I frequently go on camping trips with my friends where the only shelter/bedding I take is a 100% wool blanket. My buddies all have their setups costing hundreds of dollars and I wrap up in my blanket next to the fire with my pack as a pillow. They all call me insane but I sleep like a rock. A wool blanket is an incredible piece of gear. I got my first one from my grandpa. It was an old WWII military issue job. I highly recommend owning one. They're also a great addition to an emergency car bag. Especially if you live in colder climates.
An added benefit is that wool is also flame retardant. It will self-extinguish. So while your buddies run the risk of all that plastic catching fire and going poof, you (once again) will be sleeping like a rock ;)
They are great but are just too heavy for stuff like mountain climbing or backpacking in Arctic regions without supplemental down suits/sleeping bags as wool heavy enough to keep you alive at altitudes just wouldn't be practical to Carry. In most situations though wool blankets should be used more in opinion because they are superior to cheap sleeping bags for nights above 50°f
I am a side sleeper and I use blankets over sleeping bags. What I do is fold the blanket lengthwise in thirds. Then I use a cord and tie a knot at the foot end about 3-4 inches from the bottom. Then I turn the blanket inside out so that knot end is on the inside. This creates a top quilt out of the blanket with a foot box, and I like the knot piece as a separator for my feet. I use a pad for ground insulation or an underquilt with my hammock.
I served in the Air Force for over a couple decades and worked in a logistics department when I wasn't flying. There was a need for wool blankets so I started looking through what's called the Logistical Letter that advertised "free" stuff. Low and behold a hospital in Germany closed down and there was $40,000 worth of wool blankets available to anyone who requested them. I put in the request and about 10 weeks later they arrived at the squadron- thousands and thousands of wool blankets loaded in pallets like the one you demonstrated. It became evident I had a "good" problem- all the blankets I needed and not enough space to store them. The olive green blanket is a mainstay unless you're over your head in them.
I have always liked to use surplus wool blankets since I was a kid but I had never heard of this. I am 6'4" 220# and am always struggling with blankets. Thank you so much for teaching this old dog a new trick.
this is the original method, used in the old cowboy bedrolls with a canvas tarp. It also works great with thinner down blankets if you know any down top quilt types. This method also keeps more spiders and snakes out, and seals up as good as a zipper.
As a kid in the Boy Scouts, one of the assistant Scout Masters was an old Cowboy. He taught us Cowboy field craft. This was the one that was easiest to remember,and it has served me well through the years.
I find that impossible to believe. I'll take a zipper over a safety pin any day of the week. I remember camping out in the wilderness in a tent and the billions of bugs that came crawling out of the poles when we took apart the tent. YUCK !!!
The diagonal wrapping is used in Japan when they wrap gifts with a too small paper. Nice to see the technique used here. It means that you can carry a smaller blanket/ less weight.
Our ancestors used great kilts so they just wore the blanket after pleating and belting it in the morning....somehow I think they were smarter than us....at least in cold damp nature.
Ofcourse they were. Most of us pretend to know the forest when in reality those are our excursions. We spend a few days and feel like we're woodsy. But back then it was there 9-5. They lived and breathed it. It wasn't about the most theoretical gear. It's what worked and mattered.
My solution is a little more complex... but I think it's worth sharing. I use a "sleep belt" which is basically a 2 inch strip of high density foam that goes around my hip like any belt. Once I put that on me I lie on my side on the edge of the blanket and with everything else I wrap myself completely. I sleep on my side because in other positions I usually get sleep paralysis and the belt, by elevating me in the hip area, prevents any bones from hurting.
a good wool blanket and canvas tarp can save your life. The time tested combo used for many years. A couple of big safety pins completes the system. cool video.
Thanks for the tip. Our grandparents probably knew this but I feel it got lost along the way with generations. Everyone should know this. Thanks again.
No joke, just a couple days ago a video on how to wrap presents came up. It used the same geometry, using the additional length of opposing corners. Good stuff here.
Great way to keep all the loose ends and edges under control. I've used that method on a queen sized wool blanket and had great coverage (I'm 6'5" tall, 220 lbs). Thanks for the demonstration, and reminder to find where I stashed my blanket pins. ;)
Excellent video! You should always keep a knife, multi tool, med kit and wool blanket under the back seat of your truck. You can do so many things with a wool blanket. You wrap as a jacket and then sleep in it like you are showing here.
WOW, THANK YOU, DIDN'T KNOW THIS. I HAVE GOT TO PASS THIS ON TO MY SON IN LAW WHOSE IN THE MILITARY. MY DAUGHTER SAID THEIR MILITARY ISSUE BLANKETS AREN'T WIDE ENOUGH FOR HIS TALL BODY. PROBLEM NOW SOLVED. THANKS SO MUCH. THIS IS SIMPLY GREAT!
Just repeating other comments of appreciation. Sure appreciate you going through the trouble of lying down like that and making the video to explain everything.
Dig a hole 6- 8 inches deep between your legs while leaning against a tree. Comfortable tree. light the candle, put in hole and wrap your self while sitting up with a poncho and poncho liner . Man you talk bout good sleep !…. 1 single candle will heat you up like no ones business. Used to do this al the time while on 30 day maneuvers at Ft. Bragg. A box of tea light candles is a great gift ! Always remember to sleep like a squirrel ….the thickness of you body in bedding (pine needles, grass, leafs) really keeps the ground from steeling your heat….
Here's the funny thing about this . I'm 50 years old, my father was a 25 yr vet of the US Army and co/lead of my cubscout troop many moons ago. He taught us this on our first camping trip of the summer. That frist trip love seeing the information redistributed for those that didn't know he was taught in boot camp I don't know if it's still taught that way. So thank you sir
Great video! I have been burito sleeping in my Hudson Bay four-points as you show for years. It important to have a wool blanket big enough to do this right. You may try not lying in the blanket in a perfect bisecting angle but slightly off-center to yield most of your body cover to completely wrap you while you footbox is secured as you show but needing less avaliable coverage. You will also find that this off-center method will probably genetate a nice hood. Important - plan the side you will sleep on before staring your wrapping. Also, no need for a ground pad if you brought a contractor's bag to fill with leaves. Again, I use an HBC 4-point whereas a 6-point could be nicer but would take too much room. Always, I would perfer a Swiss Army blanet but they are too small and I refuse to butcher any precious Swiss Army blanket so to make bigger. And remember any wool blanket should be hand-washed and gravity drained and never put into dryer or dry in direct sunlight no matter what your wife tells you. I hope this helps the wool blanket owners out there, I remain.
In the army here we used to do a similar fold without pins using a tent half. That would insulate the sleeping bag and keep us warm when doing an arctic or mountain deployment.
That's terrific! I'm so glad that this popped up. As you were demonstrating it really reminded me of the cocoon blanket wrap that you tuck a newborn into. Thank you and much and God bless you and yours!
The Diagonal Blanket Lashing (with the aid of a 40 Foot Rope) was an old British Civil Defence Rescue Technique, which I learnt back in 1975, for securing an injured individual onto a Canvas Field Stretcher.
Add a poncho to that blanket, or underneath it, depending on weather, and you have just improved that blanket 100%. Add a poncho liner as well, and you have a good survival sleep system down to freezing or lower.
Oh Hell ya! I've lived for the last 52 years with all 3 close at hand. I've spent many nights in my poncho with a poncho liner & Army medical wool blanket. Early on I cut slits in the liner & blanket for my head. I always stayed dry and warm even in the worst of weather. I carried an extra poncho when I needed a little extra cover. Add a little 550 cord and your set.
Old ex weekend warrior here. I cheat. I put my wool blankie on top of my canvas shelter half. 2 issue wool blankets are more fun. They don't weigh all that much. But wrapping up like a burrito on a cold Northern winter night is good.
@@bradlong7941 Another great thing about wool is the insulation it provides when compressed. Unlike down or even synthetic insulation, once you lay on it, it no longer provides good insulation next to the ground. Wool on the other hand, maintains it's insulating properties, as it does not compress like the other things I mentioned. Also, like someone else mentioned, wool will maintain it's insulating properties when wet, which makes it a better choice in many scenarios.
I get a king size blanket and do the same trick but with much better results. I sleep exclusively with a wool blanket at home and this is how I sleep all year long and have been doing so for about 4 years, so I'd say I have a bit of practice! I started with a queen and could make it work but it's sooo much better with a king. I fold the bottom corner over my feet but leave a lot of extra fabric below my feet, so I now have two corners on either side down below my feet. Then I fold the two bottom corners of this double-layer over my feet and legs, so now I have three layers of wool over each foot (the flipped up corner, plus the double layer from each side) and five layers briefly at mid-shin where they all overlap. With a king, there's enough fabric to wrap each side completely around and under you a bit, so you have two layers under you from your thigh up to your low back, as well as a double layer over you. Two layers of wool feels like 3 - 4x as much warmth as one layer. There's enough extra fabric in the corner above your head to make a double layer for your whole head, pull the top corner down to your belly button, then fold it back up, over, then under the back of your head. Add a shell layer of some kind (debris, emergency blanket, garbage bag, poncho, etc) and you can be comfortable down to maybe 40°F / 5°C with no fire assuming you're also wearing some warm clothing and have insulation *under* you (this is *incredibly* important - wool underneath you is not warm enough to sleep directly on cold ground unless you have 8 layers or something crazy. A *winter rated* sleeping pad or 0.5m / 1.5' thick layer of leaves or something else equivalent is needed to keep you away from the ground).
Yeah, i do the same on my bed automatically to trap the heat in. This lay on the blanket and wrap it seems like it will leak the heat from the seams well as if wrapped with tarp/moisture barrier would probably just collect all the water in, though its beneficial when ground is cold and when there are nasty critters crawling around. At here least worst is ants, ticks and moose flies so not big issue and distances are generally shorter so extra blanket could be packed to be on ground and another as mentioned tucked underneath, then wrap the bottom on top and secure with pin for double insulation foot box since foot will be the coldest and freeze first since away from the main circulation point.
I'm thinking that way too. I also like that the head flap can cover my head. (Plus side of side sleeping). When I've been sleeping in freezing temps under several layers, I appreciate the feature of having some bigger blankets that can wrap up and around my head to create that full cocoon experience. 🥰
One of my favorite applications of the Pythagorean theorem. I use a 6' by 8' tarp for my hammock rain fly. Neither one of those legs is particularly long enough to adequately cover the hammock, especially if there's wind driven rain, but the diagonal is 10'. A plus is I need less rope to pull it taught and such. Hasn't failed me yet
Include a silk sheet with your wool blanket. Wrap the silk sheet round the wool blanket before wrapping yourself in the blanket. It will make a LOT of difference! Silk is one of the warmest materials there is plus it is much lighter and less bulky than wool.
Silk sheet on the outside? Most put on inside, but I have found that putting a tighter weave (like silk) over a loose (like wool) seems to works best. Do you agree?
That’s a good tip on how to use that blanket. I think what would be great for a lot of people is what one company in Colorado makes. It’s like a canvas with leather and cotton or wool. It’s like an oversized sleeping back but canvas on the outside and can be used just on the ground. I’ve not bought one cause it’s more money but having canvas on the outside seems like it’d be more heavy duty and last longer for the hunter or outdoorsman. I forgot the name but they showed how ya roll it up and pack it on a horse.
Got me a marine corps sleep system. I do like to have a wool blanket inside if it's way below freezing but at 32°f. it sleeps quite comfortably in a pair of long johns. Actually I have 2. One is for super cold weather. Rated -60°, that's if you are sleeping in cold weather clothes like the caltrans "snow" suit I have. I've just been too cold too many times. Like when the boy scouts made us sleep in snow caves as a kid 40 years ago. They didn't bother to make sure all our gear was acceptable and being the poor kid, I was sent to winter camp with a summer sleeping bag. I woke up, if you could call it that, and had frozen jeans from the knees down. That's what growing up was when I was young. We used to have real BB gun fights without eye protection. No sissy bike helmets. We were raised to be tough.
It's unfortunate that any Scout leaders back in the day would allow something like that. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. The old school was definitely tough but you learned a lot!
This is probably a good method if you don't move around a lot in your sleep. Unfortunately, I'm a restless sleeper and I would probable wind up with pin holes in me from the safety pins coming open so I use strips of velcro instead. Triangle patterns seem to work best with a set at each of the lower three corners! Thank you for the video! I'll have to try Mike N's method because velcro is a bit noisy! I use my coat as a pillow because the first thing I do when getting up is put on my coat and it's right there; helps to reduce the 'BRRRR...' effect.
Take your over clothes off, and put them down by your feet to dry them out/keep them warm. At least this is what you do on a sleeping bag. The jacket for a pillow is always a nice touch.
Roughly at what temperature? Admittedly, I don't do well in cold weather. I used my Amazon purchased, made in India 80% wool blanket and still really, really cold and miserable in 32 degrees--even when I put myself in a sleeping bag.... Again, I'm a warm weather person.
Cot? You're one of those rich campers/outdoorsman with your fancy schmancy cot. I just use my wool blanket, woobie and wet weather poncho on the ground. I'd get the protection from a wet ground, (or rain if I wrapped it like a burrito over me), and the wool blanket provided the insulation in the middle layer, and the woobie gives a softer material contacting your skin. It's easy to roll these up and they take up less room than a sleeping bag. If we had vehicles we might have had cots available ,but in the Infantry, you carried everything on your back. No room for the luxuries like a cot.
Not sure how I missed this one. Better half came across some good deals on Marino queen sized blankets last year . Afraid many up north are going to need them this winter. Thanks for the demonstration. Have a great evening
Oh good! James is going to tell me how to lay! I tend to use a blended one due to weight and cost Okay. Now I feel dumb. Would never have dawned on me to do it right! Thanks James
One top notch new survival tool that I would use to add to your little collection a staple gun full of Staples and screen material with both you can set up yourself a simple walled house in the wilderness and both can be quite very cheap to get ahold of and at the same time you can use it with the trees such as stapling a boxed screened house wrapped around a couple trees for a shelter and the best part is the screen will keep the bugs out
Listen. I had no idea blanket pins existed, even into olden times. This explains celtic "jewelry" I've seen, and kilt pins. Thanks for a mystery solved.
Harbor Freight has German gray wool blankets for 11.00. I liked it enough after trying it, that I bought another one. I have a Toyota Tundra with a Leer top. I'm going to line the bottom truck bed with one as an insulator and sleep under the other one. I was thinking about making wool curtains to insulate from the cold windows. The gray wool kinda matches my truck which is an added bonus. I just thought about lining the whole shell in wool by attaching it with Velcro or sew wool over the silver Reflectix bubble insulation.
@@harrymills2770 I put interlocking foam tilles over a bedliner with memory foam on top. Reflectix over the windows. Wool blanket curtains. Wool blanket covers.
If you have a large enough blanket you can tuck the corner around your feet (front to back) and push your feet to lock-in the folds and you won’t need pins.
I cover myself completely to sleep, so I've always had to go diagonal with those darn things in boot camp... every once in a while I'd get my hands on one that was the right size, and keeping it from getting swapped with someone's small one was a real chore lol
Everything natural, that is, made of natural textiles, including primarily clothes and bed linen, always works well enough. Even semi-natural ones with synthetic additives are also useful. As for the blanket, especially wool, it works quite well both at home and outdoors somewhere in nature as a heat insulator to preserve body heat. You just need to practice and gain experience all the time.
Except your right arm and side are almost completely exposed. If you're really tall, these blankets don't work so well which is why I use a wooby and wool blanket. Both are light and pack very small. This strategy will not keep you from hypothermia, as there are very few that will. If you've ever spent a great amount of time in the field like one does as a grunt, JTAC, or forward observer where one must sleep outside, then you know just how remarkably warm it can be outside and you're still very cold. I discovered my threshold pretty rapidly as I'm a cold sleeper. Without a very good sleeping bag and pad 40 degrees is pretty damn cold. Below that, and if you're a cold sleeper, then you will be uncomfortable without a good sleeping system. I bought my own bag, and old down Army sleeping bag (this was pre-high-tech issued sleep systems) and that kept me warm and toasty until it got wet, then it was back to miserable again. It got to where I'd just take a couple wool blankets I had bought at a surplus store and had sewn together by one of the many seamstresses around post. Basically it was a custom sleeping bag. Take two military wool blankets with a wooby, have them sewn together into a sleeping bag, and you have a wool/synthetic sleeping bag which is good down to around 38 degrees. Wrap that in your poncho and you have a water resistant sleep system good to around 34 degrees. If you sleep in your Gore-Tex parka with the wool sweater, then you have a toasty little night down to about 30 degrees. The point I am making is layering while keeping your ruck light. You can even carry that sleeping bag on your butt pack or assault pack and it adds minimal weight compared to a full sleep system. Remember, in the field shit aint supposed to be comfy, it's about surviving the hell of war not feeling like a Cub Scout on an overnight camping trip. You have shit to do, 50 or 100% security to pull, one on one off rotations, and earthen wrapped loveliness in a hasty hole or fox hole. Live like a grunt and survive like a grunt, then you'll be hot to trot. High-speed low-drag baby, that's how we roll. Over, Under, or Through.
Love a good wool blanket. I sleep with a Bulgarian wool blanket over the comforter on my bed in the winter.I have 20 or so pins so if I lose a few here and there I have some spares.
Its called 'sleeping cowboy.' (style) Diagonal.. and you can use multiple layers, blankets in severe conditions. I have been a big wool fan for years. Complete agreement with you as to the benefits of wool over any other fabric. To add,,, I sleep in a cashmere sweater... keep it with the sleeping gear. The go to fabric is merino wool,, Lambs wool can also work well. The newest wool in my arsenal is buffalo down. Buffalo down socks are the best ever. I have a long canoe trip 4 years ago (600 miles?) I had two pair of buffalo down socks 40% buffalo, 40% merino and 20 % artificial. I wore a pair each day while the alternate dried.. Just before bed I'd switch to the dry pair and allow the other the day off to dry the next day,,, just switch back and forth. for 6 weeks. March and April,, mostly above 5,500 altitude,, and a canoe trip,, feet soaked every day. Laughing,, I also use an Ikea comforter cheap, fluffy, disposable,, with the wool above and below.
@@WayPointSurvival Do yourself a favour,, Buffalo Wool Company out of Texas Order the Advantage Trekker Boot top socks. Expensive and worth every penny. You will love them.
Cool to know--Love the Wool--I tell my coworkers--try these wool socks and gi wool toboggin or jeep drivers cap--they are amazed at the heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I was in school army cadets in 1980’s Australia. I was issued with exWW1 great coat and blanket, exWW2 rubber ground sheet and duffle bag, exVietnam war tarp (hoochie) and uniform. I was never cold or wet!
I was taught in a wilderness medicine class to wrap a patient in a tarp this way (on the outside of the insulating layer like a wool blanket or sleeping bag). Put something like a wadded up shirt between the patients legs in case they urinate. And roll them to their side. Keeps the patient warm and waterproof in the tarp if you have to leave them to get help.
When I in my early teens I spent a summer in the hills of North Carolina we where required to have the minimum of things to survive a wool blanket and a poncho it worked great
My mom grew up in a house with no heat upstairs except in the bathroom. They could see their breath at night so every bed had wool blankets By the time we were around my grandpa had gotten electric blankets but still no heat upstairs . Our old farmhouse I had the pipes from the kitchen stove running up through the floor in my bedroom but we only used that stove like once a month in the winter for special occasions otherwise we had no heat or a/c upstairs but at least we had grates in the floors to bring heat from downstairs. If it got really hot in the summer we would slept in the living room downstairs when my parents finally got an a/c when I was a junior in high school
Excellent video..😎👍 I now am going to buy two wool blankets, maybe even three. I don’t sleep outside..😳 I have to find an Army Navy store in my region. I am sure there is one or two. I need a new winter jacket too, maybe I will find one of those in wool..👍
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I frequently go on camping trips with my friends where the only shelter/bedding I take is a 100% wool blanket. My buddies all have their setups costing hundreds of dollars and I wrap up in my blanket next to the fire with my pack as a pillow. They all call me insane but I sleep like a rock. A wool blanket is an incredible piece of gear. I got my first one from my grandpa. It was an old WWII military issue job. I highly recommend owning one. They're also a great addition to an emergency car bag. Especially if you live in colder climates.
An added benefit is that wool is also flame retardant. It will self-extinguish. So while your buddies run the risk of all that plastic catching fire and going poof, you (once again) will be sleeping like a rock ;)
They are great but are just too heavy for stuff like mountain climbing or backpacking in Arctic regions without supplemental down suits/sleeping bags as wool heavy enough to keep you alive at altitudes just wouldn't be practical to Carry. In most situations though wool blankets should be used more in opinion because they are superior to cheap sleeping bags for nights above 50°f
Hey Joshua, how cold can you go, in the wet, with that? Do you strip down at all, or just wear your gear? Minus boots I hope.
(I’m wet coast)
In my 25 yrs of military service never occurred to me to do it like that but you always learn something new every day .
Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed the video!
As a mom and grandma, this is exactly how we swaddle our babies.
True!
My first thought, lol!
I did too and I'm a 66 year old Man .
And it works well, right?
I am a side sleeper and I use blankets over sleeping bags. What I do is fold the blanket lengthwise in thirds. Then I use a cord and tie a knot at the foot end about 3-4 inches from the bottom. Then I turn the blanket inside out so that knot end is on the inside. This creates a top quilt out of the blanket with a foot box, and I like the knot piece as a separator for my feet. I use a pad for ground insulation or an underquilt with my hammock.
That is a great solution! Thanks for sharing this in the comments!
very innovative. thanks for sharing!
Perfect 👍🏻
Is ther a video to show it 🤔
Clever, thanks. :)
I served in the Air Force for over a couple decades and worked in a logistics department when I wasn't flying. There was a need for wool blankets so I started looking through what's called the Logistical Letter that advertised "free" stuff. Low and behold a hospital in Germany closed down and there was $40,000 worth of wool blankets available to anyone who requested them. I put in the request and about 10 weeks later they arrived at the squadron- thousands and thousands of wool blankets loaded in pallets like the one you demonstrated. It became evident I had a "good" problem- all the blankets I needed and not enough space to store them. The olive green blanket is a mainstay unless you're over your head in them.
Wow. That would indeed be a situation!
I have always liked to use surplus wool blankets since I was a kid but I had never heard of this. I am 6'4" 220# and am always struggling with blankets. Thank you so much for teaching this old dog a new trick.
this is the original method, used in the old cowboy bedrolls with a canvas tarp. It also works great with thinner down blankets if you know any down top quilt types. This method also keeps more spiders and snakes out, and seals up as good as a zipper.
Indeed. Thanks for watching!
As a kid in the Boy Scouts, one of the assistant Scout Masters was an old Cowboy. He taught us Cowboy field craft. This was the one that was easiest to remember,and it has served me well through the years.
I find that impossible to believe. I'll take a zipper over a safety pin any day of the week. I remember camping out in the wilderness in a tent and the billions of bugs that came crawling out of the poles when we took apart the tent. YUCK !!!
@@DJ-oy3zz yeah...zippers became popular for a reason
How do you keep snakes out when tarp camping? I hear they are attracted to body heat.
The diagonal wrapping is used in Japan when they wrap gifts with a too small paper. Nice to see the technique used here. It means that you can carry a smaller blanket/ less weight.
I just saw a similar video on gift wrapping and made the same comment!
Our ancestors used great kilts so they just wore the blanket after pleating and belting it in the morning....somehow I think they were smarter than us....at least in cold damp nature.
It was also commonly known as a match cloak in the old times.
Without sewing machines minimal stitch work was done in clothing.
Ofcourse they were. Most of us pretend to know the forest when in reality those are our excursions. We spend a few days and feel like we're woodsy. But back then it was there 9-5. They lived and breathed it. It wasn't about the most theoretical gear. It's what worked and mattered.
My solution is a little more complex... but I think it's worth sharing. I use a "sleep belt" which is basically a 2 inch strip of high density foam that goes around my hip like any belt. Once I put that on me I lie on my side on the edge of the blanket and with everything else I wrap myself completely. I sleep on my side because in other positions I usually get sleep paralysis and the belt, by elevating me in the hip area, prevents any bones from hurting.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing!
a good wool blanket and canvas tarp can save your life. The time tested combo used for many years. A couple of big safety pins completes the system. cool video.
Thanks for the tip. Our grandparents probably knew this but I feel it got lost along the way with generations. Everyone should know this. Thanks again.
Indeed. Thanks for watching!
No joke, just a couple days ago a video on how to wrap presents came up. It used the same geometry, using the additional length of opposing corners. Good stuff here.
Great way to keep all the loose ends and edges under control. I've used that method on a queen sized wool blanket and had great coverage (I'm 6'5" tall, 220 lbs). Thanks for the demonstration, and reminder to find where I stashed my blanket pins. ;)
Excellent video! You should always keep a knife, multi tool, med kit and wool blanket under the back seat of your truck. You can do so many things with a wool blanket. You wrap as a jacket and then sleep in it like you are showing here.
Indeed. Thanks for watching!
A woollen blanket is also bushfire protection as a last resort in Australia.
Don't forget some paracord.
WOW, THANK YOU, DIDN'T KNOW THIS. I HAVE GOT TO PASS THIS ON TO MY SON IN LAW WHOSE IN THE MILITARY. MY DAUGHTER SAID THEIR MILITARY ISSUE BLANKETS AREN'T WIDE ENOUGH FOR HIS TALL BODY. PROBLEM NOW SOLVED. THANKS SO MUCH. THIS IS SIMPLY GREAT!
I was today years old when I saw my first blanket pin. I LOVE surplus wool blankets.
Thanks for watching!
Wishing you and your family happy thanksgiving
Thanks so much, you too!
Great tip I can see that really working. Reminds me of how we wrapped up the kids for bed when they were young babies!
Just repeating other comments of appreciation. Sure appreciate you going through the trouble of lying down like that and making the video to explain everything.
You're most welcome!
Dig a hole 6- 8 inches deep between your legs while leaning against a tree. Comfortable tree. light the candle, put in hole and wrap your self while sitting up with a poncho and poncho liner . Man you talk bout good sleep !…. 1 single candle will heat you up like no ones business. Used to do this al the time while on 30 day maneuvers at Ft. Bragg. A box of tea light candles is a great gift ! Always remember to sleep like a squirrel ….the thickness of you body in bedding (pine needles, grass, leafs) really keeps the ground from steeling your heat….
Here's the funny thing about this . I'm 50 years old, my father was a 25 yr vet of the US Army and co/lead of my cubscout troop many moons ago. He taught us this on our first camping trip of the summer. That frist trip love seeing the information redistributed for those that didn't know he was taught in boot camp I don't know if it's still taught that way. So thank you sir
Great video! I have been burito sleeping in my Hudson Bay four-points as you show for years. It important to have a wool blanket big enough to do this right. You may try not lying in the blanket in a perfect bisecting angle but slightly off-center to yield most of your body cover to completely wrap you while you footbox is secured as you show but needing less avaliable coverage. You will also find that this off-center method will probably genetate a nice hood. Important - plan the side you will sleep on before staring your wrapping. Also, no need for a ground pad if you brought a contractor's bag to fill with leaves. Again, I use an HBC 4-point whereas a 6-point could be nicer but would take too much room. Always, I would perfer a Swiss Army blanet but they are too small and I refuse to butcher any precious Swiss Army blanket so to make bigger. And remember any wool blanket should be hand-washed and gravity drained and never put into dryer or dry in direct sunlight no matter what your wife tells you. I hope this helps the wool blanket owners out there, I remain.
Thank you for watching the video and for adding valuable information to the comments!
yes, gift-wrappers use that off-center wrapping trick to not waste gift wrap! this is such a great use of that idea! ty for sharing.
I instinctively always wrapped myself this way, minus the pins. Nice to know I did it right.
In the army here we used to do a similar fold without pins using a tent half. That would insulate the sleeping bag and keep us warm when doing an arctic or mountain deployment.
Excellent tip, thanks for watching!
That's terrific! I'm so glad that this popped up. As you were demonstrating it really reminded me of the cocoon blanket wrap that you tuck a newborn into. Thank you and much and God bless you and yours!
You're welcome and God bless you too!
yes, we called it a "baby burrito"! all these years, never thought of using that blanket diagonally! thank you!! :)
It's actually called "Swaddling"!!!
The Diagonal Blanket Lashing (with the aid of a 40 Foot Rope) was an old British Civil Defence Rescue Technique, which I learnt back in 1975, for securing an injured individual onto a Canvas Field Stretcher.
Excellent tip !
Most people definitely won't know this one for sure !!!
Add a poncho to that blanket, or underneath it, depending on weather, and you have just improved that blanket 100%. Add a poncho liner as well, and you have a good survival sleep system down to freezing or lower.
Very true!
Oh Hell ya! I've lived for the last 52 years with all 3 close at hand. I've spent many nights in my poncho with a poncho liner & Army medical wool blanket.
Early on I cut slits in the liner & blanket for my head. I always stayed dry and warm even in the worst of weather.
I carried an extra poncho when I needed a little extra cover. Add a little 550 cord and your set.
Old ex weekend warrior here. I cheat. I put my wool blankie on top of my canvas shelter half. 2 issue wool blankets are more fun. They don't weigh all that much. But wrapping up like a burrito on a cold Northern winter night is good.
@@bradlong7941 Another great thing about wool is the insulation it provides when compressed. Unlike down or even synthetic insulation, once you lay on it, it no longer provides good insulation next to the ground. Wool on the other hand, maintains it's insulating properties, as it does not compress like the other things I mentioned. Also, like someone else mentioned, wool will maintain it's insulating properties when wet, which makes it a better choice in many scenarios.
That brought back memories of spending the night outdoors with only a blanket...
Hopefully, they were mostly good memories!
I get a king size blanket and do the same trick but with much better results. I sleep exclusively with a wool blanket at home and this is how I sleep all year long and have been doing so for about 4 years, so I'd say I have a bit of practice! I started with a queen and could make it work but it's sooo much better with a king. I fold the bottom corner over my feet but leave a lot of extra fabric below my feet, so I now have two corners on either side down below my feet. Then I fold the two bottom corners of this double-layer over my feet and legs, so now I have three layers of wool over each foot (the flipped up corner, plus the double layer from each side) and five layers briefly at mid-shin where they all overlap. With a king, there's enough fabric to wrap each side completely around and under you a bit, so you have two layers under you from your thigh up to your low back, as well as a double layer over you. Two layers of wool feels like 3 - 4x as much warmth as one layer. There's enough extra fabric in the corner above your head to make a double layer for your whole head, pull the top corner down to your belly button, then fold it back up, over, then under the back of your head. Add a shell layer of some kind (debris, emergency blanket, garbage bag, poncho, etc) and you can be comfortable down to maybe 40°F / 5°C with no fire assuming you're also wearing some warm clothing and have insulation *under* you (this is *incredibly* important - wool underneath you is not warm enough to sleep directly on cold ground unless you have 8 layers or something crazy. A *winter rated* sleeping pad or 0.5m / 1.5' thick layer of leaves or something else equivalent is needed to keep you away from the ground).
Thanks for watching!
thank you!
I've always laid with the blanket over me and then rolled side to side and tucked the edges under me! Creates a warm cocoon!
👌Nobody stealing YOUR blanket!! 🤣🤣🤣🍻
@@noahlarson1861 You know it! LOL
Exactly what our dog does too.
Yeah, i do the same on my bed automatically to trap the heat in. This lay on the blanket and wrap it seems like it will leak the heat from the seams well as if wrapped with tarp/moisture barrier would probably just collect all the water in, though its beneficial when ground is cold and when there are nasty critters crawling around. At here least worst is ants, ticks and moose flies so not big issue and distances are generally shorter so extra blanket could be packed to be on ground and another as mentioned tucked underneath, then wrap the bottom on top and secure with pin for double insulation foot box since foot will be the coldest and freeze first since away from the main circulation point.
I'm thinking that way too. I also like that the head flap can cover my head. (Plus side of side sleeping).
When I've been sleeping in freezing temps under several layers, I appreciate the feature of having some bigger blankets that can wrap up and around my head to create that full cocoon experience. 🥰
One of my favorite applications of the Pythagorean theorem. I use a 6' by 8' tarp for my hammock rain fly. Neither one of those legs is particularly long enough to adequately cover the hammock, especially if there's wind driven rain, but the diagonal is 10'. A plus is I need less rope to pull it taught and such. Hasn't failed me yet
Indeed!
Was unaware of the Pyth influence.. great post
36 + 64 = 100 !
@@Finsirith quick maths
Always wondered what the pins were for. I might need to do this at home because my feet are always too cold and pop out of the blanket.
Include a silk sheet with your wool blanket. Wrap the silk sheet round the wool blanket before wrapping yourself in the blanket. It will make a LOT of difference! Silk is one of the warmest materials there is plus it is much lighter and less bulky than wool.
Good idea!
@@WayPointSurvival Thanks. And thank you for the numerous tips you have provided.
New trick to me. Thanks.
@@sumitsubokamaboku5482 Glad it helped.
Silk sheet on the outside? Most put on inside, but I have found that putting a tighter weave (like silk) over a loose (like wool) seems to works best. Do you agree?
I wish I knew this 60 years ago! Thanks!
That’s a good tip on how to use that blanket. I think what would be great for a lot of people is what one company in Colorado makes. It’s like a canvas with leather and cotton or wool. It’s like an oversized sleeping back but canvas on the outside and can be used just on the ground. I’ve not bought one cause it’s more money but having canvas on the outside seems like it’d be more heavy duty and last longer for the hunter or outdoorsman. I forgot the name but they showed how ya roll it up and pack it on a horse.
You can also sew the tarp and blanket together, as one piece.
Such a simple concept would make me sleep well, or never be rested. Thank you. I need two of such blankets. I have to click that referenced link now.
Thank you, glad you liked it!
Thanks,At home I do that with blankets sometimes because I am tall. Though I never used safety pins which is a great tip. 🤗
US wool blanket in Germany was a necessary addition to my sleeping bag. Toasty when done right
Got me a marine corps sleep system. I do like to have a wool blanket inside if it's way below freezing but at 32°f. it sleeps quite comfortably in a pair of long johns. Actually I have 2. One is for super cold weather. Rated -60°, that's if you are sleeping in cold weather clothes like the caltrans "snow" suit I have.
I've just been too cold too many times. Like when the boy scouts made us sleep in snow caves as a kid 40 years ago. They didn't bother to make sure all our gear was acceptable and being the poor kid, I was sent to winter camp with a summer sleeping bag. I woke up, if you could call it that, and had frozen jeans from the knees down.
That's what growing up was when I was young. We used to have real BB gun fights without eye protection. No sissy bike helmets. We were raised to be tough.
It's unfortunate that any Scout leaders back in the day would allow something like that. Thanks for watching and sharing your experience. The old school was definitely tough but you learned a lot!
Sissy bike helmet smh.
He swaddled himself lmao big tough survival man swaddled. Haha love it
Lol
This is probably a good method if you don't move around a lot in your sleep. Unfortunately, I'm a restless sleeper and I would probable wind up with pin holes in me from the safety pins coming open so I use strips of velcro instead. Triangle patterns seem to work best with a set at each of the lower three corners! Thank you for the video! I'll have to try Mike N's method because velcro is a bit noisy! I use my coat as a pillow because the first thing I do when getting up is put on my coat and it's right there; helps to reduce the 'BRRRR...' effect.
If you used the sort of nappy pins which are designed for use with infants it would be safer as they kind of lock over the point.
I always need a foot out for ventilation. I'm horrible at sleeping with my feet completely surrounded.
Take your over clothes off, and put them down by your feet to dry them out/keep them warm.
At least this is what you do on a sleeping bag. The jacket for a pillow is always a nice touch.
New from WayPoint Survival ... The Slumber Rito!!!
Even on the coldest nights my wool blankie, my woobie and my low cot are all I need. Amazing, really. Great vid as always, btw
I love that you’re man enough to say blankie and think nothing of it lol 😂
Roughly at what temperature? Admittedly, I don't do well in cold weather. I used my Amazon purchased, made in India 80% wool blanket and still really, really cold and miserable in 32 degrees--even when I put myself in a sleeping bag.... Again, I'm a warm weather person.
Coldest nights in florida? Georgia?
Cot? You're one of those rich campers/outdoorsman with your fancy schmancy cot. I just use my wool blanket, woobie and wet weather poncho on the ground. I'd get the protection from a wet ground, (or rain if I wrapped it like a burrito over me), and the wool blanket provided the insulation in the middle layer, and the woobie gives a softer material contacting your skin. It's easy to roll these up and they take up less room than a sleeping bag.
If we had vehicles we might have had cots available ,but in the Infantry, you carried everything on your back. No room for the luxuries like a cot.
@@slayer8actual i have a cot, 2 actually, and i am not rich. A cot is 10x better than sleeping onnthe ground.
Not sure how I missed this one. Better half came across some good deals on Marino queen sized blankets last year . Afraid many up north are going to need them this winter. Thanks for the demonstration. Have a great evening
That was a really great deal on queen size blankets I'm sure! Thanks for watching!
Scottish Highlanders already thought of a similar design with the great kilt.
Thanks for reminding me how nice laying down and sleeping is. I need to take a break from internet for about 8 hours
Thanks for watching!
Oh good! James is going to tell me how to lay!
I tend to use a blended one due to weight and cost
Okay. Now I feel dumb. Would never have dawned on me to do it right! Thanks James
You're welcome, my friend! Glad to be of some service.... :)
I find its best to lay standing, on your side. This always gets it done for me.
That's one way to look at it for sure.
To us parents out there, this is just like a "baby burrito". It is how you wrap a new born in a baby blanket. Works for adults to! Great video!
Indeed. Thanks!
Well I feel simple
That is a great way to make good use of the material. Will be putting that to use this winter trip.
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you liked it!
One top notch new survival tool that I would use to add to your little collection a staple gun full of Staples and screen material with both you can set up yourself a simple walled house in the wilderness and both can be quite very cheap to get ahold of and at the same time you can use it with the trees such as stapling a boxed screened house wrapped around a couple trees for a shelter and the best part is the screen will keep the bugs out
Yes. Thanks for watching.
You learn something new every day!
Thanks for watching!
Great tip. I’ll have to remember this WHEN I get a wool blanket. Hopefully soon. I’ve been subscribed and gave it a 👍
Thank you!
WayPoint Survival You’re welcome. I’ve always liked your videos. Very informative.
Listen.
I had no idea blanket
pins existed, even into
olden times.
This explains celtic
"jewelry" I've seen,
and kilt pins.
Thanks for a mystery solved.
Good information and great presentation as always!
Thank you brother!
Now I need to buy a wool blankie !
Excellent video. Short to the point , easy tip to remember.
Looking back on this video, I appreciate the the detail that you put into the information that you share. Thanks for sharing. - Tennessee Smoky
Done something similar with the tiny throw blanket on the couch, but with less precision/technique. Would you consider calling it the self swaddle?
My first thought was I hope this man swaddles himself like a baby 😄
I like how short this video was. I also like the bird noises. :D
Thanks!
Harbor Freight has German gray wool blankets for 11.00. I liked it enough after trying it, that I bought another one. I have a Toyota Tundra with a Leer top. I'm going to line the bottom truck bed with one as an insulator and sleep under the other one. I was thinking about making wool curtains to insulate from the cold windows. The gray wool kinda matches my truck which is an added bonus. I just thought about lining the whole shell in wool by attaching it with Velcro or sew wool over the silver Reflectix bubble insulation.
That's a great price and a good application to use it in your truck! Thank you for watching and commenting!
@@WayPointSurvival Thanks for reminding me to rate your video.
That’s a great idea, the Velcro bit I mean
Sounds cold and hard. Sleeping in a metal truck bed calls for padding and insulation.
@@harrymills2770 I put interlocking foam tilles over a bedliner with memory foam on top. Reflectix over the windows. Wool blanket curtains. Wool blanket covers.
Wow, sense and simplicity!
Hi James. I was taught this one in First Aid but never with blanket pins - great idea. Thanks for sharing. ATB. Nigel
You're welcome, glad you enjoyed the video!
Thanks again James for your videos >I love watching you and blacky I always learn a lot ❤ 😊
You are very welcome!
If you have a large enough blanket you can tuck the corner around your feet (front to back) and push your feet to lock-in the folds and you won’t need pins.
That works unless you're a restless sleeper. Then, the pins are quite handy.
What a great idea to lay diagonally- I must admit I would never have thought of it .
I cover myself completely to sleep, so I've always had to go diagonal with those darn things in boot camp... every once in a while I'd get my hands on one that was the right size, and keeping it from getting swapped with someone's small one was a real chore lol
So simple, yet I've never considered it before x)
Thank you!
I learned something very important today.
Excellent!
Everything natural, that is, made of natural textiles, including primarily clothes and bed linen, always works well enough. Even semi-natural ones with synthetic additives are also useful. As for the blanket, especially wool, it works quite well both at home and outdoors somewhere in nature as a heat insulator to preserve body heat. You just need to practice and gain experience all the time.
Thanks for watching!
Not everything. Cotton is very natural and is the worst
Except your right arm and side are almost completely exposed. If you're really tall, these blankets don't work so well which is why I use a wooby and wool blanket. Both are light and pack very small.
This strategy will not keep you from hypothermia, as there are very few that will. If you've ever spent a great amount of time in the field like one does as a grunt, JTAC, or forward observer where one must sleep outside, then you know just how remarkably warm it can be outside and you're still very cold. I discovered my threshold pretty rapidly as I'm a cold sleeper. Without a very good sleeping bag and pad 40 degrees is pretty damn cold. Below that, and if you're a cold sleeper, then you will be uncomfortable without a good sleeping system. I bought my own bag, and old down Army sleeping bag (this was pre-high-tech issued sleep systems) and that kept me warm and toasty until it got wet, then it was back to miserable again. It got to where I'd just take a couple wool blankets I had bought at a surplus store and had sewn together by one of the many seamstresses around post. Basically it was a custom sleeping bag. Take two military wool blankets with a wooby, have them sewn together into a sleeping bag, and you have a wool/synthetic sleeping bag which is good down to around 38 degrees. Wrap that in your poncho and you have a water resistant sleep system good to around 34 degrees. If you sleep in your Gore-Tex parka with the wool sweater, then you have a toasty little night down to about 30 degrees. The point I am making is layering while keeping your ruck light. You can even carry that sleeping bag on your butt pack or assault pack and it adds minimal weight compared to a full sleep system. Remember, in the field shit aint supposed to be comfy, it's about surviving the hell of war not feeling like a Cub Scout on an overnight camping trip. You have shit to do, 50 or 100% security to pull, one on one off rotations, and earthen wrapped loveliness in a hasty hole or fox hole. Live like a grunt and survive like a grunt, then you'll be hot to trot. High-speed low-drag baby, that's how we roll. Over, Under, or Through.
What's a wooby my dude? 🤔
Yes, in combat there are a lot of things that you have to do differently for sure.
@Cian Moriarty It's a poncho liner.
So cool. I wish I knew this when I was a Boy Scout!
Lol this reminds me of when i used to swaddle my newborns
Yes, not a bad comparison!
Beat me to it!
Love a good wool blanket.
I sleep with a Bulgarian wool blanket over the comforter on my bed in the winter.I have 20 or so pins so if I lose a few here and there I have some spares.
I'm 60 years old and I just learned this!
well. this be this month's 1-in-100 yt vids per month worth watching and learning.
Thanks so much for watching!
So cool. The first thought that came to mind was burrito. Then, I saw the comments. Suppose that is the point. Thank you for the video.
Thanks for watching!
There is a Highlander guy on RUclips who wears a traditional plaid as worn in Jacobite times ,it is a kilt plus sleeping roll .
Well this is right up there with how to read a book. Yet here i am watching.
Thanks for watching!
Excelent, many thanks, grettings from Costa Rica Central America 🤠🌄✝️
Very nice. especially if you need to get out of that blanket with pins quickly😂😂
Love wool. I suppose that is why sheep stay warm in the cold winter rain.
Its called 'sleeping cowboy.' (style) Diagonal.. and you can use multiple layers, blankets in severe conditions. I have been a big wool fan for years. Complete agreement with you as to the benefits of wool over any other fabric. To add,,, I sleep in a cashmere sweater... keep it with the sleeping gear. The go to fabric is merino wool,, Lambs wool can also work well. The newest wool in my arsenal is buffalo down. Buffalo down socks are the best ever. I have a long canoe trip 4 years ago (600 miles?) I had two pair of buffalo down socks 40% buffalo, 40% merino and 20 % artificial. I wore a pair each day while the alternate dried.. Just before bed I'd switch to the dry pair and allow the other the day off to dry the next day,,, just switch back and forth. for 6 weeks. March and April,, mostly above 5,500 altitude,, and a canoe trip,, feet soaked every day.
Laughing,, I also use an Ikea comforter cheap, fluffy, disposable,, with the wool above and below.
Thanks for watching and for the suggestions!
@@WayPointSurvival Do yourself a favour,, Buffalo Wool Company out of Texas Order the Advantage Trekker Boot top socks. Expensive and worth every penny. You will love them.
Cool to know--Love the Wool--I tell my coworkers--try these wool socks and gi wool toboggin or jeep drivers cap--they are amazed at the heat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When I was in school army cadets in 1980’s Australia. I was issued with exWW1 great coat and blanket, exWW2 rubber ground sheet and duffle bag, exVietnam war tarp (hoochie) and uniform. I was never cold or wet!
I was taught in a wilderness medicine class to wrap a patient in a tarp this way (on the outside of the insulating layer like a wool blanket or sleeping bag). Put something like a wadded up shirt between the patients legs in case they urinate. And roll them to their side. Keeps the patient warm and waterproof in the tarp if you have to leave them to get help.
When I in my early teens I spent a summer in the hills of North Carolina we where required to have the minimum of things to survive a wool blanket and a poncho it worked great
Excellent, thanks for watching!
Good video.
Big Diaper pins.
Thanks for the info
Thanks for watching!
Great tip James. Thanks for sharing brother.
Thanks, Chief!
Never thought of that before. Thanks for the tip
You're welcome and thanks for watching, my friend!
My mom grew up in a house with no heat upstairs except in the bathroom. They could see their breath at night so every bed had wool blankets
By the time we were around my grandpa had gotten electric blankets but still no heat upstairs .
Our old farmhouse I had the pipes from the kitchen stove running up through the floor in my bedroom but we only used that stove like once a month in the winter for special occasions otherwise we had no heat or a/c upstairs but at least we had grates in the floors to bring heat from downstairs.
If it got really hot in the summer we would slept in the living room downstairs when my parents finally got an a/c when I was a junior in high school
Yes, those were the days!
Helpful! I didn't know that before...Glad I do now, Thanks!
You're welcome! Glad to be a help.
very practical . would never have thought of it.
THUMBS UP, JAMES!! Do take care. Fl.
Excellent video..😎👍
I now am going to buy two wool blankets, maybe even three. I don’t sleep outside..😳 I have to find an Army Navy store in my region. I am sure there is one or two. I need a new winter jacket too, maybe I will find one of those in wool..👍
Awesome tips and instructions..!!
Good tip for the people.
Thank you!
great stuff James......Cheers, Paul
i will teach my kids, thank you, neat idea.
You're welcome! Thank you for watching!