Gear Closet: Cocoon Merino Wool Mummy Liner

A good sleeping bag liner is one of the most useful pieces of gear that you can have in your gear closet. Not only does it allow you to add extra warmth to your bag, but it'll do so without breaking the bank in the process. Having a bag liner at your disposal can keep you from buying another sleeping bag, both for cold and warm weather situations. 

If you're in the market for a new sleeping bag liner, Cocoon has a wide variety of options to choose from. They have liners made of silk, fleece, cotton, flannel and even microfiber.  But if you want the absolute best of the bunch, then check out their Merino wool Mummy Liner, which offers warmth, breathability, and unbelievable comfort. 

For those who aren't familiar with sleeping bag liners, they seamlessly slide inside your existing bag, adding extra layer of insulation. Each type of fabric delivers a different type of performance. For instance, the silk version packs down to a small size, provides a few degrees of extra warmth and responds well to changing temperatures. Cotton, on the other hand, is machine washable, very durable and breathes nicely. Merino wool offers most of those qualities and and a few of its own.

As the names implies, the Cocoon's Merino wool Mummy Liner is shaped nicely to fit inside your mummy sleeping. That includes a nicely rounded top to fit inside your bag's hood without bunching up in the process. 

Cocoon says that the Mummy Liner will add approximately 7ºC or 12. 6ºF to any sleeping bag that it is added to. That's a substantial amount of extra warmth out of a product that doesn't add much weight to your backpack, and could potentially keep you from actually buying another sleeping bag for your outdoor adventures. Want to take that cool weather bag on a winter camping trip? Just add a bag liner and you're good to go. 

Using Merino wool in this particular liner was definitely an inspired choice. Not only is that particular fabric soft and comfortable, it also happens to be very warm. On top of that, it breathes very well, making it easy to regulate temperature throughout a long nights sleep. Merino wool also happens to have natural qualities that keep it from holding on to unwanted smells, which can come in handy on extended backpacking trips. 

This particular liner is comfortable enough that it can even be used on its own in warmer weather. The Merino wool is incredibly soft against the skin, and because of its natural ability to breathe, it works great as an extremely lightweight stand-alone sleeping bag for summer camping trips. When camping in environments that are too warm for a traditional sleeping, bag, you can pair this liner with a sleeping pad, and get a good night's sleep without overheating. 

Putting this liner to the test, I came away impressed with a couple of things. First, the Merino wool is very durable, resisting tears and abrasions, and coming away unscathed, even after using it on a couple of camping trips. I also appreciated how stretchy the fabrics were, making it easy to sleep without feeling to restricted. 

If you're an ultralight traveler or hiker who counts every ounce, there are other options available that are both smaller and lighter weight. At 495 grams (17.4 ounces), this is a rather heavy bag liner compared to some of the other options in the Cocoon line-up. When placed inside of its included stuff sack, it also carries a larger footprint than some of the other options as well. But it does deliver on the promise of 12+ extra degrees of warmth, and a super-comfortable nights sleep. If those are qualities you find that you need while backpacking, then this Mummy liner is perfect for your needs. 

At $99.95, the liner isn't the most affordable option on the market. But it does happen to offer some of the best performances you'll find anywhere. Merino wool is one of the best fabrics available for use in our outdoor adventures, and I am happy to see it migrate from clothing, to other products as well. 

Backpacker Gives Us the Best Comfort Thru-Hiking Gear

A few days back I shared a post from Backpacker magazine that offered readers their picks for the best budget gear for making a long-distance thru-hike. Each of the items on that list were selected primarily because they are affordable, with performance being the second characteristic. Now, the editors are back with some more gear recommendations, but this time their offering options that fall into a different category – comfort.

Backpacker's picks for the best comfort thru-hiking gear includes a fantastic sleeping bag from Western Mountaineering, an incredibly comfy sleeping pad from Thermarest, and a large, quite possibly the most comfortable backpack on the market today courtesy of Osprey. You'll also find selections for the best tent, jacket, trekking poles, and even an umbrella, all of which are aimed at the hiker who doesn't mind carrying a bit of extra weight if it means he or she has some luxuries that help them to stay at home out on the trail.

Obviously this list is not for those of us who count every ounce when we're heading out on a hike. Instead, it is all about keeping your body as strong and comfortable as possible, even when hiking for miles on end day after day. If you're someone who is okay with knowing you don't have the lightest gear around, but that you'll probably enjoy your hike more as a result, this list is definitely for you.

Check out all of the items that made the cut by clicking here.

Gear Closet: First Look at Upcoming Gear From REI

 A few weeks back I was lucky enough to be invited on a trip to Bryce Canyon where I would be treated to an early look at some new outdoor gear coming our way courtesy of REI. Typically, Bryce is a dry, warm place that is perfect for hiking and backpacking, but on our trip it turned out to be pretty much the exact opposite. The weather mixed in a little of everything, including sun, rain, sleet, hail, heavy rain, high winds, mud, snow, and yet more rain. And just to make things more interesting, there were even tornadoes and flash floods in the area too. In other words, it was the perfect conditions to test out new gear, even if the team wasn't especially comfortable, warm, and dry at all times. 

Over the course of a couple of days, I was able to test out some great new products and learn about them from the team that is designing them. There is a bit of a revolution going on right now inside REI, which has always made its own brand of packs, tents, sleeping bags, and apparel. But in the past, those products were generally seen as more affordable options when the bigger outdoor brands are out of your price range. Now how, those same items are all going through a dramatic redesign that will turn them into premium products that you'll want to carry with you on your outdoor adventures. They are being built to compete on the same level as The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, and the other brands we've come to know and trust. This is a big step for REI, which will still offer these items at a very attractive price, but the performance of all of the gear is being fine tuned to be much better than in the past.

Most of these new items are scheduled for release in the spring of 2017, so if you're in the market for any of these pieces of gear, you'll have to be a bit patient. But, I can tell you that they are all worth the wait, and you won't be disappointed. They should all arrive in REI stores in time for next year's camping, hiking, and backpacking season. Best of all, company reps tell me they're also working on travel gear too, which means we should see some amazing things in the category in the future too.

Here's a sampling of what I saw:

Flash 45 Backpack
Built for traveling light – but not ultralight – this 45-liter pack is super comfortable, offers plenty of capacity, and is capable of carrying heavy loads over longer distance. I should know, as I tested this bag in Bryce Canyon under challenging conditions for two days carrying quite a bit of gear along with me. The pack includes REI's proprietary UpLift system, which allows you to dial in a great fit for the load you're carrying and your body type. It also has a nicely padded 3D contoured hipbelt, and a number of strategically placed pockets for stashing small items you want to keep close at hand. Best of all however, are the two water bottle pockets that can be easily accessed without ever having to take the pack off.

Quarter Dome Tents
REI's Quarter Dome tents get a revamp for spring 2017 as well, and they are looking great. Available in solo, 2-person, and 3-person models, these shelters are lightweight, tough, and incredibly easy to assemble. They feature color-coded poles that make it a breeze to set-up, even in bad weather. The included rainfly helps to keep moisture at bay, as does an optional footprint, and the tents are roomy, offer plenty of ventilation, and are strong enough to withstand high winds. They also have wider doors for easier entry and exit, more vestibule space, a wider foot box, and reflective guy lines to prevent you from tripping over them in the dark. The new models will all be slightly heavier than the previous generation, but the overall improvements make them much nicer to use in the backcountry.

Magma 10 Sleeping Bag
If you're going to test out a new sleeping bag, you should probably do it in cold, damp conditions. That's exactly what the new Magma 10 bag faced in Bryce Canyon, and it easily passed with flying colors. This mummy-style bag is very comfortable and warm, with an easy to use zipper and options for ventilating the lower section of the bag while staying cosy up top. The Magma features 850-fill hydrophobic down, which means it can repel quite a bit of moisture and still continue to hold its loft and perform at a high level. REI's team told me this sleeping bag is officially rated for 10ºF, which ought to be enough to keep you cosy on most of your camping adventures.

Flash Insulated Air Sleeping Pad
One of my favorite new pieces of gear in the REI line-up is the Flash Insulated Air sleeping pad. Not only does it inflate and deflate incredibly quickly, it also compresses down to an incredibly small size.  This makes it an instant replacement for my older – and much bulkier – sleeping pad that I typically use on backpacking trips. The fact that it also provides a surprisingly high level of comfort, while being so light and thin, is just icing on the cake. I think you're going to like this one a lot too.

Magma 850 Down Jacket
Like the Magma sleeping bag, this jacket also uses 850-fill hydrophobic down. It features a nice athletic cut that hugs the body nicely, helping it to perform well in cold weather. I appreciated the fact that his is a puffy that isn't especially bulky, make it highly packable for travel. The Magma jacket happens to look great too, making it a nice option for the trail or for use around town.

Flash Carbon Trekking Poles
I'm a big proponent of using trekking poles on long distance hikes. I think they save a lot of wear and tear on your hips and joints, and help to keep your legs fresh for the long haul. REI's latest models are super lightweight, easy to pack, and durable enough to survive the difficult conditions we tested them in Bryce Canyon, where the mud was thick and we walked 9+ miles (14 km) each day, with more than 1800 feet (548 meters) of vertical gain. Through it all, the poles performed admirably, and were much appreciated by all. When they hit stores next spring, they will be a very affordable alternative to some of the competing brands we've used in the past.

Performance Apparel
In addition to all of the gear listed above, we also tested out lots of new clothing coming from REI as well. Those items included performance shirts, hiking pants and shorts, jackets, base layers, and more. All of the items looked great, fit comfortable, and performed extremely well, even in the poor weather conditions. If this sampling of clothing accurately represents what REI has in the pipeline, you can expect to not only hike, camp, and backpack more comfortably, but travel well too. There were several pieces – including the Screeline Half-Zip Top and Screeline Pants – that I came away thoroughly impressed by, and will be happy to have them in my wardrobe for future adventures.

This is just a small taste of what REI has in the works. Next spring, you'll definitely want to drop by their retail outlets to check these items out in person. I'm already a big fan of the Flash 45 backpack and Flash Air sleeping pad, but the other items are wonderful as well. If this trend continues, the REI Private Brands collection will be competing quite nicely with some of the other big outdoor brands, and we consumers will benefit greatly.

Gear Closet: SOL Escape Pro Bivvy

As someone who spends a lot of time in the outdoors, and often finds himself traveling to remote places, I'm always on the lookout for innovative new products that can make those experiences safer and more enjoyable. A piece of gear that can pull double duty by providing extra functionality is always a plus too. Recently, I've discovered just such a product in the form of the new Escape Pro Bivvy from SOL, which can serve as an emergency shelter or an extra layer that provides additional warmth for your sleeping bag.

In terms of performance, the Escape Pro Bivvy checks all the right boxes. It is built to be extremely durable, yet offers a high level of breathability as well. It is wind and waterproof, and uses a special material called Sympatex Reflextion to reflect up to 90% of your body heat back at you, helping you to stay much warmer in cold conditions. On top of that, the bivvy weights a mere 8 ounces (240 grams), which make it easy to stuff into your backpack to take with you anywhere.

Because it weighs next to nothing, the Escape Pro Bivvy is a great choice for ultralight hikers who don't want to carry a full sleeping bag on their outdoor adventures. As a stand-alone shelter, it can keep most hikers comfortable in conditions down to 50ºF (10ºC). And when paired with a sleeping bag, it adds as much as 15ºF to the overall temperature rating, while also providing the water and windproof capabilities. That makes it a more sensible choice than even carrying a more basic sleeping bag liner.


Measuring 31" x 84" (78 cm x 213 cm) in width and length, the Escape Pro Bivvy has a 24" (61 cm) zipper than runs along one side that allows for easy access. When unzipped, this also allows the user to more easily stuff their sleeping bag inside. A drawstring closure hood also allows you to cinch the bag up tightly around your head when things get especially chilly.

If you're backpacking with a tent, the wind and waterproof features of the bivvy are nullified somewhat by the shelter you're already sleeping inside. But, as more and more hikers take to the hammock camping trend, this product truly shows its colors, at least in terms of being an extra shell for you sleeping bag. If you prefer to sleep suspended off the ground in a hammock, the Escape Pro Bivvy will be a very useful piece of gear to have at your disposal, not only for its added warmth, but ability to keep wind and moisture at bay too.

Of course, it also comes in very handy as an emergency shelter should you find yourself unexpectedly caught out in bad weather on a mountaineering expedition or backpacking excursion into remote areas. It is easy to pull out and climb inside should the need arise, and it is one of those items that you'll always be glad you have with you, even if you don't need it. And scene it weights so little, there is almost no excuse for taking it along, even if you don't plan to use it an extra layer for your sleeping bag.

Priced at $125, the Escape Pro Bivvy is a bit pricer than a standard sleeping bag liner, so if you're just looking to add a few degrees of warmth to your bag, you might want to look elsewhere. That said, this product does A LOT more than a liner could ever hope to do, providing protection from the elements, and potentially even saving your life in an emergency situation. That makes this not only a far more versatile item – which alone makes it worth the money – but something that should be considered essential gear for those journeys into remote areas. If you're serious about your backcountry adventures, this is definitely an item you'll want to have at your disposal.

Find out more at SurviveOutdoorsLonger.com.