Blizzard Survival Bag - Quick
Look
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Price:
£25
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Weight: 381 grammes
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Features: Reusable
survival bag, vacuum packed size 21 x 11 x 3cm, made from
Reflexcell, thermal rating of 8 TOG or around the same as a
2/3 season sleeping bag, windproof, waterproof, unaffected
by moisture. Available in silver, orange or green options.
Pouch - £5.99.
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What's It For?
The Blizzard Survival Bag is an all-in-one emergency mountain
survival system, we say 'system' because while normal survival bags
will block out wind and rain, they offer minimal insulation, while
the Blizzard Bag has a thermal value of around 8 TOG which Blizzard
says is roughly equivalent to a 2/3-season sleeping bag.
Because it's re-useable, it also has a secondary role as part of
an ultra-lightweight sleeping system for dedicated lightpackers and
mountain marathon or adventure race competitors or as lightweight
bivvy system for climbers.
The Techy Bits
The Blizzard Bag's made from something called Reflexcell, an
elasticated structure that traps heat within a silvery-surfaced
material and holds it close to the body. The metal coating reflects
heat while channels trap air and provide insulation. The elasticated
bit - based on the sleeping bag system used by Mountain Equipment and
Mont Bell - means the warmed air is held where it's needed, close to
the body.
It's also tough, much tougher than space blankets for example, and
wind and waterproof. Finally, in tests, the Royal Marines found that
the Blizzard Survival Bag was four times as warm as conventional
survival bags.
It's also much warmer relative to its weight than either down or
synthetic sleeping bag insulation.
How It Performs
The Blizzard Bag comes vacuum packed in a package around the size
of a VCR video cassette making it extremely easy to just pop into a
pack or lid pocket and forget until needed.
At 381 grammes it's not super-lightweight, but you have to
remember that as well as wind and water protection, it also provides
a big dollop of insulation, far more than you'd get from carrying,
say, a microfleece of the same weight.
Opening it up is a doddle, remove two layers of wrapping, unroll
the bag somewhat noisily - stretch it sideways then get in the bag
and stretch it out lengthways to open up the insulation channels and
trap air.
Finally use the simple hood arrangement to create a simple hood.
Bingo - you may now feel like a cross between a Christmas turkey and
a giant silvery slug, but as the air in the insulation channels is
heated by your body, things get pleasingly warm and comfortable.
As with a sleeping bag, using insulation under the bag is
important to minimise heat loss to the ground, in an emergency
situation, you can use your pack or spare clothes to good effect.
In our hardcore, back yard emergency simulation test, we found the
Reflexcell material extremely hard to tear with bare hands. One thing
to bear in mind though, if you're considering the Blizzard for
non-emergency use, is that it is pretty noisy in a crackling,
crisp-packety sort of way, so you'll need to be pretty committed to
consider it as an option.
Once you've survived, you can re-roll the bag and use either a
stuff-sac or Blizzards own storage bag to stow it away. Be warned
though, you're not going to get it back down to its original,
vacuum-packed size, so if you buy one for emergency use, best keep it
packed until you need it.
The Blizzard Survival bag's going in our winter pack from now
on and in the car too. It's an absolutely brilliant bit of kit
because it combines both tough weather protection and built-in
insulation, so it's a lot more efficient in load terms, than carrying
a conventional survival bag and spare clothes.
It's reusable as well and if you are concerned about the size
after an emergency episode, Blizzard can repack the bag for you to
its original spec.
As far as using the bag as part of a more regular lightweight
sleeping system goes, we'd say you'd have to be pretty dedicated. The
Reflexcell material is very noisy in a crisp-packety, loud rustling
sort of way and for all its functional efficiency, it lacks the
comfort factor of a conventional sleeping bag. It's definitely an
option, but quite a committed one. It would be good for a no frills,
UK conditions bivvy though as it hardly matters if the bag gets wet
or not.
As well as the Survival Bag, Blizzard also produces a Survival
Jacket in short and full lengths and several emergency
blankets.
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Compact, weatherproof, tough with amazing warmth to weight
ratio. Reusable.
Material is noisy for non-emergency use.
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Know more or want to?
If you'd like to add your own experiences of this
product check out our user review system and post your opinions to
the world. If you have questions you can mail
us direct, ask
Richard Gear or try a posting to our
gear
forum.
Lance Doyle
