Adventure Medical Kits Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy

I bought this for a forthcoming Mountain marathon because I only had a foil blanket and not a bag as specified in the kit list. It is very light - about 100g and about the size of an apple, so hardly noticeable in terms of space and weight.

I have had one of these sitting with the emergency kit in my Dakine Poacher for several years. Last week I had to use it in earnest; a bivvy on a rock and ice ridge above the Saleina Glacier. It was absolutely essential and I will always ensure mine is with me in future. So small and light as to be negligible. I survived quite comfortably at 3000m and -8degC. Regrettably I had left my Annapurna Duvet in the valley, to save weight, but a ME Zero waistcoat helped. The bag is surprisingly strong; I wore my ski mountaineering boots inside it. There are a couple of small holes from rocks, not the boots, but those will easily repair with gaffer tape. Lack of breathability not an issue. The only thing I need to experiment with is how to keep the top sealed up without holding on to it all night. There is no drawstring - fair enough - but a piece of elasticated cord in the bag with it might be handy. Maybe seems expensive, but I wouldn't think twice about buying one of these, given my experience with it. Of course, ground insulation is also essential. A rope helped me. I will also now add a small piece of closed cell foam to my emergency gear; always handy for rest stops, anyway.

I've not yet used this in an emergency but I can give feedback on the reality of using it to keep warm at night. I thought it might be of benefit as a one-off sleeping bag for the occasional super-lightweight trip, bc it's claimed that it's tough & reusable. Having slept in it for only a couple of hours, I can say that there's a big difference between saving your life/getting hypothermia & having a comfortable night's sleep. As it's not breathable, it was actually quite uncomfortable but the heat retention for something so light was simply amazing. Couple this with a natural tear resistance, a bright orange colour & a truly amazingly small weight & it presents itself as quite an admirable package. So - horses for courses - I'm keeping it (bc it really is rather tough & does fold back into the stuff sack it arrived in) and will reserve it for when I might have a genuine emergency situation, safe in the knowledge that it actually does do as it claims.

Here's what I've done with it so far: Sat in it in my living room until I got sweaty and decided to stop; Taken it as part of mandatory race kit in my bum-bag. It is really small and light. After repacking it is a little bigger than when it arrived but still smaller than a can of coke. Sure it's a tenner more than the plastic bivi bag you've had for years but it packs away to nothing. And a 250g saving costs a lot more than Âà "šÃ‚£10 in most other areas of your kit. Will probably get a couple more and they can live at the bottom of our rucksacks in case something goes awry.

Purchased to fulfil the mandatory kit requirements for mountain marathons and for personal safety in the hills. This has seen a lot of use, though never in a true emergency. Generally used to supplement the insulation under a balloon bed in mountain marathons. It has also been used for a sleep stop in a 24hr event in poor conditions with only a light, synthetic insulation pullover. I wouldn't expect to be comfortable in it used this way but it did allow an hour of respite. Even when cold you do become damp very quickly and you would benefit from having more layers to wick the moisture away from you skin. Easy enough to repack into its sack after use but sturdy enough to use without when needing to save weight. Most people will stick it in the bottom of their sack for emergency use and at the weight there is no excuse not to. It does however stand up to more regular use and if dried and stored properly will last longer than you think. Good value.