SOL Emergency Bivvy review

Our verdict · Researched

4.0 / 5

A light, inexpensive reflective bag that traps most of your body heat and packs down to nothing, which makes it a sensible always-there emergency layer. It is a single-use-minded backstop rather than proper shelter, so treat it as insurance and not a sleeping bag.

Best for: A cheap warmth backstop to keep in a grab bag or car for one person.
Skip it if: You want a reusable, breathable shelter for regular camping or repeated overnights

Amazon.co.uk price

£26.00

as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details

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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.

What we like

Reflects about 90% of body heat and blocks wind and rain via taped seams
Very light and compact (around 108g) so it lives in a bag or glovebox unnoticed
Low cost, with a quiet, tear-resistant material that won't shred once it's nicked

Worth knowing

Non-breathable, so condensation builds up inside on longer use
Thin material is not durable and won't survive repeated real-world use

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Our review

SOL's Emergency Bivvy is a sleeping-bag-shaped sack of reflective polyethylene that weighs about 108g and packs smaller than a drinks can. SOL says it reflects 90% of body heat and keeps out wind and rain, which makes it a sensible thing to keep in every car, rucksack and grab bag for the day someone is stuck in the cold.

What it is

The maker, Survive Outdoors Longer, now sells it as the Emergency Bivvy with Rescue Whistle: 84 by 36 inches (about 213 by 91cm), 3.8oz (about 108g), waterproof, windproof and tear-resistant, with sealed seams. It comes with a whistle and a drawstring sack whose cord doubles as tinder. The older version without the whistle has dropped out of SOL's current range, so listings may show either.

What it does

A person who is cold, wet and still loses heat fast, through radiation, wind and wet clothing. A bivvy you can climb into stops the wind, keeps rain off and reflects radiated heat back, which buys time while help comes, a breakdown truck arrives or a storm passes. The bright colour also makes a person easier to spot from the air or the road, and the whistle carries further than a voice. It is larger than a foil blanket and much harder to blow away, and it can cover someone lying on the ground after a fall.

The limits

It does not breathe. Moisture from your body condenses on the inside, so after a few hours your clothes start to get damp; SOL's own breathable Escape Bivvy exists to solve exactly that. It has no insulation, so put it over your warmest layers and get something between you and cold ground, such as a rucksack, a car mat or spare clothing. The thin film is designed for emergencies, not repeated camping use. Once used, buy another.

How it compares

The SOL Escape Bivvy is the reusable, breathable upgrade, at more than twice the weight and many times the cost. On the keeping warm page, the wool blanket, base layers, down throw and hot water bottle are the right tools for a cold house in a power cut, where this bag has little to add. The bivvy belongs in the car and the grab bag. Our car emergency kit checklist and keep warm without heating guide cover both situations.

Where to keep it

One per person in each car, one in each walking pack and one in each grab bag. At about 108g there is no reason not to. Check the pack occasionally for damage, and replace any that has been opened and folded back. Keep it where you can reach it from the driver's seat or the top of the bag, not under everything else, because the moment you need it is usually cold, dark and wet. Practise getting into one once, at home, so you know how it opens.

Our verdict

A light, low-cost backstop that should be in every car and grab bag. Skip it if you want something reusable for regular nights out or something you can sleep in comfortably; the Escape Bivvy or a sleeping bag does that.

A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Survive Outdoors Longer: Emergency Bivvy with Rescue Whistle; Survive Outdoors Longer: emergency bivvy range; Survive Outdoors Longer: Escape Bivvy.

Who shouldn't buy this

Don't buy if you want a reusable, breathable shelter for regular camping or repeated overnights - pay more for a breathable reusable version (e.g. SOL Escape) or a heavier-duty Blizzard bag instead.

Key specs

Type	Reflective emergency bivvy (survival bag)
Needs power	No

How this review works

This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.

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