Silk Liners, are they worth it, where's the cheapest?

[CAL]

I need some advice on silk liners.

At the moment we use either a cotton liner, or a fleece liner depending on temperature. However, in a couple of months we are off on a trip of a lifetime to Peru and will be sleeping in cool ish conditions (machu picchu) and then warm humid conditions (amazon).

We have been recomended silk liners - soemthing neither of us have ever used before. Are they that good and where's the best place to get them from. Locally I can get mummy style liners for £28 - £32 each.

Thanks,

CAL

 

[TinkyPete]

They are great, keep you warm and cool and that's about the average price for them but normally cost more if you go to a lot of outdoor shops that sell them (£35 average then) they add about a season to a sleeping bag but pack very smalll and are extremely light, I have different liners such as cotton, silk, merklon and fleece and i find the silk to be the best all round performer use it summer and winter

 

[listenclear]

Have a look on ebay for the silk liners.
This company seem to sell tham a bit cheaper
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Silk-Sleeping...tingGoods_SleepingBags_SM&hash=item563d49f791

No connection with sellers i just found it trying to find the company i bought mine from. It's not the same but it looks like you could get rectangle or mummy shaped.
Hope you have a great trip!!!

 

[Chainsaw]

DD hammocks, 11 quid delivered

Cheers,

Alan

 

[J4C3]

Got the DD one cracking little bit of kit

 

[hoppinmad]

Hi,
I got a silk liner from 'tenth wonder' on ebay for just under a tenner [no connection but happy customer] which weighs about 130gm. they all state that it adds a season to a sleeping bag rating but imho thats a bit opptomistic [excuse spelling], they are comfortable and they do help keep your sleeping bag clean, and pack up small. you do have to wash the liner a few times to make sure that the dye does not run..but overall a good bit of kit
regards
Stu

 

[Lithril]

I rate my silk liner very, very highly, warmth to weight ratio they're incredible, got mine from backpackinglight.com, packs down to apple size but it's with me on every weekend I'm out now. I'd definitely rate it as one of those bits of kit that if I lost it I'd replace it straight away.

Matt

 

[Dark Horse Dave]

I have to say I haven't been too impressed with my cheapo DD one (perhaps that's why? )

I get the argument that it's easier to keep a liner clean than a sleeping bag, but I find the liner to be flimsy in use (ie I've torn it down the seam without much effort), tricky to get in (ie twists up in your bag, and difficult to unravel with your feet in the dark - particularly in a hammock), and the idea that it adds a season or whatever to the warmth of the bag is a bit - ahem - optimistic!

Ah well, worth a punt for 8 quid or whatever it was!

 

[JonathanD]

It's worth spending that little extra on these. I've found the less expensive versions come apart at the seams and the weave is not as tight as the higher end ones. Great bits of kit that not only keep you warm or cool as desired, but prolong the life of your bag too.

 

[seg1959]

Hi,
I got a silk liner from 'tenth wonder' on ebay for just under a tenner [no connection but happy customer] which weighs about 130gm. they all state that it adds a season to a sleeping bag rating but imho thats a bit opptomistic [excuse spelling], they are comfortable and they do help keep your sleeping bag clean, and pack up small. you do have to wash the liner a few times to make sure that the dye does not run..but overall a good bit of kit
regards
Stu

I have 2 of these as well and I had no problems - quite warm.

 

[Fizzy]

Jag Bags come highly recommended. You can buy them on eBay or direct from Jag Bags in NZ. Their prices include international shipping as well. I will probably be buying one myself quite soon.

 

[BlueRuby]

I have 1 that cost me around the £30ish, though can't remember the make off the top of my head.
I recommend it highly - I had mine recently on a bicycle tour around England all of March. Light, small pack size, warm and easy to clean.
Have yet to use it in the warmer conditions to see how it keeps me cool, but in cold temps, it gets the thumbs up from me.

 

[Barn Owl]

I have to say I haven't been too impressed with my cheapo DD one (perhaps that's why? )

I get the argument that it's easier to keep a liner clean than a sleeping bag, but I find the liner to be flimsy in use (ie I've torn it down the seam without much effort), tricky to get in (ie twists up in your bag, and difficult to unravel with your feet in the dark - particularly in a hammock), and the idea that it adds a season or whatever to the warmth of the bag is a bit - ahem - optimistic!

Ah well, worth a punt for 8 quid or whatever it was!

I'm the same in that I get tangled up in them,more bother to me than anything and it wasn't a cheap one either.

 

[drewdunnrespect]

personally i have never had one but have herd cracking reviews about them but i have also been told complete waste of time so i think it must be a marmite piece of kit you love em or hate em

 

[Fizzy]

personally i have never had one but have herd cracking reviews about them but i have also been told complete waste of time so i think it must be a marmite piece of kit you love em or hate em

Yeah, I think it depends how you sleep. Move around a lot and you're going to end up in a tangle

 

[Old Bones]

I spotted some in Blacks (their own brand) down to £24.99 - which is the cheapest I've seen.

 

[seg1959]

I spotted some in Blacks (their own brand) down to £24.99 - which is the cheapest I've seen.

The cheapest ones I am aware of are around £10 - tenth wonder or DD. RE quality, about average and from what I read on the forums, not much worse than the £25 stuff.

 

[Teepee]

I have 3 different silk liners, but by far the best is the sea to summit rectangular one. Its ripstop silk and it seems to stay in place better, its warmer, lighter and never constrictive.

 

[itsahabit]

I've used a silk liner for some years, since I first became a convert to down bags. They are great in the winter for a little extra warmth. In the summer I often use it on its own when its really warm and humid, I find just laying on the sleeping bag is often plenty warm enough. Even when in the sleeping bag on summer nights, I prefer the feel of silk as it seems to keep me much less hot and sticky than I am without.
As for getting tangled up, its not a problem I've ever encountered, even though I'm a really mobile sleeper!
I even use it when I'm in the hammock, though I admit it takes practice to get in and out without fuss while swinging around in such confines.
I've tried cotton liners but there's really no comparison, silk wins every time.

Keep your eyes open for bargains- I picked one up in a Millets sale for £6- less than the cotton ones normally cost. I haven't tried the DD Hammocks one yet but will be getting one in the near future as a spare. I'm a big fan of DD Hammocks- everything I've ever had from them has been well made and unbelievably good value for money. Their service is top too, I can't imagine their liner will be anything other than good.

 

[helixpteron]

I bought three Lifeventure Silk Liners (Rectangular) for £14:95 each from Blacks.

Silk is lovely as a liner and an excellent insulant which weighs little and packs small, I'd choose silk over any other fabric.