Sleeping bag liners

[Rcarver]

I would like to get some feed back on peoples experience with using sleeping bag liners.

Do they add a noticable amount of warmth?
Do you have a problem getting tangled up in them?

[Montana Mac]

I just picked up one for my bag on the recommendation of my brother. He thru hiked and the reason he suggested one was that it will help save your sleeping bag from all of that "hiker funk". He washed it every time he did his laundry.

[Lyle]

I've occasionally used a silk liner when I wanted to push a summer bag a bit. There was SOME hassle getting in and out, but nothing major. I had a 35* bag, slept at 11,500 ft in the Sierras in September, under a tarp. Water bottles were frozen in the AM and there was a skin of ice on the lake. I slept warm with the liner, light poly pros, and acrylic hat. My guess is that a silk liner will add about 5* of warmth, not the 9* that was advertised, but all that is subjective. A liner will help you keep your bag cleaner, and can be laundered much easier than the bag.

edit: I toss and turn a lot when ground sleeping, didn't have much problem with tangling.

[Ranc0r]

I'll third what the others have said. I'm a toss-turner, and did not get tangled up in the liner. I've got a silk liner, and I use it like a top sheet. It is very washer friendly, meaning that it doesn't get hung up middle thing in the washer (agitater?). I wash it far more frequently than I do my bag or quilt, and I can use it with a poncho liner only during summer weather.

Now that said, I still feel that the extra $35 to $50 spent on a liner would net greater warmth if spent on loft and fill. I have a liner, so I use it. If I did not have one, I would feel no compulsion to acquire one. A better bag or quilt would be a better investment, long term.

Just my $.02, feel free to have an opinion of your own.

Ranc0r
.

[Rcarver]

Thanks for the replies. I bought one last fall but haven't used it yet. I was a little concerned about getting tangled up in it. I guess I just need to take it on a trip and see if I like it or not.

[smaaax]

I used a silk liker for my thru-hike, and loved it. I only got tangled in it one night, but I imagine this depends on the person. I do roll a lot.

I think it added about 5 degrees. Not 9 or whatever it advertises. I primarily liked that I could wash it every time with my laundry, and my sleeping bag didn't really smell at all (used the same one most of the trip).

When it is warm out, I just got in it and laid on top of my sleeping bag until it cooled off. In this respect it also doubled as a bug net for me. Just pulled it over my head when they got bad and no bugs.

I would highly recommend one.

[shelterbuilder]

Thanks for the replies. I bought one last fall but haven't used it yet. I was a little concerned about getting tangled up in it. I guess I just need to take it on a trip and see if I like it or not.

Try it out in the back yard first - then you'll know before you go!

[Just Plain Jim]

:-? I always get into my liner and then use my unzipped sleeping bag as a blanket. It works great.

[Blissful]

I like mine very much (used a Cocoon silk liner throughout my hike). Yeah some say you can get tangled, but I didn't. I mean you get tangled a little at first when getting in and have to position it around you, but it was fine when I was settled in for the night. Like having a small bed with a sheet and blanket (liner and bag).

It does wear out though and begins to rip. I replaced mine after my hike in '07. But lots of use.

[brooklynkayak]

I often use a cotton Cocoon for car camping. The cotton one is more comfortable against the skin, but it weighs more, 12 oz.
The silk ones are about 5oz. The cotton takes up a lot more space as well.

I think it would probably extend the life of your sleeping bag enough to make it worth while and the extra warmth could come in handy.

[Franco]

You can get tangled up but the chance of doing so lessens with use, a bit like getting used to being warm without the weight on top when you use a down bag for the first time.
No , it does not increase the warmth by much but it can be useful if it is long enough for you to pull it over your head for a quick warm up.
A quick experiment will give you an idea of its usefulness keeping the bag clean. Sleep in it for two or three nights then smell it. Guess where that smell would be if you did not use it ?
Franco

[cowboy nichols]

I use a silk liner I made for under $10.00. Love it and it does protect your bag. I also carry it when traveling as I don't trust hotel bedding.

[Serial 07]

like everyone, i used a silk liner...it kept my bag from smelling fouler...i also used the liner as a sheet for those summer time siesta naps in the shennys and beyond...perfect for keeping the bugs off...add a nice cool breeze and it's naptime!

[BrianLe]

I used a silk cocoon brand liner too for my PCT thru this year, and overall I think it was a good choice for reasons cited already. I agree that it adds warmth, but I also agree that it doesn't add much. The ability to wash it with regular laundry was nice; I had never used one before, but I borrowed my wife's bag for part of the trip and wanted to keep it nice, and I think I returned it to her in pretty good shape as a result.

I think the issue of getting tangled in it is at least in part one of expectations. My expectation was that when I turn over, the silk liner will cling to me and turn with me inside the bag, and that's about what happened, so I was content. One issue I did have was that if I got out in the night, the liner would tend to get out of the bag with me and when I tried to crawl back it I had to puzzle a bit to figure out which was the dirty side and which the clean side. But overall I guess I'm a mild (not rabid) convert to the liner approach now.


Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle

[Kerosene]

Similar experiences to above: a silk liner adds perhaps 5-degrees of warmth and I don't have problems with tangling despite rolling a lot.

I do like the liner when it's cold outside, but not cold enough to cinch up the hood on my mummy. I can wrap the liner around my neck to keep out drafts, which is surprisingly effective.

My biggest gripe is trying to get back into the liner in the dark. I end up pulling it out of the bag altogether, inserting myself into the liner, and then inserting my body & liner into the bag. You don't want to try to do this in a Hennessey hammock!

[brooklynkayak]

My biggest gripe is trying to get back into the liner in the dark.

Try keeping an article of clothing at the foot of your liner. I did this with a fleece top and found that it helped anchor the liner. This can also help keep cold feet a little warmer as well.

stevie