A Guide To The Best Blankets For Camping
One of the greatest challenges when you are outdoors is dealing with the cold weather. No matter how much thermal layers you use, it still would not suffice. Nature can be unforgiving, so every bit of preparation can make all the difference between a disaster and a memorable experience.
Camping requires you to stay outdoors for days and nights at a time. For this to happen, you should include a good camping blanket in your cache of gears and supplies. A blanket is one of the most important items in your arsenal when you explore the great outdoors. Just as you use blankets to provide you with comfort at home, camping blankets provide you with the same relief. Most of these blankets feature insulation to ensure that you enjoy sufficient warmth.
Camping blankets will not only protect you from the chilly weather. Due to their flat and versatile form they can be used for other purposes. You can sit on them; you can cover yourself while sleeping or simply cuddle in it against the cold. Camping blankets do not have the restrictions of zippers and design features making them ideal for summer camping.
Often camping blankets are made of materials similar to sleeping bags. Ripstop nylon shells are filled with water-repellent down for insulation. Besides serving as a contemporary fashion for outdoor lifestyle camping blankets transition from tents to living room sofas, to cabins to vans without much fuss. They are versatile, practical and handy almost anywhere.
Choosing the best camping blanket for your needs can be a difficult task due to the many options available. This camping blanket reviews will help you make a reliable choice.
Horizon Hound Down Camping Blanket
If weight is your primary concern, then the Horizon Hound Down Camping Blanket is your ideal solution. It weighs less than 1 lb. and folds up into a compact size for easy portability on your trips. This camping blanket will give you warmth in the cold weather and also serve well as your sleeping bag in the summer.
In extreme weather, you can wrap it around your body and clip it together to form a poncho, which effectively retains your body heat. The Horizon Hound uses 20D ripstop nylon as the outer material, reducing tears from sticks and shrubs while adding a water-resistant finish to the blanket.
The Horizon Hound Down Camping Blanket is filled with 650 fill power Responsible Down Sourcing (RDS) down. However, down materials do not do well when wet. The feathers will clump together, causing the blanket to lose its warmth—check the weather forecast before hauling this camping blanket into the woods.
The stitching uses tough nylon thread ensuring that the blanket will last you a lifetime. It is highly compressible and comes with a stuff pack. To use it all you have to do is, pull it out, unfold, shake it and let it breathe until it gains full loft.
PROS
CONS
Ultralightweight, Compact and extremely portable
Cheap plastic buttons
Versatile and Durable construction
not a winter blanket.
Machine washable
Woolly Mammoth Woolen Company Farmhouse Collection Thick Warm Wool Blanket
Woolly Mammoth Camping blanket is made of 80% virgin Merino wool and 20% acrylic. The durability of the blanket is enhanced by adding a little acrylic to the warp and weft. This collection of wool blanket is the perfect blanket for any kind of outdoor lifestyle from boat cruise, bushcraft, backpacking, stargazing, to camping.
This high-quality woolen blanket should be dry cleaned only. The quality of wool is determined by the staple strength, yield, color, and diameter. The fiber is the single most important quality to determine the price and quality of the wool.
This blanket brings you the insulation and waterproofing of wool and the tough and cost controlling durability of acrylic. The blanket has a milled finish and edging. There are a fabric consolidation and inter-fiber felting for a denser finish. This means there are inter-fiber felting and fabric consolidation to make the blanket denser. There is double stitching with a thick polyester thread that keeps the blanket from fraying at the edges. In case of emergency preparedness, this blanket can easily be placed in the trunk of your car as a utility blanket.
No doubt, this blanket would make a perfect gift for so many occasions from weddings, mother’s day, father’s day, etc. Also, this wool blanket is self-cleaning, flexible and has the ability to assist in temperature-regulation.
PROS
CONS
It’s less itchy compared to other wool blankets.
It’s a bit rough
Warm and durable
Smells like machine oil
Different color to choose from
Kelty Bestie Blanket
The Kelty Bestie Blanket has a polyester shell that is water and stain proof, so you won’t have to worry about draping it over wet grass after a light rain. Its fleece interior makes for a comfortable touch and warm covering.
The Kelty Bestie Blanket is portable and has its own sack pack for you to store. But it comes in one size only, and can’t cover the entire body. By design, the Kelty Bestie Blanket is a leisurely, entertainment-based blanket meant for regular, casual use. It’s not designed, nor meant for, extreme weather less than 50 degrees
It’s lightweight and packs down to a throw blanket size for easy transport. The handles on the stuff sack enhance portability. This blanket features cloud loft insulation for superior warmth in the cold. The outer coating uses 75D polyester taffeta, which is wear-resistant and increases durability. The inner lining is soft and cozy, thanks to 190T poly pongee that provides long-lasting warmth.
Kelty Bestie Blanket is the warm snug cover you should take along on every adventure. This blanket is very easy to maintain. It is machine washable but should be not be put into the dryer as polyester shrinks when exposed to heat.
PROS
CONS
Insulated with Cloud loft
Tiny
Stuff sack included
Not too warm
Lightweight and compact for easy transportation.
Not fire retardant
Water-resistant and Comfortably soft interior.
Nemo Puffin Blanket 1P
The Nemo Puffin is a solid indoor/outdoor blanket that’s seriously cozy. The underside is softer than the slippery, swishy top side, making it comfortable on your skin and less likely to slide off your body. It gives the feeling of instant warmth and is thick and puffy.
The bottom can be buttoned into a small foot box to keep your toes toasty, and a small hidden pocket on the end can keep colder items, like keys. Slightly bowed outward edges make it easy to cocoon yourself comfortably around the campfire or on the couch.
Impressively, the Puffin performed well when it came both to repelling water for long periods and as protection against the wind. Even the seams didn’t let any water or wind through to the other side. The DWR treated, ripstop nylon exterior material manages to be both resistant and durable, while also repelling everyday debris like pet hair, sand, and dirt.
Though it gives the impression of supreme warmth, it was average in our insulation testing. As a good-sized synthetic blanket, it’s also a bit on the large and bulky side. While we’re more than happy to bring it to backyard bonfires and car camping excursions, it’s not one we’d take on a winter backpacking trip. Though the large zippered stuff sack is easy to fit the blanket back into, it is a bit larger than it needs to be.
Though a little bulky, this blanket is comfortable and provides serious warmth and weather protection
You can visually experience the comfort of this brand through this product video.
PROS
CONS
Soft underside
A bit bulky
Weather-resistant
Packed size a bit large
Easy to keep clean
Lightspeed Outdoors Sundown Camp Blanket
The Lightspeed Sundown outdoor blanket is made of soft- touch and high-performance materials with a dimension of 77x 55×7 inches weighing 0.85 lbs. This amazing blanket is durable with a soft nylon material and water-resistant outer shell. This will keep you warm and cozy around your base camp.
The fact that it’s light and thin makes it easy to roll up in a drawstring carrying case which can be tossed to the back seat of your car on your way to the woods for the weekend or for a football game.
Cozy corner hand pockets keep fingers warm and the blanket wrapped securely around you. Snuggle up indoors or out with Lightspeed’s Sundown Camp Quilt. Combining what you love about sleeping bags with the ease of a quilt, this blanket will be your new favorite.
Most importantly, this blanket is really easy to wash. When you get back from your camping trip, all you need to do is throw the blanket right into the washing machine like you’d toss any other blanket, and it’ll be perfect for your next camping trip.
Thus, if you have plans to curl up under the stars after a hectic day of hiking, and also stay warm and dry at the same time, this is the right blanket for you.
Want to know more? Learn more about this incredible blanket here.
PROS
CONS
It’s comfortable.
It comes in one color.
It’s big enough for two adults.
The rainproof side could be noisy.
Durable and Lightweight
Easy to wash
Camping Blanket: A Buyer’s Ultimate Guide
Warmth – The main reason for buying a camping blanket is to provide warmth in any weather. Therefore, you should look for the temperature rating of each blanket that could shield you from the weather.
Size – Just like any blankets, sizes would depend if you would like to snuggle and share the warmth with someone or if you want to fly solo. Both ways, the blanket should be able to cover your entire body especially when the cold gets too extreme.
Material – A blanket’s fabric determines several things. First, it determines how much warmth you will get relative to its weight. Wool blankets for camping offer warmth in extremely cold conditions, but they are heavy. Nylon and polyester blankets provide warmth in moderately cold weather. You can opt to add thermal features for extra warmth in some severe weather conditions.
Weight – A blanket’s weight matters relative to the way that it will be transported to the campsite. Most models use lightweight, thermal materials for portability and convenience. These blankets fold down to a compact size, unlike their bulky counterparts.
Cold Air, Don’t Care
It’s a cold, dark night with warm fire and bright stars.
Life is, certainly, beautiful and the only way to last outdoors for you to bask in this glory is to cover yourself with the right amount of warmth and comfort.
Do not allow the unpredictable weather to ruin your moment with nature. Enjoy the cool mountain air and relish the beautiful scenery with your loved ones or even when you’re blissfully alone.
Your reliable camping blanket got you covered. Literally.