For years I never used a sleeping bag liner because I thought they were only for adding warmth and since I sleep in my long johns at night, for the most part, I stayed pretty warm. But since then, I found out that they had many other benefits as well.
Here are the 9 reasons to use a sleeping bag line. They minimize contact with bugs, keep the sleeping bag clean, are easier to wash and dry faster than a sleeping bag, are softer than sleeping bags, wick moisture away from your body, are lighter than carrying bedclothes to sleep in, can boost the temperature 5 to 15 degrees, can be used instead of a sleeping bag and cause your sleeping bag to last longer due to less usage and cleaning.
Do silk sleeping bag liners stop bed bugs?
Silk sleeping bag liners are known to help prevent campers from being bug-bitten because they minimize the possible contact with bugs. Sleeping encased in a silk bag liner is the best way to do this especially if you are camping in an area and season when bugs are out.
Sleeping bag liners help keep sleeping bags clean.
I have many times crawled into my sleeping bag to get a nap only to find that my pant legs were wet, or my socks were covered in dirt because mud had gotten into the door of my tent. And of course, the wet pants also wet my sleeping bag and the dirt and sand from my socks made it very uncomfortable to sleep.
The opposite has happened when I would strip down and crawl in my sleeping bag I would leave sweat and oil inside of it only to make it very smelly. A sleeping bag liner has taken care of all that, so my sleeping bag stays clean and rarely needs washing. This brings me to my next point.
Sleeping bag liners are easier to wash and dry than a sleeping bag.
Here’s how to wash a silk sleeping bag liner. The best way to wash a silk liner or a synthetic liner is to hand wash it instead of risking it gets ripped or damaged in a washing mashing. It's worth the time.
Use a clean bathtub or metal tub so you have plenty of room for the liner. Fill the tub with cold water to prevent the liner (especially silk) from shrinking the fibers. Lightly brush off the outside of the bag with a cotton cloth to remove any caked or dried dirt or tree sap.
Then turn the sleeping bag liner inside out and shake off any obvious sand or dirt. Next, put shampoo (if the liner is silk) but only put about 5 drops in the tube of water. Then soak the liner for about 10 minutes no more.
Before you rinse the liner pour out the shampoo and water solution and wash out the tub. Then mix in about 2 oz of vinegar into the water. Then thoroughly rinse the liner to remove any of the shampoo residues. Once again let out the water rinse the tub and use cold water to rinse the liner for the last time.
Lightly squeeze out the water (do not wring out the water). Absorb any left-over water in the sleeping bag liner with a towel and then lay out on a flat surface to dry (do not dry in the sun). Sun will damage both silk and synthetic liners.
Silk sleeping bag liners are softer than a sleeping bag.
They cost a little more but it’s like sleeping on silk sheets at home. They are smooth and easy to slide into. They aren’t heavy and easy to zip up and are great for taking a nap in your tent on a warm day with just a fan blowing on you.
Sleeping bag liners wick moisture away from your body.
If you happen to crawl into your sleeping bag liner and are sweaty or still a little wet from swimming it will pull the moisture from your skin without sticking to you. This feels great because a sleeping bag will cling to you and get hot and uncomfortable as the moisture from your body traps the heat from your body.
Sleeping bag liners are lighter than bedclothes.
If you pack extra clean clothes and it cold out, most of the time you wind up sleeping in them unless you pack extra bedclothes. These bag liners can be as light as 5 oz as opposed to 3 to 5 lbs. of extra clothes and considerably less bulky. This can be very important when you are planning a hiking trip and only have a backpack to carry everything in and every once matters.
Sleeping bag liners can boost the temperature in your sleeping bag from 5 to 15 degrees.
This can mean all the difference between getting a good night's sleep or not when winter camping. Basically, how it works, is that the liner traps your body heat as well as releasing moisture. Moisture will hold cooler temperatures, especially in the winter. And because it is thin the weight of a good sleeping bag and helps insulate you and keep you warmer as your body heat warms up the sleeping bag liner.
5 Other uses for a sleeping bag liner.
· Sleeping bag liners can be used instead of a sleeping bag in hot weather.
· Liners can be used for kids' bedding when on summer camps.
· They can use instead of sheets to separate and give you extra protection in hotels.
· They provide protection from insect and bug bites.
· And used as a throw when sitting on the couch watching tv.
Sleeping bag liners can cause your sleeping bag to last longer due to less cleaning.
Whether you hand wash, machine wash, or use a cleaning surface, clean sleeping bags can take cause a lot of wear and tear on them. They get dirty with mud, sand, tree sap, and even body oil.
All of these can lead to a much shorter life for an expensive piece of camping gear you depend upon. Even though a sleeping bag liner is not the total answer to the life of your tent but using one can definitely extend its life by keeping it clean as mentioned or in some situations not even use.
5 Type of Sleeping Bag Liners.
Cotton: Price range $15 to $25. Weight 1.2 lbs. Absorbent, durable, strong but heavier.
Fleece: Price range $25 to $50. Bulky, moisture-wicking, soft, and adds 10 degrees of warmth.
Thermolite®: Price $30 to $55. Weight 8 0z. Lightweight, dry quicker, and adds as much as 20+ degrees.
Synthetics: Price $15 to $40. Weight 8 oz. Lightweight, easy to clean, stretchable, moisture-wicking, and breathable.
Silk: Price $55-$75. Weight 5.0 oz. Very good to insulate from cold, breathable, lightweight, and is a great choice for springtime when weather change in temperature is sudden.
For more information on prices, I recommend you click Amazon to check out the latest prices and deals. You can search each type of sleeping bag liner.
What kind of sleeping bag liner is the best?
The best kind of sleeping bag liner would be synthetic. These light and fast-drying fabrics are breathable and last a long time. They are inexpensive and give added warmth when needed and are easy to clean.
How do you attach a sleeping bag liner?
Simply tack stitch the attachments to the inside of the sleeping by laying the sleeping bag liner on top of the sleeping bag after you have turned it inside out. It's not very hard and can be done with a needle and thread. You can completely sew the liner into the bag or just stitch around the opening. I don't recommend attaching it at all because it will keep some liners (like mummy style) from covering everything but your face (which is what you want).
Do sleeping bag liners really work?
Since sleeping bag liners are originally created to help keep your sleeping bag clean. They do provide a level of warmth. But the real value for me is the flexibility of the use of the liner as I mentioned earlier. You can use it for so many different things that just to keep you warmer in your sleeping bag. So the sleeping bag liner is really worth it as you add all the other uses to it.
Be sure a sleeping bag liner is on your Pop Up Camping Tent Check List.
They work very well with a The Amazing Pop Up Bed Tent.
Sleeping bag liners are requirement for My 10 easy tips to stay warm in your Pop Up Camping Tent (without using electricity or fuel).
I hope this articles helps you make a great decision based on your needs when choosing a sleeping bag liner.
All the best,
Alex Anderson