Stay warm with a KickAss 12v blanket

I’ve camped in some horrendous locations in some horrible weather conditions. But, as far as toughing out goes, I reckon I can hack it with the best of them. So long as it’s not too cold!

Yep, I’m a bit of a wimp in cold climates. I’ll be the one with 28 layers of clothing, a beanie, gloves, and multiple pairs of socks. And still shivering. My swag sports an immensely thick, sub-zero sleeping bag, and you’ll most likely find me still wrapped up in all the layers of clothing as I slide into bed to keep me warm. 

So, to try another way to keep the chills at bay, I purchased my 12-volt electric blanket from KickAss Outback Proof Gear. Yeah, I know some will say I’ve gone soft, but a good night’s sleep is essential to me. I didn’t hold out much hope that it would do the job, but I’ve been proven wrong.

3 Heat settings

Given the blanket has three heat settings, I naturally opted for the highest, which draws 3.8amps. The second setting is just 2.85, and the third is a lowly 1.9amps.

To put that into perspective, most 12-volt fridges draw between 2 to 3 amps while cycling on. 

Safety measures in place

The KickAss blanket has an auto timer that turns it off after 45 minutes, which, while I thought would be good to have it running continuously, I found unnecessary. In part, this is a safety mechanism to ensure neither you nor the blanket overheats, plus it adds a little protection to your battery system.

There’s no reason you can’t start the cycle again, as many times as you want, if you feel the need. Once my body had built up its core heat, my sleeping bag managed to keep me warm enough, although I did resort to a few cycles throughout the night. All in the name of testing!

Fit for two

Measuring 142 centimetres long and 98 centimetres wide, it’s nowhere near double-sized. But with a bit of snuggling, two people will quickly reap the benefits of the heat source. Another option is to wrap the blanket around your legs or back while sitting in your camp chair. This ensures your back and kidney area keep toasty and warm while the Bush Telly radiates the heat into your front and negates the need for you to act like a rotisserie in the front of the fire.

Powering on

The blanket needs to be powered. It features a two-metre-long lead, incorporating the on/off and temperature control module. The power cord’s end utilises a cigarette plug, which plugs into your car’s outlet. Or in my case, I used it via my portable 100amp lithium power bank right next to my swag. Interestingly, my use over a few nights of testing on various temperature settings and multiple times during the night only used five per cent of my battery bank per night. Not a bad price to pay for a nice warm bed. My solar setup then quickly replenishes the battery during the day!

As for which heat settings are best, while everyone is different, I found the highest setting to start with was tops to warm me up the quickest. But, after that, it was too warm. So I flicked it down a couple of gears to the lowest setting and found it beaut to maintain my comfort levels. 

The soft-touch KickAss fleece 12-volt blanket has provided plenty of bush luxury and the extra warmth I need on those chilly nights out camping.

For more information, check out www.kickassproducts.com.au or call (07) 3063 4211.