*Do mylar space blankets really work? They are probably not quite the "survival" blankets they are touted to be. The one person I know who truly needed one once because he was trapped high on a cold mountain in a life-threatening situation, said that when he opened the package, the mylar blanket turned to dust. Evidently its expiration date had come and gone. I myself have used one on at least one occasion to supplement a warm weather sleeping bag, and it didn't feel like it kept me any warmer than the sleeping bag itself. And I once opened one I'd had for years, just for the hell of it, and it disintegrated in my hands. So, they most definitely do not last forever.
However, space blankets do have uses. They are water and wind-proof, and they do reflect sunlight and heat (to some degree). They probably do keep you warmer than if you are not using one. They can be strung up to provide shade, water catchment, and relief from intense sunlight. They can also be used to line emergency shelters, for both heat retention and waterproofing.
My inexpert advice: Carry several space blankets in your emergency kits, and replace them every 2 or so years.
*There is money to be made in recycling. Here in California we pay a deposit on every plastic and metal beverage container we purchase, and if we don't go redeem those containers ourselves at a recycling center, we lose that deposit. It's a bit of a pain in the a$$ to get to the recycling center while it's open, wait in line, and then go redeem your payment receipt for cash at Safeway... but, it's worth it. Every time I do so, I figure out how many gallons of gasoline I just bought/offset. Today's haul was very small: 28 aluminum cans for a total of $1.40. It took about 10 minutes of my time. That paid for .4 gallons of gasoline, which offset my costs for driving to the shopping center in the first place, to buy phone cards at CVS.
However, space blankets do have uses. They are water and wind-proof, and they do reflect sunlight and heat (to some degree). They probably do keep you warmer than if you are not using one. They can be strung up to provide shade, water catchment, and relief from intense sunlight. They can also be used to line emergency shelters, for both heat retention and waterproofing.
My inexpert advice: Carry several space blankets in your emergency kits, and replace them every 2 or so years.
*There is money to be made in recycling. Here in California we pay a deposit on every plastic and metal beverage container we purchase, and if we don't go redeem those containers ourselves at a recycling center, we lose that deposit. It's a bit of a pain in the a$$ to get to the recycling center while it's open, wait in line, and then go redeem your payment receipt for cash at Safeway... but, it's worth it. Every time I do so, I figure out how many gallons of gasoline I just bought/offset. Today's haul was very small: 28 aluminum cans for a total of $1.40. It took about 10 minutes of my time. That paid for .4 gallons of gasoline, which offset my costs for driving to the shopping center in the first place, to buy phone cards at CVS.
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