Bivy to quilt – SOL Escape Lite Mod

[Richard May]

I'm hoping for rain this week so I can test my modified SOL Escape Lite. As it comes it's too narrow to be comfortable. This week I've got an overnight trek planned and I hope the rain forecast comes through! I modified the SOL bivy so it would be a quilt. Since the material is waterproof-breathable I'm hoping it'll work as a splash quilt under a 5×8 poncho. At 180g/6.3oz it's lighter than a 40F quilt and and at $40 much cheaper than many solutions for adding warmth to a summer quilt. In south Louisiana this may prove to be a good combination through winter. High resolution images on flickr: https://flic.kr/p/Azo5wN The bivy is made of two sheets of material. I opened one seam about 2/3 of the way. . I can't sew. So I stopped the seam from opening further with hot glue. . I opened the bottom for ventilation. . When it rains I can roll the bottom and clasp it shut like a dry bag. .

[Aaron Sorensen]

They make a breathable reflective bag for that weight. I've used it down to about 55+ with just my clothing and it worked great. Never mind. This is it. Starting weight is 4.7 ounces on these.

[Richard May]

Cool! So, it may actually be to warm for these 70F fall – can you really call it that? – nights.

[Adam Kilpatrick]

Is the breathable bag version waterproof?

[Adam Kilpatrick]

What is the rough weight/sq yard of this material that they use? Is it sewable? Or just glueable?

[Richard May]

Hey Adam, So, there are two versions of the SOL Escape Bivvy. The regular one was tested by Richard Nisley and it's waterproof and breathes. In breathablitiy it's comparable to eVent in the lab. So it's a very interesting material. The other version, the one I'm playing with is the SOL Escape Bivvy Lite. It's supposed to be made with a lighter, thinner version of the same material. My guess would be that it may be more breathable and less waterproof. I'd like to get a piece of the material to Richard Nisley to verify this though. SOL simply claims it is not as durable, so it could be about the same. Since the material is layered I would guess it's best to sew it. The layers peel apart easily and glue or tape would facilitate this. The bivvy itself, as it comes in the package is sewn together. It has a soft texture, like worn money. SOL makes other bivvys and blankets with mylar-like materials that are not breathable. It's easy to confuse them!

[Richard May]

I just got back from hiking a section of the Wild Azalea trail in Louisiana. The low that night was 71F by my thermometer and humidity felt pretty high. Even after washing up I never stopped feeling sticky. I used the SOL Quilt to sleep under. There are a couple of things I learned: First, the material does not drape. Because it acts like worn paper money it doesn't drape very well so it leaves lots of gaps where it touches the ground and cool air enters. At 71F that isn't a problem but good to keep in mind when it gets cold. Second, it's pretty warm. I slept in boxers, and had the the bottom open all night. I was toasty, bordering on too warm. Also, I will add mosquito netting to the bottom opening; I sprayed my socks with bug stuff to keep the skeeters away and it worked but a little netting would go a long way. Unfortunately it did not rain that night so I've still got no idea how a quilt works to protect me from rain splash. Maybe next time.

[Anonymous]

Thank you for the report–i've been looking at this bivy and considering purchasing it (but i'm really trying to get way from non durable gear for various reasons). Anyways, i couldn't imagine trying to sleep in a barely air permeable (eVent is around .5 CFM), IR reflective bivy at 71 and i'm assuming highish humidity, that's like thin cotton sheet conditions for me (not that i take such backpacking, but a thin UL breathable nylon might work ok).

[Richard May]

I hear ya about a simple sheet; my usual kit is simply a permethrin treated M90 bivy. I think for the bugs the bivy will be my item of choice in summer. In the winter this could prove effective combined with my quilt. The humidity under the quilt wasn't something I even noticed. Probably being an open quilt with an open footbox help a lot. Having an occasional cool draft running down my back and waking me was more troublesome.

[Anonymous]

Yes, very much agree Richard, the SOL bivy should be pretty good for winter conditions. That's why i'm interested in it. Thanks for the feedback on the humidity factor. The problem with these kinds of materials is that even if they don't get holes, rips or the like, the aluminum coating will rub off and oxidize over time, greatly decreasing the IR reflecting properties. I'm really interested in a material that is more durable in that regard. Edit: Cascade Craftworks considered selling a material that had a thin enough coating over the aluminum to still effectively reflect human range IR, but thick enough to really slow down the above process. I can't remember the name of the material though, and C.C. doesn't sell it. Unfortunately, the aluminized cuben that C.C. sells doesn't reflect human range IR because the mylar outer is too thick.

[Anonymous]

Ok, found the name of the material that i mentioned that Richard Nisley tested. I forgot it isn't air permeable, so it wouldn't make a good regular bivy. It would make an excellent VBL for more extreme cold. If i could get my hands on it, i would make a VB top and bottom out of it, probably put some foam dots on it to create enough air space for it to work most effectively. This is the thread where R.N. talks about testing the IR emissivity of different materials: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=104502

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