Cycling UK Forum

and there is a culture in outdoor gear these days of getting a bit too obsessed with gear

I was reflecting on the several pages devoted to a sleeping bag liner of all things.

But in our defence I would say that we are trying to create an effective, comfortable, warm, easily maintained, protected from damp and condensation system of bedding that can see us through a huge range of temperature ( -5 deg C to +35 deg C?) while being carried on a bicycle, going uphill.

I haven't added "at a reasonable cost" as I think just getting the first lot right is hard enough. Cycle camping is surely a mixture of craft, experience, adaption and "technology". Given that many people cringe at the thought of camping, let alone doing it on just a bicycle, I think we are doing rather well and the obsession is fully justified.

horizon wrote:

and there is a culture in outdoor gear these days of getting a bit too obsessed with gear

I was reflecting on the several pages devoted to a sleeping bag liner of all things.

But in our defence I would say that we are trying to create an effective, comfortable, warm, easily maintained, protected from damp and condensation system of bedding that can see us through a huge range of temperature ( -5 deg C to +35 deg C?) while being carried on a bicycle, going uphill.

I haven't added "at a reasonable cost" as I think just getting the first lot right is hard enough. Cycle camping is surely a mixture of craft, experience, adaption and "technology". Given that many people cringe at the thought of camping, let alone doing it on just a bicycle, I think we are doing rather well and the obsession is fully justified.

HearHear!

I'm a trendy consumer. Just look at my VOG-L09 using hovercraft full of eels.

Like I say, I'm a gear junkie. You don't have to justify yourself to anyone, certainly not me! I'm a gear junkie because I like that, and I have no problem with other people liking it.

But I further note that I'm not doing anything substantially harder now than when I was half my current age with much less matériel at my command, and I wasn't having any less fun then either.

There's no problem with being choosy about liners (which is why I have 5, including the hostel sheet but not counting the double)... but it's probably a good thing to realise that there's not much difference between that and just getting in your pit as you are.

Effective, comfy, range of temperatures etc.? We've had that for decades. Not that there's no room for improvement, but your basic slant/box wall down pit isn't exactly a new idea!

Pete.

What, in this context, is a "pit"?

horizon wrote: ↑3 Jan 2022, 3:02pm What, in this context, is a "pit"?

A bleeping sag.

horizon wrote: ↑3 Jan 2022, 1:00pmBut in our defence I would say that we are trying to create an effective, comfortable, warm, easily maintained, protected from damp and condensation system of bedding that can see us through a huge range of temperature ( -5 deg C to +35 deg C?) while being carried on a bicycle, going uphill.

I used an ME Dreamcatcher 500 with a RAB silk liner.
-5 (perhaps) was at Val d'Isere (no thermometer, but certainly a solid frost - I had to melt the ice off the tent zip with my fingers to get out in the morning).
+35 was in Menton, a week later.

Sleeping bag liners can be useful if touring somewhere hot and not camping. Sometimes bed/blanket not the cleanest, or want to keep mossies off.

I used to carry a poly cotton one, originally altered from a YHA one (remember them) to protect my Blacks' Icelandic from the '70s. I now have a silk one bought in Vietnam for a few pounds.

Not sure which is more comfortable. The cotton one was the sort of feel that you get in a normal bed whereas the silk one is presumably like sleeping with silk sheets or silk pyjamas, something I haven't yet experienced.

I would probably use a liner if ever I went camping again with a bag. Given many of you wild camp, I would have thought that a liner would be a good idea to keep your sweaty, sun creamed, mossies deterrent ridden body off your bag.

simonhill wrote: ↑4 Jan 2022, 6:03pm I would probably use a liner if ever I went camping again with a bag. Given many of you wild camp, I would have thought that a liner would be a good idea to keep your sweaty, sun creamed, mossies deterrent ridden body off your bag.

I don't wild camp (as far as possible) so do generally get a shower and even if there is no such facility, do well with a bowl of hot water and a flannel (yes, I carry the bowl and the flannel ). I don't use sun cream or insect repellent and, and this is the point, if I'm using a down sleeping bag I'll generally be wearing at least one layer of clothing. Which has got me thinking as to why I even bother with a liner.

horizon wrote: ↑4 Jan 2022, 6:15pm if I'm using a down sleeping bag I'll generally be wearing at least one layer of clothing. Which has got me thinking as to why I even bother with a liner.

One thing about liners compared to PJs, particularly touring PJs which have a habit of being spare clothes, is you won't use it for anything else so you know it'll be pretty clean. You have fractional keep-clean advantages around your feet (if you're not in socks), hands and also particularly around your head (all of my liners have hoods/pillow cases). Another thing is in hot weather a liner makes a good bag in itself.

But none of those are deal-breakers, and particularly if you have a set of PJs/spare clothes which are reserved for sleeping/emergencies/the last day back to base, even less so.

Liner instead of PJs will generally be lighter/less bulky, but of course not much use as spare clothes.

Whether I wear clothes or not is down to the temperature, not really anything to do with the nature of the bag filling.

Pete.