Middle Earth Ranger Forum

Elleth wrote:Hunh - that would seem to be a pretty significant issue.
How do people deal with that - are they just more popular outdoors in arid climates?
Only used in shelters? Something else?

I'm influenced by modern camping but I would have thought a blanket shouldn't get wet, if it were rolled up inside a bed-roll it would stay dry, then put on a ground sheet under a shelter, just the same as a sleeping bag that would be put inside a dry-sack then attached to a pack and at the campsite it would stay dry inside a tent? or is it harder to keep stuff dry if the tent isn't fully enclosed?

I had a waxed canvas bed roll that i put my blankets in, but it still got damp depending on the weather and if it slid back behind my saddle pad. I cant say that you couldn't keep blankets dry in a tarp tent, but getting there is where i found the problems.
I set a tarp tent on a very rainy week long camping trip and keep my gear dry, but my blankets did get a damp feel to them. As the week went on the damp got worse but never really wet feeling. Hoping to get out with a canvas tarp on future adventures and stay away from the noisy blue tarps that i have used in the past.
The gentleman that i bought my alpacas from said the best way he knew how to wear alpaca wool was as a middle layer. Wear a wicking layer close to the skin, a layer of light alpaca, then a layer to shed water or snow in the cold... I haven't gotten around to doing much processing of my wool yet. Hoping to get that done sooner than later.

cool, thanks for the info, the only thing I'm likely to do is one night trips, so I'm guessing I should be able to keep stuff dry by rolling it inside a tarp, and building a shelter, for one night I probably won't have an issue

update on the project: I still haven't ordered a blanket, still deciding and with the UK under lock-down there's no hurry

although I happened upon this:



by "happened upon" I mean found it in a skip outside someones house, it's 100% wool and totally free although I'm not planning to use it, mainly because it has quite a few holes ripped by being under some sharp rubble, if it were a better color I might have considered spending the time patching them, and I won't try to dye it because just washing it was so much hard work, wet wool is insanely heavy, but at least it gives me an idea of how bulky a blanket would be and has allowed me to make and test some bed-roll straps (that I'll hopefully post pics of soon)

out of interest I measured and weighed it, the same as Elleth has done, here's what I got:

Size: 84" x 66"
Weight: 4.1 Ibs
1.7 oz/ft2

Sorry to resurrect an older topic, but there seemed no need to start an entirely new discussion.

I was wondering if anyone had had any experience with Ektos blankets? Based on reviews, they seem to be good quality and fairly inexpensive as wool blankets go, if a bit lightweight. Granted, the lighter weight wouldn’t be so much of an issue for me, as I live in SC where summer is unbearably hot, and I don’t plan to do much adventuring in the winter.

Here is a link if you haven’t heard of them: http://www.ektosgear.com/woolblankets.html

The Riff Wizard wrote:Sorry to resurrect an older topic, but there seemed no need to start an entirely new discussion.

No you did the right thing, the longer you're here the more you realise that most things have been discussed before and that the search bar is your friend!

As to your blanket a look at a few reviews show it being a capable blanket but one that probably isn't ideal for ranger work.
This review is reasonably thorough.

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/ ... ektos-wool

Eofor wrote:
As to your blanket a look at a few reviews show it being a capable blanket but one that probably isn't ideal for ranger work.
This review is reasonably thorough.

https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/ ... ektos-wool

Ah, I had not seen that review. Good to know. I suppose I will have to be more thorough in my research

The Riff Wizard wrote: Ah, I had not seen that review. Good to know. I suppose I will have to be more thorough in my research

I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I have a fair bit of kit that I purchased and didn't know it wasn't suitable until it failed on the trail.

Research and learn from others experience, never be afraid to ask.

I got several wool blankets for $10 a piece on Craig's list, each around 4lbs and twin sized. In addition, I picked up a 80% grey wool blanket from harbor freight for $12. I took some camping last weekend in 40 degree fahrenheit weather with fairly high winds and was comfortable in street clothes with two on top and one as a ground pad - I was trying to simulate wool tunic and cloak with a single blanket. I was warm until I threw the blankets off in my sleep - I definitely need some method to keep the blankets in the right spot while I sleep.

The harbor freight blanket is 3 pounds ish and very scratchy, but otherwise I was pleased with it, especially for ten dollars.

Turgolanas wrote:I was warm until I threw the blankets off in my sleep - I definitely need some method to keep the blankets in the right spot while I sleep. The harbor freight blanket is 3 pounds ish and very scratchy, but otherwise I was pleased with it, especially for ten dollars.

Welcome Turgolanas, please feel free to post an introduction in the General forum. The harbor freight blanket is almost certainly made from recycled (short fiber) wool, which explains the scratchiness...virgin wool blankets use longer fiber which has less little strands poking out of each thread.
As for keeping your sleeping materials in place, I have had great results with using large locust thorns as pins, and an iron brooch keeping my feet sealed off. In a pinch you could even use something like bamboo skewers.

I know its been a while since the last post (OK, 13 months).

If you're looking for good sources of field gear in the UK then BCUK is a handy place to look
I found this Thread quite quickly and there are plenty more where that came from.

Lodo: Good skip find, I'd suggest darning the holes rather then patching them...... I'm not seeing whats wrong with the colour though, its not like its bubblegum pink

ForgeCorvus wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:10 pm I know its been a while since the last post (OK, 13 months).

Personally I'm glad to see you using the search function! One thing you find here is that most things have been discussed before and in detail and by reopening a thread you bring all that knowledge back to the top of the feed.

ForgeCorvus wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:10 pm Lodo: Good skip find

Shhhhhhhh it's Iodo with an i not Lodo.... I heard she once beat an elf with a trout for getting that wrong

Eofor wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:50 am

Shhhhhhhh it's Iodo with an i not Lodo.... I heard she once beat an elf with a trout for getting that wrong

If you don't tell her, I won't.
I don't need an irate Dwarvess after me, I've seen pictures of the mattock

Iodo, if you read this I'm sorry
I'd blame it on the keyboard jumping around....... But I'd be lying

Eofor wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 12:50 am Shhhhhhhh it's Iodo with an i not Lodo.... I heard she once beat an elf with a trout for getting that wrong

That is quite correct

ForgeCorvus wrote: ↑Sun Nov 14, 2021 4:46 pm If you don't tell her, I won't.
I don't need an irate Dwarvess after me, I've seen pictures of the mattock

but since you're new around here, I'll let you off

ForgeCorvus wrote: ↑Sat Nov 13, 2021 4:10 pm If you're looking for good sources of field gear in the UK then BCUK is a handy place to look
I found this Thread quite quickly and there are plenty more where that came from.

Lodo: Good skip find, I'd suggest darning the holes rather then patching them...... I'm not seeing whats wrong with the colour though, its not like its bubblegum pink

thanks for the tips, although I really do need to find time to update this thread, I have acquired two more wool blankets since my last update, but I haven't had chance to test them, I'm hoping to fix that some time next year

darning the holes would be the better way to go, I hadn't thought of that so thank you, my only problem with the color is how light it is, it wouldn't matter if it was inside a tarp in a bed roll, if it was visible (like used for a horse-shoe blanket roll or something) it would be a bit of a give-away in the woods

Iodo - I hope you know that we’re ALLLLL here for any and all kit updates you have to share! Your creativity and attention to detail as you develop your dwarven kit have been and continue to be a joy to watch!