Emergency Thermal Blanket 52" x 84" (4 Pack)

Someone else on Amazon had the idea first, so I can't take the credit for it. I don't buy these to use as blankets. I hang them indoors in the windows as radiant barriers to keep the heat from the sun from coming into the house. (It isn't even June yet, and we are already getting temps in the 90s F here.) They are not the prettiest window treatment in the world, but they work. You have to be careful not to poke holes in them using them over mini-blinds, but small holes and tears are easily patched with transparent packing tape. There are solar curtains out there that are a little sturdier and have convenient rod pockets, but my windows are not the typical-sized sash models. The blankets are just the right size for these, not to mention a lot less expensive.

For the average unit price of about $1 each, these are very effective at trapping heat and keeping you warm. Not only are we going to use these to line the bottoms of our sleeping bags while camping, but my wife had the awesome idea of giving these out to homeless during the winter season. At a $1 each, probably one of the most cost effective charitable acts you can do.

One of those things you get "to have around" in case of a real emergency without really having a chance to test it [since basically, once you open the vacuum-sealed packet & unroll the thing, you use it & throw it away when done.] I remember my 1st exposure to a mylar blanket a couple of decades ago [I was an "Osh-man," working in that sporting goods chain back in the dark days of the early '80s, when Ronald Reagan was dragging the USA out of the morass of stag-flation & presidential indirection the country had suffered under Jimmy Carter] and the realization that this fallout from the NASA space program was a truly revolutionary product. Since then, I've always kept one or two kicking around the glove box or trunk in any vehicle I've owned, or in the box of camping supplies waiting for the next sojourn. Nothing to get too excited about here, which is why I only gave it 4 stars out of five: these seem decent enough, but I'll hopefully never have occasion to give them a truly in-depth review.

These are great to slip into your backpack for overnight camping - no extra weight so I carry a few. I usually wrap one around myself at the campfire and it keeps both my front (facing the fire) and my back very toasty - it's kinda like being a baked potato. It's also the only way I've found to quickly really warm yourself up once you're in for the night - putting on more socks just doesn't cut it. This reflects your own heat back, and if I forget to take it off I'll wake up sweating most of the time (different problem to have.)I love having them when I hike with newer backpackers - more than once someone has come by my tent during the night to see if I have an extra because their layers aren't working out. It's an easy way to help someone out.

Like a couple of other reviewers my primary reason for this purchase was to help insulate a couple of windows in my apartment that have direct sunlight on them during the hottest part of the day. What I have done is I cut a piece of thick cardboard to the size of each of the windows. Then I took the mylar blankets and wrapped the cardboard with them and used duct tape to hold them in place.Now, as another reviewer noted, not the prettiest of window coverings. So I then took a thin white table cloth, and wrapped one around each window cover. With the addition of the tablecloth, it added enough thickness that the window coverings fit pretty snugly, without needing anything else to hold them in place. The tablecloth also protects the mylar sheets from damage from being remove and put back in place as needed.I live in the Central San Joaquin valley, and summer temperatures stay over 100 for quite a while. Little things like this can help keep my a/c from working quite as hard, and help keep the electric bill a bit under control.

I got lost while snowshoe hiking - Mountain Rescue was out looking for me all night. Had to spend the night on the ground in snow country, in 25F temp. Had one of these blankets. My recommendations: They work but don't expect them to replace a winter sleeping bag or heavy clothing. There is no substitute for actual insulation on your body.. Don't depend on just one, carry at least two, one for your upper body and one for your legs. They get somewhat brittle in cold weather, so I will probably carry three of them; by morning, mine was in three pieces. They only work by reflecting heat, so you need to be off the ground - I cut pine branches to put on the ground as an insulating layer. And in an emergency, don't expect to be toasty warm with these things. Expect to be a little warmer than you will be without them. I could tell a difference with the blanket, but it was still colder than you can imagine. These blankets aren't magic. If you put them in your car for emergencies, I'd still carry candles and matches to warm the interior. And if you are hiking, have a way to build a fire. I had a fire, but damp wood kept me from having the fire I really wanted.

I bought these to put in the house, car, and backpack in case we ever get stuck somewhere in a blizzard since we live in New England. Typical emergency blanket quality and once you unwrap them you won't be able to fold them up the same way again, so it will be much larger. The bulk price is a big deal as these are $3 a piece at most retailers. Pick them up here when you can.

I have a hiking/survival kit and I thought these would be a great addition and I was right! What really pushed me was the price I was buying a knife so I picked these up too, if you put your vace close up then it is see through and also be warned once you unravel them you will never get them as neat and compact as they are new its virtually impossiblebut these are really nice warm and durable but they are pretty noisy comment any Q's!