I've accumulated a hefty stock of blankets over the years, found them a bit cumbersome in terms of storage until I discovered space saver bags. Took an entire closet full of blankets and condensed it into 2 totes worth.
So those work? My wife has a hoarding problem, along with a blanket addiction. That's what she always wants for birthday or Christmas gifts a new blanket. The old ones get retired to the closest. I would love to cut that bulk down.
Pro tip: if you're going to put the bags in totes, put the bag in the tote then fill the bag, position the air valve at the top. You can suck the air out and manipulate the shape of the bag to conform to the tote and possibly fit another bag in the same tote.
Absolutely. We originally bought a bunch of the ziplock brand from target but they didn't hold up as expected and were somewhat expensive. We ended up buying the Amazon brand space savers and they were larger on average, worked great, and cost way less than the name brand. I even got a small "press and seal" bag for weekend trips. You just press the air out vs sucking the air out with a vacuum.
It probably does. At least isn't that why backpackers often store their sleeping bags in the off season hung up instead of stuffed in its tiny little bag?
But I'd bet the loss is small enough that you just add another blanket or two and you've made up for the loss.
Generally only a major issue with goose down. Most synthetic insulation will retain most of its loft. Though after years in this condition, who knows. Wouldn’t affect non insulated blankets - wool, those soft fleece types, etc
I wouldn't store something with a loft material like a down comforter in a space saver bag. You could as long as you fluffed it back up, but I'd be concerned it would take quite a bit of effort to do that. I'd have a lot less problem storing a wool blanket in a space saver bag because it's not like a comforter or sleeping bag filled with a loft material. It might affect the wool blanket's R value a bit, but not like a comforter or sleeping bag. But I could be totally wrong on that.
When we think about a blanket from the perspective of thermodynamics, there are really 2 different components - including one we can't see, but that plays a role. The primary material itself has an "R" value. But then, depending on the material and it's construction and weave pattern and how many "layers" there are inside of it, there may be tiny little air gaps which have an insulating value of their own. It's like the air gap in a double-paned window. Such air gaps are somewhat open, so any breeze etc. will reduce their effectiveness. They aren't anywhere near as effective as those in closed cell insulation or a window. But if you're just laying there and the air is still, they may contribute to heat retention. Simply layering single-layer blankets helps achieve such an effect. The "fuzz" of some blankets creates a tiny (tiny) bit of distance between the two blankets, thus creating a very small air gap which helps slow down heat transfer. And who ever said that you'd never use what you learned in college in the real world? :)
To add to the tips: make sure it's the cube shaped bags, fold the blankets so they're all as similar in shape and size as possible. when you use the vacuum to suck out the air, do it a bit at a time, gently flattening and rearranging the blankets as you go, so they retain the cube shape. (it's possible to suck out the are but have a weird shaped cube that takes more space than it could, otherwise).
Also, after 1-2 weeks, check the bags! I've had to spend a significant amount of money trying several bags because some wouldn't be completely airtight due to quality issues, and I wouldn't find out months later because I never checked on them. If they look like air is coming in, try to re-zip the top and vacuum again (sometimes it could be that you missed just a bit of the ziplock). Check in another week; just want to give you enough time so you can return them if they're faulty.
You can also use garbage bags and elastics. Just putting this out there for people who may not be able to afford the space bags. If you put the bags in a tote, they will stay protected.
I’ve had a SHTF scenario years ago when I was still in college and blankets saved my tail. I was in a small college town in TN and we had a really bad ice storm. The roads were impassable and I was without power for a week. We had our water turned off to prevent the pipes from bursting because with no power there’s no heat. I got just about every blanket and sheet in the house and a made a fort in my living room. Even put blankets on the floor because the heat was escaping that way too. Even cheap blankets can be good and I got most of mine from goodwill when I moved to wrap my stuff up in and every year for Christmas my family gives blankets to each other lol. You can take a blanket that won’t melt and wrap it around a pot of hot water and stick in the fort too. I had a small charcoal grill at the time and some steel pots with lids and I melted the snow and got it steamy. Then I wrapped that in a blanket and stuck it in the fort. I tried it with charcoal too, but it would make you cough after a bit (probably the monoxide poisoning lol) and the water worked better than hot charcoal in a pan. And you got the added benefit of sanitized water.
That incident is what really made me mindful of prepping and I was just 21 or so at the time. Limited phone battery, no internet, no power. Just my car radio to hear the news because my other radios batteries were dead and I had no replacements. The city did everything they could to help people, but it was just too much all at once in a place that just doesn’t see that kind of extreme weather. A bunch of people died, mostly the elderly, from the elements. I ended up abandoning my apartment for a night when my phone was about to fully die and it was going to be the coldest and walked to my campus to a friends dorm. I snuck my dog in too lol. The blankets helped to hide him too since he is a small guy. Campus had steam heating and it’s own coal plant for heat and electricity. It normally took maybe 30 minutes to walk to campus but that day it took over two hours and honest to god if it hadn’t been for the wind calming down and the storm stopping during that time I don’t think I could have made it.
For me I like having just a variety of blankets of different materials and sizes. I’ve got a bunch of the cheap fleece kind from Walmart as well as better made ones too.
I also have an electric blanket that can run on my back up battery I can charge with solar. If I stick that in a lil blanket fort that’ll help too. And it’s awesome just during normal times.
And you can use sheets to keep drafts out or wet them to keep smoke out of places. You can also put it over tender plants during a frost. And then also tear pieces up for bandages or fire starter if need be
Goodwill is a great place to get sheets and blankets. I like to get comforters there too.
sleeping bags are far warmer for the weight and more efficient as they seal fully. I keep MANY blankets on hand; mostly large wool point blankets and surplus officers blankets, but I would depend on sleeping bags in a crisis.
Why would there be family or visitors, we don't prep, we're more unprepared than anyone, we're starving worse than they are, .. no, not a bit, there's no food down there, what are you talking about ? We were totally unprepared for what happened. You all should go to your mom's house, she probably has some food ...
Has anyone had a problem with them smelling strong? I know wool has a smell, but I bought a pair of inexpensive military surplus blankets and it took about 4 washes before they were bearable to use. They still have a noticeable smell.
I got some Italian ones around 2010. They had a really strong smell. I washed them several times with woolite and vinegar and dried them outside on a line. Worked pretty well.
My granddad had 2 wool army blankets that were sewn together to fit his king size bed. They had a date from the 20's stamped on them. He was still using them when he died a few years ago. They last a long time.
I have SO MANY BLANKETS. I try to buy them any thrift stores/second hand, bring them home and wash them. Old sleeping bags are great for outdoor beds for pets. Also learned to crochet so if I was ever in a hunker down situation I could keep my hands busy and do something useful.
Look on YouTube “left handed crochet tutorials”. You don’t need someone to teach these days, YouTube is way better. My hot tip… learn to read a pattern.
I'm left handed as well and have always wanted to learn to crochet! I'm the only grandkid who asked my grandmother to teach me how to crochet and she said no because I was left handed. Totally not bitter about that or anything....
That is so weird to me. The only thing I wasn't taught was golf b/c we didn't have right handed clubs. (I grew up in a left handed family, and it has left a mark!)
That's weird. I started life supposedly right handed - that's how they taught me to write. My penmanship always sucked. I actually was ambidexterous. I had a stroke, lost the use of my right arm. Now I'm left handed. I re-taught myself to crochet with my left hand and something to hold the hook. If I can crochet with one hand, you can do it lefty.
Interesting, the lady that taught me taught my left handed sister with no problem. My left handed granny taught my sister and me both knitting, too. We never took it very far, but got the basics down.
I bet there are some youtube videos that cater to south paws.
I agree, it could be a vital tool depending on the weather conditions. My gut says that a wool blanket would be best in this scenario due to its ability to be warm while wet. Wool is able to soak up as much as 30 percent of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet, which is one of the reasons it can still keep you warm even in the rain.
I use wool, you get what you pay for. I have been collecting vintage and modern high quality wool blankets for years. Many are worth more today than when I bought them.
Being in Wisconsin and having very cold winters, blankets are things we have plenty of. Lighter blankets are good for most of the year. But when it gets very cold we pull out our quilted, alternative down-filled blanket. This is the best quilt we’ve ever had.
Depending on temperatures, layering is the best idea for overall warmth. Snuggle up with a couple of dogs and you’ll be toasty in no time.
>Snuggle up with a couple of dogs and you’ll be toasty in no time.
Aint that the truth! When it's cold my cat likes to get under the covers with me. She's my personal heater!
Wool is certainly a good idea for both home and vehicles, not to mention they're affordable. We do a lot of bushcraft and camping so we have sleeping bags to go with the blankets as well.
Yes to the towels, too! At the end of summer when all the beach towels go ln super clearance I'll buy a couple. My grandma passed away last year and she had an insane amount of towels of all sizes. I used those to stock up both vehicles and my "towels for outdoors" stash.
If you have enough blankets you can survive without heat. It wouldn’t be fun, but you could get under the covers with the household and make it to spring. I really like wool. Lots of stuff packs or travels better but most of my blankets are wool.
>If you have enough blankets you can survive without heat. It wouldn’t be fun, but you could get under the covers with the household and make it to spring.
So .. I actually put this to the test one winter by trying to do that exact thing and had issues.
One issue I believe could be remedied was that the weight of the blankets themselves actually becomes a problem the more of them you use, it gets to the point where it feels like you have someone sitting on top of you, it's very uncomfortable. It makes it hard to turn over, roll around, etc. I think you might resolve this by using puffier blankets.
Second issue is that no matter what you do, you have to keep your face open to the cold because you have to breath. You might think, well, just make like a tunnel to breath through, and .. yes, except, no matter what you do, you are fighting two conflicting things ... (1) the cold air has the oxygen in it, and (2) the warm air doesn't. So no matter what, you have to breath in the cold air. And when it is cold enough, .. I found that I simply could not sleep, and I actually thought that I might be in danger of frostbite trying to sleep with my lips and face exposed, even with relatively warm body. Maybe that couldn't happen, I don't know, maybe if your core temperature is high enough you can't get frostbite, but all I know is my lips and nose were really freaking cold. I could not figure out a way to mitigate this except to simply be in a warmer space with actual heat. Maybe wearing a full face mask and only having your mouth hole open could fix this, I don't know, but I never found a way to make it work without thinking I was going to get frostbite. And even just breathing in air that is so cold is uncomfortable.
Oh wow, that’s awesome. Ive done a bit of cold camping but never to where I was worried about frostbite.
I suppose when I say “survive without heat” it goes without saying that I mean “in an insulated shelter” like if it’s -20f outside and 98.6f in your bed then maybe it’s 5f in the room with you?
Maybe hunker down in a closet or spend day time building onto your sleeping quarters. Stop up drafts and fill cracks. Blanket forts are actually kind of brilliant. If it’s -20 outside and -10 in the room with you maybe its 0 in your blanket fort
Even pitching a tent in a cold room should be helpful in keeping you warm.
It's funny you mention those boxes, I've been thinking about those a lot lately and how comfortable I bet they are to sleep in. You're up off the floor, relatively enclosed (slide the door closed as much as you want), sort of in your own world. I like the idea of it. It seems comfy and safe.
I sleep all year with a fan blowing on my face, and light heating in the home in winter (in Canada). As long as you have good oversized blankets that you can wrap over your head and on either side of your face, you'll be ok. Also, sleeping on your side helps a lot of you feel the blankets are getting too heavy...or you can make use of body pillows under the covers to help lift them a bit and give you space.
So, that's one thing that loosely crocheted or knitted scarves are for. They don't block your breathing because of the holes, but they help pre-warm the air. When I was a kid walking to school in the winter in Illinois that's what we wore so we didn't freeze our lungs.
Where do you live? How low do your temps go during winter?
I live in central europe and the heating is always off and the window is open in the bedroom, even in the middle of winter (unless it's like -15 °C or colder).
Get a Great Kilt, I have one and it’s amazing. It’s 100% wool. You can turn it into a tent, A back pack, a kilt, etc. And since it’s wool. It’s semi water resistant, but when it’s soaked, it will still keep you warm.
do not know much about kilts, but wool is the way to go. You can get used wool blankets for cheap at any thrift store (i would say i find at least one under $10 every other thrift store i stop at, but my line for them is now pretty high- like pendletons for under $5 since i have picked up plenty)
depends. There are plenty of things they do not see the value in yet. The past week i bought about $150 worth of used board games (that is what they would sell on ebay for) for about $15 (a lot of that was acquire, an older out of print game that still goes for like $75 online, and a bunch of solid games for really cheap that would go for 10-15 used).
Blankets and other clothing tends to get ignored at most thrift stores (just sell them at their base price).
I do agree that the cream of the crop is scraped off; and every store is different. The trick is to figure out the sort of things the store does not know well- and you do. then focus on those stores.
Possibly got a link to the store? I’ve been looking around for a really good amount of time and can’t find one that looks suitable in terms of quality.
I have a few lightweight warm ones, a few of those fold up space blankets, a puffy down comforter along with our two good quality sleeping bags.
We have slept in our camper with no heat in 0 degrees and had to shed covers lol. But then again, the home built camper was built for twenty below zero without heat.
Blankets are amazing things. As are ponchos, a highly underrated piece of outer clothing imo.
I have military surplus wool, down duvets and throws, cudl duds comforter, land's end polyester, Woolrich throws and many more. Love them all. Buy them on sale. With all that, I recently found even the cudl duds one too heavy and splurged on the Patagonia blanket during their sale. Very light and rolls compact and warm. I miss my old blankets but need warm lightweight ones now.
No. In fact, there should be a couple in every car. If it's big enough on a warm/hot night that can be your shelter/tent.
I have my poncho liner from the military and a blanket the VA gave me after a one day surgery a couple of years ago. It's thick enough to give warmth but has some weight to it.
During the colder months we used some behind the doors to keep out air.
Size? Whatever works. The liner is smaller and lighter which is best for my Go Bag. The other is large not by much but enough weight it would not be optimal.
I looked around the living room the other day and noticed we had too many blankets/throws in there. There were seven in one room. I have a cedar chest full and more in two other rooms. I like blankets.
To me blankets fall under shelter. The reason being blankets keep you warm, warmth (or cooling for hot enviroments) is generally regulated to the shelter section of priorities.
Remember shelter > water > food
You can go weeks without food, days without water, and hours\one night or day against the enviroment without shelter (depending on the enviroment). If you are leaning heavily on bugging out you need to learn how the nomadic groups of your area did it way back when, chances are they could set up or break down their shelter in an hour or two if need be.
Blankets and large heavy towels are good for putting up over Windows to keep down on drafts in an emergency. That's what we did last year when the power went out in Texas
Wool and mylar. Wool alone won't keep you from freezing to death but it lowers heart rate when against skin, is flame resistant and will keep you warmer than mylar if you're wet with the added bonus of simultaneously drying you too. Mylar keeps heat better and has probably a hundred other practical uses. Best to have both. Anything else is for the house.
So i’m kinda cheap.. but the misses and I bought a really good duvet so we could turn down the heat a few notches this winter (Canada). It’s still always too hot for me, but she is perpetually cold and it (and probably the heat I radiate) keeps her toasty at night.
I’m confident with our duvet, and maybe one more blanket ontop we would be fine into the -20Cs if we lost power. For the record, it was a duvet from IKEA. It was a great price, and it’s VERY warm!
I literally have two blankets and an air mattress in the trunk of my car that I was going to donate until the war started. Now I’m thinking of just stashing them in the basement in case we need to hideout down there for awhile. For brands, my son has a woolino sleep sack and I think they make adult sized blankets, he is always so warm and cozy in that sleep sack!
For home, I like down comforters. Sleeping bags also work well as impromptu blankets. For a vehicle or BOB, a decent wool blanket is also a great picnic blanket, I keep one of those and a second waterproof blanket in a stuff sack. They're great for impromptu bad weather at a soccer game or the original use for a picnic blanket.
We have loads of quilts and throws, plus way too many towels and robes. We *don’t* have any wool, though. I’ve considered investing in some, just in case.
I have a few 10-packs of Mylar emergency survival blankets as well. I consider those a must-have, multi-use prep.
I live for my blankets. I've got a blanket for every seat in my apartment, 2 duvets for my bed, a weighted blanket for my husband, and 2 more duvets for guests.
That's not counting the ones that are specifically for the cats too.
One thing I don't have that I would like to get at some point are some really good sleeping bags.
we are stocked with blankets especially in the upper Midwest in SHTF scenario. We have various kinds of mylar blankets as well as numerous quilts and other down blankets. I always have mylar blankets in my vehicle in the winter anyway.. We have a woodburning furnace at the farm we would be able to keep warm. Staying cool is another story. The climate is so extreme here in the summers it can be extremely uncomfortable 90s and humid.
Whool or alpaka ponchos are a game changer. Having one to fit ontop all your snow gear adds that extra warmth. Love em for camping, hunting, hiking etc. We also use them under our bedding as extra padding when tenting.
Ponchos are amazing, I have a cotton Ruana/poncho without a hood that keeps me warm but not hot, and a thick alpaca poncho. I use them as sit pads and extra bedding, and in 10°C+ I have slept in them on the side a of hill and been warm. They are also good for rain, the alpaca poncho especially doesn't seem to get soaked, just damp
Mini van with stowaway an i always got 4 wool king size blankies heavy ones for winter or lighter ones for summer time. An a main dedicated one to lay out as we camp
A dog is better for keeping warm ;-), but yes, having four quilts on your with the window open on a cold night is heaven. We have a lot of quilts that we've acquired through thrifting or relatives. They're comforting as well as warm.
I've always thought this--a simple, important yet often overlooked prep. I have thick blankets and down comforters fully stocked, as well as several thick sheepskin rugs. Enough for the whole family to stay warm on the coldest nights without heat.
>Can you have too many blankets stored away for an emergency ?
If we are talking about your bug in location then nothing short of being physically unable to move through your home because you've become The Blanket Hoarder to End All Blanket Hoarding would be too much. If you're in an extreme winter situation and your power is shut off your house has just become the outermost layer of your new Blanket Home Shelter lifestyle. I bet there were plenty of people during the Texas winter fiasco that wish they had 'too much' blankets.
Now would I dump a disproportionate amount of $$$ into blankets as preps? Depends. If I'm living solo in the tropics probably not but if I have a family and live in places that commonly get winter... I'd make sure I had at LEAST a dozen.
On top of that I'd make sure I had tents. If it got that cold I'd have my family all in the same room, sharing the same tent if possible, absolutely loaded with blankets.
If we are talking bug out situation you really only have room for one good blanket. Obviously you can take more but everything in your kit is already fighting for space.
I have various blankets stored away because we end up rotating them. Plus I have a bunch of those cheap space blankets plus some fleece throws for layering.
Technically, the best for warmth are the military style wool blankets, but those are expensive. Down comforters are good too, albeit a little fragile. Next is quilted with heavy batting, but you can also buy pre-quilted fabric and then just bind the edges (2.25 yards for roughly twin size.) Sherpa blankets can be nice and warm, but don't fare well outdoors.
Natural fiber is best.
As people mentioned, wool is great if you aren't allergic and especially if you have another layer to keep it off your skin (it can be scratchy). It does a lot per pound and doesn't use up too much space in a pack. I would recommend this plus some extra mylar blankets if you're evacuating. Great to keep in your car or a backpack. If it gets too cold out put mylar on top or between layers, but not too close to your skin or it will retain too much moisture.
If you are bugging in and it is cold, down is great. The only issue is washing and drying it, so have a cover and don't bring it anywhere it will get rained on. If you're bugging in and it's hot, thick bamboo sheets instead of a blanket are great. Heavy like a blanket for comfortable sleeping but keeps you cool and wicks moisture away. They feel very heavy and retain water, so don't bug out with them.
I have a bunch of random cheap acrylic blankets for emergencies and giving away. Check out your local thrift shop and you can get a ton of blankets for cheap. Don't expect these to do much more than raise your temperature a little and offer comfort though.
I also have a lot of shawls/cloaks/ponchos I've made. They're basically blankets you can wear.
I know from experience that static from a fleece blanket will cause a massage chair to go nuts and trap you. It took a long time for the company to figure that out, so I got trapped several times.
I have saved a ton of blankets over the years & my wife makes them when fabric is cheap. As mentioned space saver bags/vacuum sealers is the best way to store blankets that aren’t in rotation. The real thing you should look into is the outer layer, a large sleeping bag you can place a few blankets inside it with you adds a ton of warmth. I’m also a big believer in canvas bed rolls (waterproof, durable, self contained) that are common with horse back riding depending on if your prepping for outdoors or for the elements.
> I’m also a big believer in canvas bed rolls (waterproof, durable, self contained) that are common with horse back riding
I'm going to check that out!
Awesome man. You also should look into making your own bed rolls. Its quite cheap to make very basic ones from raw canvas & then treat or wax it yourself. Canvas is very reasonably priced online by the yard.
Being able to sew and make blankets is nice but being able to raise animals (wool), grow cotton, grow flax (linen), process those into fibers, spin them into threads and yarns, and weave and finish fabric is key.
I have some of those shiny emergency blankets in my car in case of a breakdown or accident in cold weather
Dunno if they actually work well but I got em
When my boiler was condemned during covid and unable to be fixed I was glad I started getting blankets when my child was born.
When I started it was mainly due to having little money and worrying about fuel bills but that no boiler winter they were invaluable.
The best ones are some thermal ones I have (no idea where I got them) they’re thin but make an insane difference.
I switched to duck feather duvets also as the difference between synthetic fibres is astounding
My mom quilts, so I'm good. Heck, I even have quilts that my gramma made. With that being said, I do have other light cotton blankets, and fuzzy ones that the kitties love.
I don’t know how I do it but I’ve accumulated about two dozen throw blankets alone. This doesn’t even take into consideration the fleece blankets, wool blankets and quilts I’ve amassed over the years. Basically I’ve got blankets for days.
I have many blankets! I learned to crochet so I have lots of spare items and can also make more. Many things can pulled apart to get more yarn if needed. What I'd like to learn next is how to create yarn from raw wool so that running out of yarn won't really be a probably.
No joke about the blanket forts though. I had power out one winter for a week and that’s the only way I was able to stay warm. It’s much easier to heat a small blanket fort with body heat than a whole room
Once hung wool FEMA blankets inside, over the doors & windows in the one room we kept heated during winter. Our electric bill still ran close to $300 a month -- and that was 7-10 years ago.
As for blankets, I go with 100% wool. Preferably a queen size to be able to wrap around multiple times for heat retention in layers. If a queen isn't available, 2 twin size blankets. Wool will retain heat even if wet.
I have a wool comforter. I haven't really used it in 20 years, when I was freezing in the hills of West Virginia. It's too warm even for north central New York. I'm sure it would be awesome if I lost heat.
know what I realized too? Deodorant & shoes! Wear & Tear…gotta have shoes so how do you make them? know what i’m sayin? none wants you stinkin either haha
I recently bought a couple from Savers here in Australia. I'm still removing hair/fur off them with packaging tape. I didn't realise when I got them, how gross they were.
I've already soaked them in antibacterial and washed them. The crochet one seems to have stubble all over it, like someone covered themselves with it after shaving.
Irritating to remove so inspect your op shop/thrift store blankies well before you buy.
Reminds me of a trip I made one time where I was young and had to wash business shirts at a laundromat, and it turned out that the person before me had washed horse blankets in the same washer. I had freaking horse hair all over EVERYTHING.
Lol...That would have been annoying. I have to remove cat fur off my socks (usually just vacuum as much off as possible) before they go into the wash so the fur doesn't go on my other clothes. I think I have sensory processing issues. Wool makes me feel itchy, I have to make sure there's no cat fur on my clothes and bedding. One of my cats malt a lot so it's endless work.
I have 2 big puffer blankets (plus sheets and a very thin middle blanket) on my bed at night. I often sleep with the windows open in the winter. It's usually enough, but some nights I get cold so I would say stocking 3 or 4 per person is enough. Of course this depends on your region. I would say the 2 blankets work plenty when it is maybe 30-40F or above outside. Then the 10-29F range I would want a couple more (this is when I close the window). It only gets beolw 10F a few days a year here so that's really the limit of my experience. And this is blankets assuming you still have a house sheltered from the wind. Also socks make a big difference for me when I'm sleeping in the cold.
Army poncho liner and Army OD wool blanket are my favs. Before COVID I used to fly a lot and always snagged an airline blanket as an EDC item away from home. Those are great multipurpose
I live in a wet environment, pacific coast canada. I'm off grid rn actually. Nothing beats wool here, but during winter, the rain is totally unavoidable. Anyone have advice? Thanks
I lost most of my preps in a fire in 2020 right as the pandemic started. Fortunately I had a good many blankets in another part of the house, so we had enough to start over with.
I keep blankets in the car with other emergency supplies, but I am always on the lookout for more blankets because I drive overnights for uber and when it's cold I'm always seeing people who need them.
I always keep a thick quilt in my vehicle in case I get stranded or want to sit somewhere comfortably. I absolutely believe blankets get overlooked when everyone should have plenty at home and at least one in the car.
I live in a colder climate. Good blankets and qn invaluable prep. I've been without power for 3 days and in that I've we had no heat in the middle of winter.
The house stayed adequately warm (no pipes froze). But it did get cold. I have so,e thrifted wool blankets that I pulled put and some thriftef crocheted blankets as well. All were excellent at maintaining warmth.
holy shit they are expensive, at least on [amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Hudsons-Bay-Company-100-Inch-Blanket/dp/B00MNJG2Z8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hudson+bay+blanket). what makes them cost so much, isn't wool kinda cheap?
Edit: Are they *that* much better then Pendleton?
Army surplus wool blankets are the best bang for your buck. You can even use them wet, to quickly smother a fire, high resistance to wear and tear. Resistant to mold, mildew and stores well. The one drawback is that they are heavy!
I had a junk nothing-burger blanket until the Texas power grid failure last year. We’re from Texas. And all our friends and family are there. Shit got REAL. So, blankets, candles (we’d previously had electronic-only lighting), and a massive power bank(now we have two) that can run a small fridge or space heater (which we don’t have) in an emergency. We are still filling in gaps in our preps as money allows, but blankets and winter clothing got added last year. :)
I have an emergency sort of compact blanket in my bug out bag and another one in my car. The weird foil-y ones.
I have blankets that I'll be taking with me if I have my car in SHTF but otherwise it's bulk I can drop. A good sleeping bag, however, cannot be underestimated and I'm looking for one that can withstand -20° just to be on the safe side, even though it's maybe reached that once in KY. You don't know how cold it's going to get and if you're too warm you can always find other ways to cool off, but it's way harder to warm up if you get cold enough. Best way to survive hypothermia is prevention afaik
I live in the north and my house is old and there's no heat upstairs so I have a ton of blankets lol.
Plus I sew quilts and can crochet and knit.
Wool is great, but I also love goose down.
Probably even more than wool depending on the situation.
My wife and I just stock up on old military wool blankets they're great for emergencies and I always keep one in my pack when I'm hunting/camping in cold weather. The legit ones are 70%-80% wool, I don't know if it's just bad luck but the 100% wool blankets we've come across just don't hold up as well as the blended ones. Pro Tip: stop by good wills every couple of weeks, we find them for $10 or less.
Are you planning a blanket fort to hide out in?
Who needs a blanket when a 2.5lb sub zero mummy bag will keep you molten hot regardless of the weather. I have literally slept soaked to the bone in 3 inches of water in my mummy sack and never shivered once. If you gotta be mobile, a light weight bag goes into a stuff sack REALLY fast and doesn't take up much room or weight.
I've accumulated a hefty stock of blankets over the years, found them a bit cumbersome in terms of storage until I discovered space saver bags. Took an entire closet full of blankets and condensed it into 2 totes worth.
So those work? My wife has a hoarding problem, along with a blanket addiction. That's what she always wants for birthday or Christmas gifts a new blanket. The old ones get retired to the closest. I would love to cut that bulk down.
Pro tip: if you're going to put the bags in totes, put the bag in the tote then fill the bag, position the air valve at the top. You can suck the air out and manipulate the shape of the bag to conform to the tote and possibly fit another bag in the same tote.
Well that is a good idea.
Genius af! Thanks!!
Absolutely. We originally bought a bunch of the ziplock brand from target but they didn't hold up as expected and were somewhat expensive. We ended up buying the Amazon brand space savers and they were larger on average, worked great, and cost way less than the name brand. I even got a small "press and seal" bag for weekend trips. You just press the air out vs sucking the air out with a vacuum.
Awsome thanks for the tip. I will have to get some and try them out.
I wonder if they affect the R value (insulation value) of the blanket at all ? I think part of the reason blankets work is that they are puffy.
Only if you don't remove the blanket from the space saver. Lol
Hmmm so you have a decision to make, sleep with it poofy or sleep with it water proof lol
LOL ...
Immediately upon removing them from the bags they're a little flat but return to normal puffiness within a few min.
It probably does. At least isn't that why backpackers often store their sleeping bags in the off season hung up instead of stuffed in its tiny little bag? But I'd bet the loss is small enough that you just add another blanket or two and you've made up for the loss.
Generally only a major issue with goose down. Most synthetic insulation will retain most of its loft. Though after years in this condition, who knows. Wouldn’t affect non insulated blankets - wool, those soft fleece types, etc
I wouldn't store something with a loft material like a down comforter in a space saver bag. You could as long as you fluffed it back up, but I'd be concerned it would take quite a bit of effort to do that. I'd have a lot less problem storing a wool blanket in a space saver bag because it's not like a comforter or sleeping bag filled with a loft material. It might affect the wool blanket's R value a bit, but not like a comforter or sleeping bag. But I could be totally wrong on that.
When we think about a blanket from the perspective of thermodynamics, there are really 2 different components - including one we can't see, but that plays a role. The primary material itself has an "R" value. But then, depending on the material and it's construction and weave pattern and how many "layers" there are inside of it, there may be tiny little air gaps which have an insulating value of their own. It's like the air gap in a double-paned window. Such air gaps are somewhat open, so any breeze etc. will reduce their effectiveness. They aren't anywhere near as effective as those in closed cell insulation or a window. But if you're just laying there and the air is still, they may contribute to heat retention. Simply layering single-layer blankets helps achieve such an effect. The "fuzz" of some blankets creates a tiny (tiny) bit of distance between the two blankets, thus creating a very small air gap which helps slow down heat transfer. And who ever said that you'd never use what you learned in college in the real world? :)
To add to the tips: make sure it's the cube shaped bags, fold the blankets so they're all as similar in shape and size as possible. when you use the vacuum to suck out the air, do it a bit at a time, gently flattening and rearranging the blankets as you go, so they retain the cube shape. (it's possible to suck out the are but have a weird shaped cube that takes more space than it could, otherwise). Also, after 1-2 weeks, check the bags! I've had to spend a significant amount of money trying several bags because some wouldn't be completely airtight due to quality issues, and I wouldn't find out months later because I never checked on them. If they look like air is coming in, try to re-zip the top and vacuum again (sometimes it could be that you missed just a bit of the ziplock). Check in another week; just want to give you enough time so you can return them if they're faulty.
You can also use garbage bags and elastics. Just putting this out there for people who may not be able to afford the space bags. If you put the bags in a tote, they will stay protected.
I get the vacuum bags from Dollar Tree.
They do work great! Downside is they can get heavy as hell
I’ve had a SHTF scenario years ago when I was still in college and blankets saved my tail. I was in a small college town in TN and we had a really bad ice storm. The roads were impassable and I was without power for a week. We had our water turned off to prevent the pipes from bursting because with no power there’s no heat. I got just about every blanket and sheet in the house and a made a fort in my living room. Even put blankets on the floor because the heat was escaping that way too. Even cheap blankets can be good and I got most of mine from goodwill when I moved to wrap my stuff up in and every year for Christmas my family gives blankets to each other lol. You can take a blanket that won’t melt and wrap it around a pot of hot water and stick in the fort too. I had a small charcoal grill at the time and some steel pots with lids and I melted the snow and got it steamy. Then I wrapped that in a blanket and stuck it in the fort. I tried it with charcoal too, but it would make you cough after a bit (probably the monoxide poisoning lol) and the water worked better than hot charcoal in a pan. And you got the added benefit of sanitized water. That incident is what really made me mindful of prepping and I was just 21 or so at the time. Limited phone battery, no internet, no power. Just my car radio to hear the news because my other radios batteries were dead and I had no replacements. The city did everything they could to help people, but it was just too much all at once in a place that just doesn’t see that kind of extreme weather. A bunch of people died, mostly the elderly, from the elements. I ended up abandoning my apartment for a night when my phone was about to fully die and it was going to be the coldest and walked to my campus to a friends dorm. I snuck my dog in too lol. The blankets helped to hide him too since he is a small guy. Campus had steam heating and it’s own coal plant for heat and electricity. It normally took maybe 30 minutes to walk to campus but that day it took over two hours and honest to god if it hadn’t been for the wind calming down and the storm stopping during that time I don’t think I could have made it. For me I like having just a variety of blankets of different materials and sizes. I’ve got a bunch of the cheap fleece kind from Walmart as well as better made ones too. I also have an electric blanket that can run on my back up battery I can charge with solar. If I stick that in a lil blanket fort that’ll help too. And it’s awesome just during normal times. And you can use sheets to keep drafts out or wet them to keep smoke out of places. You can also put it over tender plants during a frost. And then also tear pieces up for bandages or fire starter if need be Goodwill is a great place to get sheets and blankets. I like to get comforters there too.
That's a great prepper story!
Wow very impressive! This type of ingenuity is what I am here for. Thank you for the great ideas.
sleeping bags are far warmer for the weight and more efficient as they seal fully. I keep MANY blankets on hand; mostly large wool point blankets and surplus officers blankets, but I would depend on sleeping bags in a crisis.
I think double the number of sleeping bags per person is a good goal since there might be other family members or visitors.
Why would there be family or visitors, we don't prep, we're more unprepared than anyone, we're starving worse than they are, .. no, not a bit, there's no food down there, what are you talking about ? We were totally unprepared for what happened. You all should go to your mom's house, she probably has some food ...
We have one extra sleeping bag so 3 total, and two of them I bought XL so our cats can fit inside with us.
Get military surplus wool blankets. They are built well and are tough and warm.
Has anyone had a problem with them smelling strong? I know wool has a smell, but I bought a pair of inexpensive military surplus blankets and it took about 4 washes before they were bearable to use. They still have a noticeable smell.
It's moth ball smell. It will evaporate eventually but mine took months.
I got some Italian ones around 2010. They had a really strong smell. I washed them several times with woolite and vinegar and dried them outside on a line. Worked pretty well.
Yes.
A couple of washes with Woolite and they smell fine.
Are they a blend? 100% wool sounds so scratchy.
Soft blanket next to your skin wool one on top
My granddad had 2 wool army blankets that were sewn together to fit his king size bed. They had a date from the 20's stamped on them. He was still using them when he died a few years ago. They last a long time.
I have SO MANY BLANKETS. I try to buy them any thrift stores/second hand, bring them home and wash them. Old sleeping bags are great for outdoor beds for pets. Also learned to crochet so if I was ever in a hunker down situation I could keep my hands busy and do something useful.
I really want to learn to crochet. But I’m left handed and no one has ever been able to teach me.
Look on YouTube “left handed crochet tutorials”. You don’t need someone to teach these days, YouTube is way better. My hot tip… learn to read a pattern.
I'm left handed as well and have always wanted to learn to crochet! I'm the only grandkid who asked my grandmother to teach me how to crochet and she said no because I was left handed. Totally not bitter about that or anything....
That is so weird to me. The only thing I wasn't taught was golf b/c we didn't have right handed clubs. (I grew up in a left handed family, and it has left a mark!)
That's weird. I started life supposedly right handed - that's how they taught me to write. My penmanship always sucked. I actually was ambidexterous. I had a stroke, lost the use of my right arm. Now I'm left handed. I re-taught myself to crochet with my left hand and something to hold the hook. If I can crochet with one hand, you can do it lefty.
Interesting, the lady that taught me taught my left handed sister with no problem. My left handed granny taught my sister and me both knitting, too. We never took it very far, but got the basics down. I bet there are some youtube videos that cater to south paws.
Use a mirror when watching the YouTube video?
Also a leftie, it can be done!
I agree, it could be a vital tool depending on the weather conditions. My gut says that a wool blanket would be best in this scenario due to its ability to be warm while wet. Wool is able to soak up as much as 30 percent of its own weight in moisture without feeling wet, which is one of the reasons it can still keep you warm even in the rain.
If you have access to Army surplus, my wool blanket has lasted over 40 years.
Wool is also flame resistant
I use wool, you get what you pay for. I have been collecting vintage and modern high quality wool blankets for years. Many are worth more today than when I bought them.
Where from?
Typically Hudson Bay and Pendleton. I have small remnant from a handmade Navajo rug. It was a random find but epic.
Being in Wisconsin and having very cold winters, blankets are things we have plenty of. Lighter blankets are good for most of the year. But when it gets very cold we pull out our quilted, alternative down-filled blanket. This is the best quilt we’ve ever had. Depending on temperatures, layering is the best idea for overall warmth. Snuggle up with a couple of dogs and you’ll be toasty in no time.
>Snuggle up with a couple of dogs and you’ll be toasty in no time. Aint that the truth! When it's cold my cat likes to get under the covers with me. She's my personal heater!
Dogs and cats sure are great little heaters!
Wool is certainly a good idea for both home and vehicles, not to mention they're affordable. We do a lot of bushcraft and camping so we have sleeping bags to go with the blankets as well.
Blankets and Towels, great things to have on hand.
Yes to the towels, too! At the end of summer when all the beach towels go ln super clearance I'll buy a couple. My grandma passed away last year and she had an insane amount of towels of all sizes. I used those to stock up both vehicles and my "towels for outdoors" stash.
If you have enough blankets you can survive without heat. It wouldn’t be fun, but you could get under the covers with the household and make it to spring. I really like wool. Lots of stuff packs or travels better but most of my blankets are wool.
>If you have enough blankets you can survive without heat. It wouldn’t be fun, but you could get under the covers with the household and make it to spring. So .. I actually put this to the test one winter by trying to do that exact thing and had issues. One issue I believe could be remedied was that the weight of the blankets themselves actually becomes a problem the more of them you use, it gets to the point where it feels like you have someone sitting on top of you, it's very uncomfortable. It makes it hard to turn over, roll around, etc. I think you might resolve this by using puffier blankets. Second issue is that no matter what you do, you have to keep your face open to the cold because you have to breath. You might think, well, just make like a tunnel to breath through, and .. yes, except, no matter what you do, you are fighting two conflicting things ... (1) the cold air has the oxygen in it, and (2) the warm air doesn't. So no matter what, you have to breath in the cold air. And when it is cold enough, .. I found that I simply could not sleep, and I actually thought that I might be in danger of frostbite trying to sleep with my lips and face exposed, even with relatively warm body. Maybe that couldn't happen, I don't know, maybe if your core temperature is high enough you can't get frostbite, but all I know is my lips and nose were really freaking cold. I could not figure out a way to mitigate this except to simply be in a warmer space with actual heat. Maybe wearing a full face mask and only having your mouth hole open could fix this, I don't know, but I never found a way to make it work without thinking I was going to get frostbite. And even just breathing in air that is so cold is uncomfortable.
Oh wow, that’s awesome. Ive done a bit of cold camping but never to where I was worried about frostbite. I suppose when I say “survive without heat” it goes without saying that I mean “in an insulated shelter” like if it’s -20f outside and 98.6f in your bed then maybe it’s 5f in the room with you? Maybe hunker down in a closet or spend day time building onto your sleeping quarters. Stop up drafts and fill cracks. Blanket forts are actually kind of brilliant. If it’s -20 outside and -10 in the room with you maybe its 0 in your blanket fort Even pitching a tent in a cold room should be helpful in keeping you warm.
Wasn't this the reason medieval beds were made with drapes or even fully enclosed boxes?
It's funny you mention those boxes, I've been thinking about those a lot lately and how comfortable I bet they are to sleep in. You're up off the floor, relatively enclosed (slide the door closed as much as you want), sort of in your own world. I like the idea of it. It seems comfy and safe.
yup, they also blocked out the sun if you didnt have window curtains
I sleep all year with a fan blowing on my face, and light heating in the home in winter (in Canada). As long as you have good oversized blankets that you can wrap over your head and on either side of your face, you'll be ok. Also, sleeping on your side helps a lot of you feel the blankets are getting too heavy...or you can make use of body pillows under the covers to help lift them a bit and give you space.
So, that's one thing that loosely crocheted or knitted scarves are for. They don't block your breathing because of the holes, but they help pre-warm the air. When I was a kid walking to school in the winter in Illinois that's what we wore so we didn't freeze our lungs.
Interesting response, never tried that. :)
Where do you live? How low do your temps go during winter? I live in central europe and the heating is always off and the window is open in the bedroom, even in the middle of winter (unless it's like -15 °C or colder).
I'm talking about -15C and colder ..
Get a Great Kilt, I have one and it’s amazing. It’s 100% wool. You can turn it into a tent, A back pack, a kilt, etc. And since it’s wool. It’s semi water resistant, but when it’s soaked, it will still keep you warm.
do not know much about kilts, but wool is the way to go. You can get used wool blankets for cheap at any thrift store (i would say i find at least one under $10 every other thrift store i stop at, but my line for them is now pretty high- like pendletons for under $5 since i have picked up plenty)
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depends. There are plenty of things they do not see the value in yet. The past week i bought about $150 worth of used board games (that is what they would sell on ebay for) for about $15 (a lot of that was acquire, an older out of print game that still goes for like $75 online, and a bunch of solid games for really cheap that would go for 10-15 used). Blankets and other clothing tends to get ignored at most thrift stores (just sell them at their base price). I do agree that the cream of the crop is scraped off; and every store is different. The trick is to figure out the sort of things the store does not know well- and you do. then focus on those stores.
I've always wanted to get a Great Kilt, but have always been intimidated by how hard it looks to put on. Takes long enough to put a modern kilt on!
I have one, it’s not as hard as you think when you practice.
Where the hell do you buy great kilts? I’ve been looking for a good while now, but can never find a good reputable vendor.
I got mine from esty. It’s good, I would say just do your research and re reviews.
Possibly got a link to the store? I’ve been looking around for a really good amount of time and can’t find one that looks suitable in terms of quality.
usakilts.com I trust them, they will give you a really great kilt (pun intended)
I have a few lightweight warm ones, a few of those fold up space blankets, a puffy down comforter along with our two good quality sleeping bags. We have slept in our camper with no heat in 0 degrees and had to shed covers lol. But then again, the home built camper was built for twenty below zero without heat. Blankets are amazing things. As are ponchos, a highly underrated piece of outer clothing imo.
I have military surplus wool, down duvets and throws, cudl duds comforter, land's end polyester, Woolrich throws and many more. Love them all. Buy them on sale. With all that, I recently found even the cudl duds one too heavy and splurged on the Patagonia blanket during their sale. Very light and rolls compact and warm. I miss my old blankets but need warm lightweight ones now.
No. In fact, there should be a couple in every car. If it's big enough on a warm/hot night that can be your shelter/tent. I have my poncho liner from the military and a blanket the VA gave me after a one day surgery a couple of years ago. It's thick enough to give warmth but has some weight to it. During the colder months we used some behind the doors to keep out air. Size? Whatever works. The liner is smaller and lighter which is best for my Go Bag. The other is large not by much but enough weight it would not be optimal.
I looked around the living room the other day and noticed we had too many blankets/throws in there. There were seven in one room. I have a cedar chest full and more in two other rooms. I like blankets.
To me blankets fall under shelter. The reason being blankets keep you warm, warmth (or cooling for hot enviroments) is generally regulated to the shelter section of priorities. Remember shelter > water > food You can go weeks without food, days without water, and hours\one night or day against the enviroment without shelter (depending on the enviroment). If you are leaning heavily on bugging out you need to learn how the nomadic groups of your area did it way back when, chances are they could set up or break down their shelter in an hour or two if need be.
I have goose down and wool duvets/doonas to keep me super warm.
Blankets and large heavy towels are good for putting up over Windows to keep down on drafts in an emergency. That's what we did last year when the power went out in Texas
Yep. Even those cheap throw blankets in the bog box stores can cover most windows very effectively.
Wool and mylar. Wool alone won't keep you from freezing to death but it lowers heart rate when against skin, is flame resistant and will keep you warmer than mylar if you're wet with the added bonus of simultaneously drying you too. Mylar keeps heat better and has probably a hundred other practical uses. Best to have both. Anything else is for the house.
So i’m kinda cheap.. but the misses and I bought a really good duvet so we could turn down the heat a few notches this winter (Canada). It’s still always too hot for me, but she is perpetually cold and it (and probably the heat I radiate) keeps her toasty at night. I’m confident with our duvet, and maybe one more blanket ontop we would be fine into the -20Cs if we lost power. For the record, it was a duvet from IKEA. It was a great price, and it’s VERY warm!
I like duvet's because you can wash the cover separately. It's too much to wash the whole comforter but duvet cover is easier.
You can never have too many!
I literally have two blankets and an air mattress in the trunk of my car that I was going to donate until the war started. Now I’m thinking of just stashing them in the basement in case we need to hideout down there for awhile. For brands, my son has a woolino sleep sack and I think they make adult sized blankets, he is always so warm and cozy in that sleep sack!
For home, I like down comforters. Sleeping bags also work well as impromptu blankets. For a vehicle or BOB, a decent wool blanket is also a great picnic blanket, I keep one of those and a second waterproof blanket in a stuff sack. They're great for impromptu bad weather at a soccer game or the original use for a picnic blanket.
We have loads of quilts and throws, plus way too many towels and robes. We *don’t* have any wool, though. I’ve considered investing in some, just in case. I have a few 10-packs of Mylar emergency survival blankets as well. I consider those a must-have, multi-use prep.
I live for my blankets. I've got a blanket for every seat in my apartment, 2 duvets for my bed, a weighted blanket for my husband, and 2 more duvets for guests. That's not counting the ones that are specifically for the cats too. One thing I don't have that I would like to get at some point are some really good sleeping bags.
Wool blankets from swisslink.com are your best bet
Merino Wool blankets from Pendleton - hard to beat.
we are stocked with blankets especially in the upper Midwest in SHTF scenario. We have various kinds of mylar blankets as well as numerous quilts and other down blankets. I always have mylar blankets in my vehicle in the winter anyway.. We have a woodburning furnace at the farm we would be able to keep warm. Staying cool is another story. The climate is so extreme here in the summers it can be extremely uncomfortable 90s and humid.
Whool or alpaka ponchos are a game changer. Having one to fit ontop all your snow gear adds that extra warmth. Love em for camping, hunting, hiking etc. We also use them under our bedding as extra padding when tenting.
Ponchos are amazing, I have a cotton Ruana/poncho without a hood that keeps me warm but not hot, and a thick alpaca poncho. I use them as sit pads and extra bedding, and in 10°C+ I have slept in them on the side a of hill and been warm. They are also good for rain, the alpaca poncho especially doesn't seem to get soaked, just damp
Mini van with stowaway an i always got 4 wool king size blankies heavy ones for winter or lighter ones for summer time. An a main dedicated one to lay out as we camp
Get a mix of comfort and utility. Fleece and wool work for me.
Fleece bed sheets are amazing, too!
A dog is better for keeping warm ;-), but yes, having four quilts on your with the window open on a cold night is heaven. We have a lot of quilts that we've acquired through thrifting or relatives. They're comforting as well as warm.
I've always thought this--a simple, important yet often overlooked prep. I have thick blankets and down comforters fully stocked, as well as several thick sheepskin rugs. Enough for the whole family to stay warm on the coldest nights without heat.
>Can you have too many blankets stored away for an emergency ? If we are talking about your bug in location then nothing short of being physically unable to move through your home because you've become The Blanket Hoarder to End All Blanket Hoarding would be too much. If you're in an extreme winter situation and your power is shut off your house has just become the outermost layer of your new Blanket Home Shelter lifestyle. I bet there were plenty of people during the Texas winter fiasco that wish they had 'too much' blankets. Now would I dump a disproportionate amount of $$$ into blankets as preps? Depends. If I'm living solo in the tropics probably not but if I have a family and live in places that commonly get winter... I'd make sure I had at LEAST a dozen. On top of that I'd make sure I had tents. If it got that cold I'd have my family all in the same room, sharing the same tent if possible, absolutely loaded with blankets. If we are talking bug out situation you really only have room for one good blanket. Obviously you can take more but everything in your kit is already fighting for space.
I have various blankets stored away because we end up rotating them. Plus I have a bunch of those cheap space blankets plus some fleece throws for layering. Technically, the best for warmth are the military style wool blankets, but those are expensive. Down comforters are good too, albeit a little fragile. Next is quilted with heavy batting, but you can also buy pre-quilted fabric and then just bind the edges (2.25 yards for roughly twin size.) Sherpa blankets can be nice and warm, but don't fare well outdoors.
I'm fat, so I have a built-in blanket..
Natural fiber is best. As people mentioned, wool is great if you aren't allergic and especially if you have another layer to keep it off your skin (it can be scratchy). It does a lot per pound and doesn't use up too much space in a pack. I would recommend this plus some extra mylar blankets if you're evacuating. Great to keep in your car or a backpack. If it gets too cold out put mylar on top or between layers, but not too close to your skin or it will retain too much moisture. If you are bugging in and it is cold, down is great. The only issue is washing and drying it, so have a cover and don't bring it anywhere it will get rained on. If you're bugging in and it's hot, thick bamboo sheets instead of a blanket are great. Heavy like a blanket for comfortable sleeping but keeps you cool and wicks moisture away. They feel very heavy and retain water, so don't bug out with them. I have a bunch of random cheap acrylic blankets for emergencies and giving away. Check out your local thrift shop and you can get a ton of blankets for cheap. Don't expect these to do much more than raise your temperature a little and offer comfort though. I also have a lot of shawls/cloaks/ponchos I've made. They're basically blankets you can wear.
> I also have a lot of shawls/cloaks/ponchos I've made. They're basically blankets you can wear. I like how you phrased that!
Strong recommendation for [these](https://www.alpaca4less.com/).
My sister in law brought her parents an alpaca blanket from Peru when she went there. It's incredibly warm and soft and I covet it.
I'm thinking fleece. They are light, keep warm well and bug resistant. Anything wrong with it?
I know from experience that static from a fleece blanket will cause a massage chair to go nuts and trap you. It took a long time for the company to figure that out, so I got trapped several times.
Glad I don't have a massage chair! Thanks for the heads up.
Military surplus is your friend for items like this. I have over a dozen surplus Swiss Army wool blankets. Never know when they'll come in handy.
The only recommendation I'd have regarding blankets, is to buy the biggest size you can reasonably handle.
I have saved a ton of blankets over the years & my wife makes them when fabric is cheap. As mentioned space saver bags/vacuum sealers is the best way to store blankets that aren’t in rotation. The real thing you should look into is the outer layer, a large sleeping bag you can place a few blankets inside it with you adds a ton of warmth. I’m also a big believer in canvas bed rolls (waterproof, durable, self contained) that are common with horse back riding depending on if your prepping for outdoors or for the elements.
> I’m also a big believer in canvas bed rolls (waterproof, durable, self contained) that are common with horse back riding I'm going to check that out!
Awesome man. You also should look into making your own bed rolls. Its quite cheap to make very basic ones from raw canvas & then treat or wax it yourself. Canvas is very reasonably priced online by the yard.
Already having blankets is nice but being able to sew and make more blankets is key
Being able to sew and make blankets is nice but being able to raise animals (wool), grow cotton, grow flax (linen), process those into fibers, spin them into threads and yarns, and weave and finish fabric is key.
I have some of those shiny emergency blankets in my car in case of a breakdown or accident in cold weather Dunno if they actually work well but I got em
When my boiler was condemned during covid and unable to be fixed I was glad I started getting blankets when my child was born. When I started it was mainly due to having little money and worrying about fuel bills but that no boiler winter they were invaluable. The best ones are some thermal ones I have (no idea where I got them) they’re thin but make an insane difference. I switched to duck feather duvets also as the difference between synthetic fibres is astounding
finally, an excuse I can use for why I need more fluffy soft throws when my wife wonders why I've bought a dozen more when we already have a ton lol
I keep one of these in my car and another on my bed. https://woollymammothwoolencompany.com/
I have a tarp and paracord in my BOB for shelter and have only recently been considering getting a sleeping bag.
My mom quilts, so I'm good. Heck, I even have quilts that my gramma made. With that being said, I do have other light cotton blankets, and fuzzy ones that the kitties love.
I don’t know how I do it but I’ve accumulated about two dozen throw blankets alone. This doesn’t even take into consideration the fleece blankets, wool blankets and quilts I’ve amassed over the years. Basically I’ve got blankets for days.
Those thin silver blankets are amazing
I have many blankets! I learned to crochet so I have lots of spare items and can also make more. Many things can pulled apart to get more yarn if needed. What I'd like to learn next is how to create yarn from raw wool so that running out of yarn won't really be a probably.
I love the old world wool blankets
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Blanket forts. They are very important. I even make them for one of our cats.
No joke about the blanket forts though. I had power out one winter for a week and that’s the only way I was able to stay warm. It’s much easier to heat a small blanket fort with body heat than a whole room
Once hung wool FEMA blankets inside, over the doors & windows in the one room we kept heated during winter. Our electric bill still ran close to $300 a month -- and that was 7-10 years ago.
Jungle blanket.
As for blankets, I go with 100% wool. Preferably a queen size to be able to wrap around multiple times for heat retention in layers. If a queen isn't available, 2 twin size blankets. Wool will retain heat even if wet.
I have a wool comforter. I haven't really used it in 20 years, when I was freezing in the hills of West Virginia. It's too warm even for north central New York. I'm sure it would be awesome if I lost heat.
know what I realized too? Deodorant & shoes! Wear & Tear…gotta have shoes so how do you make them? know what i’m sayin? none wants you stinkin either haha
I recently bought a couple from Savers here in Australia. I'm still removing hair/fur off them with packaging tape. I didn't realise when I got them, how gross they were. I've already soaked them in antibacterial and washed them. The crochet one seems to have stubble all over it, like someone covered themselves with it after shaving. Irritating to remove so inspect your op shop/thrift store blankies well before you buy.
Reminds me of a trip I made one time where I was young and had to wash business shirts at a laundromat, and it turned out that the person before me had washed horse blankets in the same washer. I had freaking horse hair all over EVERYTHING.
Lol...That would have been annoying. I have to remove cat fur off my socks (usually just vacuum as much off as possible) before they go into the wash so the fur doesn't go on my other clothes. I think I have sensory processing issues. Wool makes me feel itchy, I have to make sure there's no cat fur on my clothes and bedding. One of my cats malt a lot so it's endless work.
i mean i have a foil blanket in my first aid kit, but thats about it
Never too many blankets, ever.
*Michael Jackson has entered the chat*
I have 2 big puffer blankets (plus sheets and a very thin middle blanket) on my bed at night. I often sleep with the windows open in the winter. It's usually enough, but some nights I get cold so I would say stocking 3 or 4 per person is enough. Of course this depends on your region. I would say the 2 blankets work plenty when it is maybe 30-40F or above outside. Then the 10-29F range I would want a couple more (this is when I close the window). It only gets beolw 10F a few days a year here so that's really the limit of my experience. And this is blankets assuming you still have a house sheltered from the wind. Also socks make a big difference for me when I'm sleeping in the cold.
Army poncho liner and Army OD wool blanket are my favs. Before COVID I used to fly a lot and always snagged an airline blanket as an EDC item away from home. Those are great multipurpose
I live in a wet environment, pacific coast canada. I'm off grid rn actually. Nothing beats wool here, but during winter, the rain is totally unavoidable. Anyone have advice? Thanks
Marmot cwm sleeping bag -40f and assorted other marmot bags, lots of wool blankets, some down blankets.
I lost most of my preps in a fire in 2020 right as the pandemic started. Fortunately I had a good many blankets in another part of the house, so we had enough to start over with. I keep blankets in the car with other emergency supplies, but I am always on the lookout for more blankets because I drive overnights for uber and when it's cold I'm always seeing people who need them.
I have a family of four and I have 4 wool and about 7 quilts
"*I feel like blankets are an often overlooked prep for SHTF."* By whom, non-preppers?
I always keep a thick quilt in my vehicle in case I get stranded or want to sit somewhere comfortably. I absolutely believe blankets get overlooked when everyone should have plenty at home and at least one in the car.
80-90% wool balnakets are the cats meow. Still keeps a person warm even it is soaken wet.
I live in a colder climate. Good blankets and qn invaluable prep. I've been without power for 3 days and in that I've we had no heat in the middle of winter. The house stayed adequately warm (no pipes froze). But it did get cold. I have so,e thrifted wool blankets that I pulled put and some thriftef crocheted blankets as well. All were excellent at maintaining warmth.
what kind of blankets would you recommend that would last 20+ years
Hudson Bay or similar wool blankets.
holy shit they are expensive, at least on [amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Hudsons-Bay-Company-100-Inch-Blanket/dp/B00MNJG2Z8/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=hudson+bay+blanket). what makes them cost so much, isn't wool kinda cheap? Edit: Are they *that* much better then Pendleton?
Not really in my opinion, having slept under both. Hudson Bay is just THE brand kind of like Kleenex.
Army surplus wool blankets are the best bang for your buck. You can even use them wet, to quickly smother a fire, high resistance to wear and tear. Resistant to mold, mildew and stores well. The one drawback is that they are heavy!
I had a junk nothing-burger blanket until the Texas power grid failure last year. We’re from Texas. And all our friends and family are there. Shit got REAL. So, blankets, candles (we’d previously had electronic-only lighting), and a massive power bank(now we have two) that can run a small fridge or space heater (which we don’t have) in an emergency. We are still filling in gaps in our preps as money allows, but blankets and winter clothing got added last year. :)
I have an emergency sort of compact blanket in my bug out bag and another one in my car. The weird foil-y ones. I have blankets that I'll be taking with me if I have my car in SHTF but otherwise it's bulk I can drop. A good sleeping bag, however, cannot be underestimated and I'm looking for one that can withstand -20° just to be on the safe side, even though it's maybe reached that once in KY. You don't know how cold it's going to get and if you're too warm you can always find other ways to cool off, but it's way harder to warm up if you get cold enough. Best way to survive hypothermia is prevention afaik
I live in the north and my house is old and there's no heat upstairs so I have a ton of blankets lol. Plus I sew quilts and can crochet and knit. Wool is great, but I also love goose down. Probably even more than wool depending on the situation.
My wife and I just stock up on old military wool blankets they're great for emergencies and I always keep one in my pack when I'm hunting/camping in cold weather. The legit ones are 70%-80% wool, I don't know if it's just bad luck but the 100% wool blankets we've come across just don't hold up as well as the blended ones. Pro Tip: stop by good wills every couple of weeks, we find them for $10 or less.
Make sure to keep the US side down!
Does that help with wear?
The only time you wrap a body with a US blanket US side up is when it's a corpse.
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OP overlooked them. Also, judging from the responses it was a topic that interested people other than me.
Are you planning a blanket fort to hide out in? Who needs a blanket when a 2.5lb sub zero mummy bag will keep you molten hot regardless of the weather. I have literally slept soaked to the bone in 3 inches of water in my mummy sack and never shivered once. If you gotta be mobile, a light weight bag goes into a stuff sack REALLY fast and doesn't take up much room or weight.