Author Topic: I'm looking for..................  (Read 983 times)

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
I'm looking for..................
« on: 12:23:56, 07/10/19 »
I've decided that I must sort my sleeping quilt out. I've been meaning to do it for months but have always allowed myself to get distracted by this, that or the other. It's getting colder now and I want to camp this winter but do not want to buy a new quilt. I want to be warmer if conditions force it on me by using some kind of throw-over-blanket, either to go over me inside my quilt, or over the top of it, or either-or, whichever takes my fancy. At the moment I'm using a Decathlon blanket, which is OK but I've always fancied a down throw-over.

The size I'm looking for is about 4' x 4', doesn't need to be perfectly sized, just needs to be light in weight and will compress like my quilt to a small size. I've looked at the Black Diamond down blanket which in the end I may buy?

But before making that decision, has anyone such a piece of down 'blanket' lying around, maybe an old sleeping bag that's no longer used that you want to get rid of, I'm happy to pay, depending on the price asked.

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: I'm looking for..................
« Reply #1 on: 12:43:43, 07/10/19 »
I'm also looking for a small bit of advice about insulation, specifically insulation that I may want or need UNDER my Thermarest Neo Air mattress. I haven't needed anything yet but I'm anticipating that if I do camp in much colder conditions it may be useful to be forearmed?

I have recently been to B & Q and have looked at a roll of insulation polystyrene, about 1/8th of an inch thick with a reflective coating on one side. The roll is just less than £12 and I'm trying to work out if, for me, it could be an 'investment?' Has anyone tried to create this type of an insulating barrier between the base of a mattress and the floor of the tent? Did it help and was it worth the effort and cost? I could stick to old newspapers (not really into carrying newspapers on a hike with me) but although this works, the newspaper also becomes wet with use. I've used newspaper once on a cold night when due to circumstances I had to sleep on a park bench, worked a treat! I was trying to avoid a mum, dad, and two baby wild boars at the time.

 

Patrick1

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 205
Re: I'm looking for..................
« Reply #2 on: 13:04:12, 07/10/19 »
Has anyone tried to create this type of an insulating barrier between the base of a mattress and the floor of the tent? Did it help and was it worth the effort and cost?


My answer to your questions is simple - yes, yes, yes and yes!


I use exactly that under our neoairs. It makes a big difference to warmth for truly minimal weight and not much bulk (it folds enough to slide down the back of my pack - with a bit of pushing the first time but easily enough once its been used a little). I especially notice it as I like the comfort of a slightly deflated neoair, but that does put my hip almost on the ground, which can quickly get chilly without this extra insulation. But its also great just to have down in the tent - standing on it is warm underfoot in contrast to the cold ground. It also comes out of my pack at stops as a sit mat  - the luxury of standing up to get going again with a toasty warm behind is not to be underrated!

Stube

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 499
Re: I'm looking for..................
« Reply #3 on: 13:28:44, 07/10/19 »
GWM.
The cheap and lightweight solution for under matress insulation is a car windcreen  sunscreen. They are thin foam with foil on one side. Pound shops used to sell them - you will hace to pay a little more these days.
I've used one for some years on the rare occasions that I go winter camping.

davengf

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 113
Re: I'm looking for..................
« Reply #4 on: 13:39:36, 07/10/19 »
Q1 - I have recently bought a Kelty Besty Blanket for the same reason, Very pleased with it. Paid £8.99 from Sports Pursuit.
 
Q2 - You can buy ready made camping mats cheaper than a whole roll, for example Amazon has Highlander Reflective Camping Mat, but shop around. I use a Trekmates one that does seem to make a difference.

Another solution that I have heard of is Car Windscreen Shades - basically the same thing.


Stube beat me to it while I was typing - so +1 on car windshield sunshade  :)

NeilC

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 787
Re: I'm looking for..................
« Reply #5 on: 15:32:20, 07/10/19 »
There is a long and detailed debate about reflectors under sleeping mats or bags on a physics forum somewhere and the conclusion was that they don't work to any useful degree.


Reflectors require an air gap (the phrase used was "gap or medium transparent to the radiation in question" IIRC) at the reflective surface. Once covered, they don't reflect, in the same way a sheet thrown over a mirror renders that useless. That isn't a 100% perfect analogy as infrared light (the heat that is reflectable) is slighty more penetrating that visible light but not so much that it makes much difference when you're talking about covering it with insulating mats, sleeping bags etc.

I was intrigued enough about this to ask a building engineer who confirmed it. He says it's not unusual to find builders using combinations of reflective foil materials then covered in materials like plasterboard or lagging, rending it useless and him advising them off the requirement of an air gap. There was some other more complex stuff about reflectors working better close to the heat source as opposed to behind other materials, even with an air gap.

If this is correct then that stuff from B&Q mostly works because the polystyrene is a pretty effective insulator.

The other stuff that works quite well, is the silvered bubble wrap stuff like Thermowrap. That one might actually work as a reflector too as the bubble wrap does create an air gap. My friend uses this in winter - he has cut a piece to match his mat. The best stuff is double silver - both sides are metallized with the air in between - this is similar to the system used by Thermorest in their Xtherm models. it's very tough too so can be used to sit on rocks etc when walking.

I use just thin CCF foam mat and put that on top of my airmat as I've found it works better that way.
« Last Edit: 15:48:45, 07/10/19 by NeilC »

Man wae a dug

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 81
Re: I'm looking for..................
« Reply #6 on: 16:24:48, 07/10/19 »
GWM - With regards to a silver foil layer between your mat and the ground. 
I can't speak for camping, however, working on construction sites in the depth of winter I can 100% say that sitting on the Kingspan (silver backed insulation boards), even the thin 10mm  sheets on a freezing cold concrete floor,  the heat transferred back to you is unbelievably warm.   

I'd imagine the principle would work just as well for sleeping on the ground. No expert though.
Be ye man or bairn or wumman
Be ye gaun or be ye comin
For Scotlands pride no Scotlands shame
Gether yer litter and tak it hame!

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy