Round 43, Hour 41

[alinaandalion.livejournal.com]

All right, how goes it, fellow fic rushers?  Is there a lot furious typing going on (or fast handwriting if that's how you roll)?  Are you busy researching?  Scrolling through Tumblr?  Let us know!

Where I am, it is raining for the twentieth day in a row and I am finally settling down to write some angst and then some more angst.  :)

Comments

[a-q.livejournal.com]

I'm researching about space blankets. I've found out that they are silver colored. Massive breakthrough! :D
Well, not really. But it's helpful to know, I suppose.

[alinaandalion.livejournal.com]

They're all silver? Is there a reason for that?

[lolmac]

Space blankets are silver in colour because they're mylarized plastic. The silver is because their main purpose is to reflect nearly all radiation, especially heat -- you wrap up in one of them, and your own waste heat is reflected back at you and keeps you from freezing to death. They're waterproof and windproof - they don't leak and they block drafts.

They're incredibly lightweight and make loud crackling sounds when you unfold them. You usually have them in a very small, square pouch in your survival kit, and unfolding them is a bit like unfolding a map or a tissue pattern -- very sharp creases and the annoying behaviour of a thin compressed material.

Like maps, it's also insanely awkward trying to fold them back into the same small size. Since they don't leak air, it's especially hard to get the air pockets and bubbles out. Generally, after a single use, you have to roll them up and squish the air out bit by bit; you can never actually re-fold them as neatly as when they were unused.

Does this help? ;)

[alinaandalion.livejournal.com]

That's really cool stuff.

[a-q.livejournal.com]

The McGyver icon is very appropriate :D
Yes, thank you, the color and the sound are good details to add!

[lolmac]

Heehee -- MacGyver is my main fandom. That's why my primary LJ account is "LOLMac" (even though my actual journal is BethInExile).

Let me know if you need any more info about space blankets -- as you've probably guessed, I've actually used them, although never in an all-out survival situation.

[a-q.livejournal.com]

As a young filly, I had a huge crush on MacGyver :D But well, didn't everyone? He's the coolest!

I have a situation where one character is under the blanket and another lays next to him, and doesn't need the blanket. The character has clothes, space blanket and regular blanket - does the space blanket rip easily, say, if the not-blanket-wearing character hugs this wrapped up person?

[lolmac]

I still have a crush on MacGyver (otherwise I wouldn't have a whole bloody journal of screencaps of him!)

It's really, really hard to rip a space blanket -- they're extremely strong plastic. You can cut them with scissors or a knife.

In the situation you describe, the blanket will make a fair amount of noise when the outside person hugs the blanket-wrapped person.

However: is this a survival situation? That is, is person #1 suffering from hypothermia (as opposed to just using the blanket to stay warmer)? If so, they are using the equipment incorrectly. In a case of hypothermia, both parties strip, get under the space blanket, and pile everything else on top. The body heat of the non-hypothermic person provides heat for the person in danger. The non-hypothermic person is going to have to do all the work: hypothermia muddles the brain horribly. (Experience speaking here again.)

[a-q.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! Nakedness is good, I can really crank up the emotions then.
I made up an unusual mutant physiological situation, so I'm still playing around with the idea and what the problem with body temperature is - I just know I want the space blanket there, I'm very committed :D

Oh wow, you've had hypothermia? I read the symptoms from wikipedia, and it certainly sounded unpleasant & dangerous.

[lolmac]

Yes, I've had a mild case of hypothermia -- one of my less pleasant life experiences. I was in my early teens, on my first-ever hike above timberline, with a poorly organized and terribly unprepared group. It is definitely unpleasant and dangerous.

I was treated with what's actually Preferred Approach #1: a very long hot shower and hot liquids to drink. Preferred Approach #2 (get naked and under covers with a naked person who does not have hypothermia) is reserved for situations when a hot bath or shower isn't available (such as when you're still out in the wilds).

There are, of course, lots of rude jokes about "Hypothermia Drill woohoo!", but it's very serious and non-sexual when it actually happens. Or it isn't supposed to be sexual, anyway, considering that it's an emergency measure to save someone's life, just as mouth-to-mouth is not really a passionate kiss.

[agirlnamedtruth.livejournal.com]

I'm still writing, about 200 words down so far xD

[alinaandalion.livejournal.com]

Awesome!

(http://s50.photobucket.com/user/meredithcbrogden/media/GIFs/disney08_zps3102d03c.gif.html)

[xandromedovna.livejournal.com]

THE WEREBUNNY IS VANQUISHED!

I'm actually the happiest of clams right now, that WIP was kicking my butt.

[alinaandalion.livejournal.com]

YAY! It's always an awesome feeling when you finally conquer a piece of writing that has been difficult. :)

[lolmac]

WOOHOO!!

[alinaandalion.livejournal.com]

Yay for doing productive things!