Lifesystems Survival Shelter 2 review
By Tom Calder
A proven, pocket-sized group shelter that traps body heat to keep two people warm and dry when you're stuck outdoors, using the same design mountain rescue teams carry. For a household emergency box it's sensible, low-cost insurance rather than an everyday essential.
- Best for
- A lightweight warmth-and-shelter layer for a car kit or grab bag when two people are caught out in bad weather.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
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
- Very light at 345g and packs to roughly the size of a drinks can, so it earns its place in a car kit or grab bag.
- Genuinely effective at trapping body heat, with a 5000mm waterproof, taped-seam build and reflective strips that also aid being spotted.
- Inexpensive for the reassurance it buys, and trusted by mountain rescue teams and outdoor centres.
Worth knowing
- It's a sit-inside emergency shelter, not a tent, so it's cramped and prone to condensation beyond short-term use.
- Aimed at outdoor and roadside situations rather than sheltering inside the home.
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Our review
Lifesystems' Survival Shelter 2 is a two-person emergency bag you pull over your heads and sit inside, keeping off wind and rain while your body heat warms the air. At 345 g it disappears into a car boot or day pack. It is for being caught out in bad weather, not for sheltering at home.
What it is
A group shelter, sometimes called a bothy bag: a sack of polyurethane-coated fabric with fully taped seams and a 5,000 mm hydrostatic head, which is the water pressure the fabric resists before it leaks. Unpacked it measures 140 by 90 by 45 cm and holds two adults sitting side by side. Packed into its integral stuff sack it is 200 by 100 by 100 mm, about the size of a large drinks can, and weighs 345 g.
Lifesystems adds a vent, a window, waterproof seating panels so you are not sitting on wet ground, and reflective strips on the top to help rescuers spot it.
How it works
You don't pitch it. You sit down, pull the shelter over your heads and tuck the edges under you. With the wind kept off, the air inside warms from your bodies, and two people warm it faster than one. Packstack's review notes that shelters of this type are increasingly used by teams such as mountain rescue.
For a household, the realistic uses are a broken-down car on a moor road in sleet, a winter walk where someone is injured and you have to wait, or a long roadside wait for recovery. In each case the danger is cold and wet, and the shelter tackles both. Our car emergency kit checklist covers what else to keep in the boot.
The limits
It is not a tent. There is no floor or frame, it is cramped, and condensation builds up inside because the coated fabric is waterproof rather than breathable; use the vent. It does nothing for a power cut at home, where blankets, warm clothing and a safe way to heat food matter more.
Lifesystems also makes an Ultralight version at 215 g, which Packstack treats as a different product, and larger versions for groups. Independent long-term testing of this model is thin, and Packstack notes as much.
How it compares
On our grab bag comparison, the SOL Escape Bivvy is the one-person alternative: a 241 g sleeping-bag shape you lie in rather than a shelter you sit under, and breathable, so less damp inside. A foil blanket is cheaper and lighter still but much harder to keep wrapped round you in wind. If you are packing a full household kit, the EVAQ8 family grab bag includes foil blankets and emergency sleeping bags for four, and this shelter would sit well alongside it in a car.
Our verdict
A light, sensible piece of insurance for anyone who drives rural roads in winter or walks in the hills. It costs little space and will make an hour of waiting in the rain far safer. If your planning is about staying put at home, spend the money on blankets and lighting instead.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Lifesystems: Survival Shelter 2; Packstack: Lifesystems Survival Shelter 2 review (August 2026); GOV.UK Be Ready: emergency checklist.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it expecting a tent or a way to shelter indoors. If your main worry is staying put at home during a power cut, put the money towards blankets, a stove and lighting instead.
Key specs
| Covers | 2 ppl |
| Duration | — |
| Items | 1 |
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.
If this isn’t the one
Best for A reusable emergency bivvy for a car, walking pack or grab bag where cold and wet are real risks.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for Waterproofing the contents of a grab bag or rucksack — documents, electronics, spare clothes and a first-aid kit.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for Drivers who want one grab-and-go bag covering both a roadside breakdown and a cold-weather wait.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 13:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.Questions
How heavy is the Lifesystems Survival Shelter 2?
Lifesystems gives 345 g, packed to 200 by 100 by 100 mm in an integral stuff sack. Unpacked it is 140 by 90 by 45 cm.
Is the Survival Shelter 2 waterproof?
Yes. Lifesystems rates the PU-coated fabric at a 5,000 mm hydrostatic head with fully taped seams. Expect condensation inside because the fabric doesn't breathe, so open the vent.
Can I use it as a tent?
No. It has no frame or groundsheet and is meant for sitting inside for short periods while you wait for help or for the weather to pass. For overnight shelter you need a tent or bivvy.
Should it go in a home emergency kit?
Only if your plans include travel or being outdoors. For staying at home in a power cut, the government's Be Ready checklist puts blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing on the list instead.
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