SILK or cotton sleeping bag liner

[floatcloud]

Hi everyone,
Can I please enquire which make of silk or cotton sleeping bag liner do you use and why ?

Been looking on fleabay where silk liners seem to be about £4 or £5 quid compared to the Rab ones which are over £40 !! such a difference in price..

Also anyone got any preference for cotton liners and if so, why ?

Thanks, just bought an expensive down sleeping bag and want to keep it reasonably clean

cheers!

 

[bilmo-p5]

I generally like silk gear (base layers etc.) but find it makes cold bag liners. For general use I use a brushed polyester one (Argos, c.£10) and in winter back it up with a Snugpak Thermalon brushed knitted polyester liner (c.£18 last time I looked).
They work for me, YMMV.

 

[underground]

I've been using the same Rab silk liner, mummy style, for the last 20 years and it's still going strong. In those terms it was well worth the money and it's had a lot of use. I'd buy another if I had to. Having said that I bought 4 of the Thai ones off eBay for 15 quid recently as the wife and kids needed liners. They are 'alright', not amazing, not quite as soft and (not sure if I misordered) are 'flat envelope' style so not as good for sleeping bag use- but for intended use and frequency thereof, perfectly fine and not '£35 worse' than the Rab one.

ETA: look for 'Treksilk' on eBay, a mummy liner is just over a tenner delivered. I got my four on a buy x get n free deal- also the mummy one is like what I got, they open up halfway along one seam hence the 'envelope' comment.

 

[homesicksteve]

I'm in a Jag Bag.

http://www.terrevistatrails.com/

1) To save my down bag from needing cleaning.
2) I use in Hotels etc. as I worry about bed bugs. I think they can get through cotton, but not silk.
If this is not the case, please, nobody tell me....

 

[Janne]

Bedbugs looove silk!

They just waltz in through the opening your head pokes through!

 

[C_Claycomb]

Bed bugs don't need to get in, you leave enough of you sticking out. For greater protection, don't use the bed, throw a kip mat in the bath and bed down there.

I can't be 100% sure, but I think I may have a RAB silk liner. Had it for a bunch of years, doesn't get as much use as I would like, but even so I would not swap it for cotton. I like that it is so light and compact. It doesn't take much to dry if it gets damp and I haven't noticed it make the sleeping bag colder. Sure, it will feel a little cooler compared to something with a nap , but I am more interested in keeping my main bag clean than in boosting warmth.

 

[Tonyuk]

Silk liners are excellent in hot weather they stay comfortable next to the skin and don't feel "damp" to the touch.

Tonyuk

 

[John Fenna]

I love the liner I made from a dress length of Thai silk.
I beats my cotton one into a cocked hat, is easy to wash and dry and packs reasonably small.
I make my liners rectangular - the excess in the foot of a sleeping bag is not too noticeable but when you use it in a bed or hammock without a sleeping bag (or in a rectangular sleeping bag for that matter) the freedom of movement is so liberating!
I sew lengths of paracord to both the foot and shoulder end of the liner so I can tie it off to bedframes or such for that "fitted sheet feel

 

[NoName]

silk!! all the way

 

[Old Bones]

Cotton is cheap and easy to clean (which is pretty much why your using a liner in the first place), but does like moisture, which is why cheap sleeping bags have a cotton inner (they say its for comfort, but we all know because its cheap). So they can be sweaty.

Silk 'breathes' a lot better, and is often more comfortable. It also squishes down smaller when packed. I have to admit that I also find silk a little 'cold', but thats just me. Silk is actually really good at either cooling you down/keeping you warm (think silk shirt in summer, pilots with silk scarves). There are also synthetic ones, although the fleecy ones are more designed for an extra bit of warmth.

Remember, your comparing cheap cotton on Ebay (or relatively cheap silk on Ebay) with a Rab high quality silk bag (designed to fit their bags) in a shop - you might be paying over the odds, or you might be buying cheap, and buying twice. You pays your money...

Bedbugs looove silk!

They dont care about the material, they just care about feeding on you, unfortunately. You can certainly use a liner/travel sheet in hostels etc to keep off dirty sheets/ help stop beg bugs (any barrier is a help), and Sea to Summit/Lifeventure do ones which are impregnated with stuff to keep all sort of insects at bay https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/sleeping-bag-liners.html & http://www.independent.co.uk/extras...vity/5-best-sleeping-bag-liners-10082198.html. If your out in the countryside in a tent, I wouldn't bother.

We were hit some years ago by three infestations in 4 years, caused by neighbours, so I got to know about them (and paranoid) very quickly. Bed begs feed on blood, and seem to home in on their victims using our exhaled CO2 to guide them. 40% of people dont react to a bite (I'm not sure I was even bitten, but I certainly didn't react), and its easy to think the bites are mozzies/chicken pox at first (thats what we thought the kids had). Horrible creatures, and total nightmares to get rid of. If you do have a problem with them, while you can call a professional, it wont be cheap and might not be quick. These guys are really good at supplying the proper stuff you need: https://www.pestcontroldirect.co.uk/acatalog/Pest_Control_Direct_Bed_Bugs_28.html , and you can do the job yourself.

Now trying not to shudder at the memory!

 

[homesicksteve]

.....They just waltz in through the opening your head pokes through!

.....Bed bugs don't need to get in, you leave enough of you sticking out. For greater protection, don't use the bed, throw a kip mat in the bath and bed down there.

.....seem to home in on their victims using our exhaled CO2 to guide them. ....

So - now I'm holding my breath, head inside the bag, sleeping in the bath. Thanks guys. :yikes:

 

[Old Bones]

So - now I'm holding my breath, head inside the bag, sleeping in the bath. Thanks guys.

Sorry about that! Now you get the part about being paranoid, and dont even start on Googling about them - my wife began doing that and the horror stories just made it worse. There was one guy in New York who was sleeping on a table, with the legs of the table standing in old paint cans - which were filled with petrol. Sadly, I understand why.

In reality, your unlikely to get them especially if you live in a detached house. But if you do, there is hope, so dont panic. If your in a hotel, then always wise to check the linen and underneath the bed - little spots of dried blood are the giveaway. And don't unpack until you've checked, and even then, keep your bags away from the bed.

 

[Janne]

I have never seen a bed bug. I have always ( well, almost...) chosen carefully who is in my bed.

 

[bearbait]

I have an original Survival Aids Meraklon (?) liner which is OK but feels a bit clingy. Not used it for a long time.

I now have a Rab silk hooded liner. Love it. Squishes down to something smaller than my fist and is very light. Washes and dries easily. The hood stops my hooded bags getting icky from hair (there is some remaining). And it has had a fair amount of use: over several months a year for around 4 years or so and still going strong.

I always try to buy decent gear/stuff. That way one only feels the pain of purchase once.

 

[IC_Rafe]

I generally like silk gear (base layers etc.) but find it makes cold bag liners. For general use I use a brushed polyester one (Argos, c.£10) and in winter back it up with a Snugpak Thermalon brushed knitted polyester liner (c.£18 last time I looked).
They work for me, YMMV.

Hmmm, sounds like i could use a silk one then if it makes it feel a bit cooler to the touch. I sleep pretty warm, but generally need something over me to be comfortable. This sounds like a solution . (Don't like cotton due to the clingy feeling myself personally).

 

[Big G]

I'm not keen on bag liners.. always seem to get tangled up in them tossing and turning through the night

Prefer wearing thermals or a base layer.. preferably merino or wool mixture.

 

[Macaroon]

I have never seen a bed bug. I have always ( well, almost...) chosen carefully who is in my bed.

You're a really cool guy! When I first read your posts I thought you were just lucky, but over the run of time I've realised you're, .......well.......just better than the rest.

 

[floatcloud]

THANKS guys !
bit late getting back to see all the replies! really helpful

 

[floatcloud]

hmm think i may be the same ....another old ****** here !

 

[floatcloud]

I have an original Survival Aids Meraklon (?) liner which is OK but feels a bit clingy. Not used it for a long time.

I now have a Rab silk hooded liner. Love it. Squishes down to something smaller than my fist and is very light. Washes and dries easily. The hood stops my hooded bags getting icky from hair (there is some remaining). And it has had a fair amount of use: over several months a year for around 4 years or so and still going strong.

I always try to buy decent gear/stuff. That way one only feels the pain of purchase once.

does that Rab liner feel clingy at all or is it ok because made of silk please ? thanks