The innovative Blizzard Survival System kit is making big
waves with the military winning a Royal Marines arctic
survival bag trial and being issued to US special forces
deployed in Iraq and elsewhere.
Blizzard's range of survival bags, blankets and jackets gives
incredible insulation by using a technology called Reflexcell.
Basically it's an elasticated, lightweight reflective material which
also traps layers of insulating air inside triangular channels making
it extremely warm.
According to figures from Leeds University, a Reflexcell bag gives
warmth figures of 24 Togs/kg which is well over twice the value of
goose down, previously thought to have the highest warmth to weight
ration among usable insulating materials. It's also barely affected
by the presence of moisture, unlike down.
Marine Test
That was born out by Royal Marine tests in Arctic Norway earlier
this year which showed that the Blizzard bags were up to four times
more effective then current UK army issue survival bags and kept
soldiers warm for up to three times longer than bivvy bags commonly
used by civilian mountaineers.
The bags are also a big hit with the US military. Every medic
operating with US special forces is now being issued with the
military version of the Blizzard Survival Blanket after research
showed that a high proportion of casualties in Iraq suffered
hypothermia while being evactuated to field hospitals.
British Apache pilots are among others also using Blizzard as are
search and rescue helicopters in the UK, Cyprus and the Falklands,
which have replaced standard sleeping bags with Blizzard bags to save
weight and bulk.
Previously rescue helicopters carried our sleeping bags and
weighed around 70lbs, with a volume of 100 litres each. These have
been replaced by four Blizzard Survival Bags, which weigh a total of
around 2 kgs (4.5lbs) with a packed size of around 4 litres, which increases the
capability of each aircraft to carry more fuel and equipment.
Ultralightweight...
That's a ringing endorsement of the effectiveness of the Blizzard
system, but it's also something that makes a lot of sense for walkers
and climbers as well as ultra-lightweight backpackers and adventure
racers.
Blizzard bags offer around 8 Togs of warmth - equivalent to a
lightweight sleeping bag - are fully watrproof and windproof and
weigh 385 grammes with a packed size of 21 x 11 x 4cm.
What's interesting for lightweight freaks is that although they're
supplied in vacuum-packed form, they can be re-used and repacked for
planned bivvies.
Definitely worth a look. See www.blizzardsurvival.com
for more information.
kevin davidsson
