Emergency Blankets; Used To Prevent Heat Loss in the Body Due to Thermal Radiation, Water Evaporation, and Convection

Emergency blankets (also known as space blankets, shock blankets, weather blankets, thermal blankets, safety blankets, first aid blankets, emergency blankets, and Mylar blankets) are an especially low-weight blankets made of heat-reflective, thin, plastic sheeting. The thin layer of plastic is coated with metallic reflecting agent, which reflects around 97% of the radiated heat. Emergency blankets are widely used in the military for various purposes such as for preparing tents, camouflaging, and others.

Emergency blankets are also widely used to prevent heat loss in the body caused by thermal radiation, water evaporation and convection. They come in handy because they do not take up much space and can be carried around easily in backpack or storage container. Because of this, they can be a lifesaver if some find themselves stranded and unable to return to civilization for a period of time. The reason they work so well in extreme environments is because of their lightweight design and thin construction.

Since they are light in weight, emergency blankets do not add much bulk to the wearer's body, which makes them extremely comfortable to wear. They also work well because they transfer body heat very efficiently, so even though the wearer may end up being as cold as they are, they won't cause much discomfort. Emergency blankets work to keep user warm by their very design. As an impermeable metalized plastic sheet, they trap up to 90% of the radiated body heat that would normally be dispersed into the environment.

Thus, with the increasing incidence of natural calamities over the years, demand for emergency blankets is also increasing with a rapid pace. In Guatemala, continuous torrential rainfall caused by hurricane has resulted in a large number of those affected including the loss of lives, and much physical damage. Therefore, in November 2020, upon the request of the Government of Guatemala, the Government of Japan decided to provide emergency relief goods (sleeping pads and blankets) through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Guatemala to the damages caused by the recent hurricane.