Sleeping Bag Liner

[SkyKing]

First, I've never used a bag liner but I can see their benefit. Second, my blood must be liquid nitrogen as I get cold in July.
I've seen liners made from lots of material..fleece, tricot, silk, silnylon, TRAZH BAGS!!.....and so on. I assume I'll have to make the liner as I'm using a Raku bag. I would SURE welcome ALL advice as to type of material I need to use. It's not etched in rock yet (nope..not referring to you Sarge) but I'll probably be going with a Hennessey....if that would make a difference. Even with a hot bag and liner I'm not worried about overheating. Lots of ways to vent!

[Papa Bear]

I went the silk liner route and am very happy. It's super light (I think 4 oz) and keeps me about 10 degrees warmer plus keeps the sleeping bag much cleaner. At the end of a trek just throw it in the wash.

One slight problem: costs a lot, I think $60! Trash bags sure are cheaper but I'll keep my silk liner thanks.

Pb

Edit: I just looked it up Here it is it's 4.7 oz.

Pb

[chris]

I use a silk liner by integral designs. Weighs about 4.5 oz. and costs $60 Canadian. That is a little under $40 in USD. It adds nicely to the warmth of the sleeping bag and becomes by hot weather bag. I've found that I can sleeping comfortably in it down to around 50 degrees. If I was hiking the AT this summer, the liner would be my sleeping bag from mid Virginia to Vermont.

One warning about liners, particularly fleece ones. Check the weight before you buy. I've seems a bunch of fleece liners that weigh more than my sleeping bag.

[poison_ivy]

I use a silk cocoon bag liner. It really makes a huge difference for me, as I am an extremely cold sleeper (I was convinced I was suffering from hypothermia after a night in Maine in July.... It's billed as adding up to 10 degrees of warmth. I ended up going with silk rather than fleece because of the weight savings. I'll agree though, it was really expensive... but worth the money to keep me warm.

-- Ivy

[Kerosene]

I use a silk liner also for my section hikes and echo a lot of the comments above. In addition, I find that I can wrap the liner up around my shoulders to remove some of those little drafts without having to perfectly adjust the mummy around my face.

[Footslogger]

After reading the reviews I went with the Cocoon Silk liner. Haven't had in out in the elements yet but did test it indoors with my 20 degree down bag ...warm as toast !! At 4 oz I don't mind the extra weight and like others have said, it may just end up being my summer bag. I have a 50 degree lightweight bag but it weighs 1 pound. If the silk liner does the job I may just keep that in Pearisburg and send the down bag home until I get to New England.

[DebW]

How thick is a silk liner? If it's very thin silk, how can it add 10 degrees of warmth? Anyone have an explanation? Does it act as a vapor barrier also?

[Blue Jay]

I also vote for silk for all of the reasons mentioned and one more. Sleeping bags tend to get all wound up around me and I wake up like a mummy, all tied up. With a silk liner I always seem to have more room and therefore more comfort.

[Footslogger]

Best explanation I ever heard was that the silk fiber is extremely thin. The bag liners are made of very tightly woven silk and therefore, while quite thin they trap a considerable amount of body heat. Although a tightly woven fabric, the silk liner allows perpiration vapor to escape and is therefore considered to be "breathable".

[SkyKing]

Many thanks everyone!! Silk it is. Now..does anyone know a source for "liner type" silk? Being I'll be using the Raku it'll have to have drawstring openings at both ends.
I had a set of silk waterbed sheets a few years back. Being a farmer and woodworker my hands aren't exactly "silky smooth" and they caught on the sheets like velcro. Made my skin crawl!! Do you guys (and gals) experence that with your liner?

[Footslogger]

SkyKing ...check out this company. I think you might be able to get what you need through them.

http://www.jagbags.co.nz/

[SkyKing]

Thanks Footslogger....great website. I believe it will fill the bill.

[tlbj6142]

Frankly, I think the best reason for getting a liner is to keep your bag clean. I can't imagine what sort of shape my bag would be in without a liner. Without one you'd probably have to through your bag away at the end of the trip.

I'm leaning toward the "travel sheets" rather than the mummy style liner from Design Salt. Seems as though they would give you more wiggle room when used in warmer weather. Alone or under a down quilt (MityLite, backcountry blanket, etc.)

[Yedi]

I recently got a silk liner from Jag Bags. They were super nice to deal with, even paying for the shipping themselves. I got the Endura Silk rectangular model, don't remember its exact name. It weighs a little less than 5 oz. on my scale. I know someone talked to them about custom-making a liner for a hammock, so you might want to ask them about having one fit for the Raku.
(Just got my Arc-Alpinist from Nunatak, very sweet bag if you don't already have the Raku).

Yedi