Meet the reviewer
Mountain Warehouse Wearable Blanket: first impressions
At first glance the Mountain Warehouse Wearable Blanket might resemble the surprise result of a late-night liaison between a puffer jacket and a sleeping bag. But this wearable blanket from budget-orientated outdoor-apparel and gear store Mountain Warehouse is actually a pretty useful piece of kit for using at the campsite when evenings get chilly.
It can also be very handy when you’re at the beach and the breeze kicks up, or while you’re enjoying any sort of alfresco experience, from garden gatherings and family picnics to festivals and outdoor cinema screenings.
But how does it compare to the best camping blankets on the market? I parked my pride and took it on tour to test it and find out.
Mountain Warehouse Wearable Blanket: design and materials
• List price: £60 (UK)
• Insulation: Synthetic
• Weight: 987g / 2lb 2.8oz
• Blanket size: 140cm x 200cm / 55in x 78in
• Packed size: 38cm x 20cm x 64cm / 15in x 8in x 25in
• Colors: Khaki green
• Compatibility: Ideal for campsites, beaches, gardens, festivals
Constructed from a polyester shell and synthetic fill (sadly, none of which appears to be recycled), the Mountain Warehouse Wearable Blanket is a padded blanket with horizontal baffles to keep the internal stuffing where it’s supposed to be.
It comes in a stuff sack, which is quite bulky (it’s definitely not a garment suited for backpackers, but car campers will find room for it easily enough). Once unpacked and laid on the floor, it resembles a lightweight duvet or unzipped summer sleeping bag.
It’s rectangular, and you can wrap it around yourself like a standard blanket, but the addition of a hood in the middle means you can also wear it like a cape – and this is clearly its primary purpose.
There are cords with toggles on the hood, so you can pull it securely around your face. The blanket also features poppers on the lower section, for tightening the cape and preventing it flapping around in the wind (useful for preserving your dignity if you’re attempting to get changed while wearing the blanket).
On the front there are two snug hand pockets (which join in the middle), plus a large kangaroo pouch-style pocket with a Velcro fastener for storing anything from a phone to a headlamp, flashlight or wooly hat.
Mountain Warehouse Wearable Blanket: in the field
My first question about this wearable blanket when I initially took it camping was, “Why on Earth would I use this, when I can just put on a good synthetic puffer jacket?”
As I found out over the course of several outings, however, this product does deliver several things a puffer doesn’t (and visa versa, of course). For starters, it offers more coverage than a standard-length jacket, extending down to your knees when you wear it like a cape. Obviously it doesn’t fit as snugly as a puffer jacket does, but it’s not intended for use on wind-whipped mountain tops, and when you’re sat on a camping chair in the site (or in a venue, park or garden), it does keep your bum and upper legs warm.
In addition, this extra length means you can also get changed under it – like you can with a dryrobe or large towel – when you’re wild swimming or at the beach. It won’t dry you off, but it will protect your privacy and keep the wind out.
Perhaps most importantly, it is significantly cheaper than all puffer jackets and most swimming robes – which makes it much more accessible to more people. This also means you don’t need to be super precious about it (I hate exposing expensive down jackets in particular to scenarios where they can potentially get wet or filthy, but you can be a bit more relaxed with this blanket).
I found the pockets useful for keeping my hands warm, and the large pouch is good for stashing larger items (you can even get a book in there if you like).
After some initial pangs of self-consciousness, I was more than happy to wear this blanket around the campsite in the evening when the sun had set and the temperatures dropped, and after retiring to my tent, I used it for extra warmth during the shivery predawn hours when my sleeping bag started to feel a little on the thin side.
You definitely need to be careful when wearing this around a campfire, though – it feels like it would catch light pretty easily. It’s also a shame no recycled material has been used in its construction.
