]

Heat sheets or mylar blankets are a very good option for extending the temp rating of your sleep system. First I must say I have done long range multi-week hiking trips and been involved in army survival training but I am not an expert. Some hints to help: When you make up your tent if possible put pine needles or other material under your tent to insulate from the snow. Have a pad or air mattress under bag. Under this pad put the mylar blanket so it is acting as a reflector between your pad and bag. Then if you get cold you can drape the remaining mylar over your bag. Trapping heat under you will make a difference and the insulation of the needle bed you make under your tent will help a lot.

[@BackcountryForward]

Great tips! And I appreciate them! I certainly am no expert myself! I actually use a mylar blanket underneath me all the time (all season long)! It's a great tip!

[@charleslamica5123]

I was a wilderness survival instructor for the Alaska State Troopers and we tested several types of these "survival blankets." The word "blanket" is a misnomer. It causes people to believe they should wrap the thing around them like a blanket or a shawl. Not good! By themselves, these have ZERO insulative value. You need AIR trapped in between clothing, blankets, sleeping bag, etc, to have insulative value. These work best if you put them on top of your sleeping bag, not in your sleeping bag. As you mentioned, they are great at trapping condensation rising from your body. Anything that makes you wet also makes you colder. We found their best use, although even this is marginal given the flimsy nature of the material, is to use it as an emergency tarp to keep rain off you. If set up as a small lean-to shelter, it can also reflect some heat from a campfire down on to you.

[@BackcountryForward]

Thank you SO much for this comment! It's excellent to finally have some authority on the matter speak up! I in no way am an expert on this. Would you mind emailing me at [e-mail]? No pressure, but I'd love to pick your brain and understand the best use-case for these a little more and perhaps do a more informative and authoritative video on the topic. Would love to hear from you! Thanks for the comment!

[@TruthSeeker9038]

I was thinking putting it on the roof of my tent, between the rain tarp and the tent. Would you advise that? My idea is that it will still allow condensation to vent but also reflect heat back to me

[@Martyupnorth]

The title was intriguing, but it's not the blanket that nearly killed you, it's your lack of winter experience and readiness (including gear selection). I'm glad you were close to home. Had you been 10 k from the trailhead you would have been in serious trouble. Thanks for sharing your experience, but I think you need to reconsider your idea about hosting a workshop. I've been hiking in winter for 30+ years, and I still wouldn't consider myself expert enough to put on a winter clinic. It's one thing to do a free video on KZbin, but from a legal perspective, if you charge people for a lesson, you place yourself in a position of liability. Cheers.

[@BackcountryForward]

Hey Marty, thanks so much for your feedback, as you know I always value and appreciate your perspective. That being said, I should clarify that this is a story from my first ever foray into winter camping, and NOT a recent mistake. I will be the first to admit that I was totally naive, unprepared, ignorant, and even reckless. THIS is only one part of a series of unfortunate mistakes I made on that little "trip". My only saving grace was that I chose to "try" winter backpacking a few blocks from home. Up to this point, I hadn't even tried sleeping in the winter in my backyard! Like I said, many foolish mistakes. I agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. That being said, that night taught me one thing: I knew next to nothing about winter camping and needed to learn! The following year (even during summer months) was spent focused on learning about winter camping. I did many more winter backpacking tests, first in my backyard then further from home till finally heading into the backcountry. And I've loved winter backpacking ever since! But I'll also admit, I'm. no expert! There's still so much to learn. The Backcountry Forward Winter Workshop is a very introductory session, designed to help get people taking their FIRST steps towards winter camping. It'll give them the basic knowledge they need to start preparing for winter trips, not getting into serious winter expeditions (and that will be made plainly and abundantly clear)! The goal really is to give people the courage and motivation to get learning, start getting the right gear, and start safely testing and training themselves LONG before they head out into the backcountry. My biggest hope, and the reason I'm doing it, is exactly because of what I shared in this video: I want to help other well-meaning but ill-equipped individuals who are ready to try winter camping to start doing so in a safe and wise manner, rather than making the mistakes I did. I hope my mistakes will help teach others. But more than that, I hope that by making myself available I will be able to offer sound advice, advice that may not get people ready to head up to Eagle Lake, but may encourage and motivate them to try something new, push their limits, and get into the backyard to start testing some gear! And, as always, Keep Moving Forward (even in the winter)! Thanks again for your advice and for being such an inspiration to so many! Happy New Year man!

[@TR-Mead]

@@BackcountryForward that's smart.

[@andykerr3803]

Yeah, we see these types all the time in trouble outside. All details, wasting time and having no common sense. You can't tell them anything. In love with his own voice obviously...

[@RokU5]

What’s 10k? Asking for a country that made it to the moon without metric system.

[@johncrouch8988]

Unfortunately everyone is told have one of these blankets but are given no training or information. This is probably true of the majority of people that take them out on their adventure. Generally speaking they are rubbish unless you are using one in perfect, windless conditions. Yeah that sounds likely! They work as a reflector for fire 🔥 heat or in a super shelter but for much else I wouldn’t bother! More dangerous than they are worth

[@chrisfecteau1605]

Proper title for this episode : "How I nearly committed suicide by not knowing how to use an emergency blanket properly".

[@crampedspacebrew]

Yep

[@sir.benzerlot4571]

He said legit at the one minute mark that it was because he didn’t know how to use it

[@zd8750]

Another trick for extreme cold weather camping is a hot water bottle. This is what mountaineers do in the Himalayas (or California in my case). Just take your CamelBack (which will not freeze in your backpack because your body heat will keep it warm) or big-mouthed Nalgene bottle and fill it with a few liters of boiling water right before you go to bed. Inside of a down sleeping bag this will keep you extra warm for several hours. Just be aware of where the bag or bottle is at. And obviously don't spill any on the bag. But this is a real treat on those bitter cold nights. I've used this trick down to 5 degrees in a 15 degree down bad and I was completely warm. It would work to even colder temps I'm sure.

[@sierraecho884]

Good one.

[@davidbenner2289]

I experimented with the aluminized mylar "space" blankets in German winters 45 and more years ago. Have a good layer of insulation to lay on. That is very important. Use your space blanket on top to radiate heat back towards you. It is best for water and wind resistance, otherwise. If you built a long term bunker for cold weather, I bet it would be good as a water barrier as part of the roof while radiating some of the heat back onto you. I haven't experimented with that.

[@billsemenoff]

I wonder if the aluminize layer could be secured to the tent inner walls, so as not to have them shift around and out of position during the night.

[@granjmy]

@@billsemenoff Duck tape, maybe? Or something similar.

[@slothhiker]

One wool blanket folded in thirds is 3 layers of insulation

[@BackcountryForward]

Definitely would be warmer! Keep Moving Forward!

[@jeschinstad]

Metallized BOPET (Mylar is a brand name) also conducts heat very well, so you shouldn't have it touch your body at all. Put one in your hammock in the summer time for excellent cooling. Stay in the shade or watch for sunburns though.

[@yellowdog762jb]

Good idea! I hunt in central Texas, it's often 90 F and very high humidity during bow season (October). Even in the shade is hot. To date, most hammocks seem to act like mini suanas, except for the cheap and uncomfortable fishnet types.

[@mathewmorton6694]

I always keep a fire bundle built and ready before the start of a super cold night. Always nice and ready to go for the morning and if I start freezing my butt off I can strike it in the dark and get warm asap, put clothes on, warm up, gather more wood, not die. I’ve taken a bag to 12 Fahrenheit under the survival rating, (bag rating 30, night cold got to 18) and it was miserable. And I was in a hammock with no under-quilt. Next morning was heavy rain and no change of fire, 10 miles deep into the Kentucky backwoods. The temperature was 20 under forecast. All of my problems would have been solved if I just set up a fire bundle when I got to the site.

[@sheerwillsurvival2064]

I’ve used a 20deg f bag synthetic with reactor liner with a compression hard foam pad and been comfortable in -20f in Alaska and Idaho’s river of no return

[@BackcountryForward]

The right body type and a GOOD sleeping bag (emphasis on the good) that's rated to COMFORT can go a long ways. Unfortunately my sleeping bag was rated to survival. I've tested it a lot since and would say I wouldn't take it out below anything 40F. Keep Moving Forward

[@mattsmith6828]

i honestly always overlook moisture. but...... you're right. i think i'll stick to my Carinthia Defence 4 sleeping bag and a wool blanket. no need to get too fancy with winter survival/camping.

[@dirtyscoundrel2013]

Try putting one of those aluminum windshield shades on top your mattress and under your bag.

[@michaelfrymus]

I'm pretty sure you also put it underneath your sleeping pad. On the tent floor to reflect the heat back up at your sleeping pad - and also reflect the cold down

[@carlbernsen1290]

No. You can’t reflect cold, and laying on mylar stops reflectivity and allows body heat to conduct straight through instead. It needs an air gap to work.

[@charlanpennington3989]

During just frost and poor quality sleeping bags try silk long johns. They are so thin they seem to be worthless but allow a full night of sleep when everyone else is awake all night from the cold.

[@BackcountryForward]

I really need to study silk... I don't understand it. But everyone says they same thing its like magic!

[@meldeweese6875]

YES ! Good, exact info / demo / test. Thank You. Glad you are passing the word . I am forced to explain those facts every week. Sad . I am a Ret 59- 82 USN Para - Rigger / SERE Inst. .Now age 81, still learning andv begging peopl to learn in W Colo. Note - we should have invested in that blanket.n 8 million + have.been handed out once.inside out back door, Ha.

[@PICARDY610]

Great to know, just threw a couple in my car in case of Emergency in upstate NY snowstorm. I would've wrapped myself up like a burrito and been a soggy mess. THANK YOU!

[@BackcountryForward]

Glad I could help!

[@roberthampton2820]

Very good information. I found myself agreeing with each of your decisions along the way. Good to know they were the wrong ones

[@BackcountryForward]

Haha! I feel you! I thought they made sense at the time too. . . buuuut, lessons learned! There ARE times to put the mylar blanket right next to your skin, this just wasn't one of them! lol. Keep Moving Forward!

[@titanpreparedness]

Thank you for being honest with this. I see this all the time in the prepping and survival community. People trust their lives on this .95 cent piece of gear. These are terrible and shouldnt be used unless its a last resort

[@jimeburg179]

Whatever. Guess people be better to buy the shit costs more and makes you a profit....mylar works great if used right.

[@carforumwanker]

@@jimeburg179 Ive used mine in Egypt spread out between 2 mountain bikes (Upside down) to keep us cool in the mid day sun. Did a great job .

[@jimeburg179]

@@carforumwanker never been there but been plenty warm in the East coast winter's of the USA

[@truthandare]

Vapor Barrier Liner clothing!…then your radiant barrier can be used anywhere outside of the VBL. Absolutely against western marketing paradigm and absolutely the warmest-per-weight thermal management tool. W/O VBL, I’d be reluctant to use a space blanket for more than 4 hours, as it’ll compromise insulation layers with moisture.

[@jtoad99]

I was stationed outside Ft Wainwright Alaska. The first night in the field it was -25 F. I had an artic sleeping bag rated to -50 and a 1/2 inch foam bed roll. I was cold the whole night and couldn't sleep. I had heard that if you're too cold and can't get warm you should never go to sleep because you'll never wake up. The next morning I went to the mess hall and got so 1/2" cardboard and put it under my bed roll. I was plenty warm the next night and slept like a baby.

[@flyinghigh8433]

Getting a better sleeping pad specifically those rated for winter camping can make whole of lot of difference..

[@williamwaha3193]

I take it you do not watch movies ? If you in fact do watch movies I suggest you watch ' Tremors ' . Tremors introduces you to the basic characters of the film series . Tremors 2 the character of Burt Gummer explains how plastic packaged foods is not an oxygen barrier that preserves the freshness and for an oxygen barrier you need foil wrapped foods like the Meals Ready to Eat or M.R.E. , that he had brought with him to the Mexican refinery . Your Mylar ' burrito wrapper ' blanket is in fact a ' foiled wrapping system ' . You can in fact essentially ' cook ' yourself in your own juices or more to the point ' you'll sweat ' . If you are going to use a foil wrapper put it on top of everything else and in fact use 2 of them . Place the first on the floor of your tent under your bed / blankets directly onto the plastic of your tent or directly onto the ground . Then you want to put a blanket on top of the first Mylar blanket folded over length ways ( so that you have a doubling effect ) . On top of this folded over blanket put your sleeping bag , then on top of your sleeping bag place your second blanket (but not folded over for doubling ) . On top of this blanket place your second Mylar blanket .

[@bradi5050]

Thank you for sharing but you should carry some kind of small heater to use in the tent be more careful my friend and have fun camping

[@BackcountryForward]

Great tip, this was my very first winter camping attempt from a few years ago. Sometimes I'll bring a little lantern now which adds some more heat. Keep Moving Forward!

[@bradi5050]

@@BackcountryForward deff that's good idea to!

[@jla3772]

Don't do that; you will wet the insulation in your bag an then you will freeze to death especially is your bag is down. Next to your skin is better; you may get wet but your insulation layer stays dry and you stay warm.Alternatively, get a warmer sleeping bag and ditch the emergency blanket.

[@BackcountryForward]

Definitely on the warmer sleeping bag! But most sleeping bags have a water resistant outer layer, while it's true you may risk getting your down a bit more wet, for a single night of survival your more likely to be able to get through the night this way. Trust me, wet and wrapped in an emergency blanket, even if the sleeping bag around you is dry is NOT very comfortable. 😖

[@jla3772]

@@BackcountryForward Haha; I believe

[@foty8679]

Its late yes, but dont use it in contact with skin, you NEED an airgap, its ESSENTIAL. Without it you propably just freeze faster. If you are naked without everything..maybe..better then nothing but..yea.

[@cfordd13]

SUCH AN IMPORTANT VIDEO!!!

[@BackcountryForward]

I thought so! Thanks for commenting!

[@finallythere100]

Thanks for the info! Can you please elaborate on the down sleeping. bag issue? What would you recopy mend if using a down bag or a down comforter? Thanks!

[@andrass.2842]

Another important point: It's a bit tricky because it's called "Emergency blanket". An Emergency case is when you are cold, but when you are cold, that's exactly when you should not use this thing. It reflects heat but when you are cold it doesn't help! The Outdoor Gear Review has a cool vid about it, check it out!

[@BackcountryForward]

Thanks so much! I'll definitely check that out! I always appreciate Luke's videos over at TOGR. Strength and Honor 💪 Keep Moving Forward!

[@carlbernsen1290]

True, a cold body radiates little heat to be reflected.

[@abc-iq9fk]

That's why you should always have a small candle with you.

[@GeckoHiker]

I always take an Adventure Medical emergency bivvy to use over my sleeping bag in any season, plus a silk liner bag. It's a mix and match solution for all weather. If it's too hot for a sleeping bag I can just use the silk liner. Sometimes I use all three at the same time if its too cold. I've lent the bivvy in mild weather to someone whose bag got soaked.

[@BackcountryForward]

Great point! I might start experimenting with emergency bivies in the future. Keep Moving Forward!

[@NoobSharkYT]

Imma buy that blanket since its hard to buy just the material so I am making a space suit cuz I need Kevlar that clear tubes liquid oxygen materials to make a helmet lock on gloves and other stuff

[@BackcountryForward]

This sounds like a blast! And in a good cardboard rocket ship and you’ll be going places! 🚀

[@NoobSharkYT]

@@BackcountryForward thx I wanted to work for space companies :>

[@MonkeyMikeOutdoors]

Great story! thanks for sharing your experience! - ATB Mike!

[@BackcountryForward]

Thanks for watching! Thanks for the comment!

[@crystal4714]

Thank you for this info. I would have made the same mistake

[@mystuff1405]

The "emergency blanket" should be used for a wind break. Metal pulls/conducts heat away from your body and makes you colder. And like you say it collects moisture under it. I would only use it to block the wind as a tent. Enough air gets around it to carry away the moisture unless you make it completely airtight.

[@BackcountryForward]

I've heard of people mentioning "tenting" it around ones body, or around ones sleep system. Great advice!

[@prasaite]

emergency blanket isnt a simple metal foil its multilayer composite material

[@beatbasher]

Not good advice telling beginners that the survival temperature is for warm sleepers - it is exactly what is says on the tin - it will help you survive at that temperature, little more. It will struggle to keep you alive if it's wet, especially if its a down bag. You will certainly have a miserable night unless you do something about it. In your original situation I would have fired up the stove or lit a fire to warm up, and fill a bottle (or two) and put them in your sleeping bag. Exercise and a warm meal will also help your body generate more heat.

[@sharpteeth17x929yw]

Is it best to put the foil under the tent ?

[@BackcountryForward]

That’s where I put mine. But some say it’s best as close to under you or your pad as possible.

[@Sir-Kay]

Why not use is between the sleeping pad and the tent floor? what do you think, I believe that should race the R value 1 or 2, what do you think?

[@BackcountryForward]

you got it! In fact in my other cold sleeping videos I explain to do exactly that!

[@BackcountryPilgrim]

Great video all around!

[@BackcountryForward]

Glad you enjoyed it Keep Moving Forward!

[@davidbenner2289]

I experimented fifty years ago in a winter campout in Germany. Sweaty, cold, miserable. Reflection of heat and redirecting water or snow: that is best.

[@BackcountryForward]

Yup... a fire and an snow hut would have gone a lot farther than that emergency blanket!

[@adriana-jn8ru]

Which side do I use for warmth? I have an orange and silver one. I tried it out at home and felt damp and cold .

[@idontremember2995]

I think your first mistake was in being in a tent instead of a lean-to with a fire next to you, but that's just the two cents of an old woodsman with a lifetime of experience freezing my butt off in the heart of the Rockies. ; )

[@BackcountryForward]

Lean-tos are great if you’re aiming to basecamp for a night or two. But I’m wanting to work my way up to a full On winter expedition! But I always appreciate sage advice!

[@mjones4421]

Thanks for posting your mistakes so we are now well informed

[@BackcountryForward]

Thanks for the comment and understanding the heart/point behind this video! Cheers! Keep Moving Forward M Jones!

[@miken7629]

Everyone has videos trying to show things going right. You should specialize in showing goof ups and things going horribly wrong. There is a need to show people failures because we all learn from our failures. You could have special niche with your videos. As a side note, I use a SOL Escape Bivy, which is breathable, over my top quilt. I also use a space blanket as a ground cloth, with sleeping pad on top of it.

[@BackcountryForward]

I use the emergency blanket under my sleeping pad now too! Does wonders! And thanks for your comments! Despite all the hate, I love sharing my mistakes! I hope they help people learn!

[@5Ci0N]

Blankets don't kill people. Don't blame your ignorance on inanimate objects

[@grimlightwildoutdoors]

LinusTech Tips of the outdoors even sounds like Linus too. Should of been far better prepared than you were you’re lucky you did not end up a police statistic. 😀👍

[@BackcountryForward]

You are definitely right! This is when I was very new to backpacking and very naive! Glad I've learnt my lesson since! Keep Moving Forward!

[@perojunak6949]

Um, how about building a fire to warm up......or did you turn in without any firewood prepared. That'll kill you for sure.

[@billwithers1349]

avoid them. I've had one such "heavy duty" casualty blanket soak a sleeping bag, which i had unzipped and over two more bags (one inside of the other) while sleeping in a van at -10F. The top bag was drenched. AVOID mylar blankets, bags, tents. One close variant ,and the only one that's waf, is the 2Go Systems Trifecta XL bivy. $90, 1.5 lb. Do NOT get the regular size unless you're a petite female. I have warned you. It's too small. This bivy MUST be tented over a ridgeline or you'lll lose most of its insulative effect. It must be atop about a foot thick layer of debris, and it's not worth much vs the wind. But, if you do tent it, put a couple of 2.3 oz 55 gallon drum liners around it, with dry debris stuffed between the liners and the bivy, you can sleep ok in it at 30F. in cammies, balaclava, socks, sock liners, gloves and shemagh. You have to spin the shemagh into a coil, use it to surround the 3" gap you've left in the zipper by your mouth/nose. Press your face into the shemagh. Then your breath goes outside of the bivy and your body-warmed air stays inside with you. The wasted space of having too much material around your legs can be dealt-with by folding it out of the way and then using cordage, spring-clamps or tape to hold it in place. By having 1 b of net hammock, 3 more of the bivvies, and a pair of the 1/4 lb each Amazon bugnet suits, all stuffed with debris and worn on your body, you can sleep ok at 10F degrees without any extrernal heat source. A discrete Dakova fire pit or creekbank stove can heat stones or water, Put them by your feet inside of the bivy and you can sleep ok at 0F degrees, for 2-3 hours inside of this assembly of debnris, bivvy, drum-liners, etc. If you'll also carry a 2x3 ft oval of clear PEVA shower curtain, some tape, spring clamps, cordage and stakes, you can "aim" the one way projected heat of a Siberian fire lay at the PEVA, from a safe 3 ft away and sleep ok at -20F, for 2-3 hours. Then you'll need to swap out the cold rocks for hot ones and move-forward the logs into the flames, about a foot. You can wear all of this stuff as a poncho during the night, when it's coldest and then sleep from noon the next day until dusk, when it's warmest. The reflective interior of the bivy and the clear PEVA let you set up a "greenhouse' effect" inside of your bivy, making it 20F degrees warmer at noon than it was at dawn, if it's a clear, sunny day. All of this gear is useful in hot weather and none of it is effected by its getting wet. Most people would need 10 lbs more clothing and gear to be as well-protected. When it's really cold I empty out the buttpack and the day pack, stuff them with debris and use them as sleeping pads. I set the hammock 4" off of the ground and kick enough debris/dirt up around it to stop air from flowing under it. This net hammock is 50x10 ft of 2" mesh monofilament netting, so it will feed me, if need be. I made tree straps for it out of mule tape. I folded it 3x, making it 6 ft "long", gathered the ends around a couple of fishing bobbers and lay on it sideways. (normally) I use 4 stakes to guy it out reasonably flat. When it's really cold, I unfold it to be 12 ft long and run the hammock thru the bivy, etc and tape up the air holes.

[@foty8679]

You used it wrong. You cannot use inside the sleeping bag or below you. You NEED an airgap, without an airgap the whole thing is pointless and proably freezes you faster. Gold site (not silver!!) out on top over your sleeping bag (not below!!!). Even if some water collects between your sleeping bag and the foil the amount should be tiny (like maybe 200ml over the entire night spread along the entire foil), sleeping bag should be able to deal with that. Dont breath into your sleeping bag or the foil, your breath has like double amount of water then you sweat. Also, its for EMERGENCYS not used as a normal part of your kit

[@billybob-gb6ol]

Probably should've considered the 4th option of insulating you from the ground

[@franny5295]

Or you can camp with electricity and put a heated blanket in your sleeping bag on low. Just high enough to keep the sleeping bag from being cold so you don't sweat. Y'all like to do "maybe I'll survive, maybe I won't" camping. It doesn't have to be that serious bruh. I bet you worried your mom...

[@Murphis55]

How to avoid freezing? Use a hot tent!

[@BackcountryForward]

Haha yea.... until the hot tent fails! But I'd LOVE to get a hot tent. But all my hot tent friends tell me that hot tenting still requires the right know-how and gear because they've had or heard the stories of hot tents failing and people not having warm enough gear to withstand the cold outside a hot tent! But one day... one day I'll have a hot tent! 😄 Keep Moving Forward!

[@IsAmericaforSaletoChina]

Bro its called insulation vs heat transfer.

[@krodkrod8132]

I would have lit the forest on fire.

[@slothhiker]

I was taught by a military winter survival instructor, he said to use the 3/1 rule for every layer of insulation you place above you place 3 under you. The cold not coming from the air but the block of ice your laying on and the frozen ground is like a block of ice

[@BackcountryForward]

You are completely right! It's the ground that'll really kill you! Keep Moving Forward!

[@perzperez6316]

I remember seeing a survivor episode, we're they broke the ice and dug up the dirt then layer there tent. They also said after digging out the dirt the floor was warmer.

[@steve_____K307]

Great video. I agree with the comments about the ground temperature being the issue. The best use of the space blanket in the situation described here would have been to fold it up for placement under your sleep system. In fact, every piece of gear you have laying around you should be flattened out and placed under you too including your empty flattened backpack. That is your best bang for the buck -- isolation from the ground.

[@gimmedahhcookies4341]

This is why I hammock in the winter time, throw an insulated air pad (R- rating: 4.2) in your hammock and a 0 degree sleeping bag and you'll be comfy

[@KENFEDOR22]

@@gimmedahhcookies4341 I'm taking it one step further this weekend when the temps will drop to 12 F; combining the down underquilt with a 2" inflatable pad in my hammock. My only concern is keeping "inside" the underquilt - not having the pad raise me too much out of it.

[@backpacker3421]

Important point - needs an infinite amount of emphasis - temp ratings on bags are ALWAYS survival ratings unless otherwise specified as comfort ratings. This is the lowest temperature at which the sleeping bag's manufacturer believes you will survive the night without additional insulation. NEVER, regardless of whether you are a "cold" or "hot" sleeper take a bag out into anything close to its rated survival temperature. Nightly low temperatures are: 1) predictions ONLY and they can be quite wrong 2) are based on the location and elevation of the nearest weather station, not YOUR location/elevation 3) do not take into account your conditions - are you bone dry when climbing into bed? (probably not) I found myself in Little Yosemite Valley about 30 years ago. My bag was rated for survival at about 2 degrees above what the expected nightly low temp was supposed to be. I was young, stupid, and a "hot" sleeper so I thought I was good to go. I nearly died. The low temp prediction was fairly accurate (within 5 degrees or so), but for the elevation on the main Yosemite valley floor, hundreds of feet below my elevation. I shivered uncontrollably for several hours, and then I stopped shivering, panicked, and got out of my tent did a bunch of jumping jacks and started walking around and didn't stop until dawn. Had I not forced myself to get up and start moving I probably would have died that night. Instead, I spent the rest of the night, from about 1 am until dawn, walking ~1 mile up trail, then back to my tent, then ~1 m down trail, then back to my tent... lather rinse repeat. It was one of the most miserable nights of my life. As soon as I got home, I purchased a true winter sleeping bag and a good base layer, vowing never to be that dumb again.

[@BackcountryForward]

Yes! Absolutely! I had NO clue what sleeping bag temps really meant when I made this mistake a number of years ago! Since then I've learnt a LOT! You are completely spot on, never take it close to it's temp rating (even the comfort ratings are very deceiving (unless you think "comfort" is being an average warm sleeping male, in a base layer curled up in the fetal position all night...) Great points... I'm glad I learnt my lesson close to home, otherwise I imagine my night would have been similar to yours! Keep Moving Forward!

[@rudygeorgiamulesandcountry1594]

I probably wasn't In anywhere the real danger that you were, however; it was a exceedingly uncomfortable night. Mine was in opposite conditions in the Painted Desert. It was over 100° during the day, we were in shorts and shirts. Once the sun went down the temperature plummeted to ??° . We had fleece sleeping bags, fleece throws and fleece vests, long sleeve nylon hiking shirts, long hiking pants and fresh wool hiking sox. I even covered with my pack. We had every stitch of clothing in our packs on; even covered with the packs.

[@BackcountryForward]

@@rudygeorgiamulesandcountry1594 I’m not familiar at all with the desert myself. But I’ve heard stories of how cold it can get at night.

[@rudygeorgiamulesandcountry1594]

@@BackcountryForward At any rate you found yourself in frigid temperatures with insufficient bag rating, whereas; I was anticipating warmer temperatures with insufficient bag rating. In contrast we stayed @"Desert View", Watch Tower campgrounds on the rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ sleeping under a polycotton sheet and a fleece throw at 28° and my feet weren't even cold. I have N0 explanation other than the possibility of a lower humidity. Again in this situation we over estimated the anticipated temperature with exact opposite effect. In this case the car was only 25 feet away and IF we would have gotten cold we would have had all our gear at our disposal. We had no idea the temperature had dropped as low as it did unless the over night low temperature hadn't been posted at the office. We were comfortable that night. Possibly the air temp dropped, but the sun heated ground remained warm underneath us. I dunno ! We also got stranded at the visitor center on top of "Going to the Sun Rd." In Glacier National Park durring an unexpected blizzard on the 4th of July, .... that was cold !

[@BackcountryForward]

@@rudygeorgiamulesandcountry1594 crazy! Humidity can definitely make a big difference! So can sleeping in a “cold sink” (a lower part of the ground where the cool air runs to). Maybe that was it 🤷‍♂️

[@shaunsanford2253]

This was actually really informative. Honestly, i may have made that same mistake.

[@BackcountryForward]

Thanks so much! Glad I was able to help! Keep Moving Forward!

[@hossjustice4458]

I would have too. Glad i could learn from his mistake.

[@andreashofer2995]

This is how you become a Missing 411 case.

[@BackcountryForward]

Definitely! Fortunately I was playing it safe and not far from home! Could have been much worse! Keep Moving Forward!

[@RViscara]

Yet this moron is the one giving others advice on backpacking. That’s the scary part

[@CanItAlready]

@@RViscara If you're expecting to get advice from someone who never made a mistake you'll be waiting a long, long time.

[@informatimago]

7:13 but you seem to also be making the mistake of turning gold inside. Those silver/gold blankets are diods! They transmit heat gold to silver! If you wan to keep heat inside, you must turn it silver inside, gold outside! Of course, if you're in a hot desert and want to be cold and protect from the sun, you would do the opposite, that is what you seem to be doing here in the winter, with the gold outside. Mistakes over mistake. What's so hard reading the user manual! It contains basically a single line! "To maintain heat, please turn the silver side towards the person".

[@carforumwanker]

Exactly....... the idiot should stay indoors . the GOLD side does NOT face you in the cold .

[@nickhetzer2744]

Sry but this is kind of right but also wrong the silver side reflects 99%of ir radiation and the gold side reflects 97% so its realy not relevant which side is used. You cant wrap someone in those blankets to cool them they need to be used as a tarp for cooling

[@Hoganoutdoors]

Wanna survive cold weather? Start with the physics of thermodynamics: 1) Heat always moves from warm to cold. 2) Heat can only move in 3 ways: Convection, Conduction and Radiation. Mylar is produced as very thin, structurally modified plastic (polyethlene) sheets. It does little to stop conduction (R-value is effectively 0). It can only slow or block convection and conduction under specific circumstances. It does almost nothing to stop radiant heat transfer unless coated with a thin metallic film like gold or aluminum. Unfortunately, both of these materials are excellent conductors of heat. In real world survival situations mylar "space blankets" must be used very carefully, or they can make things worse - much worse - to the point of killing you. The biggest danger they present is related to conductive and convective heat loss through evaporative cooling. Plastic doesn't breathe. It traps moisture. Moisture from your body will condense on it and soak your clothing / blankets / sleeping bag unless you are able to vent the moisture your body is always transpiring due to metabolic processes. (At least while you are alive) The most thermally efficient approach is to place the radiant/vapor barrier (mylar) between your skin and any insulating layers available to you. This is a dangerous tactic ('cause yer gonna get wet), but it can work, provided you are wearing a base layer that insulates when wet - like merino wool. Once saturated, you're skin's transpiration of moisture will slow large degree - as long as you don't over exert yourself - keeping your outer insulating layers dry - and you warm - provided you have enough insulation with you. You are sacrificing some of the insulating power of your thinnest layer to protect your thicker, more critical layers. The base layer will prevent direct contact between your skin and the metal coating, reducing conductive heat loss, evaporation and potentially, dehydration. It will also slow convective (air based) evaporative cooling. This gets into another complex area of physics known as wet bulb / latent heat of evaporation. Long story short, wet skin is ok as long as no air is allowed to pass over it causing evaporation / phase change of liquid moisture into a gaseous state (think steam). This is because phase changes from solid to liquid or liquid to gas require enormous energy - energy (body heat) that's lost to the environment in this case. The other option is what is described in the video, put the vapor / radiant barrier on the outside of your system. This is even more dangerous, because you run the risk of trapping and condensing moisture from your body inside of the insulating layer, compromising it's ability to stop both conduction and convection of heat in the process depending on the insulating material's thermal properties when wet. You have also moved the radiant barrier further away from the souce of radiant energy you are trying to protect - YOU. Gortex on the outer layer below the mylar will not save you in this situation. It will quickly wet-out (become saturated with condensed moisture from your body) blocking it's ability to transpire and evaporate moisture away from the insulation layer it's supposedly protecting. The only way around this is to create an air-gap between your gortex shell and your mylar radiant barrier. This will reduce the effectives of your radiant barrier, because radiant heat diminishes by the inverse square law (exponential loss of effectiveness proportional to distance) that applies to all light (radiant heat is infrared radiation - a form of light energy). The mylar will still provide some radiant benefit, and if used as a wind and/or rain screen, slow convective and conductive heat loss as well. If you don't want to go to the trouble of learning the physics of thermodynamics like I did (I'm a retired architect lol) try to remember the following: 1) Always put the vapor barrier on the WARM SIDE of your insulation. Otherwise, moisture will condense inside your insulation once the dew point is reached, reducing or eliminating it's effectiveness. 2) If you are unable to do #1, do everything you can reduce sweating, and find a way to VENTILATE as much MOISTURE AS POSSIBLE before it condenses inside your insulation. This will come at the cost of convective heat loss, so impermeable radiant / vapor barriers must be used with caution. You need at least a basic understanding of the trade-offs you are making with regards to what insulation materials you are using in the wild, and it's not a simple matter. * Just in case anyone thinks I'm some egg-head who's never slept rough or been outside, go to my channel and look at some of my content. I know of what i speak... ;-)

[@FlyWithMe_666]

The title should be “How I failed to read the instructions that are literally printed on the blanket bag and complain about it for 7 minutes.”

[@BackcountryForward]

Great point! I’ll change the title to that right now! Although, somehow I don’t think the instructions would have helped me… considering everyone ive asked about how to use an emergency blanket gives me different instructions (and there’s no instructions on the packaging)… but keep being an expert! We need more people like you.

[@jsullivan9238]

Having grown up in Western Montana, I too learned what worked and what would kill me. First off, wool is your best friend. Should it get wet, let it freeze then whack it several times against a tree or large rock (Pants, socks, shirt or trench) which will break the ice crystals free--leaving you with warm dry clothing. Wet wool will keep you warm enough if it's 100% wool. The second huge lesson I learned is to strip naked once in the sleeping bag. Despite having cheap temp Forest Service 'white bags' to sleep in, I remained toasty warm in one at -35f. If your body is covered in a thermal layer, the heat does escape but cannot cannot make it back to your body very well. Lastly, I fully agree that the more layers in your sleeping pallet, the less the cold ground/ice/snow can't get to you easily. Great video full of solid info!

[@BackcountryForward]

Thanks so much! I really appreciate your valuable insight! I'm from Alberta Canada myself, so we're pretty close in similar climates! I both want to ... and also never want to ...try your wool drying method! great insights there! Good do know in an emergency situation! Keep Moving Forward!

[@workingguy6666]

I heard about that sleeping naked for the sleep system to keep one warm from a forestry buddy who camped a lot. I haven't ever tested it though.

[@EduardRitok]

and also, this double sided blanket is made for 2 purposes .. if you had the golden side towards you, that actually takes the heat away from you😅 purpose is for burn injuries for example... if you wanna retain heat, you have to get it over you the silver side in

[@jlowknight]

Very common mistake. Wet and cold = deadly combination. Good job not dying with all that gear and 2 blocks from your parents. Stay safeish! Cheers.

[@BackcountryForward]

Hahaha! This comment genuinely made me smile! 😄 It was "deadly-ish" but I'll be safer-ish next time! Keep Moving Forward!

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

"I made the hard + humbling decision to...head 'er home for the night-" TESTIFY. So many outdoorsfolk stubbornly persist when the smartest decision is to quit, & return later. No adventure is worth losing digits or becoming dangerously dehydrated, getting heatstroke or hypothermia, & especially, not worth dying for. As far as cold nights go, I have personally (to my eternal chagrin) learned that if your teeth are constantly chattering, + that chattering/shaking is keeping you awake, then you're in for a really miserable night, but you'll probably come out the other side more or less unscathed but for sore muscles, a lack of sleep, & a crabby temper. Probably. (Though best not to risk it, if a fellow camper to curl up against for warm, or an actual exit option, exists.) _But_ if the shivering is coming in _waves_ , where your entire body seems to convulse painfully into a fetal-curled spasm for perhaps a minute at a time, + then there's a pause of anything from 5 - 10 minutes before it comes again, wracking every muscle so hard that your teeth _can't_ even chatter because your jaw is locked that tight, & despite all that, you're getting sleepier + sleepier... That's when it officially goes from, "Crap, crap, crap, this was a terrible idea, I hate everything, maybe I should leave," to, the Ralph-Wiggum-giggling-"I'm in danger" meme.

[@BackcountryForward]

Yes, yes yes! This. It's when you stop shivering that you are REALLY in danger. ps. love the meme reference! 😂 Keep Moving Forward!

[@mysterylovescompany2657]

@@johnconstantine2639 as a Hellblazer fan, getting to contribute to you eventually not freezing to death has made my day. ;-)

[@jupamoers]

Luckily my father taught me how to use the emergency blanket the proper way. He learned it, when he was a member of the Red Cross. Most important thing to know: The silver side is facing to you, the gold side is facing away from you. The silver side reflects the heat back to you, the gold side absorbs the heat from you or any other heat source and transfers it to the silver side due to tiny little holes on the gold side. And yes, there has to be a distance between your body and the blanket

[@BackcountryForward]

That is some VERY valuable knowledge he passed on to you!

[@RSTimoThibault]

That's a strongly persisting wrong information. There is almost no difference in heat reflection wether you use the golden or silver side - and high reflection means no heat absorbtion. The difference in color is for different environments regarding the signaling function of this blanket: It reflects not only heat but also light, so it can serve as a mirror. In winter environment, it might be difficult to discriminate a silverish reflection of such a blanket from snow and ice, so you turn the golden layer outside. It reflects (heat and light), but is still a strong visual signal from air and ground.

[@TruthSeeker9038]

Would you advise throwing it over a tent to keep it warmer?

[@Aangel452]

Great advice, we all only learn from mistakes, or others mistakes, so thanks for sharing yours!

[@BackcountryForward]

I really appreciate this comment, you’d be surprised of how many negative ones I’ve gotten ridiculing me for my mistake. The crazy thing is this was literally years ago when I was FIRST learning how to backpack/winter camp. But I’m happy to share my life lessons! Regardless of what the haters say!

[@boogboog8097]

30 minutes to wet, must have been breathing under the mylar sheet

[@BackcountryForward]

Isn't that how you keep yourself warm?! well... there goes everything I thought I knew! 😂😜 Ps. wrap your naked self in plastic wrap and see how long it takes to start sweating. Or put yourself in a garbage bag with your head sticking out. I suspect you'll notice a similar effect! Keep Moving Forward!

[@kevinstrade2752]

No...i have tested one of these quickly in cold weather. It does reflect heat back really well but.....I noticed moisture building in the sleeping back. It traps moisture bad. Just be aware of that when using it.

[@escapetherace1943]

@@BackcountryForward nah bro mouth out of the mummy bag lol

[@slothhiker]

A good book to learn winter camping is, Okpik: Cold Weather Camping I picked my up from The Boy Scouts of America its filled with information

[@BackcountryForward]

I'll definitely have to get that book! It's never come across in my research before (or if it did I was oblivious to the title lol) Keep Moving Forward!

[@battlement]

To be honest, I would have probably made the same mistake. Thanks so much for sharing!

[@BackcountryForward]

haha glad I'm not alone! Thanks for watching and commenting! Cheers! Keep Moving Forward!

[@matiaswagner9810]

After three minutes of not talking about the title I got bored.

[@BackcountryForward]

What did you think the title was? I started telling the story of what happened 1 min in.

[@JANAOB6]

Just use common sense.

[@pete3816]

You seem to be blaming the equipment for YOUR ignorance. You didn’t know or bother to find out how your bag was rated. You didn’t know or bother to find out which way round to use your emergency blanket. You didn’t know or bother to find out how best to make use of your emergency blanket. Who uses emergency equipment without first properly educating themselves on how to use them properly??! Your assumptions are the issue here. Nothing wrong with the equipment. Just someone who doesn’t know what they are doing. Who knew that a fire could keep you warm, and also kill you?! Who knew that hot water could keep you warm or scald you?! Who knew that oxygen can keep you alive, and also kill you if too concentrated?! Who knew that really you should educate yourself BEFORE using emergency equipment?!

[@BackcountryForward]

Hey Pete. You nailed the point of this video. This isn’t a review. It’s educational content. Most people don’t know how to use emergency blankets properly. I didn’t, and if you Google other videos you’ll see some pretty silly ways to use them. Even in the comments below you’ll see different people sharing their opinions. But the fact remains the same, most people have a pretty basic understanding and think that if things get cold you can just whip it out and it’ll keep you warm. But as I found out the hard way, that’s not how they necessarily work. You’re right. I wasn’t prepared and I wasn’t educated on my gear. It’s not the emergency blankets fault it’s mine. First of all, in no way am I denying my ignorance. I freely admit it. I was stupid and ill-equipped. My only saving grace was that this was a “test trip” close to home because I knew I was still learning. Secondly, this story is from years ago, literally my first winter camping trip ever, and only my 3rd or 4th “backpacking” trip/test trip ever. So I was noob. No doubt about it. But thirdly, that’s the point of this video, to help others. To inform the other people who, like me, don’t or wouldn’t know better. If helping others and sharing my own mistakes so others can learn from them offends, bothers, or upsets you (as the tone of your above comment seems to indicate that it does), I’d ask those reading it to ask themselves: who’s the real snowflake? The guy owning up to his mistakes and telling others how to use their equipment and not to expect it to be their be all and end all? Or the guy getting bothered by that and leaving a whiny comment in the comment section? Peace Brother. And next time you see someone stepping up to help others (even if it’s by sharing their own stupid mistakes) why don’t you applaud them and given them a leg up instead of putting them down. Have a good day sir and God bless. Jesse Keep Moving Forward.

[@crack61616]

maybe start a fire?HMMM?first thing to do if ya camping outdoors in winter.

[@BackcountryForward]

I had had a fire earlier that evening. But at 1-3am when the early stages of hypothermia are setting in, it's easier to say "build a fire" than it is to actually do it. lol But you are right, if this had been an actual survival situation, that would have been the first thing to do to survive!

[@crack61616]

@@BackcountryForward ok

[@The_New_Mexican_Dog]

My guy why bro you should know this stuff 🤦🏽‍♂️

[@StepsbyKaatje]

I'm planning to test my gear in my backyard in one of the coming weekends. I first has to get cold enough so I can really test my 20F bag... But I'll keep away from the emergency blancket! 😁 Thanks for the tip! All the best and stay safe out in winter! 😀

[@BackcountryForward]

Awesome! The best way to test gear is first in your backyard then close to home! and NEVER get yourself into a situation where you expect you may need to use an emergency blanket in the first place (stay as far away from "emergency" as possible! I was stupid! Glad my stupidity can help others though! Keep Moving Forward!

[@StepsbyKaatje]

@@BackcountryForward You're so right about that! 😁 You see people giving out those blanckets when they're cold or in shock, it does seem to work then... Have a great day! Kaat

[@BackcountryForward]

@@StepsbyKaatje they definitely do work! And I swear by using one as a groundsheet to reflect heat back up into my tent. The key is using them well, and in the right situation! Which I did not. Using them as a proper vapor barrier in an emergency is a very effective way to trap heat... I should do a follow up video of where and when to use these best in a bit more detail maybe 🤔😄 Keep Moving Forward (and stay warm!)

[@StepsbyKaatje]

@@BackcountryForward Sounds like a good idea for a video! Diffrent ways to use your emergency blanckets! 😁

[@trollmcclure1884]

Your sleeping pad is always a vapor barrier. Unless you sleep on wool blanket absorbing moisture, or on lot of clothes the same process happens. If you sweat so much that you can see the condensation then you are too warm for that layer. It's a good tool. I slept once at -10°C under this and it kept the freezing wind outside. When the fire went off, it worked like a bivi or tent. I was breathing through a tiny hole and I was able to sleep. All of that without a sleeping bag. I was not soaked in the morning. Maybe a little moist but my clothes would be frozen without this layer and the wind felt like it would kill me in couple of hours.

[@hurstshiftin9873]

Wool is still warm if wet aswell.

[@trollmcclure1884]

@@hurstshiftin9873 It's an impossible myth. If you soak it in 4°C water it will be exactly 4°C. It may retain some insulating properties because it absorbs "only" some 20% or even less while it's still on the sheep because of the natural fat but I think man made hollow fiber fabric can do this even better

[@Eidolon1andOnly]

I appreciate how you acknowledged your mistake, but the hyperbole in this video is unbearable.

[@BackcountryForward]

Totally. The point is less that it genuinely could have killed me in this instance, and more the point that not knowing how to use one properly could prove fatal in a real world situation. Had I been 2-3 days to trailhead deep in the backcountry and decided on one colder night to do what I did to try to get warmer, it would have been a much more serious problem! (ps. the audience here was intended to be for beginners, but KZbin has been showing it to much more experienced hikers. The hyperbole was to ensure beginners appreciate the gravity of knowing their gear.) Thanks for your comment! Keep Moving Forward!

[@cherylm2C6671]

Thank you for posting this! That moisture has to have a way to escape and not be part of the problem. I am glad you got out of that one, but what an unpleasant experience!

[@johanneswe]

yout still did put the blanket the wrong side up

[@BobanMisevic]

Why don’t you tell people what to do and proper use of emergency blanket and show how it’s done? You went on and on and never explained it clearly.

[@BackcountryForward]

Great question. Funny thing... I never really set this video to be a "how to" (in fact, neither the title nor thumbnail really say that that's what the video). It was just meant to be a story.

[@ole-petterbergolsen740]

i whod it under my sleeping mat

[@StabbinJoeScarborough]

Those things are garbage , a good blanket in a pinch is the Army wool blanket OD Green 1 each

[@BackcountryForward]

It's true, most other blankets would work better. But then you'll always have to bring the extra weight just in case. But I've been wanting to get a wool blanket for my bug out bag for a while now.

[@jeffdaily9196]

I want to be a jerk but won't.

[@BackcountryForward]

Thank you kindly good sir!

[@arraelle7453]

I just came back from a camping week end, and I wanted to try my bug out bag during, especially for the night. I am very thin, so was my bug out bag (I can't carry a very heavy bag), and my sleeping system was basically an emergency sleeping bag and a sleeping pad. Well, it was a very warm weather (25 ° C/ 77°F at day, and around 13°C/55°F during the night). This, is when I discovered what cold sleeper means, I was not freezing, but very cold. I tought that the emergency sleeping bag will keep me really warm, but I was soon soaking wet. Hopefully I had brought a real sleeping bag (but it was not in my bug out bag, just an "extra" thing), wich was much more efficient. I am glad that I discovered the moisture retention during a 'warm' night, now, a sleeping bag and an efficient sleeping pad have made their place in my bug out bag.

[@MarcMallary]

I put it on the floor of the tent, shiny side up and it helped, plus it's a moisture barrier and protects my matrass from sharp things.

[@rmelnyk3986]

Always sleep off the ground and always have a fire.

[@MissMarshall]

Please one day maybe show us how you do it. 🙏❤️

[@ttmallard]

The foil is a heat reflector not insulation, it's good against wind & clear sky radiate heat loss, that does make a difference yet if you're 'still cold eat, it's an only way then to warm, eating too much isn't a good idea, it takes away blood from extremities, shivering works yet takes calories to sustain. As a climber this is called a bivouac, having too little & producing heat with food & muscle contraction. Going with too little overall is very risky, take account of your scene my take. Adding that space blankets are a lot better, but too short for complete wrapping up the critique. Hth, 🍺

[@BackcountryForward]

Thank you for this! Great assessment here. In a survival situation there's a specific way to actually use an emergency blanket... this was a bit more about just getting a bit warmer... but it turned into what could have been an emergency situation because I was foolish/reckless. I'm actually hoping to do a future video one day on how to actually use an emergency blanket properly... because apparently very few people (including myself) know how! Thanks for your helpful input! Cheers Jesse

[@ttmallard]

@@BackcountryForward The space blanket is OK to tie over so it doesn't fall off, the survival ones make good rain tarps another way to use them. 🍺

[@Jober038]

You are using the blanket inside out! Gold side: absorbes heat from the light Silver side: reflects heat. So, if you want to increase your temperature you need to have the silver side towards your body and the gold side away from it so that it can absorbe heat from the outside and give it to your body, whilst the silver side is helping to retain the heat inside. Using it like you did in the video, gives exactly the opposite result, letting escape the heat and avoiding the heat from the light to come inside! Conclusion: use like you did when you are too hot. When you’re cold, use it with the gold side on the outside!

[@BackcountryForward]

Great points. This isn't actually the emergency blanket that I used in the story. This isn't even a "true" mylar blanket. I just used it as my example because the "gold" was more visible in the video than silver. But you are spot on!

[@carlbernsen1290]

Not true. The gold side is also highly reflective, which is why it’s all shiny and...reflective. It would need to be dark and dull to absorb heat, but even so the shiny silver inner side has very low emissivity so won’t radiate heat to you well from the outside.

[@steve_____K307]

Independent of how you orient the color, the blanket is a condensation magnet -- period.

[@krkrbbr]

@@carlbernsen1290 how do you know it isn't black in infrared spectrum?

[@carlbernsen1290]

@@krkrbbr If it was, astronauts’ helmet visors wouldn’t have a gold coating. Even if infra red could pass through the gold coloured side, the mylar film is transparent, so the infra red would then hit the reverse side of the silvered side and be reflected. Molten polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is extruded as a thin film onto a chilled surface such as a roller. That makes the Mylar. Then, vapor deposition is used to evaporate aluminum, gold or another metal onto the surface. That makes the foil.

[@jakrayut.99]

It look like the thermal blanket that USA give to the imigrant that cross the border from Mexico .....LOL. Due to the material i dont think this is a good idea for an emergency blanket ..unless you wanna turn yourself to be a meal and ready to get in an electric oven ...hehe.

[@bobbrummett5572]

hard to listen to. you might consider trying the decaf

[@BackcountryForward]

Nah, that’s just the ol’ ADHD talking. Ain’t got nothing to do with caffeine sir! Keep Moving Forward.

[@justme-dm7sb]

These people in the comments are much nicer than I am. My thought is 1) you know moisture accumulates when you sleep. 2) you know if you get in a plastic bag the moisture stays in there with you. 3) why would you do that when its freezing? I have an old zero degree mummy bag and I have yet to use it zipped up. I just put down a nice pad and blanket, stick my feet in the box and lay the rest of it over me like a quilt. Air everywhere. That bag is so hot. Maybe there is something to be said about the right equiment.

[@PlayingWithFireOutdoors]

I se them underneath my sleep system, to radiate the heat up and cold down. Thermarest then this then bivy bag/sleeping bag

[@elixir382]

Hi, I'm planning to go for campaign for the first time, but I have no idea what to pack. Will you make video on what to and how to pack a backpack for camping. PLEASE🙏 And sorry for my Brocken English

[@BackcountryForward]

I love this idea! I'll definitely work on this for the spring my friend! I have a winter video coming out about this... but it won't be the same if you're going summer camping! Keep Moving Forward!

[@elixir382]

@@BackcountryForward Thanks bro. You are the best. Good luck for your future ✌️

[@billyandrew]

Stupid is as stupid does. Smh.

[@sven1036]

Jesus, we are talking about -8°C . Here in Norway that's a pretty warm night mid winter... at least when you are in the mountains. A Primaloft or Down jacket combined with decent woollen underwear and a beanie + your sleeping bag and you are good to go. In a double wall winter tent that's even too warm. Most of the time the shelter is not suitable. for winter conditions. I am a keen tarptent camper summertime. Tried it once in winter ( no wind, -20)....never again.

[@greenspiraldragon]

You used it wrong. You had the cold side facing in.

[@BackcountryForward]

You're right! I was just demonstrating though. Normally I don't use coloured mylar just the usual silver on both sides... so I wasn't thinking.I only used this one because I figured it'd show up in the video better...

[@HaraldHofer]

Don't get me wrong. You sound like some random girl on TikTok complaining that she got the wrong Latte: Caramel instead of Hazelnut. Maybe think next time BEFORE you bring you yourself into some uncomfortable situation. Because nothing more it was. And just to let you know: You are dead wrong about your solution for the next time. As soon as the outer layer of your sleeping bag is saturated the moisture stays inside your bag. And by now you know what that means, right?

[@asmith7876]

Radiant, conductive, convective...this type of blanket is good for one in particular, two if you use it as a windblock. SCIENCE! Ignorance of how things work are how people win Darwin Awards.

[@sierraecho884]

Hated the cold in Bayern while being in the military. I was in the Artillery (PzH2000) and had to sleep outside a could of times, god I hated my life those days and my decision to join the military xD I never went "camping" again, just a nice warm hotel =)

[@fire7side]

I haven't tried it yet but because I use 2 mats, a foam and an air mattress, I would put it in between. I saw one guy that did it and said it worked. I just wear my down jacket in my bag if it gets cold. I only camp in the early spring or late fall.

[@BrashKnucklesEntertainment]

Thanks, there's a huge winter storm heading my way and I have an 8hr gap between shifts so instead of right in the middle of it. So instead of trying to drive an hour home of spend money on a motel. I'm gonna car camp. I planned on putting it between me and my blanket. But now I'm just going to duct tape them all around the inside of my car and make a mylar fort.

[@elixir382]

You are best the youtuber man. Because you liked and commented back very single person in the comment section. Edit: : it's been only 10-15 minutes and he liked my comment already

[@BackcountryForward]

I do my best! Still trying to get caught up. haha I appreciate your kind words though! Keep Moving Forward!

[@justingould2020]

An important note about radiant insulation (like emergency blankets); it can do two things a) reflect heat and b) stop heat radiating. It will only do this is there is an air gap on one of the sides. In the case of putting it on top of your sleeping bag, it works because there is an air gap above the blanket so it acts as a bad radiator. If it was in a situation like roof insulation (shiny side down), it works by reflecting heat energy back down in winter, but also *not radiating* heat from the roof in summer. Doesn't really matter which side the air gap is on, but it has to be there to work.