User:Jakeroony

Travel Sheet

Travel sheet also referred to as sleeping bag liner.

An envelope made of various materials sized to accommodate a child, an adult or 2 adults.

The function of a travel sheet can be 3 fold: To protect the interior of a sleeping bag and/or to add additional warmth To provide bed sheeting when none is available To protect the user from unclean bedding, harsh detergents, allergens and parasitic pests.

A travel sheet may be configured as a simple fabric envelope or include extra features such as: side opening access to the travel sheet is provided by a long opening in the side of the sheet as opposed to a top opening. a side opening makes entry much easier. "pillow pocket" a sleeve designed to accept a pillow so the user will not have direct contact with the pillow. "extra long fold over top sheet" which enables the user to fold over any blankets or bedspreads so no contact will be made.

Typically, sleeping bag liners which are meant to protect the sleeping bag from bodily fluids, specifically sweat, are very simple cotton or silk envelopes. They are either rectangular or "mummy bag " ( tapered at the foot ) shaped. Liners are usually closed by tie ups or tabs made of hook and loop.

Travel sheets are similar in construction but usually include a pillow pocket, some will include a fold over top sheet.

Travel sheets can be manufactured of many different materials, each materials has it's own properties relating to the specific needs of the user. The majority of travel sheets are made of very thin cottons or silks, which are lightweight, take up little space, and are easily washed in a sink and hang dried. The uses for thin cottons and silk are usually as bedding in hostels which either do not provide sheets or as protection from unclean sheets in hostels and hotels. Thin cottons are used mostly for tropical applications as they will not add more than a few degrees of warmth, while silks are used where 7 - 10 degrees of added warmth are desirable. Silk is also an excellent allergen barrier due to it's tight weave. Some travel sheets are made of polyester fleece, these are used to provide extra warmth to a sleeping bag or other bedding. Specialized travel sheets include "bivvy " type sacks made of water resistant or water proof materials meant for exterior or damp area use.

An " anti-allergen " travel sheet is constructed to shield the user from harsh cleaning agents, allergens and pest such as bed bugs and dust mites. Anti-allergen travel sheets are usually made of cotton, some are unbleached. The cotton fabric must be of a quality sufficient to guard against danders which means pore size is a factor. Pore size is the space between the threads of the fabric, the smaller the pore size the better the protection. Typically any travel sheet with a mean pore size under 10 microns is considered allergy proof. Another factor is breathability, how efficiently the fabric transfers air from one side of the fabric to the other. If pore size is too small the travel sheet will not breath well creating too much heat or moisture. Most anti-allergen travel sheets use zippered closures as opposed to tabs or hook and loop as this method reduces the amount of open spaces in which pests can enter.

Some travel sheets can also be used as seat protectors on buses, trains and planes.

Maintenance:Because most travel sheets are made of thin cottons and silks, washing is usually recommended in cool to warm water either by hand or on a gentle cycle in a machine. Drying is usually by " hang dry " or delicate cycle in a machine. Some higher end manufacturers of anti-allergen travel sheets allow hot water washing and hot air drying in a machine. The reasoning is, hot water and hot air is the safest and most efficient way to inactivate allergens and kill and remove pest and their eggs.

While the early usage of travel sheets was confined to sleeping bag liners and hostel bedding, with the awareness of dust mite allergies and the more frequent outbreak of bed bug infestations due to the outlawing of DDT in the seventies, travel sheets are now used extensively as protection in hotels and motels.