Note: This article contains useful affiliate links. The High Speed Daddy was awesome enough to send me a Woobie in exchange for a fair and honest review.
By now you know I’m a big fan of High Speed Daddy gear. I’ve enthusiastically reviewed the Tactical Diaper Bag Backpack and the Tactical Lunch Bag. Both times the bags performed flawlessly during my review and continue to work well and look good. Breaking away from tactical bags, HSD has a different product with the introduction of the Woobie Poncho Liner Blanket.
What’s a Woobie?
So, what is a Woobie? It sounds like a child’s blanket that’s tattered and well loved. And that’s kinda what it is. The “woobie” is the nickname for the poncho liner blanket created and issued by the United States military. Apparently these are quite popular with America’s heroes and have been described as “the single most-loved item in the armed forces.”
True to its military roots, the Woobie is two layers of water resistant, soft ripstop nylon with a lightweight polyester batting. The blanket is very warm, tough and surprisingly light. I would think a blanket with these characteristics would be as heavy as a tarp (and as scratchy) but it’s not. It’s a well made product worthy of the High Speed Daddy badge.
Get the HSD Woobie on Amazon.
Testing
For as long as I can remember my father carried an “army blanket” in the trunk of our car. The first one we had was my grandfather’s from his service in the Korean War. It was warm, heavy and itchy as sandpaper. We’d use it for picnics and as a moving blanket. It did everything we needed it to do.
Today, there’s an itchy army blanket in the back of my wife’s SUV for any emergency we might experience as a family. When my HSD Woobie arrived I thought I’d use it in my SUV for whatever emergencies we might encounter. Except something odd happened.
Within minutes of taking it out of the box, it was stolen by a four foot tall troublemaker. Apparently this scoundrel thought since the blanket was a cool multicam pattern, it would make him invisible... inside our home. Here’s a picture of him trying to blend in with our carpet.
I quickly discovered that the Woobie was tough and versatile. My son and I made a tent out of it. This was made easier by the ties located on all sides of the blanket. I used it as a pillow. It’s also big enough to cover most single doors inside your home. In case your heating system failed, you could block off areas of your home with it, keeping the heat where you wanted.
As it was time to travel for Christmas, my son insisted the Woobie go with us. So I folded it up and put it where he could reach while on the road. He played with it and put it over himself as we made our way to a colder state.
While spending time with family, my brother-in-law and I pulled a huge, rusty Shell Gasoline sign out of a creek on family property. They were kind enough to let me keep it. I had to use my son’s new favorite blanket as a moving blanket. I really didn’t want to mess it up, but I was short on options. After using it this way, it showed no signs of wear, torn stitching or discoloration. It still looked brand new!
I shook it off and brought it in the house. Over the next few days my family used it during some vicious cold weather. One day the temperature was only 15°. I’m happy to say that the Woobie is warm as well as useful. It can keep even the pickiest of people happy and heated.
Pros:
- Very Warm
- Tough
- Versatile
- Tie off strings
- Three sizes for babies, toddlers and adults
- Two patterns to choose from
Cons:
- Fabric can be noisy
- Won’t make you invisible
The High Speed Daddy Woobie Poncho Liner Blanket is as solid as the rest of the HSD product line. Right now you can get it in two styles (MULTICAM and MARPAT) and in three different sizes (baby, toddler and adult). But you might want to consider getting two as I’m sure someone in your home is going to take the first one!
Don’t be surprised when this thing becomes the most loved blanket in your home. I don’t think the Woobie is going to make it to the back of my SUV for an emergency. I think it will stay where it is right now, in a basket in our living room for everyday use.
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