Some sleeping bags can keep you toasty enough to allow comfortable sleep even in the coldest nights. Others, not so much. If your sleeping bag provides an experience similar to the latter, you might want to reinforce it with the Appalachian Gear All-Paca Sleeping Bag Liner.
Designed as an addition to any outdoor sleep setup, it’s a sack that serves as a layer between you and the sleeping bag, providing necessary warmth that your bag may not be able to provide on its own. If your sleeping bag alone leaves you feeling cold during the colder nights out at camp, this just may be the extra layer that turns it around for your comfort level when it’s time to turn it in for the day.
The Appalachian Gear All-Paca Sleeping Bag Liner is a sack-like piece of gear that’s cut in 100 percent alpaca wool, a natural technical fiber that’s warm, hypoallergenic, and very soft on the skin, all while being water-repellent and fire-resistant. This makes it extremely comfortable to have wrapped around your body as you use it like an interior blanket under the sleeping bag, especially considering that most sleeping bag layers use simple polyester, which brings no insulation value. If you already use other products as a blanket layer, it should bear keeping in mind that alpaca wool is warmer, lighter, stronger, and even better at climate regulation than the popular merino wool, which many people view as the gold standard for keeping warm in the outdoors.
On its own, this liner can add around 15 to 18 degrees Fahrenheit of extra warmth to your current sleep system, which makes it a significant addition to your outdoor ensemble. During warmer climates, in fact, you can even leave the sleeping bag at home, using this as a functional replacement to keep your pack even lighter than what you’re used to.
The Appalachian Gear All-Paca Sleeping Bag Liner measures 62 inches long, so it should cover most folks from shoulder to toes, all while being stretchy enough to extend up to 75 inches if you’re tall enough to need the added fabric. And yes, stretching it won’t ruin the construction at any point, as it’s designed to pop right back into shape as soon as you loosen up. It weighs just 14 ounces while packing into a really small bundle, making it an efficient addition to your camping pack, whether you like to hit the backcountry with a car full of gear or prefer to explore the trails with nothing but a backpack.
According to the outfit, the liner uses a special knit structure (called weft knit) that resists running, so even if a hole gets pierced on the darn thing, you can keep using it without making the damage much larger (just make sure to patch it as soon as you’re back home). It also uses the outfit’s “trail seam,” which boasts extreme toughness and durability, so you can pull at it as much as you want without causing tears.
The Appalachian Gear All-Paca Sleeping Bag Liner is available now, priced at $98.