Liner advice please

[stalemate]

My current sleeping bag liner is falling apart and near end of life. It's a Lifesystems silk one and has done OK but I didn't like how I had to baby it and it would have been nice if it were more robust.

Are there any particularly good liners available? Should I stick with silk or go synthetic?

 

[Robert P]

My current sleeping bag liner is falling apart and near end of life. It's a Lifesystems silk one and has done OK but I didn't like how I had to baby it and it would have been nice if it were more robust.

Are there any particularly good liners available? Should I stick with silk or go synthetic?

I normally use a silk liner to keep my bags clean and reduce frequency of washing, it might even be the Lifesystems one. Lots of repairs done on it to keep in one piece.

There are few lighter options than silk, but Cumulus do make a liner in Pertex quantum (not tried it, but it is light and similar to fabric used for sleeping bags).
https://cumulus.equipment/uk_en/sleeping-bags/liners.html
It is a bit expensive to import and I could find few other options so I had considered trying to make one of ultralight synthetic fabric.

There are some liners more focused on providing additional warmth (eg Sea to Summit Thermolite) - I have one, but while OK it is really rather heavy for the warmth provided

 

[Shewie]

I used to use a Snugpak paratex liner once upon a time (probably heavy compared to modern offerings), I lost that and replaced it with a silk one from BPL, I've gone off them in recent years though, got fed up of waking up all twisted

 

[Jakey]

There is this one, made for quilts, but no reason why it couldn’t be used in a bag:

Product Page | HengeHammocks

www.hengehammocks.com

Only 70 grams.

PS: I have no actual experience with it !

 

[el manana]

I ordered and returned the OMM Core Liner when it was in the sale at £70. Really didn't like it, definitely for adventure racers (if that).

 

[echo8876]

I use cocoon liner for the rare events it's so hot i sleep naked more or less and i dont have any baselayers
otherwise i carry sleeping baselayer that does same thing of protecting my bag

 

[Lemming]

I'd stay with silk - I have found that the Jag Bags ones are well made and last well.
As for echo8876, in winter light baselayers and socks do the same job.

 

[Dickybeau]

I’ve been looking at the Scottish Silkworm liners. They do a microfibre version and a silk one. I’ve put it on my wish list in Amazon but leaning towards the silk. Won’t need it until after mid January so no rush. 200g for the microfibre version and just under 100g for the silk. A small price to pay I’d it adds some additional comfort on cold nights

 

[Teepee]

Silk base layers to sleep in. More comfortable, useful, smalller, and they don't twist up.

 

[stalemate]

Thanks for the advice everyone, helps a lot.

 

[Gordon Meiklejohn]

I use the cumulus one Robert mentions above. I’ve been impressed at how robust it is, it’s wide enough for a side sleeper and doesn’t feel clammy. It was the lightest I could find at the time. 90g I think.

 

[Rog Tallbloke]

Silk base layers to sleep in. More comfortable, useful, smalller, and they don't twist up.

Suits you sir.

I picked up a MLD liner made from very breathable 10d. I was intending to use it to make a jacket with some Apex I got from another forum member. Remembering how much I hate emulating Harry Houdini, I think I'll revert to that plan and wear it in bed.

 

[old-skool-lite]

I found if I'd been proper grafting with my hands or walking barefoot in garden/patio a lot the silk would snag badly on rough skin. Never happened with my old, departed Buffalo pertex liner. No longer available.

 

[The Yank]

Silk provides more warmth per weight than synthetics or cotton. Merino wool is probably the best but it's expensive. ZPacks has them https://zpacks.com/products/merino-wool-sleeping-bag-liner

I found the S2S Reactor and Reactor Extreme liners to be far too expensive for what they add. The warmth increases S2S touts are laughable. Not as good as silk or merino.

 

[echo8876]

I find using liners for warmth a snake oil. Layering with light summer quilt gives infinitely better results, including the fact it moves dew point, and could be same weight or even lighter as functional fleece liner, you get another functional item.

 

[Odd Man]

What's the most common size of a sleeping liner used by people here?

 

[Tychonius]

I cycle between a -35C rated Marmot mummy bag alone, and a no-name light synthetic rectangle bag with quilt and rectangular liner (can't tell you the size right now as it's stored away; I'll check later) as needed.

I never use a liner with the Marmot. It's super warm, and I adjust sleep clothes to suit the expected temps. Good socks and thermal sleepwear is, IMHO, much more effective than a liner. If worried about condensation I drape my OR softshell over the footbox.

My shoulder-season and summer sleep system is quite modular and does include the rectangular liner. When the Marmot is overkill and I want to save some grams I have taken to using the rectangular liner -outside- the rectangular synthetic bag, like a slipcover. It adds a couple of degrees of warmth and protects the bag (it's much easier to wash/dry the liner). Over that I can use my Rumpl "down puffy blanket" flat quilt (which -- yikes!-- is now 5X the price that I got it for in early 2020). Depending on temps I might use one or the other but not both of the liner or quilt. As it warms up I only use the synthetic bag, and for hot sticky summer nights I use only the liner (which makes a lovely no-insulation sleeping envelope!)

 

[stalemate]

Ordered one of these on the grounds that it has be stronger than silk, is easier to wash and is lighter: https://www.gramxpert.eu/product/sleeping-bag-liner/

But it may be worse in other respects. Not sure.

 

[Tychonius]

Ordered one of these on the grounds that it has be stronger than silk, is easier to wash and is lighter: https://www.gramxpert.eu/product/sleeping-bag-liner/

But it may be worse in other respects. Not sure.

Looks nice. But for me I’m not fond of sleeping in that kind of fabric. Keep us posted as to how you get on!

 

[Odd Man]

Looks nice. But for me I’m not fond of sleeping in that kind of fabric. Keep us posted as to how you get on!

Apparently key is to look for taffeta which is supposed to be nicer on the skin compared to other UL poly/nylon fabrics.

 

[tom]

Ordered one of these on the grounds that it has be stronger than silk, is easier to wash and is lighter: https://www.gramxpert.eu/product/sleeping-bag-liner/

But it may be worse in other respects. Not sure.

I have something similar, US product bought 2nd hand here. Its ok - not as nice as silk (gooutdoors silk liners are good and ok priced). I carry liners on alpine hikes when I might sleep in huts occasionally where liners are a must. The liners with pillow top are crap IMO - I always use my towel-scarf for hut pillows. But the 70gr nylon liners is ok for both quilt and hut use IMO...

 

[stalemate]

Yeah the fabric of my GramExpert liner is closer to a bin liner than it is to the sleeping bag fabric I was expecting.

Presumably there are good reason for this.

 

[stalemate]

It's shiny black plastic so pretty kinky. 10/10 for that alone.

 

[Shewie]

Yeah the fabric of my GramExpert liner is closer to a bin liner than it is to the sleeping bag fabric I was expecting.

Presumably there are good reason for this.

I have some wind pants in the same 10D nylon, definitely bordering on fetish wear

 

[Odd Man]

It's shiny black plastic so pretty kinky. 10/10 for that alone.

I have EE Copperfield wind jacket in black 20D and it looks like I'm wearing a bin liner in it.