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Flexible PICAs combine both carbon and phenolic fiber constituents during a felting process rather than introducing a phenolic through infusion processes that also uses harsh chemicals. MERINO PICA-Flex materials drastically reduces integration complexities when compared to traditional phenolic infused rigid tiles, and can eliminate the costly and time intensive phenolic infusion process, resulting in a thermal protection system (TPS) material more akin to a “blanket” than a rigid TPS. PICA-Flex encompasses a range of configurations, including a dual layer PICA-Flex material with a higher density outer layer(s) to minimize recession, a lower density PICA-Flex material with applicability to aftbody TPS, and a single piece PICA-Flex forebody. PICA-Flex is fabricated by combining by intermingling both carbon and phenolic fiber constituents during a needle punch felting process during which the fibers are made into battings, and the battings are needled together layer-by-layer to build up thickness.