This article will go through the warmest blanket for winter camping and why it is the best.
Staying warm and comfortable while camping is essential, especially while sleeping. So now, in this article, I will go through some of the best camping blankets to find the best fit for you.
Now, why should you trust me? I have personally tested three of the best camping blankets to find the warmest blanket for camping.
I camp a lot and go around the world doing so – and during the winter in a lot of areas, you’ll need a reliable blanket. I did my best to measure how much heat escaped and how fast I could heat up.
Now, let’s dive right in.
Blanket Types For Camping
Now, before we go straight into the warmest blanket for camping, we should first cover which type of blanket fits your environment and needs.
Whether you plan to camp in a damp, dry, or snowy area, there are arrays of blankets out there. I will also cover how comfortable, durable, weatherproof, the pricing and heavy these blankets are.
Wool Camping Blankets
A wool blanket is a warm blanket. I personally have two different wool blankets, and they are hot – even in cold weather.
When I first used wool blankets, I thought it was soft, and it didn’t overheat me. I got a 100% virgin wool blanket, so it didn’t itch for me, so I would say the comfort was near perfect.
Now, wool blankets are very pretty durable blankets. I still have a wool blanket that is over ten years old. However, if you are a very frequent camper, you can expect 3-5 years of use. They can’t handle the extreme condition and can easily get cut by a sharp knife.
Wool blankets are water-resistant, so that means it can handle damp places, but not places that are extremely rainy or snowy. Wool also provides for amazing insulation, so not too much wind can come in. Wool is also fire resistant – so in an unfortunate event where your blanket catches fire, you probably won’t burn to a crisp.
Wool blankets are medium-priced $20-30 blankets that are worth the price.
Now, wool blankets are known to be heavy, most of the time weighing above four pounds. So, if you are a backpacking camper, this may not be a prime choice. However, if you are a backpacker that wants to lightest possible blanket, you would want to look at the next type of blanket – aluminum emergency blankets.
Aluminum Camping Blankets
Aluminum blankets are revolutionary. They are crazy cheap, and I own a pack of four, despite them being reusable.
Wool blankets are hot and are very common among the prepper and survival community. These blankets retain 90% of heat! Your body heat is about 91°F, so your warm camping blanket should maintain an air temperature at a cozy 82°F.
Firstly, aluminum blankets don’t make for a comfortable waterproof camping blanket because they are not extremely breathable and don’t have any cozy fur or cushion. If comfort is your primary concern, I recommend looking into wool, or even synthetic blankets.
Most aluminum blankets are relatively durable. They can’t be easily torn like aluminum foil, but a sharp knife could easily slash right through it because of how thin and light it is.
Now, aluminum is completely waterproof and windproof. Aluminum is also known to be fire-resistant!
To add on, aluminum is extremely cheap, typically ranging from $1-4 per blanket. Aluminum blankets are also very light, weighing only a few ounces per blanket.
Synthetic Camping Blankets
Synthetic blankets are in the middle of aluminum and wool blankets, being a little cozy and retaining most of the heat. I own one of these and think they’re alright.
Synthetic fabric blankets can be warm and are one of the most commonly used for camping. They retain most of the heat, keeping you warm.
Now, a synthetic heated blanket is more comfortable than aluminum because it has cushion and the material is less like metal. They also don’t allow you to breathe. These also aren’t as comfortable as wool, so it’s in the middle, which many people like about it.
Now, synthetic fiber is known for its durability, being several times stronger than regular fibers and requiring immense strength to break.
Synthetic blankets are waterproof and windproof. These blankets are very flammable and toxic when they burn, so it is best not to get this close to a fire.
To add on, pricing for this can range drastically, from $20-150 per blanket. Now, these blankets are typically a little over a pound, which is great for backpacker campers.
Now, let’s dive into the best blanket for each category!
Here is why you need a mylar blanket for survival.
Warmest Blanket For Winter Camping
Now, I will narrow down to three of the best camping blankets for you. I will cover the pros and cons of each blanket and which you should get.
Warmest Wool Blanket For Winter Camping
The Ever Ready First Aid Store warm wool blanket is an excellent wool camping blanket that is I would say is a puffy blanket that doesn’t itch. I would consider this to be the best camping blanket. This is a military-grade, 66″ x 90″ survival blanket that makes for an amazing puffy camping blanket.
Pros
- Affordable pricing
- Large blanket
- High-durability (military-grade)
- Fire retardant and windproof
- Amazon’s choice
- Water-resistant
- Cushion and fur for comfort
- Washable
Cons
- Heavy (55 ounces)
- Not waterproof
Best Aluminum Camping Blanket
The Swiff Safe Store thermal blankets are at a crazy low price and it can be used as literally hundreds of things such as an emergency shelter, ground cover, wind blocker, water collector, arm sling, tent footprint, backpack cover, rain poncho, solar oven, shade cover, fishing lure, bird repellent and much more.
This is an excellent winter camping blanket for emergencies. This is also a lightweight blanket meaning you can carry several of these in your backpack without having any additional strain on your back. Here is our complete survival clothing guide.
Pros
- Extremely light (2 ounce)
- Extremely affordable
- Extremely high 90% heat trap
- High durability (designed for NASA)
- 100% Money-back warranty
- 9 color options
- Amazon’s Choice
- 100% weather-proof
- Multi-use
- 4 blankets per box
Cons
- No cushion or fur for comfort
- A little small
Best Synthetic Camping Blanket
The Snugpak Jungle blanket is a quality waterproof blanket with many notable features. This is great for a winter camping trip or even just a cold rainy camping trip. These are a little more expensive than the rest for good reasons.
Pros
- Traps most heat
- Light (25 ounce) and packable
- Comes with compression storage
- Windproof and water-resistant
- Large blanket
- Affordable
- Washable
Cons
- Not completely water or fireproof
- No cross-stitching for reinforced durability
Final Thoughts
Now, when deciding which one I thought was the best, I really thought the wool blanket was amazing because it provided necessary warmth, and it was very cozy.
There’s nothing wrong with having over one blanket. Sometimes I have wool and aluminum on, or when I backpack long distances and camp, I put on two aluminum blankets. So, if you value comfort more than warmth, go with wool, and if you value warmth, you should go with aluminum.
Thanks for reading this article on the warmest blanket for camping, and have a great day!
you forgot the one prime reason for wool. It will keep you warm even if the blanket is wet.
Yeah. Wool is the warmest blanket for camping. Tin makes terrible bedding.