I've read the survey post of the benefits between down and Synth bags. My partner suffers from Asthma so down is out. We have 2-3 season synth bags which work well but are very bulky and take up half the seat once in a stuffsack. We also 1 season synth bags which are fine for summer but will be no good for colder nights.

How effective are the silk bag liners and will they effectively increase the bag rating by a season...before having to put on every item of clothing you managed to squeeze into your pannier.

The local camping shop said "Yes it will!" while eagerly waiting for me to put my money down...so his opinion could be bias to ensuring his annual bonus.

Anyone out there who has used these liners and can advise whether they work.

At £64 for a double or £29 for single I want greater certainty before I cough up the cash.

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If there's a will there's a way so I will anyway!
http://www.buyaikhaya.blogspot.com

Sorry, don't know about the silk bags for tour purpose, BUT, if you plan on travelling in hot humid places, the silk bag used alone will be one of your best investments. Trust me. ;-)
regards
Cuppa

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regards
Cuppa
cuppa500.com

My suggestion to reduce bulk is to take one winter bag and one summer, ensuring they can be zipped together, so it makes like a double sized bag if you see what I mean. They cannot be mummy bags of course but rectangulars. IF hot, use the winter bag below and summer bag on top. Reverse when it´s cold weather.
I really like silk lining, pack tiny and can be used also in dodgy (not too clean ) hotels and ideal in hot climats.

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Maria

www.franglais-riders.com

A silk liner is good in 2 ways, yes it will make your sleeping bag warmer, some claim up to 1 season rating difference with a liner, secondly if its hot it absorbs the sweat rather than the sleeping bag keeping the sleeping bag fresh and the liner is fairly easy to wash and dry quickly,
http://www.oswaldbailey.co.uk/eshop....BAG+SILK+LINER
this one is not cheap but is very compact and has a great feel to it.

i have also wondered if there may be any bargaining power for such a large quantity of silk should you need to haggle your way out of a situation.

take a look at the kyam vss which uses 2 bags and a bivi sack to make a light weight interchangable sleeping bag from 2 seasons for when its hot to a 5 season bag when its cold, its quite light and compack too, there is another thread here somewhere which gives some more feed back on this.

remember oswald bailies offer 10% scouting/ club discount so always ask for this every little helps. the vss is also on special at the mo i got mine at half price and then got a further 10% in my local shop.

Silk liners work well, depends on where you are traveling but are generally useful for adding up to a "season" to your bag.

A compatible two bag system is also very useful as commented, they can be slept in separately and put together for cool nights.

If you will be spending a short time in cooler places, a simple tip is to bring along a fleece ski hat, it is light and small but can make a big difference in a sleeping system.

I think there is no way a silk liner will add a season to any bag - if someone thinks it does they sure must sleep warm! I'd guess a best 5 degrees C.

I'd suggest - given everything you mentioned - that there are two ways to solve the problem.

1. We use two bags that zip together with one on top of the other rather than the common side-by-side configuration. One is very light summer weight, the other is much warmer. We choose which one goes on top by the temperature - works great.

2. Cheaper than two new bags, is one new very lightweight summer bag - just toss it on top like a quilt.

Finally, the mattress you sleep on can make a huge difference in warmth. After MANY years of using everything that's ever come on the market, we've found the perfect camp mattress. It's an air mattress, but filled with down. (Note that for your purpose the down should not be a problem as it's fully enclosed) Made by Xped, available most areas, we highly recommend them. Toasty in the winter, and fine in the summer. Much better than any Thermarest - and we have about 6 of them - well maybe 8.... from the lightest to the heaviest. All for sale. But they're in canada and we're in the UK.

If I remember I'll post them for sale before we go back for a visit.

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Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

I agree with Grant that the x ped sleeping mats with down are comfy and very warm -however for some reason the outer material is very noisy when you move about on it. I also use a silk liner in my down bag in Arctic areas and the like and the benefits are very good, as are the benefit of silk long johns/long sleeve silk T shirts. these are also great under your bike gear as they dont get to stinky in a hurry unlike man made fibres.
As You require a very warm compact sleeping bag have you considered having the filling of your man made fibre one replaced with Silk ?. I know that Patra silk A uk company make very very warm pure silk filled duvets that are lighter than down - as warm as down, and being silk will pack away small enough - maybe for a cost they would replace your sleeping bag lining with the silk thread filling they use in the Duvet got to be worth a try even if you have to buy a single duvet off them and get a local sewing shop to swop the fillings around. best of luck.

Thanks for all the detailed replies.

After I looked at the lining in the shop my immediate reaction was that they are no better than a normal sheet....and silk or cotton, a sheet alone does not add significantly to your warmth. So I agree with Grant on that one.

I also see the benefit the liner gives of keeping the inside of the bag clean.

Maria I like the idea of taking two different season bags and sipping them together relying on our thermarests to keep us warm from below. Now just to find a 1 season which is compatible with our 2-3 season bags.

I also do realise that we are presently using the cheaper £40-£50 range of 2-3 season bag and the thinner more efficient synth ones come at a price.

Will report back on which way we end up going...

Also to clarify we will be using this arrangement on our trip London to CT leaving Oct next year so only really need warmth for cool europe autumn and cold desert nights. But we might as well get something that works well in case we decide to just keep going once we arrive in CT ;-))

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If there's a will there's a way so I will anyway!
http://www.buyaikhaya.blogspot.com

Hi - I just thought I'd add my two-penneth! Silk liners - go with them they pack quite small, cotton is pointless for this exercise, plus they're easy to clean so it stops your bag getting rancid. We're zipping two bags together so a double liner is the way forward. I've looked at making my own, but a nice quality silk in quantity is as much as buying one (and less hassle!)
Plus of course, they feel soooo goood!

DBG

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"Peculiar travel suggestions are dancing lessons from god"
Bokonon

I agree with Grant on the X-ped downmats - top bit of kit, very comfortable and pack up small too. Only downside is their initial price but well worth the investment in my opinion.
I have a fleece liner which is great - I use it in the summer as a throw over when it's warm or just as a light weight summer sleeping bag and inside my sleeping bag zipped up ensures a toasty warm night when it gets chilly outside. They pack up small and being synthetic can be quickly washed and dried . As with much camping gear - you get what you pay for. My fleece liner was about $45 but it's good.

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...on the road to nowhere...

Biking roads by bikers for bikers www.bestbikingroads.com

As Gecko said, your best bet is to go with a fleece liner. I have two, a 200wt. and 300wt. Together I spent less than sixty dollars on both. The 200wt. is what I use in the summer and can be inserted in my thirty-five degreee bag for late spring and early fall camping. I use the heavier liner with a zero degree bag for temps -10 to -20. A pair of mid-weight long underwear will be warmer than a silk liner, and more functional since you'll probably have them with you on your trip.

If anyone in the UK is looking for a silk liner, I ordered one of THESE at the weekend...£10 inc P&P for a single (£15 double) and says only 200 grams. Just waiting for the postman...

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Chris
www.motocrossafrica.co.uk

Looks comfortable too, Chris. Let us know how it feels when you get it. Might get one myself before they're all gone.

Thanks for the link.

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"courage is the art of being the only one who knows you're scared to death"

While on holiday back in SA we found down sleeping bags that had been treated with something or other and my wife didn't have an allergic reaction to them. So the additional warmth factor is now not important so we have simply taken one of our cotton duvet covers turned inside out to act purely as a hot weather sleeping sheet and and a washable bag liner to keep the inside of our bags clean. Rolls up the same size as the cotton liners in the shops.

I have though asked the ebay link above if they have doubles ;-)

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If there's a will there's a way so I will anyway!
http://www.buyaikhaya.blogspot.com

Please note my sleeping bag liner from eBay (the link posted above) has not arrived yet though. Have just emailed the seller...

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Chris
www.motocrossafrica.co.uk