SOLÂ Escape Lite Bivy
Offering peace of mind in a small package, the SOL Escape Lite Bivy can be used as a sleeping bag liner to increase warmth, a sleeping bag shell to fend off rain or as an emergency bivy.
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- Constructed with a breathable, windproof and water-resistant Escape fabric, it lets moisture escape at the same time that it keeps rain, snow and wind on the outside
- Proprietary fabric reflects 70% of your body heat back to you
- Minimalist design weighs only 5.5 oz. and packs down incredibly small
Made in USA.
View all SOL Emergency Blankets| Best Use | Backpacking Emergency Preparedness |
|---|---|
| Seasons | Unavailable |
| Sleeping Capacity | 1-person |
| Weight | 5.5 ounces |
| Packed Size | Unavailable |
| Bivy Length | 82 inches |
| Shoulder Width | 32 inches |
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Most Helpful Critical Review
Good piece of gear
I just returned from a fall backpacking/day hiking trip. My current sleeping bag is rated 35°. I bought this bivy because I did not want to buy a new sleeping bag. I used it over my bag while in my tent on a chilly night. Temperature was at about 40° and it was rainy and windy. I thought the bivy worked well. I also carried it with me day hiking on cold, windy, rainy days. When I stopped for breaks I pulled out the bivy and laid it over my lap. It did a great job of keeping me warm and dry. I still feel like I need to test this bivy with colder over night temperatures to see how good it really is.
Nice Cheap Bivy to Help Out my Sleeping Bag
Recently bought this & just used it on a 4 day backpacking trip on Ouachita Trail. It was a great way to increase the warmth of my sleeping bag for very little increased weight. Plus I started using it during my lunch rest/nap each day. I could quickly lay it out, slide inside, and stay reasonably warm without having to dig out some extra clothing or shelter. The only down side is that since it is the cheapest Bivy, it doesn't have a zipper, enclosed top, or much durability. Mine already has a slight tear in it. It also doesn't do much for your head region since their it no way to enclose it around your head. And the lack of a zipper means you have to sort of wiggle in and out of it. But, you get what you pay for!
Great Item to carry for emergencies. Light weight
The advertising for bivy sacks say they reflect 70% of your body heat back to you (some say 90%). While I think carrying a bivy sack for emergencies is a great idea, the statement about reflecting back that much of you body heat is misleading at best. First of all, the amount of heat lost by a person through radiation is less than that lost through convection and conduction. These bivy sacks offer no insulation. In addition to that, your clothing layer alone will significantly reduce radiant heat. The bivy will keep the wind and rain off you and that is what makes it valuable. This one also is breathable and that eliminates the uncomfortable condensation problem the cheaper light weight ones you see online.
Very warm
Used this one night car camping when I forgot my sleeping bag at home. Due to high winds we spent the night in the car. I had all my snow gear on and was shivering, but then I pulled this out, and combined with all my coats and snow pants, I stayed comfortably warm throughout the night. The fabric feels light, and I had concerns that it would rip, but it never did. my only complaint would be the difficulty rolling it back up into the little sack it came in, but I am glad that I don’t forget to bring this on every adventure.
Excellent Piece of Gear!
I’ve been using this on the PCT and totally love this lightweight bivy. It expands the temperature rating of my quilt, keeps out drafts, protects my quilt from dirt and snags while cowboy camping, and protects it from condensation from my single wall tent. The material is similar to washed tyvek, and so far seems pretty durable, soft, and makes no noise. I’ve only had the moisture issues others mention once when sleeping with my breath going into my quilt & bivy. Maintaining a small air hole fixes this, but perhaps in wetter environments it would be better to use this inside your bag instead of around it if you find moisture is an issue. I’m so glad I have this excellent piece of gear. It makes me feel like a warm and cozy baked potato!
Handy for keeping sleeping bag clean and dry
This is a nice piece of my sleep system. If the wind blows rain into my shelter or there's a drip, this keeps my sleeping bag dry. Also reportedly knocks 10 - 15 F off my temperature rating. If I'm leaving my camp set up for a day, I can fold the top flap of the opening under the bottom to help keep crawly friends out. It can be a decent minimal shelter if I don't want to setting up my regular shelter. Lastly, it makes for a lightweight, low-volume emergency shelter for my day pack. I'm 5'9" and had room to spare.
Saved me on a chilly night
This was the best new piece of equipment I purchased before my hike into the Grand Canyon. Lightweight and small, I used it as a sleeping bag cover, the outer layer, to increase the warmth of my summer sleeping system I have only used it two times so I cannot speak to long term durability.
Best "Emergency Blanket" out there.
Attended the west coast Navy SERE (Survival, Resistance, Evasion, and Escape) school several years ago. The instructors allowed us one commercially purchased emergency blanket as part of our kit. One kind soul recommended this blankets predecessor. (Non-breathable version) Two of my classmates and I drove all over San Diego trying to gather as many of these as we could lay our hands on. Other students went the inexpensive (around $5.00) space blanket route. After the first night, we all realized that the extra money was well spent. By the end of the field exercise, only our bivy's (admittedly worse for the hard wear) were still serviceable! Some of the mylar blankets didn't last two nights. As a low pack volume emergency tool, the space blanket may keep you alive... But there wasn't a student in that class that would recommend one over this product, if they had a choice. When you need an emergency blanket, (This shouldn't be mistaken for a primary sleep system. It's never going to replace a solid, appropriately rated bag.) things are already going poorly for you. If you have the room in your kit... This is THE way to go.
For those of you who find this non breathable..
For those of you who find this to be non breathable or creating too much moisture.. ya'll should invest in reading glasses and common sense. This is an emergency shelter, it keeps you warm by reflecting your body temperature. If you put your sleeping bag in this thing or a heated bottle you will turn this into a sweat!
#1 Absolute first/must have
I used/abused this little item for an entire year while living off grid in the Olympic range Washington USA. Using it as a second sleeping bag effectively doubles your warmth. And that for a few ounces. If I could only choose one survival item to have then this would be the one.