SOL Emergency Bivy

Just picked up an SOL emergency bivy for bivying at the base of climbs in RMNP. I definitely only plan on using it with a good forecast, and don't want to carry more dedicated bivy gear. It's waterproof and 3.8oz. Anybody use these? I understand that they're semi-disposable/reusable, and won't last many trips, but the weight savings seem appealing. Since they don't breathe, is it a bad idea to use with a (dri)down bag, even just for an overnight summer trip? Let me know your experience!

Curious as well because I have one and it looks sweaty.

I'd guess the move is to bring a really light sleeping bag and then add the bivy if it starts raining.

I've used one 4 or 5 times over the years.  However, those were all unplanned bivouacs where we didn't have sleeping bags.

Yes - they sweat.  I hate to think of what they'd do to a down bag after 8 hours or so.  

And if it is really cold and you are short on layers, you tend to play this game all night of suffocating because you covered your whole head with it, or instead you are colder because you did not.

Do I still carry one on big climbs?  Absolutely.  Their lightness and compactness for what they can provide in an improbable emergency  - perfect for me.

But I only bring it for use in case the unexpected or un-hoped-for happens. And not for when I know I'll need it for a planned bivouac. Because it takes something non-optimal to happen to warrant experiencing its' non-optimal performance. :)

Like Eli said, you might consider just having it nearby while hoping it doesn't rain or dew/frost much.  Or, if you have full rain gear and it begins to rain, just plan on stowing the sleeping bag and putting on the rain gear to endure the night.

If I thought I was going to need a bivy sack I would bring something that breaths, but at the same time there are a lot of situations where you don't actually need a bivy sack (sleeping under boulders, in caves, or if the weather is nice). If the forecast is rain-free and not terribly cold I'd consider bringing a SOL bivy as an emergency backup and plan on not using it unless I had to.

For real, I'd do the OR Alpine Goretex bivy for something other than have it or die. The SOL are not the best idea for the dry on the inside. I think it's something you would keep on the last ditch layer of your gear not a front line.

I love mine, but I don't use it like most folks. I turn it inside out and slide my pad into it, so the pad is reflecting my body heat back to me, right through the sleeping bag. I suppose I could buy a heat reflecting pad, but I love my air filled pad too, so this works for me. And in an emergency I have the bivy.

I don't really understand the appeal of using this for a general bivvy setup. They're small, uncomfortable, they don't last, they'll make you sweat. They'll perhaps allow you to SURVIVE - that's the job it says it does on the tin. It's one step above a space blanket. You wanna suffer all night at the base of a climb? How ya going to feel the next morning? Why risk a crap morning, pulling the plug in a climb?

My bivvy setup is 4lbs,  (bivy/bag/tarp/pad). It's on its second year. Just used it at 13,000 for a few nights last week.

If that's too much weight, just hike in a couple of hours earlier and say the hell with the overnight.
 

Long Ranger wroteMy bivvy setup is 4lbs,  (bivy/bag/tarp/pad). It's on its second year. Just used it at 13,000 for a few nights last week.

Mind me asking what your set up is? And how much does it weigh with your sleeping bag?

And just in general, what do you guys use for a fair-weather-forecasted single overnight bivy at the base of a climb? 

Even with DryDown, you're most likely going to saturate and collapse the insulation with your sleeping bag sandwiched between you & the SOL.  As you know, the SOL won't breath at all, prevening moist body heat from escaping.  All your reflected body heat (humidity) needs to go somewhere.  Not that you'd actually be sleeping for eight hours, but you'd probably be in your bag 6-8 hours, and my bet is the hydrophobic treatment on the down can't keep up with that exposure.  I could be wrong though as I've never tested the technology that way.  It'd be worth an experiment in the backyard.

Caleb Schwarz wrote:

Mind me asking what your set up is? And how much does it weigh with your sleeping bag?

Not at all, I actually wrote about it last year (the weight includes the sleeping bag) 

I just used this last year for a full Tenmile/Mosquito traverse. The only change I made was to swap out the tarp talked about there, with a Sea to Summit Escapist, as the Escapist is just a rectangle of material (as opposed to a hexagram), and worked mostly as a ground cloth. The bivy I use is not water resistant the slightest - that's what the tarp is for.

SOL emergency bivy is fine for an emergency. It sounds like you’re planning to camp, so... use camping gear. For the cost of a couple of pounds at most, you’ll be WAY happier. Get a better bivy sack, or an ultralight tent, or anything but that. Thank us all later.  

I just spent 5 nights in the “breathable” SOL escape bivy. I’ve never woken up so soaked without having made poor life decisions leading up to it.

RandyLee wrote:I just spent 5 nights in the “breathable” SOL escape bivy. I’ve never woken up so soaked without having made poor life decisions leading up to it.

LMAO. That says it all! 

Long Ranger wrote:

Not at all, I actually wrote about it last year (the weight includes the sleeping bag) 

I just used this last year for a full Tenmile/Mosquito traverse. The only change I made was to swap out the tarp talked about there, with a Sea to Summit Escapist, as the Escapist is just a rectangle of material (as opposed to a hexagram), and worked mostly as a ground cloth. The bivy I use is not water resistant the slightest - that's what the tarp is for.

awesome write up, thanks for that!

RandyLee wrote: I just spent 5 nights in the “breathable” SOL escape bivy. I’ve never woken up so soaked without having made poor life decisions leading up to it.

Hmm, that's interesting. I have one of these and use it a lot as an outer layer/shell around my down sleeping bag during cold temps and have never had a problem with any moisture building up. Rather it just makes me that much toastier.

Maybe you sweat too much.   

i have used the SOL emergency bivy in both the winter and summer (multiple times both planned and unplanned).  Will it keep you alive?  yes.  is it anywhere near comfortable? absolutely not!

for a planned bivy, my go to for lightweight is a sleeping bag liner like this with my SOL bivy on the outside: https://www.bigagnes.com/Sleeping-Bag-Liner-Sythetic-PrimaLoft