{ "id": "insulated-reflective-survival-tarp", "sku": "insulated-reflective-survival-tarp", "title": "Arcturus XL Insulated Reflective Survival Tarp", "slug": "insulated-reflective-survival-tarp", "price": 115.99, "currency": "GBP", "availability": "in_stock", "category": "tarps-and-pegs", "category_label": "Tarps, Pegs & Site Gear", "tags": [], "colors": [], "materials": [], "dimensions": null, "weight": "1.63 kg", "images": [ "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/main-insulated-reflective-survival-tarp.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-10.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-2.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-3.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-4.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-5.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-6.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-7.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-8.jpg", "https://campingcompany.co.uk/dropship-images/tarps-and-pegs/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp-9.jpg" ], "description_short": "Mylar reflective face for radiant heat and signalling, a waterproof two-layer polypropylene back, and 10 reinforced tie-down grommets so you can rig it fast.", "description": "The problem with being cold, wet and a long way from the car\n\nMost uncomfortable nights outdoors come down to two things. Water got in, or heat got out. Often both, in that order.\n\nWater is the sneaky one. You can pitch a perfectly good tent on damp ground and still wake up clammy, because moisture rises out of the soil all night and condenses on everything you own. Heat loss is the other half. Your body throws off warmth constantly, and most of it simply radiates away into cold air and cold ground. A sleeping bag slows that down. It does not stop it.\n\nA reflective survival tarp attacks both problems with one piece of kit. Put the waterproof side against the ground and moisture stays below you. Put the reflective side toward your body and a good share of the radiant heat you are producing gets sent back. Neither is magic. Together they change the night from grim to manageable.\n\nHow a reflective thermal tarp actually works\n\nThere are three ways you lose heat outdoors. Conduction, which is cold ground pulling warmth out of you by direct contact. Convection, which is wind stripping warm air off your body. Radiation, which is heat leaving you as infrared, the same way a fire warms your face across a gap.\n\nMost camping gear handles the first two. Mats block conduction. Tents and jackets block convection. Radiation is the one people forget, and it is the one a reflective face handles well. Aluminised Mylar bounces infrared back the way it came. Hold your hand near one on a cold night and you can feel your own warmth coming back at you.\n\nThe clever part is that the effect runs both ways. Turn the shiny face outward and you have a radiant barrier that keeps heat from getting in. That is why people throw these over a tent at midday in summer, or rig one as a sun shade on a boat. Same tarp, opposite job, decided entirely by which way you flip it.\n\nOn this one the reverse side is two layers of polypropylene. Polypropylene is worth knowing about because it does not absorb water. Cotton soaks. Nylon wets out and takes time to dry. Polypropylene just lets water sit on the surface and run off. That makes it a dependable ground sheet and a dependable roof, and it is also why the tarp dries quickly when you shake it out.\n\nWho this suits\n\nCampers who want fewer items doing more jobs. If you are already carrying a tent, a ground sheet and an emergency blanket, this replaces two of them and backs up the third.\n\nHunters and anyone who wants to stay low key. The Woodland Camo face is quiet against bush and scrub. Flip it only when you want to be seen.\n\nFour-wheel drivers, boaties and anyone who travels remote. This is the sort of thing that sits in a boot or a locker for two years doing nothing and then earns its price in a single afternoon. A breakdown on a cold road, an unexpected night out, a passenger who got soaked. Any of those is enough.\n\nPeople building a preparedness kit. If you are assembling a bug out bag, a reusable tarp with grommets beats a stack of single-use foil sheets, and it holds up to being packed and repacked. Many kit builders rate it among the best mylar survival blanket options for exactly that reason.\n\nBackpackers should think a little harder. At 1.63 kg it is not an ultralight shelter. If every gram matters on a multi-day walk, a dedicated silnylon tarp will be lighter. If you want something tough that will not shred on the first sharp rock, this is the stronger choice.\n\nHow to choose a survival tarp\n\nStart with size. This one is 2.59 m by 1.52 m. That is roomy enough for one person to wrap in with margin, or two people sitting out a squall, or a ground sheet under a small tent. Bigger tarps give more shelter options but take longer to rig and catch more wind. If you mostly want a blanket and a ground sheet, this size is the sweet spot.\n\nThen look at the anchor points. This is where budget tarps quietly fail. A grommet punched straight through thin sheeting will tear the first time a gust loads it. Ten reinforced grommets on nylon patches, with claw-style fittings that grab the patch rather than squeeze through it, give you something you can actually tension. Ten points also means you can rig a proper pitch, not just a flapping sheet with two corners tied off.\n\nThink about weight honestly. There is always a trade between durability and grams. A disposable foil blanket weighs almost nothing and survives about one use. This weighs 1.63 kg and will go in and out of a pack for years. Decide which failure you would rather have.\n\nCheck what comes with it. A carry bag is included here, which matters more than it sounds. Tarps that live loose in a boot get shoved under jacks and toolboxes and come out creased and scratched. A bag keeps it folded and findable.\n\nConsider visibility. One side camo, one side bright and reflective. That gives you a choice most single-colour tarps do not. Hide or be found, depending on the day.\n\nRigging it without overthinking it\n\nThe simplest useful pitch is the lean-to. Tie the two long-edge grommets to a line between two trees at about chest height. Pull the opposite long edge down to the ground and peg it. You now have a roof, a back wall and an open front. Face the open side toward your fire with the reflective surface inward and the warmth bounces back at you instead of disappearing into the trees.\n\nAn A-frame is the next step. Run a ridge line between two anchors, drape the tarp over it, and peg both long edges out at an angle. That sheds rain from both sides and handles wind better, though you lose the open view.\n\nFor vehicle camping, tie two grommets to a roof rack and peg the other side out with poles or sticks. Instant awning.\n\nWhatever you rig, spread the tension across several grommets rather than loading one. And leave a bit of slack in the fabric so wind can move it slightly instead of snapping it taut against a single point.\n\nLooking after it\n\nThis is low-maintenance gear, but a few habits make it last.\n\nShake the dirt and leaves off before you fold it. Grit trapped in a fold slowly abrades the reflective layer.\n\nIf it needs cleaning, sponge it with cool water and a mild detergent. Skip the washing machine, the dryer and the iron. Heat and reflective coatings do not get along.\n\nDry it completely before packing. Folding a damp tarp into a bag is how you end up with a musty one next season.\n\nKeep it clear of flames, coals and stove exhaust. You can use it as a heat reflector near a fire, but keep real distance, because sparks will put holes in it.\n\nStore it loosely folded in the carry bag, somewhere out of direct sun. Years of UV will degrade almost any synthetic, even one with UV protection built in.\n\nThe short version\n\nA reflective survival tarp is one of the few pieces of outdoor gear that genuinely does several jobs well. Waterproof polypropylene on one side, heat-reflecting Mylar on the other, ten reinforced grommets so you can actually pitch it, and a carry bag so it stays usable between trips.\n\nAt 2.59 m by 1.52 m and 1.63 kg it is built for durability rather than minimum weight. If you want the lightest possible shelter for a long thru-hike, look elsewhere. If you want something that will live in a boot, a boat or a pack and still work in five years, this is the kind of thing worth owning before you need it.\n\nBuy it for the trip you planned. Be glad for it on the one you did not.", "llm_summary": "The Arcturus XL Insulated Reflective Survival Tarp is an extra-large all-weather survival blanket and tarp measuring 2.59 m by 1.52 m and weighing 1.63 kg. One face is reflective Mylar with an aluminium surface for reflecting radiant heat, creating a radiant barrier or signalling. The reverse is two layers of polypropylene, giving a waterproof barrier suitable for use as a ground tarp, shelter or blanket. It has 10 reinforced tie-down grommets set on nylon patches with claw-style fittings, and ships with a carry bag. Material is listed as polypropylene, aluminium and nylon, colour Woodland Camo, model NC-AWSB-XL-WC. Recommended uses include backpacking, boating, camping, emergency preparedness, hiking and hunting. Country of origin is not specified in this record.", "returnable": true, "return_policy": "Voluntary 14-day change-of-mind returns in original condition, buyer pays return postage; Consumer Rights Act 2015 consumer guarantees for faulty goods. Return postage on faulty goods is ours.", "shipping_profile": "standard", "warranty": null, "brand": "Camping Company", "gtin": null, "mpn": null, "condition": "new", "url": "https://campingcompany.co.uk/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/", "canonical_url": "https://campingcompany.co.uk/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp/", "json_url": "https://campingcompany.co.uk/api/products/insulated-reflective-survival-tarp.json", "updated_at": "2026-10-11" }