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| Travel > Fleece Blankets | Rated: 
by 60 reviews.
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Ideal for football games, picnics and on car rides, this Swiss-Link Italian wool premium blanket provides amazing protection.
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View other products from Swiss-Link classified in Travel > Fleece Blankets. View all products from Swiss-Link.
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This product is available in the following colors:
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 | Brown |
Use this chart to find which retailer offers this product in the size, color or other options that you desire. Click on the price to purchase.
| Color | |
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| Brown | 23.96 |
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worth it | |
| Rating: |  |
| I read all the negative reviews about the mothball smell on this blanket and wondered if it was worth the risk, but I really, really wanted a wool blanket like this for camping, and the price is so great. Finally, I looked at the reviews voted most helpful and saw that the more determined people were able to get rid of the smell. I tried a variety of things, like soaking overnight in Dr. Bronner's Sal Suds (the all-purpose gentle cleaner) and baking soda, but that didn't seem to cut it. Finally I washed it with Tide and baking soda (letting it soak for a few hours before the rinse cycle). I know you're not supposed to use strong detergent on wool but somehow I figured that this blanket might be an exception since it seems so indestructible, and I just had the feeling that a mild detergent was not going to work, no matter how many hours of soaking. (Should wool that's been *boiled* still be treated as a delicate fabric? I don't know but I have to wonder.) Thankfully, the Tide took the mothball smell down to a faint, cozy-grandma's-cabin level that I can live with and didn't cause the fabric to self-destruct. Now I'm really happy to have these blankets (I took the plunge and bought two) for camping. The size is generous enough for two people to share, and I will probably be using them thirty years from now when I'm a rogue camping grandma myself. | |
| Julia at Sierra Trading Post on 08/22/2009 | |
a real throwback--not what I expected | |
| Rating: | |
| Wow. This seems to be felted or boiled wool. Not at all soft, and heavy the way that a board is heavy. Given that the Swiss military is mostly using the same bikes and personal equipment as in 1940, this is probably Swiss or Italian military issue. It arrives reeking of mothballs. (I had to throw it in the corner for 2 weeks with a small hole in the bag to let the smell dissipate). Mine has 3 areas where there are blurred but official-looking stamps in black ink. My mom (Swiss) had one like this that lasted for ~35 years until moths got into it. That one was stiff, very warm, scratchy, and you could probably have used it to sled down a gravel slope without doing any damage. I just tossed mine in the washing machine, BTW, never mind the "dry clean only." This is absolutely NOT "fine Italian wool" in the dressy sense. And it's not at all what I thought I was buying. But I'm glad I got it. It's subtly beautiful like old saddles, and I think it will be tough as nails. | |
| JFS at Sierra Trading Post on 01/17/2009 | |
Good deal on a good blanket | |
| Rating: |  |
| This is a military style blanket. It isn't "soft" like something to cuddle up in. It's WOOL. Military grade wool. It will keep you warm, will cover the seat of your truck, won't pick up smells, can be used as a ground cloth. I use two as a bedspread year round. I love them. But, I KNOW what they are, and for what they are they are excellent. The mothball smell is strong and it does take a while to gas off. The reason for the mothball smell is to keep moths away, imagine that. Washing doesn't get the smell out much. Drying the blanket in the dryer and just airing it out does a better job but it will take several weeks of airing and a few runs through the wash/dryer. Forget about dry cleaning, just wash it hot and dry it hot. Use fabric softener and wash it a few times and it WILL get softer and the smell WILL go away. It might shrink a bit. So what, it's a military blanket. I like these blankets very much. Very useful and utilitarian. | |
| Bill at Sierra Trading Post on 01/19/2009 | |
re-reviewing after successful washing | |
| Rating: | |
| I found the magic answer. Two regular wool washes (cold with woolite) still left the machine and blanket stinking of camphor. But I tried again, starting with a luke-warm soak (left for 8 hours) with plenty of boraxo, some baking soda, about 10 squirts of stain remover (into the water) and a dash of unscented fabric softener, as well as a little more woolite. After washing (regular cycle) and a couple of rinses and 30 minutes in the dryer on low heat, there is NO smell. I buried my face in it and breathed deeply, then brought it up the the bed, where it is nice and warm and snuggly are completely rehabilitated. (Before the dryer, there was still a touch of mothball smell, and a modest bit of wet-wool smell.) The ink-stamp stains are also gone, I think. It is in good shape after all of the washing and drying. Still about 1/8 inch thick (maybe more) of dense, felted wool. | |
| JFS at Sierra Trading Post on 01/20/2009 | |
Great for its purpose | |
| Rating: | |
| Nice and thick, as stated. We plan to use the two blankets I ordered for camping and keeping in the car for emergencies. They will be perfect. Not soft, but sturdy and a bit scratchy, as tough wool blankets usually are. I believe these blankets will be passed on to my children . . . About the smell, they do smell of moth balls, but not ridiculously as some have found. They are airing out in my basement and after a week you can only smell the mothball smell if you put your nose up to them. I'd rather them have some residual scent than attract moths in the off season. Overall the smell won't bother us. I haven't gotten them wet at all. Such a great price. | |
| Katie at Sierra Trading Post on 02/04/2010 | |
bought 4 more | |
| Rating: | |
| This time, knowing what to expect, I brought all the tools to the local laundromat, and used their large washers and dryers. Simple green and fabric softener in the pre-rinse, baking soda, borax and detergent (regular or woolite) in the first wash, fabric softener in the rinse. Dry on hot until almost dry. Next, re-wash, baking soda and simple green and detergent again...plus fabric softener in the wash. Again dried on high. The previous purchase is on my bed, two others are on friends' beds (de-stunk), and two more are in the spare bedroom. Buy two or three to amortize the cost of the cleaning. | |
| JFS at Sierra Trading Post on 02/19/2009 | |
Great for Gun Cases | |
| Rating: | |
| This is a thick, scratchy, European Army Blanket. I'm retired Army and play Poker on any nation's Army blanket. All European military wool clothing etc is very high quality and cheap. I bought 5 and cut and sew them into buffalo rifle cases. Scraps are sewn into pouches and accessories. It would make beautiful Rendevous coats. I like the slight menthol moth control smell (like my cedar chest) which has kept them in perfect condition. Dogs and horses should like it even better. | |
| Chingadero at Sierra Trading Post on 02/24/2009 | |
Worth it to me, super warm blanket | |
| Rating: | |
| I use the blanket for snoozin in my camper. It was pretty stinky a la mothball when I got it; washed it a couple times with regular powder detergent and a healthy dose of Simple Green, in cold water. It still stunk a bit after the second washing, but all wet wool stinks. I dried it on low until it was completely dry and it has no naphta smell at all now. I use it all the time and it works great. | |
| busbusmaxmax at Sierra Trading Post on 09/12/2009 | |
Love this blanket!! | |
| Rating: | |
| This isn't a wimpy, soft, cashmere blanket for sissies. This is good for one thing only - KEEPING WARM. It weighs about 5 lbs and will keep you good and warm. I bought 8 and liked them so well I'm getting another 8. Apparently an earlier batch was soaked in naptha (mothballs) but mine were only faintly scented. I hung them outside for a day then washed them and they're fine. Love these blankets!! | |
| happydog at Sierra Trading Post on 03/25/2009 | |
Smelly, but doable | |
| Rating: | |
| I bought four of these. 2 aired out while i wrangled the smell out of the other 2. The 2 that aired out (only overnight) before washing, washed MUCH better than the 2 that i attempted to wash right away. They needed to be aired out afterwards and they made my washer stink for a LONG time. Air these suckers out first!!!! If you don't mind the work, they are worth the money! | |
| Amy the mom at Sierra Trading Post on 11/03/2009 | |
Unpredictable quality--stored too long? | |
| Rating: |  |
| The great price on this item initially caught my eye, and I remember my Grandfather had similar blankets (for 50+ years!).......after considering the reviews, I decided I was willing to go through the hassle of getting rid of the naphthalene smell so I took a chance, and ordered 4. As other reviewers suggested, I aired them out on the clothesline for almost a week, checking and turning them every day--it was raining hard for several days (these blankets don't get soaked through--they looked sopping wet, but they were completely dry underneath--would make a great tent! and they are tough, I can see how they would be ideal for camping or picnics)! I got great results for two of the blankets--the smell is gone and they look great! One of the remaining blankets had what appeared to be rust stains--they faded with washing, but did not disappear--I wasn't thrilled about it, but I am thinking of keeping it strictly for utilitarian use where looks won't matter. But when I was hanging up the fourth blanket I noticed what appeared to be little tufts of loose wool here and there; on closer inspection I was very surprised to find that there were many small holes and several quite large ones here and there.......despite the VERY strong naphthalene smell (which many others have already mentioned as a significant factor in negative reviews) this blanket had inexplicably become moth-eaten; perhaps it had already been damaged by insects before it was stored (who knows how long ago...) Needless to say, I was not too happy about this--now I have an ugly, ruined, useless blanket as well as the potential for moth eggs--even though the blankets were only in the house for a short time, and after the first package, I opened the rest out in the garage, now I have to worry about the small but real possibility that any eggs present might still be viable and may have gotten scattered around the garage and brought into the house.....so, even though it is not very economical, this one is definitely going back for a refund--and maybe the one with the stains, too. With problems on two out of four blankets, I won't be asking for an exchange--a 50% chance of getting another unsatisfactory product seems too high, [...]. My overall rating--this is a great blanket, with two big caveats: IF you are willing to put in some time and work on getting rid of the chemical smell (just follow the other reviewers advice: 1) air it out, 2) if you aren't lucky enough to get rain you can just spray it well on both sides with the garden hose--this is NOT a delicate blanket, it can take it, 3)and wash it (definitely at a laundromat) and IF you get what is promised: a new, undamaged blanket--make sure you check it over closely! Maybe I was just unlucky this time; I have never before been disappointed by anything I have ordered through Sierra--and my two good blankets are definitely worth 5 stars, but since I have two unsatisfactory products, my overall rating is only 2 stars--let the buyer beware! | |
| Gloria goes shopping at Sierra Trading Post on 12/26/2009 | |
Next time I'll learn from others... | |
| Rating: |  |
| Unfortunately, I went ahead and purchased this blanket even though there were SO MANY negative comments about it. After receiving the blanket, I went ahead and washed it (I was only going to use it as an extra blanket to use on really cold winter nights, so shrinkage was not going to be an issue), and I think that made the odor of moth balls even worse. I tried everything from putting vinegar in the wash and rinse cycles (I did that three times) to using the odor eliminator we use on our pets messes (that I tried with two wash/rinse cycles), but it was to no avail. The blanket remains on the front porch, until I can figure out another method of eliminating the odor of moth balls. It's been over two weeks since all those washings, and our basement still smells of moth balls... oh well.. live and learn! | |
| Becky Homecky at Sierra Trading Post on 01/28/2009 | |
Doused in naphthalene, doused again | |
| Rating: | |
| The naphthalene stench is atrocious. Don't attempt to wash this sucker. While it is one tough little army blanket, it will not be useful this winter, because it will be airing out for the remainder of the 2010 cold season. The scent will dissipate in the sun, but it is going to take quite some time to get most of the nauseating smell out. After being around this thing for 10 minutes, I had a massive headache. I honestly think mine was dipped in liquid naphthalene, and then dumped in a naphthalene pit for several years. From the reviews I've read, I think it is a real turkey shoot as to whether you get a massively stinky or just slighty stenchy blanket. I've got one of the massively stinky ones. Ick! | |
| Head Case at Sierra Trading Post on 02/07/2010 | |
I should've listened to the others | |
| Rating: | |
| Will my brand new front loading washer ever be the same again? I cannot get rid of the horrible smell from the blankets. Two washings did NOT remove the toxic moth ball/gasoline smell. I cannot believe STP would sell a product in this condition. While the quality and price of the blanket is great, it is not worth buying hoping you can eliminate the aweful smell. I would give this a minus rating if I could. By the way, mine were green, not the pretty brown in the picture. | |
| CJ at Sierra Trading Post on 07/28/2009 | |
Very Disapointing | |
| Rating: | |
| This could have been a great deal as a picnic blanket perhaps, certainly not the quality I would have on my bed however, it is inundated with the smell of moth balls which, even after running it through the hand wash cycle many times, smelled no noxious that our eyes and throats were burning from the smell left in the air and the next several loads washed now also smell like moth balls. Toxic!!! Too bad, it could be a nice sturdy blanket otherwise. | |
| STP shopper at Sierra Trading Post on 03/26/2009 | |
Not worth the price of mothballs smell | |
| Rating: | |
| I thought this was a great deal but after two heavy duty washes the only result was now my washer reeks of mothballs. My entire basement and first floor reeks. I took a chance on great price and ignored the warnings in the product description. My fault. Don't kid yourself thinking you can get the smell out. They are now hanging in the backyard tent while I try to figure out what to do with them. | |
| MD at Sierra Trading Post on 11/19/2009 | |
Bad blanket | |
| Rating: | |
| The blanket came with an overwhelming smell of mothballs. It also had a reddish dirt on it. I washed it and had to put it outside because the smell was giving us headaches. It has hung outside for a week and still has the strong mothball smell--have they been in storage since WWI? We have always liked your products, but this may keep us from doing business with you again. | |
| Disgruntled at Sierra Trading Post on 01/30/2009 | |
The worst thing I ever ordered | |
| Rating: | |
| This is without a doubt the foulest smelling thing I've ever encountered. I ordered it because others mentioned that they'd been successful getting the naphthalene smell out. After 10 washing, febreeze, vinegar, I did some research and discovered nothing dissolves naphthalene other than ethanol. I didn't return it because I've washed it so many times that most of the wool has come off in my washer. | |
| Cyclecat at Sierra Trading Post on 09/16/2009 | |
suitable for earthquake relief | |
| Rating: | |
| this was advertized as a premium blanket.It is not,unless you think having stenciled letters and numbers on each corner (on both sides)and long hairs (not wool)poking out premium.It is not the color or pattern shown.I have aired it out (it took over a week)and will keep it only because it was purchased at extreme discount.Had l paided anywhere near the asking price,it would have been returned. | |
| Twitchyfinger at Sierra Trading Post on 01/18/2009 | |
Beware! | |
| Rating: | |
| If you are sensitive to chemical odors, DO NOT BUY THIS ITEM! Even after washing I can't bear to have this blanket in my house or even the garage. It contaminated all of the other items in the shipment, some beyond use. I wrote to ask what the chemical was, but did not receive an answer. | |
| Carol in Olympia at Sierra Trading Post on 01/30/2009 | |
Real wool - but hard, musty army surplus | |
| Rating: | |
| This is the very same blanket that i had purchased a year ago from an army surplus dealer. It's real wool and warm, alright...but the description should have mentioned that it was Italian army surplus that has been stored since the 1950's and is there fr hard, heavy and musty smelling. Still a good value for the price---if you are aware of these characteristics. I had hoped to use them as yoga blankets and they are really nt soft enough for that. | |
| Ray at Sierra Trading Post on 01/27/2009 | |
Heavy wool blanket | |
| Rating: | |
| aired out blanket for 2 weeks then washed twice and air dryed on cloth line, had to wipe out washer. Gave as gifts at Buckskin campout both guys loved the blankets and the blankets had become softer and didn't have the heavy naptha smell | |
| munchingbeaver at Sierra Trading Post on 10/18/2009 | |
rug like | |
| Rating: | |
| A very heavy, dense blanket that reeks of moth ball smell. Is very warm and would be great for a winter hay ride. | |
| The Proff at Sierra Trading Post on 01/21/2009 | |
