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anyone carry silver foil blankets in their backpacks?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
anyone carry silver foil blankets in their backpacks?
are they any use in addition to the standard 3 safety pieces?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Yes I do. They are useful if someone has an accident. I'm not going to give them my coat and risk freezing to death Twisted Evil

I also carry a first aid kit and ball point pen.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Yes.
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yes, and when I broke my femur in Verbier we all forgot to use it, despite my suffering from shock!!
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I do yes - I ride MTBs more than I ski and always carry one when I'm out on the bike, so I take it when I go skiing as well. A few years back we had a guy helicoptered off a ride after he hit a tree at some speed and we quickly discuovered how fast you get cold when you;re not working hard Sad - story here

http://www.bikemagic.com/news/article/mps/uan/3043
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reason I ask is because I remember reading somewhere that a silver blanket would be windproof and waterproof but wouldn't keep them warm and that a bivy was better.
What exactly is the difference?
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
A foil blanket is simply a reflector although I guess you could rig a shelter from one with some cord and ski poles.

A survival bag is a big plastic bag. Recommended practice used to be to cut the corner off for air then sit entirely in the bag.

Eithe ris better than nothing though the foil blanket weighes nothing and fits in your pocket.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Yep, it lives in my Camelback so comes mountain biking and skiing with me.

Come to think about it, that is the reason why i found an innertube in my pack last year...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Yes, always carry one.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Yes, I carry a space blanket, and have had to use it once so far. I also carry a full on survival bag, but that's more for my personal use if I get lost.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Yup, I keep a couple in the little front pocket on my heli pro and theres on in the first aid kit.


Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Wed 13-02-08 17:47; edited 1 time in total
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Use the backpack itself for bottom insulation from the snow (sit on it instead of sitting directly on snow ).

Space blanket (the silvery foil thingy) for wind block & heat reflector.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
In a serious accident a survival bag is useless - you can't get an injured person into it, so you have to cut it open to cover them up to keep the weather off. A foil blanket is very light to carry, so you can use it to help protect an injured person from the weather until something better (stretcher, paramedic, helicopter!) comes along, and cheap enough that you can donate it to any accident you happen to pass.
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 bloxy
bloxy
Guest
Yes plus small first aid kit and a resuscitation shield. (If I am out walking in the mountains I usually carry a survival bag as well)
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
It was a terrible change to replace the traditional foil and paper wrapping on a Kit Kat with the rubbish new-fangled cover. I suppose tin foil was in short supply for these blankets.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Another reason for carrying one is in case you get stuck on a broken-down chairlift
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
yes - I do too
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Me too.
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I used to use a space blanket on my numerous overnight trips from London Euston to Aviemore on the overnight sleeper ... when I hadn't booked a sleeper (student finance) and was stretched out on the standard seats!

Very effective. Carrying one when skiing could be a lifesaver, I guess. You never know.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
No, no shilling, no piece of string.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
Yep.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
davidof, foil .... ball point pen .... brown powder?
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
David Goldsmith, I'm confused. If a foil blanket is
Quote:

simply a reflector
as fatbob says, how can it be useful in a train? Confused (Am a duffer in matters scientific, please explain in simple terms. Embarassed )
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 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Hurtle, the human body is usually warmer than it's surroundings. Of the three methods of heat loss

- conductive (essentially solid objects in contact with the body become warmer without motion internal to them)
- convective (air or moisture particles pick up heat next to the body then physically move away allowing colder ones to take their place)
- radiant (infrared spectrum light put out by a living body merely because it is at 37C)

A foil blanket would stop the last two (convective and radiant), a regular blanket might stop the first two, and a black plastic bag might block only the second.
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
comprex, ah, I wasn't aware of the third. Thanks, that's clearer.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Yes, always have done. Have a nice gold one in volksy first aid kit.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Yes, the whole of my holiday I had one in my pocket and two ressuci face shields. The foil blankets could be used for all sorts of thing - clean wrap for a large wound, makeshift sling, shelter etc. as well as the intended use. I also always had a decent first aid kit in my rucksack with DH just a few minutes away and would carry one on me if I was by myself.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Megamum, Welcome home! I commend you to the EDC thread. wink
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Would you use the foil blanket to cover the person, or to insulate them from the ground? Should you carry 2, one for each use?
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Elizabeth B, You would not want to move a casualty to lay them on it, you would wrap it around them.
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've also got a foil blanket tucked into the pocket of each child as well!! They know what it is for and when to use it.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Linds, surely it would depend on what was wrong with them? A broken ankle or similar would mean that they could do a bum shuffle and get it under them.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
fatbob wrote:
A survival bag is a big plastic bag. Recommended practice used to be to cut the corner off for air then sit entirely in the bag.

Now I didn't know that...

I carry both a survival bag and a foil blanket in my pack. Let's face it, a foil blanket takes up so little room there's really no reason not to carry one.
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I carry one when hill walking, but it had not occurred to me to carry one when skiing (I don't ski off piste). Is hypothermia a real risk on piste? Help is likely to be at hand fairly quickly.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
richmond wrote:
Is hypothermia a real risk on piste?.........

If the chair lift you're on has a major breakdown down then yes.
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If you have a largish rucksack it can be used like a bag for your bottom half, and yes... I have used it like that. For more serious terrain I have a sympatex bivi bag which is very small and light.
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