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Design Salt Tropic Traveler and Mummy Liner
By James Sharp
Everyone needs somewhere to sleep. Most of the time that is a bed in your house or apartment, but if you are reading this website, chances are that you travel, camp or look for adventure in such a way that you spend time sleeping out-of-doors. This sleeping outside can occur any time of year, in any temperature. The right sleeping bag can make the difference between a good night’s sleep and lying awake miserable waiting for the dawn. Design Salt is well known for their sleeping bag liners and the traveler sheets. The have recently added to that with Cocoon brand sleeping bags. We have just wrapped up spending some time on the Tropic Traveler sleeping bag and a silk mummy liner.
Tropic Traveler
Mummy Liner
Tropic Traveler Sleeping Bag
As the name implies, the Tropic Traveler is a warm weather sleeping bag. It’s outer is made of durable Pertex ripstop nylon that has been treated with a durable water resistant finish, making it ideal for warm nights out under the stars. It has Polarguard fill and lined with silk. This is not a mummy style bag, but rather a square bag that unzips fully for use as a blanket, or zipped together to form a bag for two. Ideally it would be used for nights that won’t be colder than about 50 degrees or warmer. It packs down to a small 6.7 inches, diameter, by 13.5 inches, long. While that is a fairly small size, it still comes in at 2 pounds, so it is not the lightest thing around.
I applaud Design Salt for making the Tropic Traveler rectangular; the bag isn’t warm enough for the temperatures that require the mummy style and I find rectangular bags more comfortable and easier to get in and out of. The only thing that I missed was the hood often found on mummy bags, even at 50 degrees my head feels chilly at night and it would have been nice to have a built in hood to keep some more warmth in.
One of the more interesting things about the Tropic Traveler is the use of silk as the bag liner. Silk is nature’s technical fiber. It doesn’t readily absorb sweat and can be used often without developing any nasty odors. The silk used by Design Salt is also woven like ripstop nylon, so it is much more durable than traditional silk products.
Summary: The Tropic Traveler ($140) lives up to its name. If you were in the South Pacific and needed to bring your own bed, this would be it! It is not the best choice for backpacking, due to its relatively high weight for its size, but ideal for hostelling and car camping in the summer. If, like me, you feel a little claustrophobic in tight fitting mummy bags, you’ll love the rectangular shape of the Tropic Traveler.
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Mummy Liner
Along with the Tropic Traveler, Design Salt sent one of their silk mummy liners. As implied by the name, this is a single layer bag intended for use inside another sleeping bag or alone, it temperatures warrant. Unlike the Tropic Traveler, this is shaped to fit a traditional mummy bag, hood included. Also as the name implies, this liner is made of silk.
We found the liner to very useful, not only does it add 10 degrees to a bags rating (e.g. if a sleeping bag is rated to 40 degrees adding the liner would lower that to 30 degrees) but it also packs very, very small. The silk liner folds to an almost pocket-able 6 X 7 X 1 inches and weighs only 4.7 ounces. AT that size, there is no reason to not pack it with you in the spring and fall, when temperatures can change radically from one day to the next.
Summary: The silk liner ($65) is small insurance on camping trips where the weather might change, or even in a day pack as an emergency sleeping bag. Its size lends itself to packed almost anytime without worry of weighing down a backpack. I heartily recommend it to anyone, from 4-season campers to fair weather car campers.
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Conclusion: Both the Tropic Traveler and the silk mummy liner are well made and really feel good against the skin. There is something about the feel of silk that is comfortable. It never feels as cold as nylon or as slick. While not inexpensive, they aren’t overpriced either, especially when you stop to consider the materials used in their construction. They definitely help the user get a good nights sleep, and isn’t that what a sleeping bag is all about?
James Sharp is a contributing editor for GearReview.com specializing in mountain biking.
For more information, contact:
Design Salt USA
PO Box 1220, Redway
CA 95560 USA
Phone: 800 254 7258
Fax: 707 923-4605
Email: support@designsalt.com
www.designsalt.com
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