You might be thinking why would I need such an item. If you can keep yourself warm and dry you have a much better chance of surviving. Your body temperature will drop much faster if you are wet and cold. Your outlook on survival will be much better if you are somewhat dry. Keeping the wind off of you is huge, even a thin poncho can help keep you warm in an emergency.  Being out in the weather you will also get very dehrydrated. In a survival situation this is a very bad idea.  When you get dehyrdrated it affects all your body systems. You won’t be able to keep your body heat if you are dehydrated, or cool your body off if you are dehydrated.  Severe dehydration can lead to other serious problems and even death.    A small tarp like this can literally save your life. It is lightweight, durable and easy to keep in your car or emergency kit. You never know when an emergency can strike.