Blizzard Survival Bag - Quick Look

Blizzard Survival Bag - Quick Look

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 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.

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.

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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