[Cyclopath]

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.

[texasbb]

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.

[JonnyQuest]

Pretty sure Pacific Outdoor Equipment played with Aerogel on sleeping pads. AFAIK, it never went anywhere.

[Seventy2002]

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.

[Cyclopath]

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.

[DadFly]

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.

[Franco]

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.

[InFlight]

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.

[Franco]

In 2012 they started to talk about polymer aerogel. That new version was to overcome the main problem with the standard silica type and that is that it is easy to crumble. However I still haven't seen a product for the outdoor industry that has been successful. https://newatlas.com/polymer-aerogel-stronger-flexible-nasa/23955/