Gear Review: Three Sleeping Bag Liners

Insect Shield Cocoon Safari Bag
Insect Shield Cocoon Safari Bag

Sleeping Bag Liners
Insect Shield Cocoon Safari Bag
$80, 6 oz. (with included stuff sack)
cocoon.at

Sea to Summit Premium Blend Silk+Cotton Liner
$55, 5.5 oz. (regular, with included stuff sack)
moosejaw.com

Sea to Summit Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner
$53, 10 oz. (mummy style, with included stuff sack)
moosejaw.com

Sleeping bags liners are essential gear for hut trips and a useful supplement to a sleeping bag, increasing a sleeping bag’s temperature rating by several degrees and keeping the inside of your bag cleaner longer—and it’s easier to wash a liner than a bag. I took several bag liners on a weeklong hut trek in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park using them under thick, wool blankets, and these three emerged as my favorites. Each has strengths that will appeal to different personal preferences.

The silk Insect Shield Cocoon Safari Bag feels soft against the skin in warm or cool temperatures, and is rated to add 9° F (5° C) of warmth to a sleeping bag or blankets. At 85×35 inches (218x90cm), it has plenty roomy even for a big person. I like that only the top half opens up, so your feet don’t slip out of it while sleeping; and it’s easy to find your way back into the liner in the dark, whereas I found some silk liner bags so wispy that it’s hard to find the mouth to crawl back inside without a light on. It has a wide hood that keeps a pillow from sliding off your bunk. The Safari Bag’s Insect Shield treatment is particularly useful when traveling in places where insect-borne diseases are a concern; according to Cocoon, it repels mosquitoes, ticks, ants, flies, fleas, chiggers, and midges. The Safari Bag packs down to the size of two fists, very compact, though its stuff sack is a tight squeeze when stuffing the liner inside. Silk liners can be hand- or machine-washed and air-dry quickly—a convenience when traveling.

 

Find your next adventure in your Inbox. Sign up for my FREE email newsletter now.

 

Sea to Summit Premium Blend Silk+Cotton Liner
Sea to Summit Premium Blend Silk+Cotton Liner

Just as compact as the Safari Bag when packed, the Sea to Summit Premium Blend Silk+Cotton Liner is a comparably roomy (73×36 inches/185x91cm), hoodless rectangular sack that does not open up. I like this simpler design’s ease of slipping partly inside, depending on how much of my body I wanted to cover up, because my feet and legs are generally colder than my upper body. The cotton-silk blend is also comfortable against skin—though it can get damper than silk on a really hot night—and less expensive than an all-silk liner. It also comes in long rectangular, a large Traveler version with a pillowcase, and mummy-style with a hood.

 


Hi, I’m Michael Lanza, creator of The Big Outside, which has made several top outdoors blog lists. Click here to sign up for my FREE email newsletter. Click here to learn how I can help you plan your next trip. Click here to get full access to all of my blog’s stories. Follow my adventures on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.


 

Sea to Summit Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner
Sea to Summit Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner

The Sea to Summit Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner feels like cotton and wicks moisture effectively, making it versatile in mild or cooler temperatures. Like the Silk+Cotton Liner, it is a basic sack that you slip into, though tapered toward the feet, and with the addition of a wide flap at the top to spread over a pillow. At 84×36 inches (210x90cm), with stretchy fabric, it may be the best choice for bigger people, but is not oversized for me (five feet, eight inches). The tradeoff: This is the heaviest and bulkiest of the three, at 10 oz. and 3×5 inches in its stuff sack. It is also available with Insect Shield for $63.

BUY IT NOW You can support my work on this blog by clicking any of these links to purchase a Sea to Summit Premium Blend Silk+Cotton Liner at moosejaw.com, or a Sea to Summit Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner at moosejaw.com.

See all of my reviews of sleeping bags and sleeping pads and air mattresses, and my Pro Tips articles “How to Choose a Sleeping Bag” and “Staying Warm in a Sleeping Bag.”

NOTE: I tested gear for Backpacker Magazine for 20 years. At The Big Outside, I review only what I consider the best outdoor gear and apparel. See categorized menus of all of my gear reviews at The Big Outside.

—Michael Lanza

 

Previous

Gear Review: Marmot Variant Hoody

Gear Review: Patagonia Capilene 4 Expedition Weight Zip Neck

Next

Leave a Comment

2 thoughts on “Gear Review: Three Sleeping Bag Liners”

    • Hi Connie, I would say the Sea to Summit Coolmax Adaptor Travel Liner is the warmest of the liners reviewed here (as well as the heaviest and bulkiest). I assume you’re referring to the Columbia Omni-Heat liner, which I have not used, but I see there are reviews of it at Columbia’s website.

      Reply