Wakefield Wanderings

So what exactly is a ‘liner’?  Well, it is short for ‘sleeping bag liner’, but does not have to be used in a sleeping bag.  It is basically a tube of fabric, the size of a sleeping bag, closed on one end for your feet, and open on the other end for your head.  It can be used inside a sleeping bag to provide additional warmth or it can be used alone as a bag all by itself if it is not cold where you are sleeping.

In my case, I bought it to use for additional warmth, and to keep my sleeping bag or down quilt (more about quilts another time), cleaner. This reduces the number of times I have to wash my bulky bag or down quilt or sleeping bag. The silk has the advantage of being much lighter than other materials, and it will not retain moisture like cotton.

Product Information:

There are several sizes and styles available. In this case, the review is for the Long (Rectangular) size.

The 100% Premium Silk Liner is made from ripstop silk, and is sewn into a rectangular sleeping bag shape. According to the manufacturer’s website, it adds up to 10 degrees F (6 C) of warmth to an existing sleeping bag. It is machine washable, and stuffs into its own included stuff sack. I have the long (rectangular) size, but other sizes are available, according to the manufacturer’s website:

The silk liner can be used as a very lightweight bag by itself if temperatures are warm, or as a liner inside any sleeping bag to add warmth on colder nights.

Field Testing:

I have used this silk liner on my last four camping and backpacking trips for a total of eight nights. Temperatures at night got as low as 22 F (-6 C) on a four night trip, and below freezing on the other three trips. I have used the silk liner both inside a mummy winter sleeping bag, and underneath a down quilt.

It is difficult for me to know exactly how much additional warmth the silk liner provides. Based on previous trips when I had to wear a base layer of clothing inside my mummy sleeping bag to stay warm below freezing, I was able to use only the liner, and no base layer of clothes, to stay comfortable. I believe the 10 F (6 C) of additional warmth is reasonable.

When using the liner, I also get the benefit of it keeping my sleeping bag or quilt cleaner. The liner prevents body oils or dirt from getting onto the inside of my bag or quilt. When using the liner with the down quilt, the liner prevents some drafts from reaching me around the edges of the quilt. With either a bag or quilt, I slip my feet into the opening on the liner and pull it up to my shoulders. With a quilt, I just pull the quilt over me. The quilt does seem to stay in place, even though the liner is slightly slick. With a sleeping bag, I put my feet into the liner, then push the liner down into my sleeping bag as I pull the liner up to my shoulders. I can keep my arms out of the liner to zip up my sleeping bag. Usually, if it is cold, I will pull the liner up around my neck as well for added warmth.

I also think that having the silk liner inside my sleeping bag, which gives me the ‘bag within a bag’ system, makes the sleeping bag feel warmer by keeping warmed air around my body within the liner. When I move, my skin does not touch the inside of the bag directly, so it seems that there are fewer ‘cold spots’. With just a sleeping bag, if I move my leg or foot to an area of the sleeping bag that I had not been touching, then that area of the bag feels cold. The liner feels soft and smooth against my skin, and the silk material does not feel cold when I move around inside the liner. The liner has two side seams, and no bottom seam. Both seams are double folded, and I have not noticed feeling either of them when using the liner.

The rectangular liner is larger than a mummy sleeping bag, but the extra fabric fits fine inside the mummy bag. I have not noticed any problems moving my feet or legs around when using the liner inside a sleeping bag. The fabric is slick enough that it slides around inside my sleeping bag and does not restrict my movements.

I have washed the liner about six times. Per the instructions, I washed it in cold water and then hung it to drip dry. I have not noticed any fading or bleeding when washing the liner. I have noticed some slight stretching at the seams near the top of the bag. I think this is due to the fact that as I turn, my arms may be pulling or stressing the top portion of the seam.

I decided to contact Sea to Summit to see what they had to say about this. I received an email reply within 24 hours stating: "…I’m sorry to hear that your liner hasn’t worked out for you as well as you (or we) had hoped. Our product is 100% covered for manufactures defects—which this is clearly a case of. We sell thousands of these liners each year and see very few ever returned to us. With that being said, we would be happy to replace it for you free of charge…" They provided an RA number and shipping address with the reply as well.

So, although the seam is not torn apart or separated completely yet, I went ahead and exchanged it. Perhaps this one seam was defective. It only took 6 days from the time I mailed the defective one back until I received a brand new replacement silk liner from Sea to Summit. I was very pleased with the customer service from Sea to Summit.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Adds warmth
• Keeps sleeping bag clean
• Great customer service

Cons:

• Somewhat expensive
• Had to return for replacement

Summary:

By using the 100% Premium Silk Liner from Sea to Summit, I am able to keep my sleeping bag or quilt cleaner which results in fewer washings. The silk liner adds warmth on cold nights and it works well under a quilt to prevent drafts. I always pack the liner when my trips may include colder weather. I look forward to receiving the free replacement and continuing to use the liner in the future.

- Shawn

If you are new to backpacking, the alcohol stove may not be a familiar item to you. I have used Coleman type single burner stoves that burned Coleman fuel in the past. You had to pump up the stove to pressurize it, and the stove tended to be very heavy.

In order to have a lighter cooking solution when backpacking, there are several options. First, you could just take a cook pot and build a small fire to cook with. Fuel is easily available, unless it has rained, and then you might have to settle for cold oatmeal. There are solid fuel tablet type stoves, butane canister stoves, etc.

I am an engineer, and sometimes the simplest solution is the best. I consider this to be the case with the alcohol stove. It has no moving parts, and it burns readily available denatured alcohol, which is not explosive. Isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol is not recommended since it contains about 30% water and does not burn as well. Methyl alcohol, commonly available as HEET – a gas additive in yellow bottles, will also work and is easy to acquire.

Other advantages of the alcohol stove include: simple to build, easy to use, odor free fuel, safe, low cost, and environmentally friendly. There are several types of alcohol stoves including open flame, low pressure, and pressurized jet. They can be made from tuna cans, other small cans, and even aluminum soda cans. The AntiGravityGear Alcohol Stove is a pressurized jet stove made from used aluminum soda cans.

Product Information:

The stove comes by itself when ordered individually. If ordered as part of a kit, some additional accessories may be included. The basic shape looks like the bottom 1/3 of a soda pop can.

The stove has no moving parts, and is composed of two pieces that have been fitted and sealed together with epoxy and silver heat tape. The center of the stove is open on the top, and this is where up to 1 oz (30 ml) of denatured alcohol is poured into the stove before lighting. On the outside of the stove, around the middle, are a series of pin sized holes – 24 in all. As the fuel warms and begins to vaporize, the side holes become jets where the burning fuel forms a ring around the stove.

Field Testing:

I have carried the stove on many trips over the last 9 months. It has been on multi-night backpacking trips, as well Boy Scout camping trips – since I am an adult leader (Scoutmaster). It has been used in light rain, under sunny skies, during the day, and at night. Since most of the trips were in the central United States, elevations were all less than 3000 ft (914 m) during my use of the stove.

The stove is simple, so it works the same and works well every time. I typically need to boil 2 cups of water at a time. I first fill my 0.9 L (0.95 qt) pot with 2 cups (0.47 L) of water and cover it with the lid. Next, I set the stove on the optional primer tray (0.3 oz / 8 g). I put a few drops of fuel in the primer tray around the base of the stove, then I pour 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel into the middle of the stove. Next, light the stove and the primer tray. It takes about 20 seconds for the stove to get hot enough to vaporize the fuel and for the jets to light around the outside of the stove. Once the outside jets have ignited, I place the pot of water directly centered over the stove. Since the pot rests on the stove top, no pot holder or other support is necessary. On a warm day, with temperatures around 60 F (16 C), it takes about 5 minutes to boil 2 cups (0.47 L) of water with the 1 oz (30 ml) of fuel. Obviously on warmer or cooler days, or with very cold water, these burn times would change slightly.

I always boil water in my cook pot, and then mix meals in a Ziploc bag, so I don’t need to simmer or cook on low heat. This stove is on or off, there is no adjustment for the flame level or heat output.

Evaluation:

The only real issue that I found was related to stability. If the cook pot is very large, then I have to be careful to balance it carefully on top of the center of the stove. It would not take much of a nudge to dump the pot off onto the ground.

The primer tray is not necessary, but gives the stove some stability. Also, having a few drops of fuel in the primer tray helps the stove’s side jets to ignite more quickly. As with any stove, a windscreen will improve the efficiency and help the stove to perform better.

Since the stove is constructed of 2 nested soda cans, durability is quite good. I carry the stove in a small plastic container that came in the Stove Set from AntiGravityGear. This protects the stove, and fits nicely into my cook pot.

Pros:

• Lightweight
• Low cost
• Compact size
• Made from recycled materials

Cons:

• Stability is not great with a large pot
• Cannot simmer or slow cook

Summary:

This alcohol stove from AntiGravityGear is a lightweight stove that burns denatured alcohol. It is easy to setup and use, and it does not have any moving parts to break or wear out. I could not ask for anything more to heat water.

- Shawn

This site was started in response to an apparent need for backpacking and camping information for ‘normal people’. Those of us with a job, families, etc.

My goal is to provide useful information for anyone interested in camping, lightweight backpacking, or family trips. Sometimes all three can even be combined for a family camping and backpacking trip

I will work hard to provide useful gear reviews on affordable equipment. I will post trip reports and trip planning information. I will report on camping with kids, backpacking with kids, and travelling with kids.

There are so many great things to see, so let’s get outside and enjoy ourselves.

Happy Trails.

- Shawn Wakefield