Outdoor Emergency Essential – First Aid Blanket
Like outdoor sports friends will prepare their own outdoor first aid kit, so that in the outdoor encounter injury, illness, snake and insect bites and some other unexpected situations, you can be the first time to rescue. General first aid kit in a shiny little thing, folded up palm-sized, open and is a large blanket.
It looks unobtrusive, but it is a necessary item for outdoor emergency: first aid blanket. A while ago, Gansu Baiyin Mountain Marathon incident, many players have mentioned the first aid blanket. The author will talk to you about the first aid blanket.
The principle of first aid blanket
Such a thin blanket, generally made of tin foil or aluminum film, is divided into two-sided gold, two-sided silver and gold and silver two-sided three, looks the same as the barbecue aluminum foil, many people doubt whether the end can keep warm.
In fact, the first aid blanket is different from the supermarket barbecue aluminum foil, it comes from the technology of NASA space laboratory, also known as space blanket. It is through the precipitation of gaseous aluminum to the plastic film, using the principle of heat reflection of thermal radiation, can reflect 80% of the body’s heat, thus slowing down the body’s heat emission to achieve the role of warmth.
With the different production processes, space blankets can be made to take the heat away (NASA used to cool the space laboratory), or can be used to conserve heat, known as passive heating system.
When to use a first aid blanket
First aid blankets actually serve a number of purposes, let’s learn more about them.
- Keeping warm
In the event of a sudden disaster, such as a snowstorm, which causes a sudden loss of temperature, the first aid blanket can be fully expanded to wrap the body as tightly as possible, minimizing the part of the body exposed outside the blanket and waiting for support from the rear.
When camping in cold areas, you can also put the first aid blanket into the sleeping bag, and also put the first aid blanket under the sleeping pad, both can play a certain warm effect. But be careful to stay away from the open flame, because it is combustible, too close to the open flame will burn and easily cause damage.
- Reflective distress
Because the first aid blanket is mostly gold, silver, orange and other eye-catching colors, it has a good reflective effect and light radiation, which can make the first aid personnel find you quickly in the wilderness. There is also a tactical concealment color, mostly green, which is easy to hide in the outdoors and prevent wild animals from finding you.
- Sun protection
In the hot conditions of direct sunlight, draping the first aid blanket can also shade the sun, effective protection against ultraviolet rays and high temperature.
- Waterproof, windproof, and wraps around the body
The first aid blanket is strong, waterproof and windproof, so it can be taken out for emergency in rainy days as a simple raincoat, and it can also be put on a tent to prevent rain and resist cold wind; it can also be tied up as a water rescue floating bag; if there is a sudden accident and you have to temporarily spend the night in the field and you don’t have a tent, the first aid blanket can also be used to set up a tent as a temporary shelter to keep out the wind and rain.
- Stretcher
First-aid blanket is tough and malleable, so it can be used as a stretcher in an emergency. Even if a 200-pound person lies flat on the unfolded first aid blanket, the four corners of the blanket and the middle of the blanket edge are picked up by six people at the same time and will not be broken. However, this kind of stretcher is only a temporary measure for short distance use, and it should be operated synchronously to avoid tearing and injuring the patient.
First aid blanket is small, light, easy to carry, and has a number of roles such as warmth, cold and sun protection, which is a necessary item for outdoor enthusiasts and international general emergency lifesaving.