Sleeping Bag Liners: More Range, Less Laundry

A liner is the least glamorous item in a sleeping range and one of the easiest to sell, because it solves two problems at once: it adds warmth, and it keeps the bag itself clean.

The warmth gain depends on the material. Asilkor silk-blend liner adds a few degrees and packs to the size of a fist.Cottonand cotton-blend liners add less warmth but feel like bed linen and sell well to car campers.Fleeceliners add the most warmth — useful for pushing a three-season bag into shoulder seasons — but they are bulky.

The hygiene argument is the commercial one. Travellers, hostels and rental fleets wash liners weekly and bags rarely; a liner costs a fraction of a bag and protects the shell from body oils and sunscreen, which are the main reasons a bag loses its loft and starts looking old.

Liners are also the easiest item in the range to produce: one size run, simple rectangular or mummy construction, a drawstring hood and a small stuff sack. They take printed shells well and they are an easy add-on at the till.

Mummy and rectangular liners in silk, cotton and fleece: linda@reliableoutdoors.com.