SOL Escape Bivy is an ideal retreat for alpine hikers.
A model showing SOL Escape Biwi (Photo: SOL)
Published June 17, 2026 02:27 pm
First of all: Yes, if you are truly ultralightly ill, you can Use the SOL Escape Bivy as your primary sleeping system or shelter in temperate climates. I know because I’ve tried it. For the two weeks I used the Escape in place of a sleeping bag while climbing in the western U.S., I can attest that, combined with my midlayer, it kept me warm enough to sleep, including in the snow at Mammoth Lakes, California. (Although I wouldn’t recommend it: Although the Escape may be a little more breathable than the average emergency shelter, I still usually wake up damp.)
However, it’s as an emergency shelter where the Escape really shines. At 8.5 ounces, it’s almost four times heavier than an average space blanket. But it’s also much tougher: Over several weeks of use, the spun olefin fabric never frayed or had any holes in it, and it was significantly less noisy and crinkly than plastic survival blankets, but still reflected enough body heat to keep me warm. A zipped mummy bag-like shape is safer than wrapping a flat blanket around itself, and, unlike a space blanket, it can be packed into its own luggage bag for reuse. Approximately the size of a baseball, it’s easy to find room for it in even the smallest daypack.