Just had a little sort out and having bought a 6 pack of foil blankets recently, found an old Gelert one so decided to open it up before I throw it away.
Well, I'm not sure if it's due to old age or it was a bad batch, but it's got no foil on most of it! It was in a plastic case too.
Might offer some wind protection but other than that, it's a false reassurance!
So maybe have a peek before your next mountain trip or ultrabikepacking event!
I'm not sure if it's due to old age or it was a bad batch,
Age, vibration, crushing, bending.
Nothing to do with a bad batch, i've had a few fail like this. Multiple manufacturers, multiple ways of storing.
Not sure if they carry a ‘best before’ date I expect like (some) CDs the foil just delaminates from the plastic over time. Exacerbated, as @mert says, by the endless compression/expansion and bending in a bag
I used to carry a silvered one in my kit. It did the same thing. A gold colored ‘NASA’-type one lasted a long time but eventually did the same thing.
I carry those SOS bivvies these days. I suppose I should check them every year to ensure they don’t suffer the same fate.
How old was it?
I've heard people say foil blankets are a waste of time anyway. You need a bag, something to keep the wind out. Maybe time to upgrade?
any recommendations for an sos, emergency, light weight bivvy bag?
I've heard people say foil blankets are a waste of time anyway. You need a bag, something to keep the wind out. Maybe time to upgrade?
Maybe depends how FUBAR'd the casualty is. If they're on the ground like my clubmate was in January with a broken pelvis then there's no way they'd be crawling into a bag. extra clothing layers and foil blankets were all that would have worked and he was still hypothermic by the time they got him in the ambulance.
Also depends what people mean by 'bivi', a bag might not be the worst option when riding solo. But in a group an actual bivi shelter might be more appropriate, I've never carried one but I can see why they're mandatory for some events.
And then there's bulk. My old bright orange emergency bivi-bag is bulkier than some modern 'proper' bivi bags. The good old foil blanket is probably 1/4 the size of a 29x2.5 innertube. Which means it can live in your saddlebag without ever having to take it out. Which means you'll actually have it when you need it.
The good old foil blanket is probably 1/4 the size of a 29x2.5 innertube. Which means it can live in your saddlebag without ever having to take it out.
Well, take it out occasionally to make sure it's not turned into a load of fragments...
I take a foil blanket and a bag. Must say I started to get cold when I broke my pelvis in January, but I was a mile from home, and got my son to collect me. Managed to pop a waterproof on, but it wasn't enough.
Foil blanket fits in the pocket of a roadie jersey. They may not be the "best" thing to carry but quite a few injured roadies have been grateful I have one.
Properly isolated routes or off road then something bigger and more robust is needed, but I'll have a backpack or frame bag to carry it
Not even just injuries - mine came in really handy when a group of us got caught in a massive (and unexpected) storm in northern Spain. I'd made it to shelter before it started but a foil blanket made a real difference to someone who got soaked through and cold.
The best 'stuff' is what you've got with you. Foil blankets small and light enough to keep in a bag all the time.
For leading, I have a foil blanket taped inside an opened up emergency shelter bag. Bit bulky for regular rides, but as thisisnotaspoon mentioned, easier to place around a casualty you don't want to move and if they can be moved then wrap them up like a burrito. Plus a bothy bag (or two).
Gets used for demos fairly regularly and seems to be holding up better than a foil blanket alone.
Well, take it out occasionally to make sure it's not turned into a load of fragments...
Since tubeless eliminated punctures, so do spare innertubes! So it's probably worth checking both!
I'm a fan of cheap solutions.
I kept a couple of the disposable rain Ponchos that get handed out on open top busses, suprisingly handy in a hunkering down situation as an outer layer to minimise (not prevent) water ingress and trap a wee bit of heat.
Failing that... Bin bags/Rubble sack? not a joke, a bin bag is easy to poke head and arm holes in and can help keep your torso warmer and drier in an emergency, can also just be doubled up and wrapped round someone if they're a bit immobile. not a sexy solution but an easy/cheap one...
I think I've also got a decade(+) old foil blanket in the bottom of an old pack that I've not touched in an age...
Failing that... Bin bags/Rubble sack? not a joke, a bin bag is easy to poke head and arm holes in and can help keep your torso warmer and drier in an emergency, can also just be doubled up and wrapped round someone if they're a bit immobile. not a sexy solution but an easy/cheap one...
I once caught my young boys wearing carrier bags - they'd poked their legs through the bottom and put their arms through the handles so wearing them like legless dungarees. Running around the house wearing those (and not much else) giggling their heads off. Not sure I can recommend this.
This may or may not be relevant 🤔
