Reddit Reddit reviews S.O.L. Survive Outdoors Longer S.O.L. 70% Reflective Escape Bivvy, Orange

We found 12 Reddit comments about S.O.L. Survive Outdoors Longer S.O.L. 70% Reflective Escape Bivvy, Orange. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Sports & Outdoors
Camping & Hiking Equipment
Camping Safety & Survival Equipment
Camping Emergency Blankets
Outdoor Recreation
S.O.L. Survive Outdoors Longer S.O.L. 70% Reflective Escape Bivvy, Orange
Bivvy blanket measures 84 x 31 inches, and weighs approximately 8.5 ouncesReflects 70% of your body heat back to you to prevent heat loss and trap warm airWaterproof seams and drawstring hood let's you seal out the elementsFeatures a quiet, tear-resistant material that won’t shred to pieces if puncturedReusable bivvy can easily be used as a sleeping bag or emergency blanket for multiple adventures
Check price on Amazon

12 Reddit comments about S.O.L. Survive Outdoors Longer S.O.L. 70% Reflective Escape Bivvy, Orange:

u/pointblankjustice · 7 pointsr/bugout

I mean no disrespect, but I also tend to be rather blunt: There is a lot of work that needs to be done to this bag. It seems really thrown together, out of an amalgamation of random stuff that's vaguely "outdoorsy".

Firstly, the bag itself. There's probably a reason it was in the trash, and my suspicion is that it wasn't because it was well built, durable, and comfortable. Good bags can be had for not much money and there are definitely used options on Craigslist and at outdoor store garage sales if you're on a shoestring budget. Your bag has to be able to take the abuse of multiple days and many miles of rucking.

FOUR knives? And they are all folders to boot? And you're trying to tell me this isn't "bloated"? Come on. Get one good multitool like a Leatherman, or keep the Gerber if you must (you don't need 87 bits for your Gerber in the woods, either). Maaaybe carry a fixed blade, too, if you really think you'll be needing it.

Mess kit: That looks bulky as hell, and aluminum has an incredibly low melting point (something like ~1200F) which is easily attainable in a mature fire. Hello melted mess kit. If you are really just bugging out you shouldn't need to cook anything. Calorie dense food bars, jerky, nuts etc. should be sufficient. Get a super small mess kit like this amazing one from GSI Outdoor and use this very cheap but decent backpacking stove and you have a lightweight, highly functional way to cook, boil water, and drink for under $25.

Blade sharpener? If you somehow manage to dull all four of your knives in a few days you're doing something wrong. Save the blade sharpener for the Zombies-Are-Attacking INCH bag or whatever.

Sunscreen and bug repellent are both great. that said, you are carrying almost as much sunscreen as you are water. Embellishing, of course, but that's a fucking lot of sunscreen.

I would also seriously work on flushing out that medical kit. If you don't have much first aid training, that's fine (though you should get some) but a basic boo-boo kit will be really functional. Gauze, small band-aids, some medium sized non-stick pads, alcohol wipes, burn cream and/or antibiotic cream, tweezers, rubber gloves, pain relievers, anti-diarrheals, generic antihistamines (for regular allergies and allergic reactions), etc. etc. Avoid pre-built medical kits and avoid things you don't know how to use.

The MSR filter is actually fantastic, can't fault you there. That said, something like a Sawyer Mini would be a fair bit lighter, and has integral water storage should you need more.

Metal water bottle: Looks like a thermos, which is great for keeping your coffee warm on the way to work but is single-use and heavy in the backwoods. I'd suggest changing it out for a widemouth single-walled metal container like those from Klean Kanteen because now not only do you have a way to store water, but you also have a way to boil it! And you can cook in it if absolutely necessary. And you can fill it up with hot water and add it to your sleeping bag to stay warm.

Wait...where is your sleeping bag? I know you mentioned having some miscellaneous camping gear in your car, but what if you need to abandon your car? Look at even a simple bivy sack like this one from SOL. Coupled with a lightweight tarp and you have a functional survival sleep system. Throw in a small inflatable pad for insulation from the ground and you can survive in all but the most inclement of weather.

Lose the rat traps and 200(!!!) fishing hooks in exchange for calorie dense food bars and other foods that need little or no preparation. Try to stay above 130 calories/gram and pay attention to things that are high in protein, fiber, and fat. You're bugging out, remember? Not sitting around camp all day with a cold one and your rod in the lake.

Substitute your few cheap (read: heavy and unreliable) flashlights for one good one. Something like a Four Sevens Quark AA2 or something from Fenix, Nitecore, or Olight. It will be reliable, well built, and powered by an efficient driver to produce multiple modes of light and provide for good run time. Get something that takes standard AA or AAA batteries. Avoid CR123As.

Noticeably lacking are things like a map and firestarters. You mentioned a ferrocerium rod. Instead of spending $7.00 on a decent one of those, get three BIC lighters and a pack of waterproof matches in a container. And save a couple bucks in the process. Ever started a fire with a ferro rod? It sucks. I've done it. I do it for fun and honing my skills occasionally. But a simple ass BIC will work 100 times better in almost any situation.

Add a high quality, water resistant topographical map of your region. Do you know how to use that compass? I'm not talking about pointing it north, but for things like triangulation or magnetic declination or navigating to a point on your map by finding a bearing. There are tons of Youtube videos out there that will help you in understanding these techniques if you don't already. A compass by itself is near useless.

How about things that you're more likely to encounter?

Throw in a charger for your phone, or maybe one of those $5 burner flip phones and a $10 minutes card in case yours dies. Take the battery out (should be removable on a cheap pay-as-you-go bog standard phone) and write important numbers on the inside.

How about wiping your ass? Go to your nearest Walmart and hit the toiletries section. You'll find bins of $1.00 miniature travel accessories. I'd recommend a toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant bar, personal wet wipes (preferably biodegradable), Chapstick, and some baby powder or Gold Bond. Throw it all in a gallon Ziplock or a small pouch. Now you can survive in the woods AND survive overnight a friend's house after you get too drunk and can't drive.

I see nothing for cold weather gear. I know it's summer but depending on where you are night time can still be cold as hell. Add a beanie, wool gloves, a fleece underlayer, a poncho or rainproof hard shell jacket, and a change of GOOD wool socks.


Lose the 9 million feet of paracord. 50ft should be plenty sufficient (if that) especially considering the inner strands are strong enough for most applications.

I think that covers all my major gripes. Back to drinking and being an ass.

u/gramps14 · 5 pointsr/AppalachianTrail

I already use a sleeping bag liner, so I bought the SOL Escape Bivvy to use with it. I used it from after Damascus VA to Hanover, NH. I sleep hot, so I was fine - only a couple nights up north that I used a lightweight layer.

It was worn out by the end, so it's not a long term solution.

u/Lurkndog · 3 pointsr/Bushcraft

Another alternative is to put the summer bag inside something like the SOL Escape bivvy. Adds a reflective layer to keep heat in, but is breathable so that it doesn't cause condensation. It is very compact and lightweight.

u/chefmclite · 2 pointsr/Ultralight

You can pick up an emergency bivvy on amazon for $50. SOL makes what they call an escape bivvy that is 70% reflective. will keep you warm down to 30 degrees. 8.1oz I use it from late spring thru early fall.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0075ZS096/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/hesiii · 2 pointsr/Ultralight

Probably depends not directly on rating, so much, as on loft. I'm sure it's easier to fit my thin synthetic quilt inside SOL Escape with me than my 2.5" loft quilt. I think I can fit the quilt in and keep it pretty lofted, but that's probably partly because I'm slim (5'9" and 150), if you were bigger person it might take more care and have less room for error, but you could probably still do it. I haven't used any quilt inside mine, since I bought the Escape Bivvy as more of a lightweight standalone quilt alternative on warm summer trips.

FWIW, you can pick up an Escape Bivvy for $31 on Amazon, cheap enough to experiment with:

https://www.amazon.com/Survive-Outdoors-Longer-Escape-Orange/dp/B0075ZS096

Some interesting videos on Escape Bivvy as bag alternative (this guy finds Escape slightly small but he's quite a large guy):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxFbGMjhHg4 (note the cheap mod he made in this video to make the Escape Bivvy much bigger, basically cutting the back and taping in piece of emergency blanket)

Here's the video guide showing step-by-step how to make Escape Bivvy bigger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPDOejSnjw4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZAwEPiOBZo

u/aussie_jason · 2 pointsr/CampingandHiking

I use the Adventure Medical Kits Survive Outdoors Longer Escape, Bivvy Breathable Blanket https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075ZS096/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_WKU3wbXNSJDPJ when I am camping in the middle of summer and just want something to cover me.

u/cazzamatazz · 2 pointsr/CampingGear

I'm going to suggest something a bit more advanced than a traditional tent. Have you considered going with a flat-tarp and a bivy bag? It is certainly cheaper than a tent and significantly lighter. Take the following for example:

| Item | Weight (g) | Cost (AU$) | Notes |
|:-----------|:------------:|:------------:|:------------|
| Equinox Egret Tarp (8x10ft) | 766g| $49 | Will require either sticks or trekking pole to pitch
| SOL Escape Bivy | 156g (312g total) | $31 ($62 total) | This will actually work as a 10C sleeping bag. There is a bigger version to help accommodate a sleeping bag, if it's more appropriate. Obviously you'll each need one.
|Polycryo Groundsheet (6x8ft) | 104g | $10 | Cheap and lightweight waterproof floor.
|
| Total | 1026g (1184g)| $90 ($121) | Cheap and Light.

You will obviously need to do a little reading on how to pitch it. Here is an article to get you started. You'll probably find a better one if you google it.

u/vtjohnhurt · 1 pointr/flying
u/tunafishjoe · 1 pointr/backpacking

While unconventional, this bivy is THE cheapest and lightest sleeping bag option. Read the reviews. Many people have slept comfortably with it in 40 degree weather. You can also use it to winterize a summer bag or as an ultralight bivy. I don't have any personal experience with it, but I'm planning on purchasing it.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0075ZS096/ref=s9_simh_gw_p121_d0_i2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0Y23J768NZ7RYDHTTNJ5&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846

u/iynque · 1 pointr/CampingGear

You and a hand warmer in a reflective bivvy bag, in a synthetic sleeping bag, under a cheap down quilt. You can probably put it together for near or under $100 (these links total $114.66), and you have options to adjust how warm you need it to be, so it works winter and summer.

I used this setup (with a different synthetic bag that was on sale at the time) for some very cold nights. The heat reflective bivvy is a little uncomfortable sometimes, but it makes things so much warmer (and it’s much more comfortable than a Mylar space blanket). I now have better down quilts and no sleeping bag at all. Synthetic bags often provide better insulation, but are also bulkier and heavier than down. I needed smaller, lighter insulation. I also now use a USB hand warmer instead. Never tried hot water in a Nalgene bottle. 🤷🏼‍♂️

This setup’s warm enough that I didn’t need to wear a lot of layers, just my base layer, wools socks, and a down jacket.

u/ZanderDogz · 1 pointr/LifeProTips

I know it's been a month, but you should get something like this, which is smaller than a water bottle and acts as an emergency sleeping bag that is easier to carry than the blanket if you need to go on foot. You should also get a life straw and some other methods of getting clean water and some more food like trail mix.

u/drotar447 · 1 pointr/Ultralight

You are basically right. At night the visible light is irrelevant and only the IR radiation matters. As you suggest, it would be most effective to coat the inside of your sleeping bag with a material that reflects longwave IR. This is the basic idea of survival bivy bags made out of mylar like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0075ZS096/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_TBJ0AbM7H33FM.

I've never actually slept in one of these, but I imagine they don't breathe well and moisture could become a problem, but that's just speculation.

I often use a mylar ground sheet under my sleeping pad for a similar purpose and it seems to add a small amount of warmth.