Silk liners...

[Salpal]

Hi all,

Can you please give me advice in terms of silk liners.......mummy or rectangular?

Thanks

 

[KariC]

I use a mummy one - never felt my feet or legs being constricted, and less fabric = less weight, even as little as silk liners weigh.

 

[t2andreo]

I personally prefer rectangular. WIth silk, the added incremental weight will be very small.

My biggest issue, because I am a chunky guy, is that silk liners tend to cling to you as you try to slide in and out. If you need to get out of the bag to use the toilet in the night, it is a problem.

The ideal liner IMHO would be a rectangular silk sack with a two-sided "L" shaped zip to separate fully and easily. Not finding one of these after several years of searching, I did find what I think is the next best thing.

Presently, I always bring with me on any Camino, a rectangular microfiber liner I obtained here:

Rectangle Liner PolyCotton | ALPS Mountaineering

www.alpsmountaineering.com

I stay in rented commercial lodging as much as I can, but occasionally need to use an albergue. That is my one major 'what if' item that I always take. It compresses into a one-gallon / three-liter ziplock bag and is always at the very bottom of my rucksack.

It has a full separating zip, is machine washable, and I even used it as a very large towel in one instance. Two such liners can be mated to form a double sleeper for a couple. Plus, you cannot beat the price. This vendor is; however, located in the US.

Hope this helps.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

Sensuous bliss! Rectangular everytime (big feet). If you want warmth/compactness/lightweight go the @trecile route and put a down liner inside the silk bag . . . snug-bug-rug!

 

[jblaskovits]

Hi all,

Can you please give me advice in terms of silk liners.......mummy or rectangular?

Thanks

Silk liner in mummy shape because it is very light, comfortable and compressible. I bought mine at Mointain Equipment Co-op, a Canadian company.

 

[malingerer]

Silk liner in mummy shape because it is very light, comfortable and compressible. I bought mine at Mointain Equipment Co-op, a Canadian company.

J have carried and used a silk liner for years. Never, I repeat never, did it ever dawn on me there was different shapes! Cant blame the dotage on this one and never has any store selling me this item ever informed me of different shapes! A whole new world has opened up and now with the prostate problem I can go to the loo as often as I like without shrieking and cursing my way out of the damn thing! Good job I use private rooms as often as I can, eh?

Yours aye, the Malingerer.

 

[SeñorJacques]

I've used both types on camping trips and unless I'm sleeping in colder temperatures I always prefer a rectangular shaped liner (and sleeping bag) for the extra foot room. Many liners of both kinds, however, don't have any provision for opening down one side - which makes getting in and out of them difficult. So consider one like the Alps liner linked above that has zippers or some kind of closeable opening down the side.

I find silk liners comfortable but like t2andreo I also find them difficult to get in and out of, due to my manly bulk A few years ago I discovered a polyester liner by The Friendly Swede which is less "slippery" and uses Velcro tabs on one side to secure the liner closed. It's quite roomy and has a pillow insert, which is very nice to have as well. I see now that it's also now offered in a microfiber version which supposedly feels more like cotton sheets - and at 8 1/2 oz (250 g) it's still relatively lightweight and compact. Given the low price (under $20 USD), I may order a new one for my Camino next year.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BZDY2C3/?tag=casaivar02-20

Edit: The microfiber version is 17 oz / 500 g, which is on the heavy side. Still, it's lighter than a full-on sleeping bag if, like me, you'll be walking the Camino in the early fall when temperatures will still be relatively warm.

 

[ortemio]

Rectangular / double is better, it is tough getting in and out and they rip easily. The wide one can be used as a bed sheet and pillow cover, very handy.

 

[Shazenalan]

Definately rectangular - even if you get out of a mummy shaped one successfully - getting back in presents new challenges....... in a mixed dorm....in the dark.

 

[trecile]

I solved the problem of the silk sleep sack getting tangled around me and the difficulty of getting in and out by attaching elastic straps that keep my home made sleep sack in place on the mattress. It also has a long zipper down the side.
Details are in this thread

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-sleep-sack-innovation.56387/#post-653921

 

[gittiharre]

Hi all,

Can you please give me advice in terms of silk liners.......mummy or rectangular?

Thanks

I use a double on, as I like to move my legs. Much easier to get in and out of too.

 

[SeñorJacques]

I solved the problem of the silk sleep sack getting tangled around me and the difficulty of getting in and out by attaching elastic straps that keep my home made sleep sack in place on the mattress. It also has a long zipper down the side.
Details are in this thread

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-sleep-sack-innovation.56387/#post-653921

What a wonderful idea! Seems like a great project to practice my sewing/serging skills between now and my Camino next fall ... unless of course you've decided to start taking orders?

 

[CdnDreamer]

I was telling my son about 42 nights of struggling to get in and out of my silk liner that had no zipper, getting up in the night and then giving up trying to get back into the liner and he looked at me and showed me that you sit on the bed, put your feet in and stand up, pull it up over you and then lie down on the bed. To get out of it, just stand up and it falls to the floor. I didn't figure that out over 42 nights! (Just a warning that standing up on the top bunk might not work very well!)

I had a rectangle silk liner and I have continued to use it on other caminos now that I know how to get in and out of it!

 

[trecile]

What a wonderful idea! Seems like a great project to practice my sewing/serging skills between now and my Camino next fall ... unless of course you've decided to start taking orders?

I have sold about a half a dozen. I have two completed and available now. Also Costco down blankets cut in half with ties to attach to the silk sleep sack.
The price of silk has gone up quite a bit, so I don't know if I'll be making more.

 

[Former member 35551]

^^^I had one made this year based on this trecile's description. Overall, I was very happy with it. But I made changes to her design, some of which were not a good idea. I'm going to have another one made for spring and will incorporate a couple of new design features.

 

[Tony Hutt]

Also useful as a neck warmer!

 

[David Tallan]

I have sold about a half a dozen. I have two completed and available now. Also Costco down blankets cut in half with ties to attach to the silk sleep sack.
The price of silk has gone up quite a bit, so I don't know if I'll be making more.

Are the two available now spoken for?

 

[trecile]

Are the two available now spoken for?

No, at least one is still available.

 

[BmoreNomadic]

Depends how you sleep. I usually sleep with one leg straight and the other bent, which is impossible in a mummy liner. So it's a rectangular one for me!

 

[Anamya]

Even though I'm just 1,58m (5foot 2, I think), I sleep curled like a ball, so rectangular it is.

 

[Old Kiwi]

I use a rectangular silk liner. On my first Camino I did experience a bit of difficulty getting in and out. On my second Camino I attached two strips of elastic. One at the corners at the top and one at the corners at the bottom. These loops went under the top and bottom of the mattress. This keeps the liner flat and in place so it is easier to slide in and out of. The weight of the elastic is negligible. To keep my liner closed I attached three pieces of velcro spaced along the opening. I am very happy with the result.