Space blanket - tried and tested in space: Developed by NASA in the early 1960s as a “space blanket“ to protect spacecraft from heat and to protect astronauts from the extreme temperatures in space, the thin, aluminum-coated PET film was first used on Earth in 1978. It was handed to the finishers of the New York Marathon to keep them warm.
An all-round talent with an enormous tensile strength of 480 kg: compactly packed, 50 g light and an indispensable part of first aid. the emergency blanket has become indispensable, especially for mountaineering. It can be used as a makeshift tourniquet, as a temporary bandage or, thanks to its incredible tensile strength of up to 480 kg, for transporting casualties. As it only lets through 1% of dangerous UV radiation and is also transparent, it can be used for UV protection and as replacement glacier goggles.
Caution during use: In its function as protection against heat loss, the effectiveness of the rescue blanket depends less on whether the silver or gold side is facing inwards or outwards. Both sides reflect up to 90 percent of the radiated heat from the body. However, it is important to apply the blanket correctly to ensure its functionality. This means that the blanket must not be placed on the bare body, but over the bottom layer of clothing. As the rescue blanket is made of a metallic alloy, the blanket would dissipate heat if it came into direct contact with the skin - in other words, it would have exactly the opposite effect. It is usually recommended to turn the silver side towards the body, as the gold-colored side should be particularly visible from the air.
Other possible applications: The emergency blanket can also provide valuable services in high outside temperatures by being stretched out with the silver-colored side facing outwards as an awning, used as a cover for tents and vehicles when camping, attached to windows to reduce the heating of a room and much more.
In model making, rescue blankets are used to cover wings. Stunt kites can also be covered with the material of the aluminum blanket.
