‹ Top left : Technical
blankets like the Ver-
sa Luxe are excellent
options for a top quilt
in a hammock or a
tent. It can also be
used as a sleeping
bag liner to increase
its thermal efficiency.›Ifyouarea
hammockfan,either
Versablanketwould
workwellasan
underquilt,asshown
here,toprovide
insulationunder
yourhammockin
coolorcoldweather.usedasalightweightsleepingquiltwhichismorecomfortableandeffectivethanasleeping
bagwhenpairedwithasleepingpad.Whenpacked,theytakeuplessspacethanasleeping bag
andcanbejammedintoanycornerorsideofyourbug-outbagorbackpack.Theycaneven be
usedasacloaktoaddwarmthtoexistinggear.AVERSATILEOPTIONFROMKLYMIT
Whileresearchingthisnewgenerationofsuper-woobies,I cameacrosstwothatreallycaught
myeyefortheirutilityandnon-tacticalappeal.TheyaretheVersaBlanketandtheVersaLuxe
CampingBlanketfromtheoutdoorcompanyKlymit.Unlikesomeofthisnewgenerationof
woobie,theVersablanketsaredesignedwithcampingandbackpackinginmind,withablue
andorangecolorwayratherthanearthtonecolorsorothertacticalfeatures.
They are also well-suited for use at home or in an RV. In fact, I am looking at the Versa Luxe
lying on the couch in our living room as I type this. It has become one of those items that is
integral to our home environment. Just like the remote for the television or the plants in the
window box.
The design for both versions integrates the good things about the original poncho liner and
adds some modern features to address some of the poncho liner’s weaknesses. At just a few
inches smaller than the poncho liner, it is still large enough to be used as a blanket on a bed or
as a cloak to keep you warm on a frosty morning while you enjoy your coffee and wait for the
warming rays of the sun to break the threshold of the horizon. The fabric is also water repellent
so it keeps wind and rain at bay, which the original poncho liner did not do very well.
The insulation is a proprietary synthetic material called Klymalite, which is layered between
two sheets of 20 D polyester on the blanket and a sheet of 20 D polyester and a sheet of high
loft fleece on the Luxe Camping blanket. Both shell materials are strong with a light and soft
touch and both models are 58 by 80 inches in size. For reference, that is just 2 inches narrower“THE TWO VERSA BLANKETS WE HAVE IN THE SCHWARTZ HOUSEHOLD
HAVE REPLACED MY OLD ISSUE PONCHO LINERS AS THE PREFERRED
COMFORTER WHEN WATCHING MOVIES IN THE LIVING ROOM OR TAKING A
NAP ON A COLD WINTER AFTERNOON.”
or dew, and they don’t weigh much more than
their Vietnam-era cousins. And they don’t cost
an arm and a leg.
As a result of these new improvements,
these super-woobies are worth your consid-
eration for inclusion in your bug-out bag or
other prepper gear. They are warm enough to
be used as a two- or three-season sleeping
bag and are not as restrictive or heavy as their
sleeping bag counterparts. They can also be86 AMERICAN SURVIVAL GUIDE [OCTOBER 2019]