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Cyclopath Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Posts: 7721 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Wed Dec 06, 2017 1:05 pm
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Aerogels resist heat transfer better than any solid known to man. They’re also extremely lightweight, being up to 99.9 % air. They’re warm when wet, and give full insulation even when compressed.
In the past, aerogels have been brittle like glass, but newer techniques for making them make them a lot more flexible. You can buy sheets of the stuff and roll them up like blankets.
Of course it’s expensive, but less so than Cuban fiber. So, naturally, I’m wondering about lining part of the inside of a tent with it, and then carrying less clothing and a much lighter bag.
I’ve done some googling about this in the past, and it seemed like the stuff was almost ready for prime time, but not quite. But that was a while ago. I’m wondering if anybody in here has tried any type of aerogel insulation and has any first-hand experience to share?
An aerogel protecting a flower from an open flame.
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texasbb Misplaced Texan
Joined: 30 Mar 2009 Posts: 1153 | TRs | Pics Location: Tri-Cities, WA |
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texasbb
Misplaced Texan
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Wed Dec 06, 2017 2:25 pm
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My answer to your question is "I don't know," but I can't say I share your enthusiasm about moving insulation from the bag to the tent. The latter requires you (literally) to keep a lot more volume warm, volume that in this case is leaky as all get out.
Are the rollable sheets you mention soft enough to drape over the top of your bag? If so, that would seem a more likely approach.
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JonnyQuest Member
Joined: 10 Dec 2013 Posts: 593 | TRs | Pics
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Pretty sure Pacific Outdoor Equipment played with Aerogel on sleeping pads. AFAIK, it never went anywhere.
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Seventy2002 Member
Joined: 19 Jul 2008 Posts: 512 | TRs | Pics
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Aspen Aerogel SPACELOFT™ blanket is available on ebay for $4 a square foot. The sellers warn that the stuff generates dust when handled and recommend using gloves, eye protection, and dust masks when handling. Not quite ready for trail use.
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Cyclopath Faster than light
Joined: 20 Mar 2012 Posts: 7721 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Cyclopath
Faster than light
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Thu Dec 07, 2017 9:02 am
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Sure, but there are a bunch of different blankets made in different ways by different companies.
A company, Oros, says they've made a flexible and machine-washable form of the stuff, and have put it into clothing. I'm skeptical that that's a good use of the stuff, because it's important not to overheat and stew in your own sweat. But they have a video of somebody wearing a jacket with aerogel and being sprayed down with -320 F liquid nitrogen.
I found an article in Outdoor Magazine, apparently the stuff is used in a pair of warm boots with poor tread ( ) and an insulated water bottle.
It seems pretty obvious that this technology will be transformative sooner or later. I'm not getting any younger, and neither are any of us. I'm looking forward to enjoying warmer, lighter, better gear as I age.
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DadFly Member
Joined: 02 Jul 2012 Posts: 402 | TRs | Pics Location: Redmond |
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DadFly
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Tue Dec 12, 2017 10:14 am
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I used Aerogel footbeds on Denali in 2003. They were very effective. They were worn out by the end of the following winter. But I recommend them for this use.
"May you live in interesting times"
"May you live in interesting times"
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Franco Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 328 | TRs | Pics Location: Australia |
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Franco
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Sun Dec 31, 2017 9:05 pm
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Every year or so I come across a thread about this stuff.
my comment usually starts with : aerogel was invented in 1931...
just with that some get the idea.
There has been a lot of progress in the last decade or so as far as flexibility but it isn't yet ready to be folded and or stuffed.
Yes there have been a few products for the outdoor Industry made , for example that POE mat with some AeroGel in it came out 10 years ago. but then again the fact that it was the first and last to be made with it might suggest that it may not be ideal for that use.
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InFlight coated in DEET
Joined: 20 May 2015 Posts: 847 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle area |
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InFlight
coated in DEET
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Wed Jan 03, 2018 11:09 am
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The commercially sold Space Loft Aerogel has a thermal conductivity of 14 mW/K*M, and has a density of .15 grams per cubic cm.
High Fill Down (800+) , has a thermal conductivity of 190 mW/K*M and has a mass of 1.27 grams per cubic cm for comparison.
I could see this aerogel being used in a high performance ground pad, and encased with closed cell foam. A Z type folding pad with aerogel inserts would be ridiculously good.
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” ― Henry David Thoreau
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Franco Member
Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 328 | TRs | Pics Location: Australia |
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Franco
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Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:43 pm
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