All-Weather Escape Bivvy with Hood – XL Size

This is absolutely worth the weight and the money. It's a game changer. I would recommend to anyone, but especially to UL hikers. It has a quarter zip, right hand side, drawstring that pulls the hood tight around you. Just be sure that your nose and mouth are positioned so that you are breathing outside of the bivvy, otherwise you will produce condensation inside. I have never had an issue with condensation inside from the rest of my body though, only when I had my head completely covered over and was exhaling inside the bivvy. This is not some cheap thin mylar emergency blanket material. It's durable and meant to be used over and over. The fabric itself is very similar to Tyvek. At first it may feel a bit stiff, but just use it a couple of nights and it will soften up and I find it's actually a nice fabric feel once it does. I have also machine washed this and the Escape Bivvy Light and they come out fine. The reflective side doesn't seem to flake off and is also long lasting. It may lose a bit of it's reflective value over time, but that's over a long period of use. The price made me hesitate to buy for a while. But after my experience I do not hesitate to recommend it and I will definitely buy another if this one ever gets damaged or lost. I think these should be essential items in every car, for every person, in every bug out bag, in every hikers backpack. I have the Escape Bivvy light in orange, but I really wanted something that didn't stand out so much. So I got this Escape Bivvy in green, and relegated my orange Escape Light to my car. The fabric is noticeably stiffer and feels like it will be more durable than the light version, although I have used my Escape Light for years and never had a tear or puncture. At first I thought it might be too stiff, but after a couple night's use it has softened up. While you could put a very light sleeping bag inside it, it would be a tight fit. What I do, and find it works better, is that I use this as a liner to my sleeping bag, and put it inside. That way this bivvy is closest to my body and reflecting that 80% of my body heat back to me first thing, then the sleeping bag is an insulated layer outside it to catch and retain what body heat escapes the bivy as well as insulating from outside cold. I did an experiement the past two nights since the temperature has been pretty stable. First I slept in my Helikon-Tex Swagman roll, and slept on the coldish side, but still within my comfort range, until early morning when the cold woke me. Our body temp naturally dips at some point early morning, which I think also coincides with the lowest air temp at night. I had to put my quilt inside the swag roll to get back to sleep. Last night, with the same base layers, I used this Escape bivvy sack inside my swag roll and slept toasty warm all through the night. I was not too hot, bu much warmer than the night before. It makes a huge difference. It packs down so small, and is so light weight there is no reason not to bring it. I think it should be in every backpack, every bug out bag, every car. If the weight is an issue, try the Escape Bivvy Light, it's a little less durable, but I've been using it for years and it's never torn or punctured, but I don't put it directly on the ground.

This is surely a good and potentially life saving piece of equipment that is a must for any outdoors person. Pros: 1) Very well constructed 2) Quality zipper w/drawstring hood 3) Breathable so to avoid condensation buildup 4) Substantial thickness of protective and heat reflective fabrics used in construction. 5) Warm 6) Easily packable and comes with a great stuff sack. There are a few downsides to this unit that are specifically related to the overall size. I am 6' 250lbs with a muscular build and this unit was a bit too snug for my comfort. I felt pretty confined when attempting to zip it all of way up. Needless to say I was unable to pull the backside of the unit over my head to engage the drawstring/mummy cord. Also, I would not be able to fit in this at all if I had on my outdoor gear (ie coat & boots). The material has almost no give to move around in. It should be big enough to fit at least the clothing that you are wearing comfortably. Cons: 1) Narrow fitment 2) Could use a few added inches in height and width to the entire unit. Ultimately: I believe that this unit is fully able to help protect from the elements in a modified capacity (due to my size and the fitment of the respirant). And I honestly was thinking of returning it because it didn't really fit me as I thought, and believed that it would. But I appreciate the construction so much that I will keep it and use it as a foot print for my sleep pad, which should greatly increase the R value of my entire sleep system. With that said, I do recommend this product but advise that if you have a larger build that you should sample one before your purchase.

I keep one in my go-bag, one in my truck emergency kit, and one in my summer, ultra-light, hammock camping bag. I decided to try this in my hammock since it works on "heat reflection" instead of requiring "loft" for insulation. Worked better than expected. Perfect for spring/summer/fall camping. keeps the late night and early morning chills at bay. Also nice when camping without a tent, to keep the dew off. Breathable material so you don't wake up with "swamp butt". Weighs a lot less than a standard sleeping bag and far more compact. In the winter it makes a really good sleeping bag liner for added warmth. It is not a stand alone winter bag. In an emergency winter situation, you could most likely survive with it. You would still suffer a sucky miserable night, but you'd still be alive. The ESCAPE BIVY is far more durable than the thin mylar blankets and mylar bags. Even in a bad situation, a rip could easily be repaired with a piece of duct tape. I really like the new olive drab color. I've dedicated my older silver colored one to the emergency kits, now.