Sea to Summit Reactor sleeping bag liner review

This is a review of the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme Sleeping bag liner. The liner boosts the temperature rating of your sleeping bag and keeps it cleaner.

I have owned the Sea to Summit Thermolite reactor sleeping bag liner now for over 8 years and it has come with me on many different hiking trips. Whenever I needed a slight increase in my Sleeping bag temperature rating I grabbed the Sea to Summit with me.

The reason why I bought the Sea To summit liner is because of a winter camping trip that I did with a coworker. I was not as experienced a hiker or backpacker at that stage and did nearly everything wrong on that trip.

I knew it was going to be to cold for my sleeping bag but did not pack anything else with me. Second is that I brought a Hammock that I have never used before. And third I did not bring a sleeping bag liner or better sleeping bag.

After that experience I bought a better sleeping bag and the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor sleeping bag liner. A combination off those to is ideal in pretty much any weather that I encounter while out camping.

The specifications of the liner are as follows:

Weight	399 grams / 14 ounces
Dimensions	84 / 210cm x 36 / 90cm
Extra insulation	25F / 14C
Stuff sack	Sill Nylon
Colour	Orange

Temperature boost from the Liner

For not that much more weight you can boost your existing sleeping bag by a high margin. But should you trust the temperature rating completely?

No you shouldn’t, temperature ratings are more of a guideline than an actual fact. Every person sleeps differently and the conditions in which you need more insulation changes as well. If you eat less and poorly, go to bed cold or damp and everything changes.

However the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme sleeping bag liner can be a big help for people that want to add a bit more R value to their sleep system.

Is it a whole whopping 14 degrees Celsius more? No not in my experience. But that is something that was probably already suspected. Is it still worth the cost of the Sleeping bag liner? Yes, because it is one of the warmest liners you can get for the weight and size.

Keeping your sleeping bag cleaner

A big advantage besides the added insulation is the cleanliness factor of a sleeping bag liner. Liners are way more easy to wash and dry then your entire sleeping bag. That is why you should take a sleeping bag liner with you. Read more about the reasons for taking one and deciding on a liner in my article. Sleeping bag liners – Are they worth it?

Material of the Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Extreme liner

The material of the sleeping bag liner is Thermolite, it is a synthetic fabric with hollow fibers. This gives it the extra added warmth bonus as hollow fibers are better at trapping in warm air, thus keeping you warmer then a standard solid fiber material. Thermolite is a fabric that is a separate brand that Sea to Summit licensed to produce for this particular product.

It is also very comfortable on the skin and feels like a comfy pyjama. Of course a nice feature if your trying to sleep.

Why carry more sleeping gear?

Ultralight gearheads that have their base weight down to the bones would likely roll their eyes with taking yet another thing with them. However I think sleeping is one of the most important things while out hiking. And in normal life as well. If you sleep like crap and expect to walk 25 kilometers or more everyday for weeks or months than its going to wear you down fast.

So I often take more weight for my sleeping gear while out hiking. I take a sleeping bag, like my Aegismax sleeping bag or my bigger North face cats Meow one. I take a small stuffed pillow and I have a very comfy mattress to sleep on. All that stuff helps me enjoy it more when I’m out hiking. And that to me is the whole point of doing it.

Yes you can challenge yourself, make yourself miserable to tell a cool story. But to be honest you will have those stories regardless. Sleeping better makes it to me so much more enjoyable.

The Sea to Summit brand

Like many outdoor brands Sea to Summit started in a bedroom and a single adventurer that liked to make his own gear. In 1983, Perth Australia, Roland Tyson was that adventurer that started making his own gear on a sewing machine. 7 years later Australian Mountaineer Tim Macartney-Snape joined hands with Roland to make gear for an expedition to climb Mount Everest. But get this, he started at Sea level to the top of the mountain.

Partly thanks to the gear that Roland made for Tim the expedition was a success. And the company Sea to Summit was born. In the following years the product line was increased and they have gear for every sort of outing now. I am a particular fan of their cooking gear utensils and their Sleeping bag liners. If you want to learn more about the company and their products I suggest you take a look at their official website.