I only thumbs up a video that teaches me something I have never seen before, OR how to use something in a way I didn't think of. You Sir had shown me 2. So thank you
I will be picking up Reflectix today. I have been trying to figure out a great way to stay warm for our camping adventures during the winter season. Thanks for the tips!
The gas in my double-pane windows leaked out so I made window panels of reflectix glued and taped to cardboard. A pressure pole set a couple of inches below the top of the window casement holds the panels in place and I can slip the panels out easily for sunny days. Works great for holding in house heat at night. Also, our dogs sleep in the garage at night so I made a large sheet of reflectix to fit under two stacked 4"-thick twin bed mattresses so the cold and condensation doesn't get their bed damp and moldy. They don't wake up cold and stiff-jointed in the morning.
Not sure how thick the Reflectix is, but if it's thin enough, cut out two pieces to match the insides of your hiking boots and put them in to reflect the heat from your feet to help keep them warm in the winter. (I can't take credit for this, as I saw it on another video using a windshield reflector).
+Joe Phillips Me too (heard from another video about lining your boots with the Reflectix material). That video, I think, was saying to buy the stuff from an automotive store -- the stuff they use to shade the windshield with. This sounds like a better deal -- buy it from the hardware store.-- Glad you posted your comment here.
+Jesse Friel dollar store windshield sunblocker is a cheap way to get small quantities .The problem using it as a boot insole is sweating, put the reflector under the normal insole. Extrawide boots provide more depth.
Good point. The thin styrofoam that cuts of meat are packaged on (the bottom) is great for making winter insoles. Not sure they'd be good for hiking or rough wear though.
the best camp hacks video I've seen in ages. and I seriously watch loads and I'm so tired of the standard dollar store storage advice. the reflectix sleeping mat? so simple and brilliant. and great tip on Tyvex
The reflectixes is also good to keep things cold. I have made a pouch or cozy and used it to keep things cold in the back country. Usually if it starts out with something frozen it will last about 2 1/2 days. I guess good for refridgeration for short periods but light weight enough to carry in a backpack.
I actually run my tyvek though the cold wash cycle with no detergent and then run it through the dryer on low heat with tennis balls and it worked great. The Tyvek softens up really good! Nice vid Matt! How's your weather? Is the backpacking Looking good!
Some good tips there, it's good to share to others :) Will have to lookout for some of this Reflectix, I've been using the windshield reflect sheet that's sold for stopping the Sun heating up the cars interior when parked up :) Good Wishes.........Les.
Awesome bud, I've been looking at getting some reflectix you're right soooo many uses. Thanks for sharing this as always you give some really nice tips
reflectix also keeps things cold, made cozy for my hydration bladder and water bottle and works great in coolers. if for some reason you have to leave your phone in the car you make like an envelope and keep in it
Love these three hacks, Matt! I've been doing home improvements this year so thankfully I have all three here. Just waiting for the temperature to rise a bit above -20 C so I can try the Reflectix.
Hey Matt, yeah I stopped by a office site and asked the site boss if I could have a piece of the Tyvek and he was like yah, sure. come back tomorrow and I'll have more if you want!..
I have made my own dehydrated meals and stored them in brand name ziplock bags (they are thicker). Add the right amount of water to rehydrate the meal and put the zip lock bag into the reflexit bag. Dinner is done in 10-20 minutes.
Hack 1: It's not bubble wrap coated with Mylar. It's aluminized Mylar bubble wrap. Hack 2: Tyvek is a Brand Name for multiple trademarked products. The item you are describing is their house wrap material. It is made by flash spinning fibres of high-density polyolefin plastic (Polyolefin is also called Olefin or Polypropylene) , then combining and bonding the fibres into a sheet using heat and pressure. Antioxidants and ultraviolet stabilizers are compounded into the polyolefin resin before spinning. It's safe to use in the hack you describe and the material is used in all sorts of different clothing. The material floats and was used for the swimsuits of the Japanese Olympic Swim Team
+Bob Pauls. OK, Mr. Wizard. Boy, that was close. I nearly made it through my entire life without clarification of the correct description of Reflectix and Tyvek's product multiplicity. How does your OCD post help with the hack uses offered in this thread?
+Bob Pauls The guy raises some good points. Your comments weren't needed and don't further any aspect of the conversation. It was a correction that didn't fix any issue. It puts you in poor light.
+Bob Pauls Thank you for your comment. Can't speak for anyone else. I appreciate the opportunity to learn from others who are willing to share their wisdom and knowledge of same.
Is Reflectix a Home Depot branded product or is it a 3rd party offering? I'm a Canadian so curious to see if it is offered north of the border and if so, possibly under a different name. I'm just starting to use a hammock and I can see this extending my season. Very cool. Thanks.
I would like to use this in camp to put on windows to keep heat out in the summer and keep cold out in early falll .how would this work out for me thank you.
While you're at the hardware store buying Refectix, pick up a roll of metal tape. As mentioned in the video, you can make a pouch for your Mountain House meals that not only keeps your food hot, it doubles as a great ass pad so you don't freeze your tuchus off sitting on the cold ground.
Tyvec in washer not dryer. Let drip dry. Problem with Tyvec bivy is people make them and complain about condensation. You need to add vents. Nothing is perfect in a bivy, even high end models. But you'll notice they are often vented. Reflectex is great stuff and should not be underestimated.
Thomdrum ... I'll second this, definitely need additional vent for the tyvex bivvy, the upper half of my sleeping bag was seriously wet after one night of condensation from my breathing.
You can use the reflextix as a mirror to focus the heat from the back side of a camp fire into your sleep area from a long way away. Tyvek is call one way membrain and its only water proof from the printed side in. Not the other way around.
+Corey Beaty the weave of the material lets water vapor thru but not water droplets. works in either direction. its about the size of the holes in the weave
Reflctix looks heavy and not compressible. Probably good for car camping, but I wouldn't want to carry it into the back country. I like the Velcro idea, though.
Someone should design a type of reflectix with little bubbles of gallium in a type of plastic not easily punctured then have the gallium absorb body heat then conduct it back to the individual. Now that would be an amazing space blanket or has a liner for your sleeping bag. That would be one hell of a great bug out bag stuffer. 😊
Reflectix at Home Depot $16.25 for 25' x 16", order on line, in store pick up. Great for coozies, freezer bag cooking, torso ground sheet, cooler liners, ???????
@@richardk7379 , so I believe it's the same material is what frogg toggs rain gear is made of. My frogg toggs did become less waterproof as they softened up.
Tyvek bivy bag isn't a good idea. My son and I had this idea in 2008 for a week-long hike. The Tyvek holds moisture and you'll wake up with a wet sleeping bag.
How to cook with Reflectix: First, cut the material to fit inside your windshield, wrap your food in foil and place it between the glass and the Reflectix, for larger food such as pizza, make a sort of bunker out of pool noodles and tape it in place to support your food in position
Actually Tyvek is very strong. I am amazed they haven't made a tent of Tyvek yet. It would be awesome to have a way to line a Tyvek tent with Reflectix. Very light, strong and warm or cooler in summer.
From their site: DuPont™ Tyvek® HomeWrap® is the original house wrap, incorporating unique material science that helps keep air and water out, while letting water vapor escape.
The comments below reflects(ix) the nature of those watching the video. You have happy ones that say "thanks for posting". ...then you have the spoiled self entitled brats looking for ANYTHING degrading or negative they can think of! Life I guess!
Good wee vid. Easier and less noisy option for hack 1. Buy a roll of mylar - extremely cheap to acquire. Using a spray glue, attach it to one of the old fashioned sleep pads - the foam type. I put several layers of the mylar on one side and put duct tape around the edge to make it a bit more robust. The foam has far better insulation properties than the bubble wrap. It really works a treat!
+BadYossa Umm. He didn't say in the video to ditch the foam layer you put under the sleeping bag, he sd to add the Reflectix on top of the foam wrap to give you an insulating barrier to reflect heat back onto yourself.
