I recently purchased this item for a 17mi 3 day backpacking trip in the White Mountain Wilderness NM. over the Labor Day weekend. I left my faithful 2lb REI sleeping bag at home. The night time temp was in mid 40s to 50s. With socks, pants and shirt on, I was amazed of the comfort of this 8oz Bivvy. One night I did have some discomfort in my toes (cold). However, I was in a thunderstorm that afternoon, and my body temp had dropped some, my gortex boots got wet inside, I did dry my feet, but my feet temp never really recovered. I put a heat pack in between two pairs of socks on each foot and slept the rest of the night. Overall I am very happy that I purchased this item.
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★★★★★
A. Encao –
I know this is supposed to be an escape bivvy, but I’ve been using it for camping off my motorcycle because of it’s size and weight. I’m 5’10, and a little over 240 pounds (and that’s not muscle, I’m fat). I think I need to lose about 20 pounds before I’d call this “comfortable” but I do fit in it. It kept me warm in a Utah desert and at elevation in Colorado. It’s by no means a warm blanket. “Soft” is not a term I would use to describe this item, but that’s not what it is. That said, it keeps me warm and is totally livable for a week. Longer than that and I’d be looking for something more aimed at comfort.
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★★★★★
jf –
I love this thing. It’s very warm if you get in it and seal it up before you cool off. It needs to be a bit bigger in the shoulders for normal size people, especially if you’re wearing a coat or jacket. If you fall in the drink, and you’re all wet and cold… strip down, get in this thing standing up and hop around a bit to generate some heat. Dry your clothes while this bag toasts you up a little. Great for emergencies, but don’t expect any level of comfort or to use as a sleep system on the regular. If you have a very small frame it’ll be better for you to get your shoulders in and your hands up around your face. If you are a bigger frame, it’s pretty tight at the top. DO NOT breathe inside of this bag. You will just make yourself wet and condensate into the bag. Keep your face out, or at least your mouth and nose, and cinch it up around your head if you can get in there good. Don’t let embers jump on it, and don’t have sharp items in your pockets or inside the bag unless you brought ductape.
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★★★★★
Donna Miller –
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.
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★★★★★
David P –
Ok, I ordered one to test and inspect the quality… quickly ordered several more for our BOB’s.. They are NOT a think, stretchy plastic, like a heavy mil trash bag. It appears to be like a tyvek material, very strong with a reflective surface inside. Plus, there is a zipper, like a real bag… plus, it is super light.. not sure how many ounces, but it feels real light. For something this lightweight, I was surprised at the durability and passed my tug and stretch test. Ya, I would like to see a lower price… maybe in the $30-40 range, then I would put them in all 5 cars. Overall, these are pretty cool.
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★★★★★
Andrew –
This was a good way to add some warmth to my sleep system. I always pack it, since it’s so small and light. If I get a chill in the night, I add this and warm right up. A bit constricting, as any “mummy” style sleeping bag is; you get a pretty good range of motion and your arms are reasonably free to move inside, but your legs won’t separate too far, even though you can still bend them (for those of us in a fetal position to sleep, it’s no problem).I recommend this to really anyone worried about being too cold outside.
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★★★★★
BASE 5_NYC –
I was hesitant at first to buy this because of the fairly high price. I spend a lot of money on gear and don’t care what things cost as long as it’s worth it, well made and does what it’s supposed to. This hits all those bases. First it’s extremely lightweight. Compared to another bivvy option this is a feather and is just as capable. It’s not some cheap mylar space blanket. This is a high quality, high tech material that is very durable and considering it’s basically a substitute for a $200 five pound sleeping bag it’s pretty amazing. I wouldn’t take this alone if I was going winter camping but you can easily make it into the fall, mid 40 degree weather, and if you’re dressed really well or have a tent, an additional space blanket and/or a fire you can probably go lower. All of that is for a planned scenario in optimal conditions but this is obviously also made as an emergency blanket and I can say that this is definitely a lifesaver. Keep one in your car or get home bag for that unplanned night in the woods, car or elsewhere and it will really come in handy. Now that I have it and have used it a little I feel the $50 price tag is really relative and it’s easily worth the investment, for camping or an emergency.
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★★★★★
DrJWC –
A little noisy, but is light weight, breathable, and keeps you super warm. I use it with my snugpak poncho liner and kept really warm. I don’t think it would last 3-4 months on the PCT though for every night use, it says escape on it for a reason. I think it was 42 degrees F, and I kept warm all night. I have to say though, my body is like a furnace when I am sleeping, lol. This doesn’t get wet inside like then normal bivvy’s do. Do yourself a favor and buy this one over anything else, it is worth the gamble. Love it, and recommend it to anyone!
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★★★★★
Liane Fisher –
I have the Woman’s Marmot Trestles 30 bag and I knew the weather was supposed to get into the 20’s on our overnight on Shortoff Mountain above Linville Gorge in NC. I’m a cold sleeper when I camp. I put it inside my bag. I admit, when I first got inside…. I was freezing. BUT when I woke up the next morning, I was toasty warm and didn’t want to get out. It definitely saved my tail from hiking down that mountain in the middle of the night to the car. I seriously recommend this product. It barely weighs anything and truly did make a difference! It was 23F that night…
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★★★★★
Grim Gaddy –
ITS SOOOO SMALL!!!! Which is perfect! this lil bugger packs up small enough to fit in some very cramped spaces, including my butt pack for my camping/survival kit. Along with a trauma first aid pack, gun cleaning kit, knife cleaning kit, a weeks worth of food, water purifiers… seriously I was grinning for hours when I found out I could get this in there with all that in that bit of space. As to if it works, i’ve used something similar in a very bad situation and while it was not comfortable, it was survivable thanks to it. I’d be dead if not for this exact design even if its not the exact same product.Added pictures of it in my bag, along with a bit of what else is crammed in there.
Parent of two –
I recently purchased this item for a 17mi 3 day backpacking trip in the White Mountain Wilderness NM. over the Labor Day weekend. I left my faithful 2lb REI sleeping bag at home. The night time temp was in mid 40s to 50s. With socks, pants and shirt on, I was amazed of the comfort of this 8oz Bivvy. One night I did have some discomfort in my toes (cold). However, I was in a thunderstorm that afternoon, and my body temp had dropped some, my gortex boots got wet inside, I did dry my feet, but my feet temp never really recovered. I put a heat pack in between two pairs of socks on each foot and slept the rest of the night. Overall I am very happy that I purchased this item.
A. Encao –
I know this is supposed to be an escape bivvy, but I’ve been using it for camping off my motorcycle because of it’s size and weight. I’m 5’10, and a little over 240 pounds (and that’s not muscle, I’m fat). I think I need to lose about 20 pounds before I’d call this “comfortable” but I do fit in it. It kept me warm in a Utah desert and at elevation in Colorado. It’s by no means a warm blanket. “Soft” is not a term I would use to describe this item, but that’s not what it is. That said, it keeps me warm and is totally livable for a week. Longer than that and I’d be looking for something more aimed at comfort.
jf –
I love this thing. It’s very warm if you get in it and seal it up before you cool off. It needs to be a bit bigger in the shoulders for normal size people, especially if you’re wearing a coat or jacket. If you fall in the drink, and you’re all wet and cold… strip down, get in this thing standing up and hop around a bit to generate some heat. Dry your clothes while this bag toasts you up a little. Great for emergencies, but don’t expect any level of comfort or to use as a sleep system on the regular. If you have a very small frame it’ll be better for you to get your shoulders in and your hands up around your face. If you are a bigger frame, it’s pretty tight at the top. DO NOT breathe inside of this bag. You will just make yourself wet and condensate into the bag. Keep your face out, or at least your mouth and nose, and cinch it up around your head if you can get in there good. Don’t let embers jump on it, and don’t have sharp items in your pockets or inside the bag unless you brought ductape.
Donna Miller –
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.
David P –
Ok, I ordered one to test and inspect the quality… quickly ordered several more for our BOB’s.. They are NOT a think, stretchy plastic, like a heavy mil trash bag. It appears to be like a tyvek material, very strong with a reflective surface inside. Plus, there is a zipper, like a real bag… plus, it is super light.. not sure how many ounces, but it feels real light. For something this lightweight, I was surprised at the durability and passed my tug and stretch test. Ya, I would like to see a lower price… maybe in the $30-40 range, then I would put them in all 5 cars. Overall, these are pretty cool.
Andrew –
This was a good way to add some warmth to my sleep system. I always pack it, since it’s so small and light. If I get a chill in the night, I add this and warm right up. A bit constricting, as any “mummy” style sleeping bag is; you get a pretty good range of motion and your arms are reasonably free to move inside, but your legs won’t separate too far, even though you can still bend them (for those of us in a fetal position to sleep, it’s no problem).I recommend this to really anyone worried about being too cold outside.
BASE 5_NYC –
I was hesitant at first to buy this because of the fairly high price. I spend a lot of money on gear and don’t care what things cost as long as it’s worth it, well made and does what it’s supposed to. This hits all those bases. First it’s extremely lightweight. Compared to another bivvy option this is a feather and is just as capable. It’s not some cheap mylar space blanket. This is a high quality, high tech material that is very durable and considering it’s basically a substitute for a $200 five pound sleeping bag it’s pretty amazing. I wouldn’t take this alone if I was going winter camping but you can easily make it into the fall, mid 40 degree weather, and if you’re dressed really well or have a tent, an additional space blanket and/or a fire you can probably go lower. All of that is for a planned scenario in optimal conditions but this is obviously also made as an emergency blanket and I can say that this is definitely a lifesaver. Keep one in your car or get home bag for that unplanned night in the woods, car or elsewhere and it will really come in handy. Now that I have it and have used it a little I feel the $50 price tag is really relative and it’s easily worth the investment, for camping or an emergency.
DrJWC –
A little noisy, but is light weight, breathable, and keeps you super warm. I use it with my snugpak poncho liner and kept really warm. I don’t think it would last 3-4 months on the PCT though for every night use, it says escape on it for a reason. I think it was 42 degrees F, and I kept warm all night. I have to say though, my body is like a furnace when I am sleeping, lol. This doesn’t get wet inside like then normal bivvy’s do. Do yourself a favor and buy this one over anything else, it is worth the gamble. Love it, and recommend it to anyone!
Liane Fisher –
I have the Woman’s Marmot Trestles 30 bag and I knew the weather was supposed to get into the 20’s on our overnight on Shortoff Mountain above Linville Gorge in NC. I’m a cold sleeper when I camp. I put it inside my bag. I admit, when I first got inside…. I was freezing. BUT when I woke up the next morning, I was toasty warm and didn’t want to get out. It definitely saved my tail from hiking down that mountain in the middle of the night to the car. I seriously recommend this product. It barely weighs anything and truly did make a difference! It was 23F that night…
Grim Gaddy –
ITS SOOOO SMALL!!!! Which is perfect! this lil bugger packs up small enough to fit in some very cramped spaces, including my butt pack for my camping/survival kit. Along with a trauma first aid pack, gun cleaning kit, knife cleaning kit, a weeks worth of food, water purifiers… seriously I was grinning for hours when I found out I could get this in there with all that in that bit of space. As to if it works, i’ve used something similar in a very bad situation and while it was not comfortable, it was survivable thanks to it. I’d be dead if not for this exact design even if its not the exact same product.Added pictures of it in my bag, along with a bit of what else is crammed in there.