The military poncho liner, the original woobie, was described by the military as “intended for use as a sleeping bag when used with a poncho, or as a blanket.” Owners have been finding new jobs for it ever since. Woobie Gear makes two versions: the Woobie Blanket ($59.99), the classic open blanket, and the Woobie Blanket 2.0 ($64.99), which adds a zipper and extra water repellency. Both have a rip-stop nylon shell, 100% polyester active insulation and a DWR finish, and both come in Ranger Green, Coyote Tan and Woodland. Here are 16 ways people use theirs. If the word is new to you, start with what is a woobie.
At camp and on the trail
1. Camp blanket
This is what it was made for. Wrap up in it at the fire in the evening, throw it over your knees in a camp chair, then roll it up small in the morning. It is light enough to carry without thinking about it.
2. An extra layer in your sleeping bag
Lay it inside or over your sleeping bag when the night turns colder than you packed for. It adds a light layer of insulation without much weight or bulk. In the morning, shake it out and drape it over the tent or a branch for a few minutes. The shell dries quickly.
3. A lightweight sleeping bag
The Blanket 2.0 has a zipper, so it closes into a lightweight sleeping bag for mild nights. James: “Zipped up makes a large sleeping bag.”
4. Hammock quilt
Use it as a top quilt in a hammock. Derek K. tried the 2.0 on humid early summer nights in southeast Texas: “I had half expected it to stick to my skin and be a bit clammy when hammock camping, but it was just right.”
5. Seat on cold ground
Fold it into a pad for a log, a rock, a deer stand, a ground blind or a dock. Folded in four it makes a thick seat, and the DWR finish keeps damp ground from soaking straight through. When you get up, wrap it around your shoulders for the walk out.
6. Pillow and nap blanket
Rolled up, it is a pillow. Unrolled, it is a nap. One parent who sent a Blanket 2.0 to a son serving in the Army asked how he liked it, and heard back that “he was able to take a nap in it while in the field.”
In the truck and on the road
7. Truck blanket
Keep one behind the seat. It packs small, it is abrasion resistant, and it is there for early starts, cold bleachers and anyone in the back who forgot a jacket.
8. Car emergency kit
A woobie is a sensible thing to keep in a vehicle kit or a home emergency bin, next to water, a light and a first-aid kit. A verified buyer: “From lounging around on the couch to emergency use in your vehicle, you cannot go wrong!”
9. Travel blanket
It rolls small enough for a carry-on or a backpack, which makes it handy on planes, trains and long drives. Richard G., a veteran: “they are my go to blanket especially for travel, they are light but very warm.”
10. Cabins, van trips and the guest bed
Old cabins, drafty rentals and van builds are where a woobie earns its spot. Shawna F.: “we took it on a trip to an older cabin with tricky heating over Christmas, he was snug as a bug in the woobie.” It is big, too. James says the 2.0 “unzipped and laid out flat completely covers my king sized bed.”
At the game, the beach and the fire
11. Stadium bleachers and sidelines
Sit on it or wrap up in it. Metal bleachers and windy sidelines are a lot easier with a woobie, and it stuffs into a bag when the game ends. Parents at Saturday-morning soccer and Friday-night football keep one in the car for exactly this.
12. Tailgate blanket
Spread it on the tailgate or over two sets of knees. Wet grass and the odd splash bead up on the DWR finish.
13. Picnic and beach blanket
It is light enough to carry to the far end of the beach, and it shakes out and dries quickly afterward.
14. Porch and backyard fire
For porch-swing coffee or a night around the fire pit, it is the blanket everyone reaches for. Keep it back from the flames, since nylon and sparks don't mix.
At home
15. Couch throw
Plenty of woobies never leave the living room. A Woobie Blanket owner: “My kids keep stealing it because it's so warm even though it's very light.”
16. The dog's blanket
Dogs like them as much as people do, and the rip-stop weave keeps a small snag from running into a long tear. Casey, a longtime fan of the poncho liner: “I wrap myself, dogs, wife, and grandchildren in them. Throw in washer and repeat.” Follow the care label sewn inside when you wash it.
What a woobie isn't
- It isn't waterproof. The DWR coating makes light rain and damp grass bead up and roll off, and the Blanket 2.0 adds extra water repellency. Neither is a tarp, so keep it under cover in a real downpour.
- It isn't a winter sleeping bag. Treat both versions as light layers. Use them inside a proper sleeping bag when it is cold.
- It doesn't have a temperature number. We describe warmth by how people use it, and we'd rather not guess.
For rain, carry the Woobie Poncho, which costs $49.99. The Poncho is 100% waterproof rip-stop nylon with a drawstring hood, grommets for tying it off as a quick shelter or cover for your gear, and a pouch to carry it in. Poncho for the rain, woobie for the warmth. Both roll up small enough to ride in the same pack or behind the same truck seat.
Blanket or Blanket 2.0?
Choose the original Woobie Blanket if you want the classic open blanket for the couch, the truck and the bleachers. Choose the Blanket 2.0 if you'll sleep outside, since the zipper turns it into a lightweight sleeping bag and it has extra water repellency. For a woobie you can wear, see Hoodie vs Jacket vs Jacket 2.0.
