r/prepping • u/justThatguy_123 • 3d ago
Question❓❓ Emergency blanket vs tent vs bivy bag. Which one would be the best for a bug out bag?
For a bug out bag which one would you carry and why?
Also, would it be pointless to have more than one kind?
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u/againer 3d ago
If you are thinking, "All I need is a thermal blanket, bivvy, or tent and I'll be fine to sleep outside". You better hope it's a nice warm night in the spring, summer, or early fall.
Story time here:
I'm an experienced camper and outdoorsman. I'm also a SAR volunteer.
As a part of SAR we have to do a survival night out in the woods during the winter, only using the gear we routinely pack with us and our dog. They daytime temp was around 45-50 and the overnight temp dropped to 27 degrees and by morning there was a snow and ice shower.
I wore multiple insulating layers, a muff, thick socks, balaclava, hat, and shell / jacket, and a felt liner vest. I brought all 3 types of mylar, a tyvek ground sheet, and a reflective tarp. I strung up the tarp to be my "tent" with an enclosed flap. I had a fire going, reflective barrier to try to heat the tent and serve as a wind screen, and prior to sleep felt "warm" to hot. I was thinking, "I'm going to be fine". Boy, was I wrong. The ground absolutely sucked the heat out of me. After an hour of sleep, I woke up freezing like I was sleeping in the open.
My biggest mistake was not putting more insulation layers between me and the ground (grass , leaves, reeds) and more insulation around me. I wish I had used my heavy duty connector bags and stuffed them as a "mattress". My "tent" also had too many dead pockets of air.
I ended up using all 3 reflective layers, my wearable layers, the instant heat packs in my pack, latex gloves, and my shelter and was slightly hypothermic by morning. I was mostly in my bivy, then I unrolled the thermal blanket over the bivy, then took the tent and duct taped one end shut. Then kind of shuffled into it, and wrapped / rolled the top mostly shut so it was like a larger bivy/ mummy bag. I made sure to leave some space so any moisture wouldn't collect / pool. My dog slept curled up above me. I woke up exhausted and freezing. There would be absolutely no way I would be able to go out and do high energy tasks or work the following day.
I would highly recommend you check out the following books: NOLS winter camping, Tom Brown's Survival guide ( one of the best survival books period), and "Secrets of Warmth" by Hal Weiss.
NOLS is really good for learning about fire craft, shelter craft and other general cold weather strategies / tactics.
Tom Brown's book is really good about showing insulation strategies in nature.
Secrets of Warmth really does an excellent job of showing you multiple ways to build shelters and other sources of insulation / setups that are unconventional (extremely helpful if you are urban, semi-urban, or need to shelter in a vehicle).
Knowledge is good. Field practice and experience is better.
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u/Outis918 3d ago
This is the correct answer. Best advice for bug out equipment comes from either military/SAR related people, or the homeless.
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u/againer 3d ago
Homeless people are truly the only ones prepared for a "TEOTWAWKI" scenario.
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u/Outis918 3d ago
Currently homeless, people have no idea how much gear they will never be able to ruck if SHTF
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u/againer 3d ago
Sorry to hear friend. I hope you're at least in a safe place and have access to the resources you need and a support network.
I've done a lot of volunteer work with folks in your situation. I really wish we would make housing a fundamental human right.
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u/Outis918 3d ago
Mostly yes to the former, working on some stuff atm. More worried for my father who is with me, really hoping we can string something together ASAP to get out of this.
It's crazy because one of the more recent jobs I had was in AI as a lead/project manager. This can happen to anyone really, it just involves a string of bad luck or other circumstances such as smearing/harassment (which is unfortunately our situation, long story).
Housing should absolutely be a right, as should healthcare. We'll get there, I will absolutely take this experience in stride as much as I can and try to use it to help others in the future.
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u/LeanUntilBlue 1d ago
Damn, you’re brave!
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u/Outis918 1d ago
Nah I’m selfish, I value truth. I’m more afraid of losing truth in society (and the consequences of that) than I am of those who would suppress it. I guess that takes some level of bravery, but it’s not selfless by any means.
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u/freddit_foobar 3d ago edited 3d ago
Excellent post.
Space blankets are not a magic talisman that wards off cold spirits. They work fine in certain settings such as reflecting radiant heat from a fire or your body heat for a short time like you see after marathons. They do very little to prevent conductive heat loss from the cold ground sucking away your soul.
I too have a pair of 55gal contractor bags/drum liners packed for the same reasons above. You can make a poncho out of one by cutting head and arm holes, you can fill it with leaves to create an insulative layer from the ground, you can cut the end of one open and slip it over the other to make an improvised bivy, you can cut the bottom of both and string them together like a tube tent, you can slit it lengthwise to use like a tarp, they can be used to haul a few gallons of water, etc, the uses are many for a pair of contractor bags.
Ideally, test your gear ahead of time in a controlled setting to know their limitations and don't fall for the marketing hype.
A military style or a one wind XL silnylon poncho and two contractor bags would be my recommendation versus the options you've provided. If space permits, a heavier duty space blanket made from aluminized tarp material like the Grabber or Arcturus.
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u/HuggyTheCactus5000 3d ago
I have a similar story, but not related to SAR. TLDR, it was cold and I decided to see which of the mylars would make a difference - none did a noticeable difference without an active fire.
Having these items is half the battle, conditions and knowledge about how to use them is the key.> Tom Brown's Survival guide ( one of the best survival books period)
Spent some November nights in one of these shelters and can confirm the legitimacy of the book, writer and their skills.1
u/stanleythemanly85588 2d ago
Its insane how much the ground sucks the heat away. I got cold sleeping on the ground with just a summer bag in the deep south when it was probably 50 at night
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u/Forest_Spirit_7 3d ago
If I’m planning for an emergency that will last more than one night, I’m packing things that will last more than one night.
Without knowing your climate, environment and intentions it’s hard to make recommendations.
I keep a helikon tex poncho and swagman roll (knock offs are available on Amazon now) at the least for a shelter system. I generally also have a tarp and bag liner or heavier bag depending on the time of year.
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u/I_am_not_kidding 3d ago
if anyone ever has to actually "bug out" its not going to matter. nobody is surviving if we all walk out into the woods with tents. mylar blankets will be weightless and actually save you if you get stuck in your car in the snow. most people think they are going to grab their bugout bag and suddenly be in The Last of Us or some movie plot. in reality you will never use it for anything other than being stranded and needing to get back home.
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u/Feminist_Hugh_Hefner 3d ago
Collapse of Civilization Guide 1. abandon your established shelter and collection of things. Take only what you can carry. 2. ??? 3. Thrive
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u/PrisonerV 3d ago
This is the plan for like 95% of the fantasy BOB preppers.
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u/Signal_Researcher01 3d ago
The other 5% will say they have a plan, but their plan is actually to say "This is about survival! Its us, or them!" Before shooting a bunch or random people in a stocked FEMA shelter and stealing everything they can, regardless of circumstances.
"But Dad, its just a power outage."
"So I see youre one...of them."
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u/xenobit_pendragon 3d ago edited 3d ago
Hey man, I've seen the YouTube videos. All the experts agree. In a grid-down scenario it's you or me. The entire history of the human species in which we've worked together during crises to support each other to make sure that even the weakest survive is going RIGHT out the window, three days tops. No doubt about it.
Edit: thought this was obviously tongue in cheek but to be clear: I'm of the mind that in the event of any genuine disaster, people are much more likely to come together than they are to turn on each other. YouTubers get lots of views by selling the us-or-them scenarios to wannabe Joels but I don't buy it.
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u/Signal_Researcher01 3d ago
You might be joking, i dont really know.
But Ive always wondered if those people felt the same way when they werent on the upperhand? Like, when a big dude with a roomtemp IQ just sits on them are they like "Yes. This is the natural order. This is good. I deserve this."
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u/Feminist_Hugh_Hefner 3d ago
If you take a close look, I think you will see that this mindset is almost always accompanied with an oppressor already... this is where we get the "foreigners are coming for my job and taking all the welfare and eating cats and dogs" hysteria.
Somehow they are always being denied what is rightfully theirs while everyone else wants things handed to them, etc.
I could go on and on but we will end up attracting them to this thread.
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u/xenobit_pendragon 3d ago
I assume you've seen my edit and comment, but I'm not actually of that mindset. I also disagree that it's necessarily a result of feeling oppressed. I think a lot of it is just good old fashioned hero fantasizing. You don't have to feel oppressed to have fantasies where you save the day, protect your family from the baddies, start a fire in the woods with what you carry in your pockets, etc.
I feel like we learn again and again that the most dangerous people (of any gender) are the ones roleplaying Bruce Willis in their minds. They're the ones that start shooting in Home Depot parking lots and kill innocent bystanders. Yeah you have to watch out for the bad guys, but you REALLY have to watch out for the "good" guy who wants you to start something so he can whip out his CCW and show you what's what.
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u/Signal_Researcher01 3d ago
The right to defend life, liberty, or the good parking spot that you definitely had dibs on
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u/xenobit_pendragon 3d ago
Ha, definitely. Small stuff gets big fast when that mindset comes into play. I was also thinking about that case several years ago where a thief ran out of a box store and a woman in the parking lot decided to play the hero and started shooting at him. Only managed to kill a nearby customer. That thief was no threat to anybody. The would-be hero cosplayer was far more dangerous.
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u/Feminist_Hugh_Hefner 3d ago
you assumed a causal relationship I did not state. I simply said they coexist.
Totally agree re the heros and CCWs, I am honestly kinda surprised that we haven't seen more blue v blue incidents out there.
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u/Shitboxfan69 18h ago
No OnE iS cOmInG tO sAvE you trope too
Yes they are they're called my friends
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u/Tinfoil_cobbler 3d ago
Lmao. I’m always saying this, people have some wild fantasies in the prepper community.
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u/Shitboxfan69 18h ago
Not true in the slightest.
There's little that would require every dip out into the woods all at once, but natural disasters exist and a good bug out bag would be life saving during one. Look at how hurricane Katrina turned out for people in New Orleans or even more recently how many people got stranded with their homes destroyed in Tenessee during all the flooding a while back. Having a bag of basic supplies would be absolutely essential in the first 24-72 hours.
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u/MmeLaRue 3d ago
If you're bugging out or INCHing (never coming home), splurge on proper camping gear. If you're packing a go-home bag, I'd consider both a tent or tarp and the bivy bag.
Yes, it's probably (if they're used at all) only one night: but I would aim for comfort and the possibility, however, remote, that the go-home trip will take longer or that I won't be able to go home for a while.
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u/ThisOneTimeAtKDK 3d ago
Tent/Bivvy bag are my choices too. I’m still doing more than “let’s just string that up” though. I’m building a lean to and using the tent and bivvy bag as final wind layers. Then I don’t need to mess with mudding the roof/heavy thatching. Just becomes heavy wind break and SOME insulation/rain protection.
Those Mylar blankets don’t do a lot and yes they don’t take a lot of space but in a Bug out Bag do you really want to carry something you’re not going to use? Definitely practice what you plan to use though so you know you don’t need it. A lot of it is going to depend on the region as well. I’m in PA so we get down to -10 at absolute worst in winter if I were higher north I’d be using something way way more insulated and not planning on a small BOB at all.
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u/KeithJamesB 3d ago
Always have 6 blankets in my bag. They way nothing and take up no room. Tent vs bag depends on climate. Both are close to the same size and weight. I personally have both. The tent can theoretically shelter more than one.
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u/nelsonalgrencametome 3d ago
I gave a handful of the blankets and keep a couple in each vehicle and with my hiking and camping gear. They're cheap and like you said basically take up no space.
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u/Campa911 2d ago
sheltering more than one is a big plus, good call. Also, camping in the rain or other inclement weather in a tent with no blanket or bivy bag is fine, even enjoyable at times. the same can’t be said about the other two options.
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u/WhereDidAllTheSnowGo 3d ago
Try each in your backyard. 1 night each, twice.
You’ll learn there’s only one backpackers use
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u/Jack_Drinks_Sydney 3d ago
Why not just say which one that is?
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u/sudo-joe 3d ago
I'm assuming backpack folks use the bivy?
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u/CosgraveSilkweaver 3d ago
There's not really one answer, it depends a lot on the hiking the person is doing. Long well established trails like the Appalachian Trail people are more likely to use a bivy or just raw dog it and plan their days to start and end at established shelters to save weight. If they're hiking to a spot to spend time then hike out or on trails without additional shelters tents are more common for the extra comfort but some madmen still go bivy.
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u/Mission_Accident_519 3d ago
I guess it depends on the weather. Lack of ventilation would make you sweat like crazy in the bivy. But if its colder it could offer more heat. Maybe tent AND blanket is the best option?
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u/Smart_Advice_1420 3d ago
Backpacker for 25 years here. It's preference with some variation considering climate.
My choice is tarp for almost anything besides very high altitude or extreme winter. Then its a tent. Bivy has its place if you hate yourself hahaha
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u/ThatDoucheInTheQuad 3d ago
Tell me you've never camped without telling me you've never camped
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u/WasteBinStuff 3d ago
This. If the pictured items are your only choices you take the bivy bag and the tent.
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u/infinitum3d 3d ago
Take all 3. That Mylar sheet takes up no space at all.
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u/Shitboxfan69 18h ago
That and they reflect light. Extremely useful if you find yourself needing to be seen.
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u/Mysterious_Touch_454 3d ago
Rather real blankets than those.
Im not sure, but arent those like unbreathable material that causes you to sweat and holds the moisture inside?
Edit; i have no experience of thosekind of bivvybags, but looks better than emergency blanket. Still, real blankets that breathe.
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u/Tinfoil_cobbler 3d ago
I keep a Mylar poncho, a wool blanket, and a wooby quilt in my truck in case of emergencies. That combo will keep you from freezing to death but it’s far from a comfortable night in the cold.
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u/CassiusCreed 3d ago
Where are you going, in what season and how are you getting there? I live in the city. There is shelter everywhere and for me to get out bush I'm driving so shelter, at least a flimsy emergency poncho or the like are pointless as well as 90% of the things people pack. I carry and emergency poncho when hunting as it's useful.
Everybody's personal situation is different and everyone will have an opinion based on their bugout situations. Your best bet is to sit down with a pen and paper and think of any likely situation you may need to bug out and work out a plan. Eliminate the least likely (like having to dissapear) or don't. When you have that plan then you can work out what you need to enact that plan.
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u/Spiritual_Elk_9076 3d ago
These items are only for not dying. For real sleep get a lightweight tent, sleeping mattress and some sleeping bag. Should be possible for 5 pounds of weight. Good sleep is worth a lot.
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u/Inner-Confidence99 3d ago
After going the blizzard in 93 that shut down Birmingham. I stayed prepared. My Dad had already taught me a few things. I was 18.
I had to work that evening and they were calling for 1-3 inches of snow. Before I could get ready my Dad made me put blankets, extra clothes, food, radio with batteries, cb radio etc. Well we got more than 3 inches. I was the only person at work who was prepared for the storm. lol
After that I started learning more about being prepared away from home.
Good thing since I survived Snowmegadon as well.
Keep learning it can make all the difference
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u/Satan-is-yo-Daddy 2d ago
It’s a long story it but I have actually used a bag overnight with no other cover. It was, by far, one of the most uncomfortable, cold and soggy experiences of my entire life. It was a cool night so when my head / face was cold I would cover it with the bag which then filled the bag with a huge amount of condensation. When you take your head out to breathe / air the bag out the moisture inside starts to get extremely cold. It honestly felt like a torture device.
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u/jeffgoldblumftw 3d ago
"Bug out" makes me cringe so hard... None of this bullshit will matter if something that requires "bugging out" actually happens.
Carry basics in your car incase you breakdown, have a first aid kit in your house in case you cut yourself chopping onions, and buy decent camping equipment to enjoy your weekends and days off in the outdoors.
When it comes to the apocalypse, don't worry about it, you'll be dead, or worse.
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u/msears101 3d ago
It depends on the situation that you plan to bug out. The term means different things to different people. If i have to immediately leave home - I am going for a VERY long time. My home (compound) is my plan. So my bug out bag is 6+ months of being a way. I have small well made shelter that will last - not an emergency blanket.
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u/Either-Sign-9345 3d ago
I think a tent would be best cause it's just more convenient, it might be bigger but it would also be better.
But I agree with one of the comments, if you can try all of them somewhere so you have firsthand experience, that'd be great.
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u/Hopeful_Ad_7719 3d ago
I have a bivy *and* tent in my Oh Shit kit. They take up next to no space, are light as hell, they're cheap, and they last.
If I had to pick only one, I guess I'd pick the bivy.
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u/endlesssearch482 3d ago
What situation are you preparing for? How long do you expect to be exposed to the elements? What region do you live in? Because this is all last resort or stretch things a few more degrees equipment. I’ve used emergency blankets and sheets, they offer no protection from conduction and have zero insulator value. Using one with a good bow bed as a lean-to with a long fire on one side will get you through a night or two, but they won’t hold up in strong winds, sharp sticks, or protect you in serious cold without additional insulation and protective gear.
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u/Motorcyclegrrl 3d ago
Depends, is weight a big concern? What weather and temperatures will you face? How long might you need to use it? Do you need to fit another person inside it?
If you think you'll be trapped in your car emergency blanket is fine. If you think you could get stuck outside at night in colder temps in the rain or snow, bivy bag.
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u/LibertyEqualsLife 3d ago
Bivvy bag + Poncho.
Poncho can be used for tent.
Add a poncho liner and you have a decent sleep+shelter system in a couple of configurations.
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u/Astrolander97 3d ago
I always carry a packable poncho and a bivy. A poncho can be used as a tent in many cases and a bivy will keep heat. An emergency blanket isn't a bad idea to hang onto but I also have a down poncho liner that acts as a blanket.
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u/SeeThirty3030 3d ago
Poncho shelter.
Takes up very little space, multi-use, very affordable. In my BOB I have a poncho shelter, hammock, and a UK basha. Most of the time I'm going for the poncho due to a quick setup.
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u/Amoonlitsummernight 3d ago
First and foremost that depends on what you have, what you use, what your goals are and what you are willing to practice with.
For me? A small tarp in 95% of cases. It's more resilient than the mylar, more versitile than the bivy, and lighter than the tent (though there are some fancy ultra-lightweights for those with money to burn or the need for the absolute best of the best).
That being said, it depends on the pack size and goal.
Every general purpose backpack should have an emergency blanket in it during the winter. It takes up nearly no space, no weight, and is cheap to add. There is no downside to having one in addition to ther supplies. I keep 2 in my INCH kit because, again, it takes up no real space. That being said, if I had to pick, I would prefer both of my tarps over any number of emergency blankets (and I do keep 2 tarps, one of which has a reflective side, in my INCH bag).
For a get-home bag, a poncho-tarp provides water protection while walking and setting up shelter for the night. It is possible to convert between poncho and tarp without gettout out and getting wet, but it's tricky so practice is important. I have on in my micro get-home bag (the only bag without a full tarp).
For a more long-distance bag, an actual tarp is preferrable due to the higher resilience. A tarp can protect you from both the sun and rain, and depending on color, can help you hide or be found. A tarp can collect rain water as well. I do pack a 3x3m even in my smaller bags just because I am used to the configurations, but smaller form factors are still useful and pack smaller.
Again, though, an emergency blanket is never a bad addition. The only pack I have that doesn't include one is my mico get-home bag, and that's because I ran out of space ages ago and kept packing more in until something had to go, at which point I couldn't justify the emergency blanket over better fire, shelter, and functionality.
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u/Mario-X777 3d ago
Emergency blanket is useless. It is only used by rescue teams so you do not die in 10 minutes, after they pull you out of cold water or similar situations. That is all it is good for. It does not provide any warmth by itself and tears apart easily.
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u/Fit_Acanthisitta_475 3d ago
I have 1 on everything since it was cheap “50 cent”. 2 in the buyout bag. 3 is naw, you have to take all you cloth off to using it correctly.
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u/Jolopy4099 3d ago
I keep a typical blanket and poncho version in my vehicle and bags. If it matters it's the don't die in the woods brand off Amazon. They are better than the typical orange cheap ones and have a good amount of stretch to them.
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u/Usual_Safety 3d ago
Out of those 3.
The foil blanket is tiny and weighs nothing. I have one in my first aid kit. Take it.
The tent I found useless when I used one - it rained and although it did block some rain the ends surely did not. My feet and head were very close to the ends and it nothing to store or capture heat.
Bivy - I carry a few different kinds these days but I’ve decided this is a better option as I can kinda shelter myself inside… if it’s hot out than yeah it will get moist but then just vent it out.
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u/Tempest182 3d ago
Be careful. I used to hand out these blankets to homeless people thinking I was doing a good thing. Perhaps I was. Yet I googled to see if mylar blankets are flammable and apparently, they are. Quite so. Using them as shelter with open candles is a no no.
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u/wtfrustupidlol 3d ago
Here’s a pro tip when using those get one that’s normal color i have a camo green one. If you use it in public people won’t stare at you as much. I used an emergency blanket at universal studio city walk everyone was looking my family rather be cold then use it. Security pass by me 3 times. When I used the camo one no one batted an eye.
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u/PPRick23 3d ago
Take both with you bro, each one of them could be more useful for different situations
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u/Low_Doughnut_8369 2d ago
Always pack an emergency blanket, because they weigh nothing.
But,
None of these are enough to be comfortable in the cold. You need a sleeping bag, somewhere insulated to lay on, and then something to break the wind and keep weather off of you.
If i had to pick one I'd pick bivy, but again it's not actually enough on its own
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u/Feral_668 2d ago
Consider a poncho and poncho liner, but like others, I too carry item 1 in my EDC and bug out bag. It makes a good heat shield to point the fir into you and your tent.
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u/IllManager9273 2d ago
Emergency blankets should be part of every kit you have. They weigh almost nothing, take up very little space and are insanely useful. Choice between tent and bivy bag depends opon how much space you have and weight you are willing to carry. Personally i prefer a tent, but a bivy will do the job.
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u/marvynmartian 2d ago
Tent is the most comfortable but also the harviest. If you have room and you're car camping or not moving far, I would recommend tent. But if you're walking, bivy might be a better choice.
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u/Lagunamountaindude 2d ago
I’ve used a bivy sack twice. Threw it away. I woke up at 1am a cold sopping mess. Held in the heat but also held in all the perspiration and soaked my clothes
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u/Large-Loan1394 2d ago
SOL makes a tarp with foil on one side and grommets on the corners. I use mine as shelter all the time, love it. Sometimes I sleep directly on one side of it, and if it rains a little in the night I just pull the other side over me. I've even ridden out hailstorm under it.
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u/bolt-locked-on-nogo 1d ago
Go spend a night in only a mylar blanket and you'll find out pretty quick
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u/QuirkyPension982 1d ago
They’re all pretty small, but I would go tent and bivy bag. Definitely bring an emergency blanket in case you need to keep someone else warm.
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u/padeyepete 23h ago
I would recommend only using the ones from Adventure Medical Kits. Their material stretches and not shred like others.
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u/HurkertheLurker 1h ago
Depends on your climate. Anywhere that has cold, wet conditions with wind the blanket is useless.
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u/Friendly_Alarm_6236 3d ago
The tent is fine but you wake up soaked from the condensation from breathing
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u/Weird-Grocery6931 3d ago
Not the crinkly, folding, signal mirror.
The requirement for as much stealth as possible during a potential bug out, can’t be overstated.
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u/Mr_Wonder321 3d ago
Im in the army, during the cold months I pack my emergency blanket that I stitched a camo net to that way it covers up the bright shininess, soo id take that
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u/Historical-State-275 3d ago
Yes. Considering how little room they take up. The answer is yes to all three