SOL:ESCAPE LITE($40) ESCAPE($50) & ESCAPE PRO($122) VALUE&MOST EFFECTIVE USE

[Paul French]

I have spent hours researching the BEST SWAG GUESS  OF THE TEMPERATURE Improvement OF EACH of these SOL bivys . For context ,I always wear a Stephenson hooded Vapor barrier jacket with the hood up as my first upper garment in any case where there is a possibility of me getting too warm. I find that the Stephenson vapor barrier wakes me up as soon as my body even thinks about sweating.I  typically also wear light to medium layer polyro bottoms and military wool socks. I do not cowboy camp, always tent. or hang,

It seems to me that I should use the SOL ESCAPE LITE (cheapest but with comparable breath-ability, reflective abilities & is roomier and cheaper than the ESCAPE or ESCAPE PRO) next to my lightly covered body so the ESCAPE LITE has some body heat to reflect. as opposed it putting any of the 3 BREATHABLE ESCAPE versions outside of my down bag.  Laying directly on any ESCAPE will likely cause sweat spots so I will have  either a Therm-a-rest Z lite folding or SOL pad and cut the ESCAPE like a quilt so the sides of the ESCAPE can be under the Therm-a-rest  pad.. Depending on the weather, may have an insulated KYMIT or Big Agnes pad under everything.

SO FOR YOU GUYS WHO HAVE WORKED THIS OUT, what has been you experience using any of  the three breathable ESCAPE bivys and where in the night time layering and bag system does one of the breathable ESCAPE bivys belong?

Paul

[Martin D]

I use the escape light. I cut a slit underneath and sewed a diamond shaped piece of silnylon to add 10 inches in torso girth as it was tight a bit for a large winter bag. I also sewed shut one side and added a light 16 inch zipper on the other side.

Although breathable, all these materials will cause condensation anyway in cold weather. Reflective materials moreso as it makes it more lilely the dew point will be located on the bivy surface. But this is actually a good thing cause you just shake it off in the morning. The alternative is condensation inside the insulation.

[Paul French]

Martin, Thanks for responding.

Since I wear a vapor barrier hooded jacket to bed when temp is below 40F, try real hard not to breath into sleeping bag and keep tent doors as open as precipitation allows I generally do OK with condensation. Also, the Stephenson vapor barrier jacket wakes me up as soon as my chest is even damp from being too warm. Open up  the layers for maybe a minute so my chest dries, decrease the layers or leave some zippers open quickly go back to sleep. So there really is not much moisture inside the bag.

From Stephenson Warmlite website: ” Vapor barrier clothing can increase temperature beside the skin by up to 20°F. Vapor barrier clothing immediately warns the wearer of overheat because it traps over 90% of moisture (sweat) within the barrier, this is what alerts the wearer to overheating. This can be misunderstood as causing the overheating, but it simply all sweat being trapped, protecting upper layers from becoming damp or soaked. It also stops evaporation, chilling, and insensible sweat.”

So my question is whether not the following statements are correct: (Google translated from French)

“<span>Aluminum is not an insulation at all, but is used to reflect heat. </span>
<span>The closer it is to the source (here your body) the better. If you put a layer of insulation (SDC, quilt, or down jacket etc) between, it is strictly useless because it has no heat to think. </span>
<span>It’s a reflector nothing else.” poster: spigi,  https://www.randonner-leger.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24027&p=4</span>

“<span>The purpose of this SOL is to be “in” the down sleeping bag.</span>

<span>Because it is not waterproof, it is only windbreaker. So if you put it over your down that is already windproof, there will be duplication: a windbreak over a windbreaker does not double the windbreak effect.</span>

<span>On the other hand, considering that the SOL is a little bit of cardboard as I said above, by putting it in the down sleeping bag, it makes: a layer of air + a layer windbreaker, and over another layer of air (the down) + another layer of windbreaker (the outer fabric of the sdc). And there against that, it is the equivalent of two sleeping bags: it doubles its effects.” SOURCE: poster nomadecueilleur in the forum https://www.randonner-leger.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24027&p=8</span>

Paul

[Edward John M]

I was experimenting using my own SOL Escape Pro inside my big down bag. The big down was was too tight to do my usual and wear my down clothing inside it and I found it made a difference. They are only semi-breathable in my experience so I would call it a partial vapour barrier. My feeling was and is that any excess moisture escapes around your face as you move around in the sleeping bag and it seemed to work over a small 3 day trial in soggy conditions around -8C.

There is a small boost in insulation value I believe due to that extra layer of still air between the SOL liner and the inner shell of the sleeping bag itself.

I have since sold on the SOL as my Alaskan trip is cancelled so I am not going to be doing any more tests but my one test sleep was positive.

[Paul French]

Edward,

“My feeling was and is that any excess moisture escapes around your face as you move around in the sleeping bag and it seemed to work over a small 3 day trial in soggy conditions around -8C”

That sounds encouraging, right? I don’t think I follow: “any excess moisture escapes around your face as you move around in the sleeping bag ” Are you talking about the “bellows effect”?

Did you leave the opening around you face of purpose? Does you bag have an adjustable draft collar?

Paul

[Edward John M]

Yes I did not seal up my face tightly and I did not use a collar.

So it was that bellows effect which I believe was allowing the moisture to escape, I thought that the small loss of heat was OK, my reasoning being that it was better than having the down soak up water. Perhaps feeling warmer was in my mind. The placebo effect that we all know about.

 

[Paul French]

Edward, Now I follow you. You had your down coat on inside the sleeping bag so trying to have the SOL ESCAPE PRO in the bag also even I would get hot and sweaty then and I am a cold sleeper.

Too bad your trip did not happen.

Paul

 

[Martin D]

Paul,

That statement would only be true in the SOL material was laminated to the bag’s fabric. In the real world there is enough of an air gap for it to work appropriately as a radiant barrier.

I do not see the point of using the SOL bivy inside a sleeping bag. It is a breathable material, so whatever moisture goes through will condense inside you bag’s insulation.

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