Blizzard Bag Review

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Tim Seaver

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The Blizzard Survival Bag. A good thing to have in the bottom of your pack - it's only 14 ounces and the size of a .....stack of Ipads? It's the size of a VHS tape - look it up if you don't know what it is. ;)

Who knows, if you spend an unplanned night out in one, you might get a cookie from the F&G instead of a lecture and a fine :D

This review, which seems fairly balanced, is from a fellow in Montana who used one for a week:

 
Thanks for posting, Tim. This question comes up from time to time and I know you carry one of these. Anyone who hikes AT ALL ANYWHERE for any length of time in the winter (even fall and spring - heck even summer at higher elevations) needs a strategy for surviving at least a few hours in the cold. Nothing is perfect but something like a Blizzard Bag is way better than nothing...so Nothing is not Perfect. Nothing is dumb. Carry on.
 
Thanks for posting this. I've been carrying one around for several years, dating back to the time I promised you folks a review ... and have yet to deliver. :eek::eek::eek:

I remember that! I was eagerly awaiting the test results. What happened, or should I not go there? ;)
 
I bought one of these 2 Winters ago. I took it out of the VHS tape sized wrapping and opened it up to check it out. I knew I wasn't going to get it back to the original size, but I wanted to get inside it and familiarize myself with it in the event I had to use it. I keep it stored in a Sea to Summit sack in the bottom of my 50L pack. I carry it along with a Z rest pad for emergency purposes. Haven't had to use it yet.

Petch
 
The blizzard bag has always looked interesting. But to have one item for survival, I think the bothy bag is the better choice. My 3-4 person bothy weighs 14 oz, so much lighter per person. The bothy also can provide a sheltered location to avoid the crisis or tend to someone wounded or repair gear, etc. The ability to share the space in the bothy would also be huge. Sharing a blizzard bag inside a bothy would be a really good setup.
 
The bothys look pretty neat - I've never seen one close-up but an very interested in them. I suspect the bothy would be superior in lashing rain and above freezing temps, whereas the B-bag would perhaps keep you warmer at lower temps due to the smaller airspace that your body needs to heat ( and it's VBL-like nature). And yes, I bet as a combo they would go well together as lightweight companions.
 
I remember that! I was eagerly awaiting the test results. What happened, or should I not go there? ;)

In the end, I just didn't want to open it and lose the compression. It's pretty darn handy to carry in the compressed form, and I have enough confidence in the bag and a closed cell pad that I think it would serve its intended purpose for me. Maybe I should have sought a "pro athlete" deal from the maker ... ;)
 
Tandem Technique:

Winter Use:


I found these websites to be very informative. Thanks Tim
Also, I went to the primitive skills.com and Survival Metrics .com website and found them to have some great info on survival techniques!
 
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