Nomadix Festival Camping Blanket Review

Bottom Line

The Nomadix Festival Blanket is our top pick for the most sustainable ground blanket. Nomadix is a Climate Neutral Certified Company with a deep commitment to reducing its environmental footprint. One blanket is made from 58 recycled plastic bottles! The blanket also comes with no plastic packaging.

The Festival Blanket rolls up into a small size and expands to a large ground blanket, making it very packable for any adventure. Although it doesn’t come with a stuff sack or carry bag, it is easy to slip into your pack or tote bag without taking up too much space. 

One downside to its excellent packability is the thinness of the material. While this isn’t a dealbreaker, it is something to keep in mind depending on how much support you are looking for from a ground mat.

The bottom of the blanket is made from water-resistant material; however, the top fabric absorbs water very quickly and, when wet, takes a long time to dry. While it isn’t the best blanket for staying dry in wet conditions, it does shed debris fairly well – though, like most softer blankets, mud stained the top layer of fabric easily, and wet debris clung more than when it was dry. With its slip-resistant material, it is versatile as a yoga mat and for other movement practices. 

Overall, the Nomadix Festival Blanket is our top recommendation for those dedicated to sustainability and looking for a packable ground mat for their everyday adventures.

Want to see how the Nomadix Festival stacks against the other blankets we tested? Head back to our camping blankets gear guide for more of our favorites.

How We Tested

During the fall and winter months in Northern California, we tested its packability and performance as a ground blanket on a muddy and sandy riverbank and in grassy fields. We got the blanket wet and dirty to compare its water resistance and ability to shed debris.

We also completed a standardized warmth test where we wrapped the blanket around a heated hot sock for 30 minutes to track the loss of heat over time and rank its insulating properties.

Durability

After thoroughly testing the durability of the Nomadix Festival Blanket, we found it to be one of the least durable ground blankets we tested. When we poured debris over the blanket to determine its ability to resist debris cling, we found that it only had mediocre performance. While it was able to shed dry debris well, any wet sand or particles clung to the top layer of the material. The bottom waterproof lining performed much better in regards to durability than the slip-resistant top layer of fabric. We also noticed that it collects mud very quickly and easily, leaving stains on the material. When the blanket does get very dirty, it must be machine washed on a gentle cycle and with like colors.

When pouring water over the blanket to determine its weather resistance, we found that the bottom waterproof layer shed moisture easily and quickly; however, similar to the results of our shake test, the top slip-resistant material of the blanket did not withstand moisture well. It absorbs water immediately, and when wet, the blanket gets heavy and takes a long time to dry.

Lastly, we were not impressed with the thickness of the material – as a very thin blanket, it lacks the support and padding that we would appreciate in a ground mat.

Warmth

The Nomadix Festival Blanket isn’t trying to be a warm blanket. It is designed to be a ground cover. So, as expected, the Nomadix Festival Blanket was one of the least warm blankets in our test due to its thin material and lack of insulation. 

Aside from testing it in the field, we completed a standardized and controlled test, where we wrapped the blanket in a heated hot sock (136F) for 30 minutes in a 60F room. We then took the final temperature with an infrared thermometer and determined the amount of heat loss that the hot sock experienced to quantify the insulating ability of each blanket. The Nomadix Festival Blanket lost a total of 23.6 degrees, proving its lack of insulation and inability to retain heat. 

While the Nomadix doesn’t excel at providing insulation from cold ground, it does work great on sunny, warm days.

Size to Packability

The Nomadix Festival blanket is the most packable ground mat that we tested in our review. When folded to its smallest shape, it can be packed down to about the same size as a 32 oz. Nalgene. Although it does not come in a carry case, this blanket is not bulky and can easily be stuffed into any tote bag or backpack.

When laid out flat, the blanket measures 72” x 60,” providing plenty of room for one person to stretch out on the ground. However, the blanket does tend to bunch when moving around on it, so anchoring down the corners would be beneficial. 

Overall, the Nomadix Festival Blanket offers an excellent coverage-to-packability ratio, providing large dimensions and ample coverage for protection from the ground in an easy-to-carry size.

Comfort

Like most ground mats, the Nomadix Festival is a very thin blanket – though one of the thinnest in our review. We would appreciate more padding and a thicker mat to provide protection from the ground. Despite its simple design and thin materials, the Nomadix weighs a bit more than expected. However, coming in at only two pounds, it is still more lightweight than many other options in our camping blanket gear guide.

The slip-resistant top layer of the blanket is soft against the skin, softer than other ground covers we tested. While this reduces its durability ranking, it makes it a more comfortable material to lay on with exposed skin. Further, the bottom waterproof layer is quiet and doesn’t make any loud crinkly noises that are common with some waterproof materials.

Features

The Nomadix Festival Blanket is one of the simplest blankets in our review, lacking the features of other top picks in our gear guide. It does not include a carry bag or storage bag. However, we ranked this blanket as the most sustainable of our recommendations. While this blanket is a Climate Neutral Certified Brand and includes recycled materials (1 blanket contains 58 plastic bottles) like others in our review, it is the only one that comes without any form of plastic packaging. 

As mentioned earlier in the review, the Nomadix Festival Blanket uses a slip-resistant material on the top layer of the mat to provide additional versatility as a yoga mat. For those who are comfortable with thinner mats and desire a packable option for outdoor movement practices, this is a great option to consider.

Lastly, the Nomadix Festival comes with corner loops where the blanket can be anchored down. Even if it is not windy, this is a beneficial feature since the mat bunches easily.

Should You Buy the Nomadix Festival Camping Blanket?

The Nomadix Festival Blanket is our recommendation for outdoor enthusiasts who are looking for a sustainable, packable, and lightweight blanket that can be easily stuffed into their pack for adventurous outings. Anyone who enjoys beach days, picnics, lounging at festivals, or practicing yoga in the outdoors will appreciate its ease of use and grab-and-go convenience that is packable for any escapade. 

However, those who prioritize additional padding and durability may want to continue to peruse our gear guide for other top blanket recommendations that rank better in those categories. Protecting the softer top layer of the Nomadix takes extra care to keep clean and dry, requiring more effort and intention when in use. However, overall, the Nomadix Festival is a decent value for its convenience of use, simplicity, and ground coverage.

What Other Camping Blankets Should You Consider?

There’s more than a few reasons to love the Nomadix Festival blanket, but here are a few other options from our best camping blankets gear guide that might be a good fit for your needs:

Yeti Lowlands Review: The Yeti Lowlands is of the highest durability, though at a heftier price point. It is a much thicker blanket with its included insulation and padding. Overall, it performs better than the Nomadix Festival in regards to water resistance and debris cling; however, it does come in a bulkier size. With that being said, we do appreciate the design of the separate carry case that the Yeti comes in.

Nomadix Festival Blanket Review: Similar to the Nomadix Festival Blanket in thinness, the Nemo Victory Patio Mat offers similar coverage – though with more durability, features, and weather resistance. While the Nemo Victory is heavier and bulkier than the Nomadix, it can roll up into its own carry case with an attached handle.

CGear Multimats Sand-lite Sand-free Mat Review: The CGear Multimats Sand-lite Sand-free Mat is another ground mat option that also rolls up into its own carry case. However, its material is more abrasive than the Nomadix, and it lacks the same versatility due to its unique mesh design.