Understanding Emergency Space Blankets

My jaw dropped when my 17 year old son showed me the pile of supplies he planned to take on a 4 day kayaking/camping trip. He had an army knife, a crawl-in biking tent, water bottles, plenty of food, a mountain of snacks, two changes of clothes, a pillow and a mylar space blanket. When I asked about his bedding, he pointed to the space blanket and told me that was all he would need. Both his dad and I tried to convince him to carry a sleeping bag, but he didn’t want the extra weight and was sure he wouldn’t need it. Recognizing the futility of trying to change his mind, we decided to let life teach him the lesson we couldn’t.

He returned later that week, dirty, bleary-eyed and wan, far from the exuberant, cocky boy who left a few days previously. Read More→