<Desc/Clms Page number 1> DESCRIPTION Title: Camping Cocoon Background Many people when camping use a mat to sleep on (in order to be insulated from the ground), a sleeping bag to sleep in (to keep warm) and a additional waterproof, or `bivouac', bag outside the sleeping bag (to protect from rain).
The better mats are inflatable and incorporate additional thermal insulation properties. Problems Conventional bivvy bags offer little thermal insulation.
It's possible that the sleeping bag could become compressed against the inside of the bivouac bag reducing the thermal insulation of the sleeping bag.
The composite of three items are not integrated and problems can occur, eg it is too easy to slide off the mat and the single skin bivvy bag offers no thermal insulation.
Solution Make the waterproof bivvy bag an inflatable double skin and bond it to the mat along the sides and base making a cocoon into which the camper can slide. This protecting upper shell to be independently inflated to offer wind, rain and thermal protection from the elements. See drawing on following sheet: Note entrance to the bag is by overhanging upper double skin.
A cuff of some description may be incorporated at the entrance to offer additional thermal insulation along with a fine mesh barrier to insects.
Some vents should be included to allow some air circulation. Advantages The Survival Blanket should be no heavier than the conventional arrangement, since there isn't any additional material.
The improved thermal properties of a guaranteed thickness of trapped still air around the body will permit the use of a lighter duty sleeping bag, and therefore offer a net weight saving.
Introduction to the drawings I attach one drawing of the `Camping Cocoon'. The one drawing has three views, side, above and end.
The Cocoon will have to be of sufficient size to completely accommodate the occupant. The valves to inflate the base and the upper structure will both be adjacent to the entrance.
From the side view note the overhang of the upper shell above the entrance, this to keep rain out. The occupant would enter feet first and be fully contained.
Any rain, or insect, screens would have to operable from within the Cocoon.
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