I won a free $100 gift card to an outdoor store, so I bought a few fun items. However, there was this one product I bought that I thought was pretty interesting, so I figured I’d share it here since it’s related to survival lifestyle gear. It’s a compact emergency sleeping bag.
The TACT Bivvy Emergency Sleeping Bag
Yeah, that thing is actually a sleeping bag.
And it really does fit in the palm of your hand when it’s all rolled up.
I figured it’d be pretty cheap, and just something I’d use with another sleeping bag (as a liner), but it’s actually good enough to use as a stand-alone sleeping bag for emergencies so long as it isn’t too cold.
I took it out of the package and it doesn’t feel cheap at all. It hasn’t torn or worn down much since I first bought it (and I’ve used it a couple times now). I don’t know about some long-term reliability of it, but it would work in an emergency.
For anyone out there searching for a compact sleeping bag to beef up your bugout kit at a reasonable price, give this one a look.
And for those of you wanting to know more about the specs:
- It has HeatEcho thermal blanket material. So more durable than the normal tarp-like bags.
- It does have reinforced taped seams
- Waterproof/windproof
- Weighs about 5.1 ounces (mine does, at least. They say it weighs 4.8 on the website)
- 7′ by 3′, so it will fit you unless you are incredibly overweight. In which case: Exercise.
Now for the honest negatives:
1) I doubt it’s going to last five years, but it’s also really cheap so I could just buy another one when I need it.
1.5) Seems pretty tear resistant… But I’m not sure how long that would hold up when hit with really bad weather conditions.
2) It’s really difficult to get it back in the tiny bag. I ended up just using a bigger bag to stuff it in, but I’ve seen videos of people actually fitting it in, so your mileage may vary.
Before buying this, one of my burning questions had to do with the temperature rating. However, I’m not sure on the actual weather temp for it. I used it in 40 degree (Fahrenheit) weather no problem, but I can’t tell you if it would be manageable at 20 degrees.
Overall: it’s lightweight, compact, affordable, and a useful piece for any survival checklist.
And I’m happy with it. Can’t beat it for such a cheap price. If you’re in the market looking for one, I’d definitely recommend it.
Try to find it not on Amazon if possible. Other websites have them as well.
