Sleeping Bag Liners

About

A sleeping bag liner is one of the most versatile additions to any tramping kit. It adds warmth, maintains hygiene, and can extend the useful range of your sleeping bag across seasons. Lightweight and compact, a liner earns its place on any multi-day trip. At Dwights, we stock the Peak XV 100% Silk Sleeping Bag Liner and Cocoon liners — both practical options for NZ tramping. What a Liner Does Adds warmth: A liner adds 3–8°C of effective warmth to your sleeping bag, depending on material. Silk adds the least; fleece and thermolite add the most. Adding a liner to a -3°C bag can push its effective rating to -8°C or colder. Maintains hygiene: Body oils, sweat, and dirt accumulate in your sleeping bag over time — washing a full down bag infrequently is preferable to preserve the down. A liner sits against your skin and can be washed regularly, keeping the bag clean longer. Extends versatility: A liner in summer (or in a warm hut) can be used alone. The same liner in winter boosts your bag's warmth. One piece of kit, two use cases. Liner Materials Silk: Lightest and most packable. Soft against skin, naturally temperature-regulating. Adds 2–4°C. The Peak XV Silk Liner is our core recommendation for tramping. Cotton: Comfortable but heavy and slow-drying. Better for car camping than tramping. Thermolite/synthetic: More warmth than silk, still packable. Adds 5–8°C. Better for cold-weather use. Fleece: Maximum warmth addition. Heavier and bulkier. Suited to cold base camp use. Frequently Asked Questions Are sleeping bag liners worth it for NZ tramping? Yes — particularly for multi-day Great Walk tramping where you're sleeping in DOC huts with varying temperatures. A silk liner adds meaningful warmth at minimal weight (typically 90–130g), keeps your sleeping bag clean across a week-long trip, and can double as a standalone layer in warm huts. The weight-to-benefit ratio is excellent. If you're doing the Routeburn in shoulder season and want to extend the warmth of a lighter b