GoreTex blankets

“I'm a newcomer to Trail Talk, so maybe this is "old hat," but I'm wondering if anyone out there knows a vendor of GoreTex blankets. I'm not talking about clothing, but rather, just blankets, i.e., sheets of single-layer GoreTex, hemmed and large enough to be used as blankets. I think this would be a great way to add a few degrees of warmth without being very bulky when not in use. Furthermore, it would breathe so that sweat buildup would not be problem. However, I have searched most of the big websites (e.g., REI, etc.) and found no mention of GoreTex blankets. I even wrote to GoreTex using their online letter submission webpage, but never got a response. Would it be too expensive? Are there alternatives? "Space blankets" don't breathe, and "fleece" is too bulky (and isn't waterproof). Any suggestions?”

“Believe it or not, Gor-Tex does not "breathe". I've got a Gor-Tex bivy and if you zip it all the way up, you it's impossible to get air.
Not really what your plan is excatly but just a blanket wouldn't add any warmpth. Fleece is a better insulator for the weight. How about a poncho or even a Jumbo size trash bag?”

“I've spent many rainy nights zipped all the way up in my Gore-Tex bivy bag, and never had a bit of trouble breathing.”

“If this is what you really want, why not make your own ? Just buy a piece of gore tex, hem the edges or if you don't sew use contact cement to glue them to prevent unraveling. You probably won't find a gore tex blanket since it's kind of a bizarre idea.”

“I might be a nincompoop (sp?), but I actually tried putting a trash bag over the bottom of my sleeping bad once for added warmth...

Bad move, trash bag doesn't breath at all, and I ended up with a wet sleeping bag, water condensed in there all night--I have a down bag :(

live & learn..& be stupid”

“Check out www.owareusa.com for material.”

“I found a Gore-Tex mummy bag shell at a surplus store. I think it helps keep me warmer, and certainly it keeps the morning dew off my sleeping bag.”

“I think a Gortex blanket - lined with chain mail - would be nice to have around in the event of a bear attack.”

“Nimrod,
Put the trash bag inside your bag, around your legs. You'll feel clammy but you'll stay warmer. (Bag stays completely dry)
Then you can call it a "vapor barrier" rather than a trash bag. Make head and arm holes and put another on over top.


Forrest,
Just buy a Gortex Bivy sack.”

“When I've been really cold, I have an emergency blanket that is like a tarp. I use that. You do have the condensation thing going. But at least it works.

The other thing I do if I am cold is pour hot water in a Nagene bottle and bring that to bed with me.”

“Thanks for the responses. A bivy sack is a good idea, although I would prefer a blanket - a blanket can be put over a bag quite easily, epecially at 2:30 in the morning when an unexpected cold front drops the ambient temperature by 20 - 30 degrees (welcome to the Rocky Mountains!). As for using a regular old "nonbreathing" poncho - been there, done that, got the T-shirt - also got a wet sleeping bag for my trouble.

As for fleece, as my original post alludes, it's really not practical to stuff a fleece blanket into your backpack.

Gremlin - thanks for the suggestion regarding Oware. They offer a fabric called "Supplex," which is described as a "waterproof breathable urethane." Kind of sounds like a GoreTex knock off to me...”

“Forrest if all you're trying to do is stay warm, why don't you consider making a fleece bag liner? Hit your local fabric store, buy a few yards of fleece, fold in half & sew up one side & the bottom. Voila', a fleece liner.

I also have a gore-tex bivy, slept w it zipped up in snow sleet & rain, stii here so I guess I could breathe well enough, LOL. They're pricy but worth it. $.02”