Bag liner - Cotton? Polycotton? Silk? Or doesn't matter?

[Folcwigga]

Is it a piece of gear worth paying extra for quality, or just something easily replaceable to line the bag, make it a bit warmer, and keep the bag from getting dirty/wet?

 

[Johnnyboy1971]

Tried a liner once and threw it away. Got really fed up of becoming tangled up in it when I turned over.
Good for keeping the inside of the bag clean though.

 

[quietone]

I've never used a liner myself. But you can get some that increase the insulation of the bag by a significant amount of degrees. Which for me, is more useful, and a better reason for use than simply to keep the bag cleaner.

 

[lou1661]

I have used a silk liner, and i do like it, kept the bag cleaner which kept it warmer. it was also nice to get into after a days hard graft.

 

[redandshane]

I use them in colder winter times just for that extra bit of insulation and for the best results in that I use a fleece one .

I have others but the fleece one wins for enhancing warmth silk obviously has a good weight to insulation value as well but I find it all a bit slippy!!

 

[Chris the Cat]

I get tangled up in them!
Not for me.

da C.

 

[Swallow]

Use 'em to reduce the number of washes on down bags. Idea being any sweat and stuff gets washed away off the liners instead of going onto the down and reducing it's efficiency, until washed.

That's all on the assumption that no matter what is is treated with, down will become less efficient if washed a lot. Which may or may not be true.

EDIT

our liners are silk jagbags fromr terranovatrails, which got good reviews on here.

 

[ozzy1977]

I have Sea to Sumit silk ones but don't use them as I get tangled up in them. Do the cotton or fleece ones has the same problem or is it just the silk ones?

 

[JohnC]

I use a silk liner in the bag, find it very good...

 

[Dirty]

I use a fleece liner, on the outside of the bag.
Never got on with them on the inside.

 

[Tiley]

I don't think it really matters but I use a silk one, which is lovely: adds a bit of warmth, packs down really well and keeps my sleeping bag a bit cleaner - in theory, at least...

 

[mousey]

I have and use a slik liner, yes feels nice, yes keeps bags clean and yes if you move around alot it does get a bit tangly. It is also another thing to wriggle into. However one the whole I think it's better to use one than not. I also made my own fleece liner/ bag out of a blanket for extra wamth when cold or use just on it's own when hot [or in a youth hostel].

 

[Crowe]

I use the army merkalon knitted liner. It def is warmer, it turns over with you and is a snug fit (does not have a zip or closure)but big enough to pull over your head like a cocoon. packs to about 1litre. Downside is getting into it and then getting out of it and the bag when nature calls.
crowe

 

[JohnC]

Some bags have a loop or ties at the base on the inside for hanging inside out when airing or drying, IIRC the liners have a similar loop/tie on the end and could be loosely tied in place.

 

[TheWhittler]

I've been using a Lifeventure cotton liner for some months now to reduce the need for washing my sleeping bag.(Due to new house DIY, nothing glamorous like wilderness survival!). The cotton liner doesn't feel as luxurious as the sleeping bag lining but I know it's serving a purpose. I've heard silk liners are warmer/better so I decided to buy one from eBay from spirits_of_vietnam for £6 + £5p+p. I received the liner today and gave the frayed end of the included bag tie a test by holding a soldering iron tip close to it. The bag tie uses the same fabric as the liner. Unfortunately the ends melted as a synthetic fabric would. Whilst the advert headline says "silk" and "0% polyester content", further reading of their advert says "silk fabric using high quality synthetic fibers". The moral of the story is, you get what you pay for. Looking again some adverts are more honest in advertising "faux" silk. I'm tempted to get a Lifeventure Ex3 Treated Silk Sleeper. Has anyone got any other recommendations?

 

[Jammylodger]

Until this year I never bothered with a liner, but I bought a micro fleece one and love it.
I got mine in a sale for £10 which was very cheap.
I put it in my bag before leaving home and compress them both together.
For £10 I've now got extra performance from my sleeping bags, virtually no extra weight, and very little cost for the performance value.
I cinch this up tight under my arm pits to avoid tangles, but to be honest in a mummy bag I've never had tangle issues when the baffle and hood are tight anyway.
I wouldn't really bother in the summer tho.

 

[troutman]

I use a Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor bag liner. Adds more warmth than other materials (except heavy weight fleece) but packs to a MUCH smaller size than others. Adds maybe 5-10c of warmth depending on conditions.

The issue of getting tangled in bag liners- the very nature/ construction means you will tangle at some point, due to lack of rigidity etc. I have used the above for travelling and it's very good albeit a high initial outlay price. Wicks nicely (better than cotton) and adds more warmth for a very small pack space/ weight. Also good on its own in hotter climes as I used it for, or when added to slightly "suspect" bedding in less developed areas of the world!

 

[troutman]

I've been using a Lifeventure cotton liner for some months now to reduce the need for washing my sleeping bag.(Due to new house DIY, nothing glamorous like wilderness survival!). The cotton liner doesn't feel as luxurious as the sleeping bag lining but I know it's serving a purpose. I've heard silk liners are warmer/better so I decided to buy one from eBay from spirits_of_vietnam for £6 + £5p+p. I received the liner today and gave the frayed end of the included bag tie a test by holding a soldering iron tip close to it. The bag tie uses the same fabric as the liner. Unfortunately the ends melted as a synthetic fabric would. Whilst the advert headline says "silk" and "0% polyester content", further reading of their advert says "silk fabric using high quality synthetic fibers". The moral of the story is, you get what you pay for. Looking again some adverts are more honest in advertising "faux" silk. I'm tempted to get a Lifeventure Ex3 Treated Silk Sleeper. Has anyone got any other recommendations?

That's annoying! If your looking for real deal silk try the Rab sleeping bag liners.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

I got the snugpak TS1 liner, it's really improved things, given me an extra degree or so range on the bag, as well as provided something for when it's too warm for the full bag in summer. Highly recommended.

J

 

[Swallow]

I've been using a Lifeventure cotton liner for some months now to reduce the need for washing my sleeping bag.(Due to new house DIY, nothing glamorous like wilderness survival!). The cotton liner doesn't feel as luxurious as the sleeping bag lining but I know it's serving a purpose. I've heard silk liners are warmer/better so I decided to buy one from eBay from spirits_of_vietnam for £6 + £5p+p. I received the liner today and gave the frayed end of the included bag tie a test by holding a soldering iron tip close to it. The bag tie uses the same fabric as the liner. Unfortunately the ends melted as a synthetic fabric would. Whilst the advert headline says "silk" and "0% polyester content", further reading of their advert says "silk fabric using high quality synthetic fibers". The moral of the story is, you get what you pay for. Looking again some adverts are more honest in advertising "faux" silk. I'm tempted to get a Lifeventure Ex3 Treated Silk Sleeper. Has anyone got any other recommendations?

Jag Bags as reviewed here

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/content.php?r=424-Review-Jag-Bag

and sold here

http://www.terrevistatrails.com/.