What is great about this bag is that 1) it's smaller and lighter than just about any other sleeping bag, 2) it's an actual piece of gear, unlike the very thin emergency blankets you can tear easily, and 3) it can be used as a bivy sack to raise the temperature of any other sleeping system. So this final point is to say that you can put your blankets or other sleeping bag inside of this bag, or this bag inside your other sleeping system, and significantly raise your temperature and comfort level over night. In this way, I think this bag could be a real life saver at low temperature.
What I learned from sleeping out in this bag:
● You will die of suffocation if you do what you'd do in a sleeping bag and pull your head inside and close up the top of the bag. Keep in mind that this is a glorified, human-sized trash bag -- actually, it's a lot like a body bag -- so you'll suffocate in this bag if you try to breath in it. This means that I wore my heavy winter jacket to bed, as air infiltration was a problem around my neck and shoulders, and a winter hat was essential to staying warm.
● Bunching up in a fetal position (on my side) and pulling the bottom of the bag up and under me kept me the warmest. Less area to heat and heat consolidation worked out.
● This bag does not breath like a GoreTex bivy sack or regular sleeping bag. This means that moisture built up in the bag over night. In a survival situation, that wouldn't bother me one bit as I'd be alive to complain about the moisture in the morning. But as a piece of backpacking gear, say, you'll want to note that you will have to dry this bag out during the daytime hours just to keep it from remaining wet.
● The temperature inside the bag was bearable, even down around freezing. This was in a tent with all the flaps open, as I wanted to see how cold I could stand it. Note that I was on a sleeping pad, and the ground was the coldest thing to deal with.
● A small point, but this bag is noisy when you move around. I found I woke myself up as I moved around. Sleeping in this bag with others in a tent would probably drive them nuts.
● Re-packing this bag tight enough to fit back in its stuff sack takes some practice. I found you had to roll it very tightly from the bottom, then unroll and fold it to get it to fit. When it is back in the sack, though, it's pretty compact.
As I mention in my video, I'm glad to have this bag even though I know it has some limitations. I will keep it with my emergency supplies and rest assured that it's there. I also could see taking it on summer trips to the high-country so I could take only my lightest sleeping bag but have this backup (as a bivy sack to go over my sleeping bag) for very cold nights at high altitude. It's tough enough that I'm not afraid of wearing holes in it or ripping it or anything like that.
.................
This product was NOT given to me as part of any promotion. I bought it after doing some comparison shopping and this review is entirely the result of my own opinions and use of the product.
Bought one of these sleeping bags for a homeless person last winter 2013. He told me he would get so warm he'd open to exchange the air to cool off.
This products come in a carrying case that is approximately 6" longs and 3" in diameter, which makes this a very convenient item to have in your survival bag, first aid kits, or bug out bag. It takes up hardly any room in my pack. Its made up of completely of mylar which is great for keeping in heat, the material seems to be very durable and for the price its totally worth it.
UPDATE - 11-8-13
So I decided to update this review. Its been more than half a year, so here is my story.
I usually keep this in my bug out bag, but I figured why not give it a field test, so we went camping, and i used this as my sleeping bag (I had a pad underneath me for some cushion), it just happen to be a particularly cool night. But i was very warm and cozy, all my body heat was kept within the sleeping bag. I am very impressed.
As for the bag itself holding up, its very durable, I figure I could get a lot more uses out of it.
Comparable to the SOL, this does the trick for less money. It is a bit heavier than the SOL (which I also have) but it does the same thing. I have this one in a get home bag and I feel comfortable that it will not fail when needed. One tip, keep your head outside of the bag if at all possible. The moisture in your breath will condensate and cause wetness in the bag.
Much better than some Mylar sleeping bags I have used and I was immediately impressed! Perfect for just about any emergency situation or even a spur of the moment camping trip. The compact size of about 3" in diameter and 6" in length with it's own it's stuff sack weighing a mere 5.8 oz make it ideal for a day pack or overnight bag! It can also be used as a liner for a regular sleeping bag if conditions get extremely cold. One or two should be in your vehicle emergency kit. Sometimes it's fun just to see how light you can go for an overnight-er. Very happy with this emergency sleeping bag that is also reusable if you treat it right! That gives it extra points right off! Winter is coming on and emergencies will happen! I have also made my own emergency sleeping bags in the past from the Mylar emergency blankets commonly called space blankets by putting two together with Mylar duct tape and or regular duct tape! Just can not understand why they doubled the price within 3 weeks! WILL NOT REORDER because of that! That's been happening a lot lately!
NEW UPDATE: The price was more than doubled and now lowered since my original order Oct 4th. It is only the 27th. Now the price lowered again a couple of bucks so maybe I can order for the scouts now. They were more upset than I was about the price increase since their project involved in creating emergency kits for themselves, friends and family members! Regardless of what happened price wise this is a decent emergency sleeping bag and will keep you warm and not like sleeping under a hard candy wrapper! Be Prepared!
Feature Product
- Dimensions: 36" x 84"
- Lightweight at 5.8 oz.
- Heavy-duty aluminized PE interior material for insulation and warmth
- Color: high-visibility orange
- Comes with a drawstring carrying bag
Description
SE’s heavy-duty Emergency Sleeping Bag is tear-resistant, reusable, and comes with drawstring carrying bag for your convenience—a great addition to your gear for boating, camping, emergency and survival kits, fishing, hiking, etc.
IMPORTANT: Avoid getting counterfeit items. Genuine SE products come with our SE logo on the packaging.
SE is committed to providing the customer with the best source for value. You will enjoy the quality, function and usefulness our SE Survivor Series Emergency Sleeping Bag Kit, Orange has to offer.
SE is a registered trademark protected by US Trademark Law.
This product helped me save a life today.
I was driving on the freeway this morning when the car in front of me lost control and crashed.
One of the passengers was going into shock and we had to lay her down. It’s been getting cold lately and laying a shock patient on the cold ground is a bad idea. I remembered keeping this in my car and broke it out. It kept the patient warm until the ambulance arrived.
I can honestly say this product does what it says on the label.
Perfectly sized and lightweight for my BOB or earthquake emergency kits. I can't afford the SOL Bivvy bags and don't have room in or on my hiking packs for something bigger. These help an adult carry an extra for a child--and though I have some double-sized SOL emergency blankets, these will close up. Just keep in mind that these types of things may cause you to overheat--which is good in the winter.
Bright orange color will be great for safety but clearly won't help with camouflage situations. The bag looks durable enough for reuse or repurposing, and the cord will last for a little while if attached to outside of your pack with a very small clip. I would bet that the case won't rip with repeated reuse as long as you don't just stuff the bag back in without any thought.
This is a huge upgrade over those little space blanket things. Imagine a space blanket but now much larger and made into the shape of a sleeping bag. You can actually climb inside this thing and get out of the rain, because it is sealed on three sides, and because it reflects back your body heat, you could survive a pretty cold night in it if you had to. Now have I actually used this in a survival situation? No. In fact, I hope I reach the end of my days without ever having to spend a night in this thing. Mylar does not breathe at all, so it would certainly get clammy and unpleasant to spend any time in one of these. But it isn't built for comfort, it is built to keep you alive.
I have a few of these in the car in case I get stranded in a blizzard, and I carry one when I take day hikes, in case I unexpectedly find myself in the woods overnight. Chances are, you will never need this. But it takes up almost no room in a day pack and doesn't weigh much. It is good, cheap insurance for anybody who operates a car in cold weather or spends any time in the outdoors. If you are on the fence about buying this, just get it.
Just returned from a couple of nights in the woods. My son and I wanted to "rough" it so we brought our tarps instead of tent gear. Night one was a beautiful, clear night with lots of stars. I just laid out my 40 degree sleeping bag and went to sleep under the stars. Ambient temp was in the lower 50's F. I was awakened by the pitter patter of rain on my face! I had this bivvy sack handy so I was quickly able to pull it over my sleeping bag, with me in it (the easiest way). I'm 73" tall so the bag just barely covers me. I was able to curl up a little and stayed perfectly dry as the rain intensified. I'm glad I had this bag on hand!
Night two: This night, I used a tarp shelter. Still have the 40 degree F sleeping bag. The temp dropped down to about 30. My shivering woke me up. I pulled the bivvy bag out again and it was enough to stop the chill. I don't know what the actual temperature difference was but I went from shivering to cool but comfortable.
I'm ordering some more -- these are going into our automobile emergency bags.
One note: This is an air tight material. It WILL condense your sweat and become wet on the inside. Dry it out before stowing again.
This product deserve more stars than I can give. Having about several hundred miles of hiking/camping trip under my belt and sleeping through several different scenario. I would never leave home without one! Honestly, if one was dress in layers and literally forgot their sleeping bag. This backup would easily help you survive that first night with the temperature dropping down to the mid 40 degrees. Of course, in extreme situation...I'm certain this product will save someone's life if use correctly! When I sleep, I naturally sleep in a fetus position and with this foil sleeping bag...the trick is to put yourself inside the bag entirely. Leave some room between you and the bag...also make sure to drink some hot drink before bed to keep your core running. At night as you start to snooze off, your breath and the heat that comes off will be self contain in the bag and it does help to a certain extend again to dress in layers. This product overall does a fantastic job at providing shelter/coverage as an emergency sleeping bag for the great outdoors!
0 comments:
Post a Comment