The North Face Wawona Blanket Review | A Must-Have Winter Travel Companion

The North Face Wawona Blanket is the ultimate travel companion that you never knew you needed, but once you experience its greatness, you won’t be able to imagine life without it!

For almost a year in total, we’ve explored Australia and New Zealand in a campervan. We’ve embarked on sunrise summit missions and witnessed stunning sunsets by the sea and by breathtaking mountain lakes. However, one thing that I was missing until recently was a cosy, durable, sustainable and packable blanket that could accompany me on our travels without weighing me down.

If you’re searching for a travel blanket that can even double as a summer hiking sleeping quilt, then keep reading to discover my honest review on The North Face Wawona Blanket.

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My Honest Review Of The North Face Wawona Blacket

Quick Info Of The North Face Wawona Blacket

Price: $180 AUD
Size: 142 cm x 183 cm
Shell Material: 75D recycled polyester with non-PFC durable water-repellent finish
Insulating Material: 60 g/m² recycled synthetic
Weight: 698 g
Colour: Summit Gold Geodome Print
Sustainability: Recycled Materials
Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty
Activity: Camping, travelling, hiking

Positives:

• Completely made with recycled material
• Synthetic Insulation increases durability and resistance to water
• Very warm
• Packs down into a convenient zippered kangaroo pouch
• Ability to compress the blanket even more if you’re planning to pack it in your hiking pack
• Durable

Negatives:

• Not as good as a dedicated hiking quilt for backcountry camping
• To compress this blanket, you’ll need to purchase a separate compression sack or dry bag

The North Face Wawona Blanket is a durable and compact travel blanket made from 100% recycled materials, built to keep you cosy and warm on your adventures. The Wawona Blanket features recycled synthetic insulation for increased durability and water resistance. With its soft yet tough recycled polyester shell, you can confidently take it with you wherever you go.

Who Is The North Face Wawona Blanket For?

If you’re in search of a blanket that you can stuff into your hiking daypack for sunrise missions, cosy up with beside a campfire and even use as a picnic blanket then the TNF Wawona Blanket is the one for you.

This travel blanket is incredibly versatile, lightweight, and can be packed down extremely small with the addition of a compression sack. While I wouldn’t recommend using it as a substitute for a hiking sleeping bag in temperatures below 8℃, it’s perfect for summer hiking trips.

Warmth Of The North Face Wawona Blanket

The North Face Wawona Blanket offers impressive warmth for its size and weight. Unfortunately, there is no temperature rating for the Wawona Blanket to refer to, but from my experience, it has kept me cosy and warm in temperatures down to 8℃.

I tested the warmth of the Wawona Blanket on the 4-day Tongariro Northern Circuit hike, with overnight temperatures dipping to 6℃. With the addition of a thermal sleeping liner for the coldest night, the TNF Wawona Blanket kept me sufficiently warm while sleeping in a tent.

If your intention is to solely use the Wawona Blanket as a cosy blanket to throw over you while watching the sunset or at the top of a windy mountain peak, rest assured that this blanket will excel in its duty to keep you warm and snug.

Size and Packability

Laid out flat, the TNF Wawona Blanket measures 142 cm in width and 183 cm in length. This is the average width of a single bed quilt cover, but it’s shorter by 30 cm. For me, the blanket is the perfect length but if you’re over 180 cm tall, it will be a touch too short to use as a hiking quilt. 

With that said, in regards to its primary use – as a blanket – it’s sufficiently big enough to cover two people comfortably.

When the Wawona Blanket is packed into the attached kangaroo pouch, it’s roughly the size of half a regular pillow. This is convenient for travelling in a campervan but not small enough for hiking. However, the blanket is highly compressible and with a compression sack or dry bag, you can pack it down almost as small as a Nalgene water bottle!

Is The North Face Wawona Blanket Comfortable?

Although you won’t receive that fuzzy warm feel that you get from snuggling into a fleece blanket, the TNF Wawona Blanket provides exceptional comfort for what it is. The material feels exactly the same as a sleeping bag, which can be cold on first touch but warms up quickly with your body heat.

If you’re looking for that ultimate fuzzy comfort, the Wawona Blanket isn’t right for you. But if you’re looking for the perfect blend between durability, weather resistance and comfort then you’re in the right place.

Weather Resistance

While The North Face Wawona Blanket is not waterproof, it does feature a PFC-free DWR treatment that shields it from light mist or dew on the ground. Combined with its synthetic insulation, which offers superior resistance to damp conditions compared to down, you can confidently use the Wawona Blanket outdoors.

Moreover, the durable polyester shell of the Wawona Blanket provides exceptional wind protection, surpassing that of a fleece blanket which offers minimal defence against gusts.

Durability Of The North Face Wawona Blanket

Unlike a regular hiking sleeping bag or quilt, which is typically constructed of a lightweight and thin outer material that is best suited for inside your tent, the Wawona Blanket is designed for rough outdoor use. 

The strong 75D recycled polyester shell provides confidence-inspiring durability so you can use the Wawona as a picnic blanket or out in the elements without worry. I have certainly not been careful with this blanket and I have yet to see even a tiny tear or abrasion in the material.

The only downside to the increased durability is the weight and size, which is equal to what you’d expect for a hiking sleeping bag with a -2℃ temperature rating – rather than my personally estimated 8℃ temperature rating.

But as I mentioned above, if your purpose for the blanket isn’t to use it as a hiking quilt, then the weight and size are of less importance compared to dependable durability.

Sustainability

One of the major reasons why I love the TNF Wawona Blanket so much is the fact that it has been made with 100% recycled materials – right down to the insulation!

While the use of recycled materials can sometimes impede on durability and the longevity of a product, I have high confidence that The North Face Wawona Blanket will stand the test of time.

As I continue to use the Wawona Blanket on our adventures, I will update this section if the durability doesn’t hold up to the standard I expect.

Value

In my opinion, The North Face have designed a blanket that offers incredible value for its durability, warmth and packability. Its price of $150 AUD sits in the middle to low range for camping blankets.

The North Face’s main competitor for outdoor blankets is Rumple, who makes a range of blankets to suit various needs. The Rumpl Original Puffy Blanket has the most similar specs to the Wawona Blanket and retails at a slightly cheaper $130 AUD. This blanket is longer by 7cm but weighs an extra 300 g. Furthermore, the shell is constructed of 30D ripstop polyester, which isn’t as strong as the Wawona Blanket’s 75D recycled polyester shell.

Another competing blanket is the Klymit Versa Tech Blanket, which is similar in weight but less durable and more expensive. However, the Klymit Versa Tech Blanket is slightly larger, with a length of 203 cm, making it more suitable for taller people.

My Experience With The North Face Wawona Blanket

Why I Chose The North Face Wawona Blanket

I was searching for a versatile blanket that I could use outdoors while travelling in our campervan as well as on summer hiking trips – as my current sleeping bag is the incredibly warm Macpac Serac 1000 Hiking Sleeping Bag, which is far too warm for summer adventures!

I chose The North Face Wawona Blanket due to its sustainable build, tough 75D outer shell and lightweight design. I wanted a blanket that I could easily stuff into my daypack for sunrise missions, but would also be warm enough for summer hiking trips.

How It Performs

In all honesty, the TNF Wawona Blanket has exceeded my expectations. I was surprised to see how small it could be packed down to once I stuffed it into a dry bag and have certainly put it through its paces in regards to durability – without it missing a beat.

The only issue I have with the Wawona Blanket is the fact that it doesn’t come with its own compression sack, which would be very handy for those who don’t have an abundance of dry bags!

Where Do I Use The Wawona Blanket?

The Wawona Blanket lived on our bed in our campervan while travelling through New Zealand. I used it for nights sitting outside the van, on sunrise hikes and on multi-day hiking trips in summer.

The versatility of the TNF Wawona Blanket is exceptional, however, I don’t recommend using it as a hiking sleeping quilt during winter or when the temperature threatens to drop below 8 – 10℃ overnight.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I am extremely happy with The North Face Wawona Blanket and look forward to using it on many more adventures to come. For me, an average 168 cm tall woman, the blanket is perfect for summer hiking trips and cosying up by the campfire. But if you’re taller than 180 cm, then you might be better off with the Klymit Versa Tech Blanket instead.

I hope that this review has helped you determine whether the TNF Wawona Blanket is a good addition to your camping gear. If you have any questions or reviews of your own, please feel free to drop them in the comment section below.

Happy Adventuring 🙂