How to choose an emergency blanket and a zelt for hikingA 165g gap

My pick for something to wrap your body is the SOL Emergency Bivvy (108g), and for something to pitch over you it's the finetrack Tsuelt 1 (230g). The gap between the lightest sheet and the Tsuelt 1 is 165g, and together they come to 295g. The National Police Agency names the zelt as hiking equipment.

An emergency blanket and a zelt do different jobs

The SOL Emergency Blanket is about 65g and the finetrack Tsuelt 1 is 230g, a 165g gap. One wraps your body and the other pitches over you, and no maker says one can stand in for the other.

I split emergency gear into four situations and pick one for each. The numbers are what the maker or its authorized Japanese distributor shows on the official page.

How I chose

The first thing I looked at was weight. This is gear you don't use on most days, so I checked first whether it's light enough to leave in the pack every time. Next I read the maker's own cautions, and picked gear that has both the numbers and the caveats. I converted price to per gram to see how much you pay for lightness.

• For something to wrap in: a bag shape or a single sheet, and whether it breathes.
• For a zelt, depth. 70cm is a size you sit under; around 200cm is a size you can lie down in.
• For noise makers and bear spray: whether they can be attached outside the pack, within easy reach.

What public bodies list for hiking is the zelt

Emergency blankets and whistles don't appear by name on these three pages I opened. So for those two, I go by the makers' explanations alone.

My pick for wrapping your body: SOL Emergency Bivvy | a 108g bag

My pick is the bag-shaped Emergency Bivvy. It's 108g and packs down to 7×8cm in diameter. Unlike a single sheet, it's shaped for you to climb into.

Here's the weak spot. Star Shoji writes that it isn't breathable, so be careful. For a breathable material, there's the SOL Escape Lite Bivvy from the same line. It's 48g heavier, and its heat reflection is a modest 70% at most.

If it's only weight and price, the 1-sheet emergency blanket wins. It's 43g lighter than the Bivvy and ¥3,190 cheaper. It suits day hikers who don't want to add even 1g.

Why an aluminum-coated sheet keeps body heat in

Your body radiates heat even toward things it isn't touching. According to Star Shoji, SOL's sheet is polyethylene with high-purity aluminum vapor-deposited on it, and it reflects 90% of the heat your body radiates.

In other words, the sheet doesn't produce heat. What it bounces back is the heat your body gives off.

My zelt pick: finetrack Tsuelt 1 | 230g, with a breathability figure

My pick is the Tsuelt 1. Of the six, it was the only one that gives both a water resistance of 1,000mm (initial value) and a breathability of 8,000g/m²·24h (A-1 method) as numbers. It's 230g and 200cm deep.

Here's the weak spot. At ¥102.9 per gram, it ranks No. 2 from the top in price among the 6. The official page also says the seams aren't sealed and that guy lines, poles and pegs aren't included.

If you choose by price, it's the Arai Tent Bivouac Zelt 1 Long. It's only 10g heavier, ¥9,372 cheaper and 210cm deep. Arai Tent writes that the fabric is waterproof-coated, so condensation can form.

The same Arai Tent's Solo is far lighter at 105g but only 70cm deep. The mont-bell U.L. Zelt is bought at its official online shop.

mont-bell writes that it isn't a tent meant for sleeping and isn't fully waterproof, and Heritage writes that its strength and protection are the minimum.

Things that make noise: whistles and bear bells have different jobs

My whistle pick is the SOL Rescue Floating Whistle. It's about 10g in ABS resin, and is described as producing a high and a low sound at the same time.

Here's the weak spot. Loudness is only given as "high decibel," with no figure.

My bear bell pick is the Himount Magic Bear Bell. It's a brass bell of about 80g, with an official price of ¥2,750. Turn the screw on top and the pendulum inside lifts, which stops the sound.

The Ministry of the Environment's Chubu Sangaku National Park guideline explains that bears don't dislike the sound of a bell; it's a tool for telling them a person is there. It also says to keep noise down in places like mountain huts, and the silencing design fits that.

Just one bear spray: Kuma Ichimokusan | sprays about 10m for about 10 seconds

The official page for Bio Kagaku's Kuma Ichimokusan gives 280ml, a spray distance of about 10m and a continuous spray of about 10 seconds in no wind. It weighs 275g for the spray and 78g for the holster, 353g together (my calculation). The holster set at the official shop is ¥14,080 (tax included).

Bear spray is a last resort. It isn't something to spray on a tent or clothing in advance. The rule of thumb for use is 5 years from manufacture.

Many airlines and airports ban it in both carry-on and checked baggage. The Ministry of the Environment guideline also says it can't be taken on aircraft and that you should check the expiry date before your trip.

The Ministry of the Environment manual says that carrying spray raises the chance of avoiding an attack, while also saying there is no perfect way to avoid one. What to do when you meet a bear is something to read in the Ministry of the Environment's "Bear Encounter Response Manual," Chapter III and in the guidance of the municipality where you're going.

A light to keep in the emergency bag

I compared weight and burn time for the light you keep in the same bag in a separate article. Read the headlamp rankings

There's also an article on first-aid kit cases.

Who is it for?

This suits people who have neither a sheet nor a zelt in their pack yet, and people whose existing gear is starting to tear.

If you still don't have rainwear and a climbing plan form, the National Police Agency lists those first, so you could start there. Bear spray can't go on a plane, so be careful if you're traveling by air.

FAQ

Should I carry an emergency blanket or a zelt?

The National Police Agency names the zelt as equipment. Even with both the lightest sheet (about 65g) and the Tsuelt 1 (230g) it comes to 295g, so I'd carry both.

Can I spend the night in the mountains with just a zelt?

mont-bell writes on its official page that a zelt is not a tent meant for sleeping. If you plan to stay overnight, that's a tent question.

Do bear bells work?

The Ministry of the Environment's Chubu Sangaku National Park guideline says a bell rings on its own as you walk, so it's an effective way to let animals know a person is there.

Gear in this article

Ad · Images: Rakuten Ichiba

SOL Emergency Bivvyfinetrack Tsuelt 1Arai Tent Bivouac Zelt 1 LongSOL Rescue Floating WhistleHimount Magic Bear Bell (with silencing function)Bio Kagaku Kuma Ichimokusan (bear spray)

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