Surviva Jak - If it works so well, why did it take so long for someone to create it?

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unL33T

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So lately in my quest to stay warm in sub zero temperatures on my motorcycle without resorting to expensive heated gear I have been considering a new product I first heard of on Dragon's Den called the Surviva Jak. It is literally just a jacket made out of the same material as those super cheap heat reflective metalized emergency blankets.

http://www.survivawear.com/product/surviva-jak/waterproof-vacuum-pack
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The heat reflective emergency blankets have been around for years. If the material is so great at reflecting heat, why did it take so long for someone to think of making a jacket out of it? There must be some cons to the stuff but I can't find any information.

Thoughts?
 
For me, i'd stick to the tried and tru pieces for warmth. This is cartainly a intereating piece of clothing but i'll wait untill it takes the market by storm-if it ever dose...Maybe grab one, relativly cheap and let us know how it works.
Also, did the Dragons go for it or? Any investment?
 
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There are already jackets that use it in the lining. Been around for a few years now.
 
FullMotoJacket said:
There are already jackets that use it in the lining. Been around for a few years now.
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The only ones I've found were much more bulky (probably warmer) and cost hundreds of dollars. I already have hundreds of dollars worth of normal jackets and hundreds upon hundreds of dollars of riding jackets. A $10 one that is easily worn under/over something I already have is seeming appealing. Right now my biggest issue is that the items I have that will keep me both protected and warm enough are just too bulky and I can barely move once I'm all suited up.

I guess I'm just surprised that with the blankets being a easy source of material to make a jacket out of, why didn't someone try to make one like 20 years ago?

And yes, the Dragons went for it. Many stores in the UK now sell this jacket and I think you can buy it at a few places in the US. I contacted them about Canada but they said they haven't started distributing them here yet.
 
I am not so sure it would work in a riding situation. This system needs heat(body heat) to reflect off it but stay inside the garment to give you some warmth. It does not give heat, it just lets you lose it slower. Marathoners use a crude version of it after running.
 
earditi said:
I am not so sure it would work in a riding situation. This system needs heat(body heat) to reflect off it but stay inside the garment to give you some warmth. It does not give heat, it just lets you lose it slower. Marathoners use a crude version of it after running.
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That's how every coat, blanket, etc works unless it's powered... this is just supposed to do it at 90% efficiency or something like that.
 
I would think the big drawback is it's probably designed to be used once, in an emergency, and then thrown away. I don't imagine it's very tough, and would tear easily. Not that i've seen/felt it, but that's my guess.
 
The emergency 'space blanket' material is annoyingly loud like wearing tinfoil, and it's not very durable. It also doesn't breathe at all, so you can end up being warm but soaked in sweat. Some people use a cold weather camping setup that relies on a non-breathable layer like this (google 'vapor barrier'), but they are prepared to be damp inside the bag because it lets them use a lighter sleeping bag.

You typically wear a layer like this right against your skin, so in a motorcycling application you'd want to wear it under everything else. Aside from that, since it's wind proof I'd expect it would be reasonably effective, but a regular rainjacket is probably more practical.
 
FYI: if you're looking for something super cheap to make winter riding more pleasant, grab one of these 12v drink warmers from Canadian Tire (I've seen them for a few bucks cheaper at Princess Auto too). Stick it in the pocket for your back protector so that it is snugged up against your lower back. For $10, the only drawback to this thing is that it'll make you reconsider your stance on heated gear. After a month or two riding with that thing in my jacket I broke down and bought a heated vest and gloves for the following season. But even if you don't want go all out on heated gear, it'll add a lot of heat to the equation for zero bulk.
 
If it's made out of the same stuff as the emergency blankets there is no way it would hold up to riding conditions. Very flimsy.

Have you tried layers yet. I wear my snowboarding layers under my motocycle gear then a rain suit over top to cut the wind and keep the warmth in. I rode on Monday when it was 2 degrees out and I was warm:)
 
Interesting, but if it's as durable as people think it is... Might not be worth it.

I've ridden in -10 weather... I just had nice big leather snowmobile mitts, with wool gloves underneath, my winter jacked under my riding jacket, a scarf around my neck, and snowpants, with my thermal hiking boots. Kept me nice and warm. Plus, I had an air cooled engine so I got free heat from that.
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