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Re-designing My Sleep System for Weight and Comfort

Stephan the Painter

Veteran Member
Donating Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Frances ' 22, Madrid '24, Frances '24
Looking for recommendations.

I dislike sleeping bags. I’m also not fond of sleeping bag liners. I own one of each and carried them on all my Camino's but I don't think I ever once slept in them as designed. I always just unzip them completely and use them as a blanket or a sheet.

So, in the interest of reducing my weight and increasing my comfort, I'm looking for recommendations on silk liners and backpacking blankets or quilts. They would all need to be at least 80 inches long and unzip COMPLETELY.

Currently, I have a Snug Pack Travelpak Traveler which is a rectangular sleeping bag and a rectangular polyester liner. Both unzip completely to be used as blankets/sheets and that's usually how I use them. But they're too heavy, and I find the polyester uncomfortable.

I found a few backpacking blankets already. This Montbell is perfect and this Enlightened Equipment Quilt seem very nice, albeit pricey for me. This inexpensive Four Monster one from Amazon is the only inexpensive one I could find that was 84 inches long. About 75 inches seems to be the common length of these things and I prefer something at least 80 inches.

One thing I wonder what the actual differences between the Montbell and the 4 Monster are? From their descriptions, they sound very similar, although the 4 Monster is five or 6 ounces heavier.

And this silk liner, which seems a low price for such a large liner...?
I think could do with just a silk sheet, but I'm not finding anything like that online?
Thoughts? Thanks!
 
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In my experience, the biggest problem will be finding liners, bags, or even quilts with full separating zippers that run down the side and bottom. Opening these zips allows you to use the bags as open blankets/quilts, instead of as a bag.

Without zippers, you end up in a form-fitting silk or synthetic bag that you cannot easily get in or out of. As a 70 - ish fellow, night time bathroom needs must be considered. Not having a zipper along one side is a non-starter for me.

I have a microfiber, rectangular liner from Alps Mountaineering that fits the bill very well. It works well for late Spring, Summer and early Autumn Caminos. But it is not warm enough for winter sleeping in an albergue.

I also have it's poly fleece version. When both are opened all the way, they can be zipped together to form a double-sized sleep sack. However, for Camino use, I prefer them one inside the other.

See here:

Rectangle Liner

Oversized sleeping bag liner
alpsmountaineering.com

Fleece Bag

<p>The Fleece Cover is a rectangle fleece liner that can be used year-round - as an accessory or as a standalone bag. It is a great "accessory," even if you already have several bags. It can help add extra warmth on those extra cold nights. As a sta
alpsmountaineering.com

The fleece bag can also be used in conjunction with the microfiber liner - one inside the other - to create a layered sleep system. The problem is that this combination is not as compact or as light as a sleeping bag, per se. The advantage is that it is entirely machine-washable. It is warm even when damp.

My solution has been to bring the microfiber liner in all cases, on all Caminos. It compresses small and rides at the very bottom of my rucksack in a one-gallon / three-liter ziplock bag. If I need it it is there, with my emergency foil bivvy bag.

If I can get a blanket in an albergue or hostal, that is usually adequate, when used with the microfiber liner.

Depending on the conditions, I will wear more clothing layers, and sleep in my clothes. My wool socks, knit watch cap, microfiber gloves and fleece jacket usually do the trick in most cold weather conditions.

I started out, 11 years ago, using the SnugPak Traveller/Jungle Sleeping bag. An excellent choice. But, problems with the very fine fabric and zippers continually snagging caused me to seek other solutions.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
Yes the ones that open up all away with zippers on all sides are hard to find.

I think my liner might actually be the brushed polyester version of the one you linked to. I found the material unpleasant on my skin.

When you say microfiber are you referring to one of those that you linked to? Or is different?

My next Camino is a probably starts the end of January, but it’s the Mozarabe, in Andalusia. Typical nighttime temperatures seem to be in the 40s so it shouldn’t be that cold inside the Albergue’s. Certainly at that time of year I’ll have underlayers anyway, and the fleece liner might work. The website said the fleece is out of stock, but I might be able to track one down somewhere.

I’ll think about it, thank you.
 
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I wrote a little something about my setup that i tested this year on my third camino and which worked absolutely perfect for me. Maybe it might be something for you.

Thread 'My perfect ultralight sleep setup'

Hey everyone,

i guess I'm not good at starting threads, but rather comment. I guess my last "own" thread is the one a couple of years ago where i talked about my 3,6kg loadout for the Camino Frances (see signature).

Today i felt like opening a new one, since 2 Caminos after my last thread i solved a problem that bugged my since Camino #1... the perfect sleep setup.

TL;DR: Bergstop Microstretch liner + something warm (blanket, sleeping bag...). Google it, it's great.

Disclaimer: Nobody paid me to write this. I bought every item with my own money. What i write is my personal...
 
trecile said:
Will you want the silk part to be able to cover you, or would it work if it only covers the mattress?
Click to expand...
Most of the time on my last Camino I just used my liner as a covering sheet and slept directly on the mattress, which was usually a disposable paper sheet. If it was cold, I put the sleeping bag on top of that. Although it often slid off in the night.

So a liner wouldn't have to cover top and bottom, if that answers your question. I was also considering just a sheet.

I did read what you do, with putting a mini down blanket inside your liner. That's what led me to the Montbell website.

Anhalter said:
I wrote a little something about my setup that i tested this year
Click to expand...
Very interesting. Thanks.
 
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I could make a simple flat silk sheet to cover the mattress with elastic straps to keep it in place, then you would just need a blanket for the top.
 
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I have sensitive skin and cheapy polyester slippery sleeping bags "make my skin crawl". I have been happy with my lightweight Naturehike brand sleeping bag. It zips down the side and bottom and the fabric is extremely comfortable. It is not very heavy, considering it is not a down bag, nor does it have a down price.
*Naturehike Ultralight Sleeping Bag - Envelope Lightweight Portable, Waterproof, Comfort with Compression Sack - Great for 3 Season Traveling, Camping, Hiking https://a.co/d/iqTPDvL

I also have a Sea to Summit knit liner that I used instead on the Via Podiensis while staying in the Gites and loved it.
*https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/sea-to-summit-premium-stretch-knit-expander-liner
 
trecile said:
I could make a simple flat silk sheet to cover the mattress with elastic straps to keep it in place, then you would just need a blanket for the top.
Click to expand...
That's a good idea, except I think I would want the option to wrap it around myself. But thanks, that's a nice offer, if I understand your post!
Camino Chrissy said:
I have been happy with my lightweight Naturehike brand sleeping bag
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll take a look.
 
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This "silk" sheet might work for you. It is large with 3 zippers for access and ventilation and can unfold to 87 x 87 inches. Pillow can be tucked into pocket (but maybe not a Spanish pillow).

On the negative side it is Mulberry silk, whatever that is. The recommended washing care isn't camino friendly but, let's face it, you'll own the thing and thats makes everything optional anyway.

It does seem to be described well. You'll have to go with that because I've only seen this online.

Let us know what is good and bad with this so we can find something perfect for you.

 
Rick of Rick and Peg said:
This "silk" sheet might work for you.
Click to expand...
That was the one I also found. And it does sound quite good. Its price seems a little low, which worries me. But it's Amazon and they will let me return it easily so it might be worth ordering just to take a look.

An Internet search claims that mulberry silk is the highest quality silk.
 
I apologize for sending anyone to an already seen site. I noticed that the products mentioned were single items and I knew that there were backpacking sleeping systems available so I did a search on those three words and, on a whim, added silk. The sheet came up as a paid promotion. I wasn't expecting this but it looked too good not to pass on.

I missed the connection between mulberries and silk worms. What I saw was an uppercase M and thought of a trademark for a rayon/viscose fabric made from mulberries like is done for bamboo. That would explain the low cost.

I can think of a good reason to get a three zipper sheet instead of a single 3/4 zip. It is easier to picture this in a private room with a bed against the wall and a night stand on the other side. Remember, you have a pillow holder at the head end. With a zipper on each side you can get in and out of the sack easily no matter what side was against the wall. Generally no problem in albergues as you can switch head and foot but I've seen albergues where two bunks are pushed together to look like a double and you'd want flexibility with your sack's configuration in that situation.
 
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The first link is to the microfiber liner. It is available in both a 100% synthetic microfiber, AND a cotton/ microfiber blend. Get the 100% microfiber.

If the cotton blend one gets damp or wet, it will stay damp or wet. The 100% synthetic version provide some insulation even when wet - albeit wrung out.

Hope this helps.

Tom
 
Great timing on this discussion. My wife & I are planning on using a sea to summit silk liner & a down blanket from Costco. That said we have not physically tried them. So that is in the works before our April walk. What I found walking the same time of year 10 years ago was that I only needed my sleeping bag for less than 6 days. It was simply too warm. At 2lb the liner & blanket are just below a pound.
After reading about the struggle to get in & out of the liner we need to test this for sure.
 
I was looking at those down blankets from Costco. On the website I looked at I couldn't find a size or a weight. Did you? Did you receive it yet?

Yes, I find liners and sleeping bags incredibly uncomfortable because of the getting in and out of them and I'm also a restless sleeper. So I tend to feel trapped.
 
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