Testing area: Glencoe/Glen Etive Scotland Summer 2024

Well I’m here in the Glen Etive area camping next to a river and it is very wet the evening is drawing in. For summer it is not warm at all , luckily I have brought my Thermolite Reactor sleeping bag liner and a two season bag with me to review and get dirty for the first time. What better place to test a bit of gear like this but Scotland where you can have most seasons all in the same day. I’ve had an 8 hour drive here and the weather is getting worse – in fact snow is predicted. The temperature is rapidly dropping so I have high hopes for this bit of kit! I spend about 6 hours in the tent nice and warm with this liner admitted I don’t make the night but it’s nothing to do with the liner it’s due to not being able to sleep. Part of me thought the white noise of the river would make me sleep better but in this case it just makes me get up constantly to pee! 😂The liner itself is excellent – having used the standard Thermalite I’m further impressed, it does exactly what it says and it makes my sleeping bag extra cosy.

Some Stats And Technology Used

This is probably the most techy you could get a sleeping bag liner, when they describe it as innovative they really are not kidding.

Weight: 364g (Standard version)

User max height:198cm

Pack Size: 12x15cm (Standard size – also comes in compact)

Odour Control: Heiq Fresh FFL biocide-free effective odour control – an amino sugar polymer apparently!

Warmth Retention: Made possible by utilizing hollow fibres in the fabric to trap warm air and infra red-absorbing ceramic pigments. Call me a geek here but I think that’s pretty cool.

Here’s the pro’s of this bit of gear:

  • Weight saver, using this liner the sleeping bag performance is extended around a season. It also saves you plenty of packing space.
  • The liner can be used as a sheet / standalone superlight bag itself if the weather suddenly changes and you find yourself warm , Scotland was a perfect example of this, freezing cold with snow predicted when I arrived, the next day full summer and about 20 degrees, a great product for when you don’t quite know what the weather is going to do.
  • In my current and previous jobs in outdoor retail sales I have recommended this product time and time again for people who want to take a warmer sleeping bag but don’t want to add lot’s to their pack size.
  • Easy to wash and doesn’t require special treatment.
  • A benefit with all liners is they help keep your sleeping bag fresher for longer, and it’s way easier to wash a small liner than a large bag on a expedition! This is especially true of this product due to it’s anti odour treatment.
  • Comes with a nifty little ultra-Sil fabric stuff sack.

Cons

  • Bit of a wallet stinger this one however I don’t know of any Sea To Summit products that are cheap however due to their usually highly technical nature. Yes it’s expensive but IF you are a serious wild camper, mountaineer of adventure racer this is an investment.

My Rating:

Since this test I have used this product a lot, for my sort of adventuring where sometimes the weather could be different several times a day, where I could get overnighted or even when I’m travelling this is a great product. I could have booked myself a cheap return flight to Europe for the cost of this bit of kit 😄 however though I couldn’t imagine not having one of these in my gear from now on so on that basis I’d rate this at

9.5 / 10