The LandShark Survival Bag

Jennifer Forbes

Cinched tightly around the user's face, the LandShark Survival Bag prevents heat loss far more effectively than a space blanket.

The Land Shark Instant Survival Shelter is a multipurpose survival bag that’s affordable, lightweight, compact, and reversible: international orange on one side and digital camouflage on the other. The orange is highly visible, critical for rescue at land or sea, and the camouflage side, meant primarily for military use, might come in handy if you want to take refuge ashore without attracting unneeded attention. The outer layers of the laminated material conceal and protect a layer of aluminized film that reflects heat to provide warmth without the bulk of insulation. The bag weighs 22 oz and is 6″×8″×1″ when stowed in its zippered pouch and 38″×80″ when unfolded. It is designed to fit any person up to 6′3″ and we found that two people could fit inside the bag, an asset for rewarming someone with hypothermia. The waterproof, ripstop material is much more durable than a pocket-sized aluminized Mylar blanket, and bag provides better protection from the elements and warmth retention than a space blanket. It comes with a plastic clip and a whistle attached.I tried the bag outside with the air temperature at 45 degrees Fahrenheit and without sunlight. I was barefoot and wearing shorts and a T-shirt. Getting into the bag is as easy as putting on a pair of pants: It takes about 20 seconds. After getting in, I tucked my head inside and pulled the drawstring tight to create a dead air space. Within 10 minutes the temperature inside climbed to 63.5 degrees. For a second trial, to simulate a man-overboard rescue scenario, I hosed myself down with 41-degree water, and slipped into the bag. I felt an even more distinct sense of warming up than I had when I was dry. As the bag warmed up, my reading glasses even fogged up. After 10 minutes the internal temperature stabilized at 57.2 degrees. Creating the dead air space was critical to warmth, and the great advantage of the bag over a blanket. Keeping the opening small and tight around my face kept me warm. With even a small gap I could feel cold outside air getting in. I minimized conductive heat loss by sitting on a boat cushion or dry forest duff on land. If I rested on heat-draining surfaces like concrete, I could feel the cold.