Go Time Gear Life Bivy review

What the Life Bivy is

Go Time Gear's page calls the Life Bivy "a high-performance, 2-person emergency sleeping bag" and describes it as bright orange, with a survival whistle to alert rescuers; the page also offers it in green. It comes rolled up in a waterproof stuff sack, and the maker says it weighs 4.1 ounces and is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand.

The maker pitches it at hiking and hunting packs, bug-out bags, earthquake kits and car emergency kits. In other words, it is a light backup for the places where you cannot keep a bedroll. Our emergency blanket comparison covers the other low-bulk warmth options.

Material and the heat-reflection claim

The listed material is a 26-micron, extra-thick coated polyethylene that the maker calls tear and puncture resistant, with a reflective interior. Go Time Gear says the interior reflects up to 90% of your body heat, and that the bag is waterproof and windproof, locking out rain, wind and snow.

Read the 90% figure as the maker's claim. The page does not say how it was measured, and it gives no temperature rating or comfort range. Without one, it cannot be compared with an insulated sleeping bag's rating. Go Time Gear also does not state a size beyond calling it a two-person bag.

Whistle and drawstring

The stuff sack's drawstring is a 550-pound paracord that Go Time Gear says can be used to tie down gear, repair equipment, or, using the inner strands, as tinder. A 120-decibel survival whistle is attached to the end of the cord.

A whistle is on Ready.gov's basic kit list, which names a "Whistle (to signal for help)." Having one attached to the bivy's stuff sack means it travels with the bag instead of being a separate item to remember.

Where it fits in a kit

Ready.gov's list of additional supplies to consider includes a "Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person." CDC's winter storm advice also lists extra blankets, sleeping bags and warm winter coats among the heat sources to have if the power goes out. A 4.1-ounce bivy does not replace those at home, where there is room for real bedding.

Where it earns a place is in the spots that are easy to forget: a glovebox, a go bag, a bag by the door. For a vehicle, Ready.gov's winter advice is a car kit with warm clothes, blankets, bottled water and non-perishable snacks, and a bivy adds a windproof layer on top of those. See our winter car kit guide and go bag checklist.

A note on staying warm

Ready.gov says a body temperature below 95 degrees is an emergency, and its steps are to go to a warm room, warm the center of the body first and keep dry and wrapped up in warm blankets, including the head and neck. A waterproof, windproof bag helps you stay dry and wrapped while you wait, but it is not treatment on its own.

For a longer outage, our guide to staying warm without power goes through the official advice for heating a home safely.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you need a bag you can sleep in comfortably for several nights, or if you want a stated temperature rating, which the maker's page does not give. Read it as a one-night emergency shelter layer rather than camping gear, and pair it with clothing and a real sleeping bag where you can.

How much does the Go Time Gear Life Bivy weigh?

Go Time Gear says 4.1 ounces, packed inside a waterproof nylon stuff sack small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. The maker's page does not list the packed or unfolded dimensions.

Is the Life Bivy waterproof?

The maker says it is waterproof and windproof, made from a 26-micron coated polyethylene it calls tear and puncture resistant. It also supplies a waterproof nylon stuff sack. It gives no rating test or standard for either claim.

Does it replace a sleeping bag in an emergency kit?

Not for home use. Ready.gov's list of additional kit supplies suggests a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. A bivy is a light backup for a car or go bag, where bulk matters, and it does not come with a temperature rating.

Can two people use it?

Go Time Gear describes it as a two-person emergency sleeping bag, but the page gives no dimensions and no weight limit. Check the size against the people who will share it before relying on that.