Re: [Paddlewise] Lightning and Space Blanket

From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 09:30:52 -0500
Your body is primarily saltwater, as such it is a pretty good 
conductor. The amount of aluminum in a space blanket is miniscule, as 
such it is not a great conductor. Your body will do more to protect the 
blanket from lightening than the blanket will do to draw lightening to 
your body. But if you assumed the space blanket actually was a good 
conductor, it could serve as a Faraday cage and thus provide excellent 
protection by keeping any current flow in the blanket. Unfortunately, 
it will not conduct current well enough to provide protection, and can 
be treated as if it is not even there.

On Saturday, October 25, 2003, at 08:30  AM, PeterO wrote:
>
> Here's the dilemma - normally I would have also used a space blanket 
> but
> wasn't game in the storm because of its metallic nature. I don't 
> really know
> if this would have been a hazard but didn't want to try the 
> experiment. So
> the lesson I learned was not to rely on a space blanket but have enough
> clothes to manage without.
Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
824 Thompson St
Glastonbury, CT 06033
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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Received on Sun Oct 26 2003 - 06:31:08 PST

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