Compact Emergency Warmth for Your First Aid Kit
The Lifesystems Thermal Blanket is a vacuum-packed emergency foil blanket built to reflect and retain up to 90% of your body's radiated heat — a lightweight, low-cost addition to any paddler's first aid kit. Whether it's living in your buoyancy aid pocket, a dry bag, or your expedition first aid kit, it's the kind of item you hope never to use, and are glad to have when you do.
How It Works
The blanket's metallised polyester surface reflects radiated body heat back towards the wearer rather than adding an insulating layer of its own. That makes it an effective short-term emergency measure against heat loss from radiation — but, like any foil blanket, it does little against heat loss from air movement or direct ground contact, and it is not a substitute for proper insulation, dry clothing, or professional medical treatment. Wrap it around, rather than under, a cold or shocked casualty as an emergency first-response measure, not a long-term warmth solution.
DofE Expedition Kit-List Recommended
This specific Thermal Blanket — not only the Lifesystems Trek first aid kit it's sometimes bundled with — appears on official Duke of Edinburgh's Award expedition kit lists, and Lifesystems markets the product directly for DofE use. If you're kitting out for a DofE expedition, this is a straightforward tick on the list.
Single-Person Coverage — Know Which Version You Need
This is the individual Thermal Blanket, unpacking to 210 x 140cm — enough to wrap one person. If you need to insulate a casualty from the ground as well as wrap them, or cover two people, that's the job of the larger Thermal Blanket Double, which we don't currently stock. Don't confuse the two when reading spec sheets or comparing prices elsewhere — they're genuinely different products.
Specs & Construction
Made from strong, flexible metallised polyester with a windproof, waterproof coating and a radar-reflective surface, the Thermal Blanket packs down to a vacuum-sealed 90 x 100 x 28mm and weighs just 55g (product code 42120) — small and light enough that there's no real reason to leave it out of a kit. It carries no water-immersion rating specific to this product beyond its windproof/waterproof coating, so treat it as a first aid and exposure item, not water-sport safety equipment in its own right.
One Careful Use
Like other thin foil emergency blankets, this one is best treated as single-use, or good for at most a couple of careful re-uses — the material tears easily at fold lines once unpacked. Replace it after use, and check it periodically if it's been sitting in a kit for a long time.
A Complete Thermal Range
The Thermal Blanket is the lightest tier in our stocked Lifesystems thermal range — see the Thermal Bag and Survival Bag for the next tiers up if your trip length or exposure risk calls for more coverage than a single blanket provides. All three sit within our First Aid Kits range.
Ordering
The Thermal Blanket is a natural add to any first aid kit order. See delivery information for dispatch details.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a thermal blanket the same as a "space blanket"?
Yes — "thermal blanket" and "space blanket" are two common names for the same type of lightweight, metallised-foil emergency blanket, used interchangeably across the outdoor and first aid industry.
How much body heat does the Lifesystems Thermal Blanket retain?
The Lifesystems Thermal Blanket reflects up to 90% of the body's radiated heat, according to the manufacturer. It works by reflecting heat back towards the body rather than adding insulation, so it's an emergency measure rather than a primary layer of warmth.
Is the Lifesystems Thermal Blanket Duke of Edinburgh's Award recommended?
Yes — this specific Thermal Blanket, not just the Lifesystems Trek first aid kit, is listed on official DofE expedition kit lists, and Lifesystems markets it directly for DofE expeditions.
Can I reuse a thermal blanket, or is it single-use?
Thin foil emergency blankets like this one are best treated as single-use, or good for at most a couple of careful re-uses, since the material tears easily along fold lines once unpacked. Replace it after use rather than relying on it a second time.
What's the difference between the Thermal Blanket and the Thermal Blanket Double?
This is the single/individual Thermal Blanket (210 x 140cm, covers one person). The Thermal Blanket Double is a larger version designed to wrap two people or insulate a casualty from the ground, which we don't currently stock.